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Strength training: when order matters (and when it doesn’t)
Does the order of your strength exercises really matter in a strength workout? SPB looks at new research, and explains when it does and when it’s less important
I haven’t always been a scientific researcher and writer. In my earlier years, I worked extensively as a qualified fitness coach and trained a large number of athletes. What I learnt was that most athletes knew the basics of which exercises were needed to enhance their particular sport. Quite a few athletes also knew the correct technical execution of these exercises, and how to set the correct ranges of weight and repetitions. However, what very few athletes understood were the basic principles needed to put a routine together – particularly when it came to the order of exercises. This was especially the case with recreational athletes/self-trained athletes, who hadn’t previously had access to a coach.
Structure and order matters
The structure of a strength workout is very important indeed; ask any really experienced fitness trainer and they’ll tell you that the way the components of a workout are put together is just as important as what those components actually are – a classic case of the whole being bigger than the sum of its parts. Indeed, research has demonstrated that the order of exercises in a strength session can directly affect subsequent strength adaptations(1).
As a simple illustration of this principle, strength exercises completed early on in a session can be performed with higher loading and efficiency because of less local fatigue. In plain English, fresh muscle fibers can perform more work than those that have become fatigued (even partially) as a result of previous exercises in that session where those fibers may have been used(2). It follows that since ‘early’ exercises permit higher peak and total force generation, greater strength adaptations are possible in earlier placed exercises compared to sessions where those same exercises are performed late in the session.
Optimum order
As a result of the above principle, most strength training sessions are traditionally designed with the exercises prescribed in predetermined order, with the ‘targeted muscles’ (those deemed key for sport performance) worked early in the session, while other muscle groups deemed of secondary importance are relegated to the later stages of the session. While such a predetermined structure to session planning can deliver clear benefits, implementing it is not always easy.
Athletes who use a gym for strength sessions (most people!) may find that they have to stand around waiting for a piece of equipment to become free, particularly at busy times. This can lead to boredom, an unwanted cool down, and inefficient usage of time, all of which compromise the efficacy of the session. Indeed, new research shows that when inter-set rest periods are extended (eg when waiting around for a piece of equipment or set of dumbbells), the intensity needed to generate strength gains declines markedly (see this article)(3). For an athlete in a busy gym or a coach training a group of athletes therefore, this presents a real challenge when structuring strength sessions.
Deviating from the optimum order
In these circumstances, it may actually be better to deviate from the optimum structure rather than hang around in order to overcome logistical challenges associated with busy gyms or when coaching large groups with limited equipment. In a 2020 study, elite hockey players were studied to assess performance when following an optimally structured strength session as determined by accredited strength and conditioning coaches and research scientists in the field compared with the same sets, reps and loadings of exercises but performed in a random order chosen by the players themselves(4). When the data from the two trials was analyzed, the key finding was that (surprisingly), there were no statistical or practical differences in power outputs, rate of fatigue development or physical activity enjoyment scores!
How important is an optimum order?
From the study above, you might assume that for all the hype, the exact order of exercises performed in a strength workout is actually not that important in practical, real-world day-to-day settings. There’s certainly more than a grain of truth in this assumption, especially given that research has also established that freely choosing exercise order seems to enhance motor learning(5), motivation(6), and the likelihood of adhering to a program(7). Having said this, the hockey players in the study above were assessed for power outputs, perceived fatigue and enjoyment in a one-off workout, No measures of training adaptation over time or subsequent strength gains were carried out, which at the end of the day is what really matters.
Unrelated muscle groups
Earlier on in this article, we said that fresh muscle fibers can perform more work than those that have become fatigued (even partially) as a result of previous exercises in that session(2). This obviously implies that where there is any muscle overlap (often the case), exercises ideally need to be arranged according to the athlete’s goal(s), with the key muscle groups to be target taking priority in the training order. But what happens when performing strength exercises where there is absolutely zero overlap between muscle groups – for example squats and bench presses? Is this a true instance where there is no ‘ideal’ exercise order, enabling athletes to perform the exercises in whichever order they wish with the same results following?
Surprisingly, there’s relatively little research into this topic. It’s widely acknowledged that placing multi-joint exercises, which engage large amounts of muscle, early in a workout leads to greater training benefits compared to placing single-joint exercises early in a workout. For example, a study on young men looked at the effects of a 6-week resistance training program where the exercise order was either multi-joint ð single-joint or single-joint ð multi-joint(8). It found that when it came to leg strength and muscle mass, the multi-joint ð single-joint approach resulted in greater gains, even though the total volume and exercises/reps across the two approaches was identical.
New research
To try and determine whether there’s a preferred exercise order when performing strength exercises with absolutely no overlap, a team of German scientists have carried out new research, which has just been published in the journal ‘Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport’(9). In this study, researchers investigated the effects of exercise order when performing two unrelated exercises – the bench press and the squat. Nineteen strength-trained men participated in the study and completed two training sessions on two separate occasions, which varied only in the order of exercises. These two sessions (performed in a random order) were as follows:
1. Squats (3 sets of 5 reps at 80% 1-rep max loading then 3 sets of 3 reps at 80% 1-rep max loading) followed by bench presses using the same loading protocol.
2. Bench presses (3 sets of 5 reps at 80% 1-rep max loading then 3 sets of 3 reps at 80% 1-rep max loading) followed by squats using the same loading protocol.
During both trials, the average propulsive velocity (a good marker for fatigue and an important metric for athletes where strength training is to enhance sports performance) for each exercise was measured. These velocity measurements took place at the start of the first set then again at the end of the first block (3 x 5 reps), and then again at the end of the second block (3 x 3 reps). In particular, the researchers wanted to compared how the order of the two exercises affected average exercise velocities during the second exercise (ie bench presses in the squats ð bench press protocol and squats in the bench press ð squats protocol).
What they found
Unsurprisingly, the average velocity of exercise reps fell as the sets proceeded (indicating more fatigue). This decline was observed in both the squats ð bench press protocol and squats in the bench press ð squats protocols. What was really noteworthy however was how the exercise order affected velocity. When bench presses were performed second (ie in the squats ð bench press protocol), the average bench press velocity was around 7.9% slower in sets 2 to 6 compared to when they were performed first (ie in the bench press ð squats protocol). The same finding was true with squats performed after bench presses, albeit to a lesser extent. Here, the average squat velocity declined by just under 5% in sets 1 and 4 compared to when squats were performed first.
Practical implications for athletes
This study showed that the presence of fatigue in muscles that are completely unrelated to an exercise being performed can blunt performance in that exercise – as shown by the reduced velocities. Why is this so? The most likely explanation is to do with neurological fatigue; muscles require a neurological input before contraction can take place and if extensive neurological demands have already been placed on the brain and central nervous system, the neurological task of recruiting and firing muscle fibres may be just that bit harder. Certainly there’s evidence from other studies that the ‘non-local’ fatigue effect is a very real one(10). There’s also a good body of evidence that mental tasks performed just prior to resistance exercise also reduce muscle firing efficiency and therefore exercise capacity(11).
How can athletes apply these findings to their own training? The key take-home message is that strength exercises that are particularly important and specific to your sport (eg squats for sprinters or track cyclists, lat pulls or bench presses for swimmers etc) should be placed right at the start of strength sessions. This is particularly the case if strength training is being used to help develop speed or power across a defined range of movement. When selecting exercise, always choose multi-joint movements that target the main muscle groups (but which are assisted by other muscles), as this will creating greater intensity and training adaptations.
If your sport requires upper and lower body muscle strengthening, try arranging workouts so that you target lower and upper body muscles separately. This is likely to get you better results that mixing both upper and lower body exercises in the same workout. If time is tight and you need to mix upper and lower body exercises, the data from other ‘non-local fatigue’ studies is mixed. In the study with squats and bench presses outlined above(9), performing squats first produced a greater performance decrement in bench presses than the other way round.
However, other research has suggested that upper body performance may be less affected when lower body exercises are performed first(10). In this case you may be better of experimenting for yourself and seeing what works for you. Also shown below are some more general guidelines that should be borne in mind when planning your strength sessions – particularly if you plan to strength train the whole body in one hit. Finally, while order does matter, try not to get too worried about deviating from your preferred order if you need to. If the gym is busy, you’re almost certainly better moving onto a different exercise rather than hanging around and cooling down while awaiting your turn, just so you can stick rigidly to your desired order. Remember, there’s always the next workout!
General strength exercise order guidelines
· Big muscle groups should come first. It takes more effort to train a big muscle group than a small one, so you need to be fresher. You’ll also generate lots of heat training big muscle groups, heat that will ensure you remain well warmed up for longer. As rough pecking order, muscle group size runs (from bigger to smaller): gluteals (buttocks), quadriceps, hamstrings, latissimus dorsi (side back), calves, pectorals, abdominals, lower back, deltoids (shoulders), upper back, triceps and biceps. Having said that, bear in mind that the earlier you place a muscle group in your workout, the harder you’ll hit it, as you’ll be that much fresher. This is important if there’s an area of your body that seems reluctant to respond.
· Do compound movements (eg chest press) before isolation movements (eg chest flyes). Compound movements are the ‘power’ movements and again, you need to be fresh to give them 100%. The exception to this rule is advanced ‘pre-exhaustion’ overload movements, where you isolate and target a muscle group then IMMEDIATELY perform a compound movement involving the same muscle group, to drive the target muscles deeper into exhaustion – see this article.
· When training the upper body, don’t work the assisting biceps and triceps until you’ve completed your compound movements. For example, if you blitz your biceps, then move on to lat pulldowns, the biceps will be too exhausted to assist the big latissimus dorsi muscles to work. Although you’ll have well and truly worked the biceps to death, the much bigger latissimus muscles will remain comparatively untrained.
· Try to alternate between ‘pushing’ and ‘pulling’ movements. When you push, you use triceps to assist; when you pull, you use biceps to assist. If you do two sets of bench press, two sets of incline bench press then follow it with the shoulder press, your triceps (which work in all 3 movements) will have given up long before your shoulders even get into gear!
· Leave abs and lower back until last for the simple reason that when everything else is exhausted, you’ll be less likely to cheat.
· If you’re after a circuit training/additional CV effect, alternate upper and lower body movements, while following the above guidelines.
References
1. European Journal of Sport Science. 2020;28:1–9
2. Sports Med. 2012 Mar 1; 42(3):251-65
3. PLoS One. 2023 Oct 5;18(10):e0291857. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291857. eCollection 2023
4. PeerJ. 2020 Nov 12;8:e10361
5. Psychon Bull Rev. 2016 Oct; 23(5):1382-1414
6. Psychological Inquiry. 2000;11(4):227–268
7. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2011;43(4):728–737
8. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2019 Apr;44(4):420-424
9. Res Q Exerc Sport. 2024 Feb 2:1-8. doi: 10.1080/02701367.2023.2298455. Online ahead of print
10. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2015 Oct;115(10):2031-48
11. Motor Control. 2022 Dec 12;27(2):442-461
Andrew Hamilton
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