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Basic question on organization of exercises

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Cpt Awesome

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Hey, so this is my first post here. I've only started seriously lifting for almost a year now. I'm coming close to the beginning of a new routine and schedule I'm just starting to rough draft, but there are still some things I would think of as basic that I just don't know yet.

One thing I wanted to get out of the way was how to organize the order of exercises in a workout. I've never been sure really how much of a difference it makes but just from reading workouts from lifting magazines it seems like the norm is to work through your routine by completing one body part at a time. So on a chest and back day you'd do all your chest workouts first and then all your back ones. I'm asking because I've always been under the impression it would be better to alternate between muscles to give more rest before the muscle is used again and also to decrease the time between when you stop working a muscle and when you take your protein.

Is it better to alternate between muscles or is it better to hammer out your workout muscle to muscle? Or does it even matter?
 
once you've read those.

big compound movements first. end on the iso stuff if you do them. periodize your order of movements within your program, vertical first one week then horizontal first next week for example...
 
MyK 3.0 said:
once you've read those.

big compound movements first. end on the iso stuff if you do them. periodize your order of movements within your program, vertical first one week then horizontal first next week for example...
Click to expand...

Further on that, I'd move mechanically-awkward lifts to later in the workout so the simpler, basic compounds are performed fresh. I'm talking about lifts where balance is usually the determining factor of quality or where equipment set up and angles are factors. For instance, bulgarian split squats, unilateral deadlifts, supine rows, corner press, etc. Start with the simpler, heavy movers like deadlifts, basic bent-over rows, back squats, then go for your zercher squats, unilateral good mornings, arnold presses, etc.

Though they're compounds, and thus much more productive than isolation lifts, I still consider lifts like these to be "supplementary" because compared to the standard lifts they have some downfalls.
 
Hey guys, thanks for the input it's been very helpful. Basically what I've got from this is that the best way to work through your workout is to start with the largest muscles and simplest lifts, then work your way down to the smaller muscles and more dynamic lifts. The whole thing being a sort of two variable scale that you move across. This should help me quite a bit with structuring my routine
 
Cpt Awesome said:
Hey guys, thanks for the input it's been very helpful. Basically what I've got from this is that the best way to work through your workout is to start with the largest muscles and simplest lifts, then work your way down to the smaller muscles and more dynamic lifts. The whole thing being a sort of two variable scale that you move across. This should help me quite a bit with structuring my routine
Click to expand...

There are some exceptions. For instance, hang cleans -- which are much more complicated technique-wise than, say, pullups -- I would perform fresh.

Just make sure you always prioritize according to your training needs.

Another good idea is to train weaker body parts/lifts fresh.
 
You've got great answers here. Anything I wanted to say was already said.
 
Ya I suppose lifts that are difficult to do safely when tired should take some priority over others. All this will definitely make it easier to start building a new routine for the coming school year

Thanks again for the good input here on ironmag!
 
Cpt Awesome said:
Ya I suppose lifts that are difficult to do safely when tired should take some priority over others. All this will definitely make it easier to start building a new routine for the coming school year

Thanks again for the good input here on ironmag!
Click to expand...

Well, again, some lifts that are difficult to do when tired I still do later. Bulgarian split squats are very hard to perform any time. The thing is they just don't work with sub-maximal lifting.

For instance, though I normally advocate lifting solely with free-weights, there are only so many vertical pull lifts. It would be a bit much to do nothing but pullups all the time, especially if you wanted to aim for some higher-reps in a volume program (as is the case for me right now). I'm using pullups, close-grip v-bar chins, and close-grip v-bar lat pulldowns. Each has its own rep range/intensity, but I developed the program to play on what I felt are the most suitable rep range/intensity for each lift. I would never use lat pulldowns for sub-maximal lifting; it just wouldn't work. Certain lifts just don't bode well with that kind of intensity.
 
Ok, well it all makes sense. But I suppose to a large degree you have to feel some things out and adjust according to the demands of the exercise, to determine whether or not it works for sub maximal lifting or whether it's something that needs to be done fresh.
 
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In this order:

Power/Speed
Leg Compounds
Upper Body Compounds
Machines
Isolations
 
All I know is order is based on how many muscles are involved in the exercises. I am told you want to do speed/explosive stuff first followed by compound exercises, then machines (all machines are less stabilizers than compound=free weights), then single muscle exercises. The more muscles used, the more beginning of the workout.the less muscles used, the more to the end.

Try doing hamstring curls with a machine, then do the deadlift. You won't be able to use much weight with the deadlift because hamstring curls are single joint and your hamstrings are fatiqued already. If you do deadlift first and them hamstring curls, you would be better off.
 
Hey, thank you all for all the answers. Sounds like for the post part it's agreed that's it's not so much about the specific muscle but rather how many muscles the exercise actually calls on. I think especially now that I've switched to the push, pull and legs system that this idea should work without a hitch. Start with your power or speed lifts, move to the lifts incorporating the most muscles after that, and then any machines you'd like to include.
 
I always start with compounds and/or any overheard pressing movements first. once I'm done with the compounds I switch to isolation exercises and higher rep ranges.
 
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