• Home
  • About Me
    • Press & Media
    • TV & Local Appearances
  • Blog
    • Baby
    • Beauty
    • Fit Family
    • Fit Travel
    • Free Sample Workouts
    • Lifestyle
    • Nutrition
    • Postpartum Workouts
    • Pregnancy
    • Running
    • Yoga
  • Shop My Looks
  • Nav Social Icons

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About Me
    • Press & Media
    • TV & Local Appearances
  • Blog
    • Baby
    • Beauty
    • Fit Family
    • Fit Travel
    • Free Sample Workouts
    • Lifestyle
    • Nutrition
    • Postpartum Workouts
    • Pregnancy
    • Running
    • Yoga
  • Shop My Looks
  • Mobile Menu Widgets

    Connect

    Search

Cari Fit

Cari Fit

Fitness Advice, Workout Tips, and Inspiration

Weight Training: What Order Should I Use?

health_118

Have you ever been confused about what order to do your weight training routine or are you unsure of what machine to use first? There are many options when it comes to weight training that include varying your weights, reps, sets, rest time, etc. but the sequence or right order that you perform your exercises can be crucial to your workout. The other day at the gym I saw someone starting their workout with a killer ab routine! This is a huge mistake. To find out keep reading…

Here are some tips to help you determine the correct sequence, regardless of what your goals are:

1.    Always start with LARGE muscle groups first.
Why: Larger muscles require more energy and should be done first before you fatigue the rest of your body. Also, when training large muscles, you burn more calories and if you start with this first you will burn more calories throughout the rest of your workout.
What: Exercises or machines that work just one (large) muscle at a time such as: quads, hamstrings, chest and back.
How: Example – Seated leg extension (quads), cable lat pulldown or overhead shoulder press (shoulders).

2.    After you’ve done your larger muscle groups, move to COMPOUND exercises.
Why: Compound exercises usually work one large muscle group and one small muscle group so it’s important to put these in the middle to get the most benefit.
What: Exercises and/or machines that work more than one muscle group at a time such as the shoulders + chest or quads + hamstrings.
How: Example – The seated row. This exercise works primarily your back but also engages your rear shoulder muscles and biceps. If you were to tire out your biceps (a smaller muscle group) first, this exercise would be harder to do and you could compromise form.

3.    After you finish large muscles and compound groups, move on to your SMALL muscle groups.
Why: Your smaller muscles such as biceps, calves, forearms, etc. almost always assist your body when you are performing other exercises. If you were to fatigue your calf muscles at the beginning of your workout, they would not be able to assist you during difficult moves such as a squat or lunge. Therefore, you want to save these isolation exercises for last.
What: Machines or exercises that work only one (isolation) small muscle group.
How: Example – Bicep curls, triceps pull-down or calf raises.

4.    Save your hard-core ab workouts for the END! I’ve seen many people start with abs first and this is a bad idea.
Why? You will be using your abdominal muscles in almost every other weight training exercise you do as a stabilizer. If your abs are exhausted at the beginning of the workout you could injure yourself by not having correct form. Also, you need strong (not tired) abs when performing agility drills, balance work and almost all standing exercises to keep you balanced and aligned.
*Is it ok to mix in a few crunches during a circuit training session? Sure! Just save the weighted or high-rep work that will fatigue your abs till the end of your workout.

Keep in mind that although this is a general recommendation, you don’t have to (and shouldn’t) always do the same exercises in the same order day after day or you and your muscles will get bored. You can still change up your routine while sticking to these guidelines. For example, instead of doing the seated hamstring machine first, do stability ball rollouts. Or instead of doing the cable chest press, do lying bench presses.  Also, don’t forget to mix up your cardio routine to keep your mind and body interested and to achieve maximum results from your weight training (refer to my previous articles for tips).

Have questions or comments about this topic? Post your comments below or email me and I will respond ASAP! Also, to get a free workout assessment or personal training package, email me at [email protected]

you’ll also love

Cari’s Sample Hill Workout on the Treadmill
NBA Dancer Workout
My Top 10 Most Popular Blog Posts

About Me

About Me
Cari Shoemate

Hi! I'm Cari! I'm a fitness star turned Mom of 3 who lives in Houston, TX. Getting fit and healthy is a journey and one I understand well. After graduating from college I worked in a corporate setting for many years and gained a lot of weight and had an unhealthy lifestyle. Finally, after I had enough - I decided to regain my healthy lifestyle that I had in college by fitting in workouts and eating healthier. Eventually, I left my corporate job to become a full-time personal trainer and group fitness instructor. I also created Bombshell Bootcamp over 10 years ago and it has become one of Houston's top bootcamps! My passion then turned into greater opportunities to write workouts for national magazines, appear on tv doing workouts and speaking about healthy and fitness, making fitness DVD's and working with many celebrities. Fast forward a few years....and then I had my first baby! I'm now a Mom of 3 little ones and try to incorporate healthy living and exercise in our family's lives. Not only do I still blog about workouts and fitness, but I have shifted some to include family fitness, family travel, fashion, health/beauty and general lifestyle.

Free Sample Workouts, Press, Training Tips

Old-School Bodybuilding Chest Workout – Featured in Oxygen Magazine

I’ve been a little MIA on the blog just due to life and baby #3! However, I did recently work with Oxygen Magazine to create this really great chest workout…

Read More

Fit Travel, Lifestyle

Family Travel Review – Margaritaville Lake Conroe

My family and I just got back from a super fun staycation at the Margaritaville Resort at Lake Conroe, TX. It’s perfect for families in the Houston area that want…

Read More

Free Sample Workouts, Press

Weighted HIIT Workout Featured in Oxygen Magazine

HIIT your body from head to toe in 40 minutes with this minimal-equipment, maximum-results workout. High-intensity interval training — HIIT for short — isn’t just a cardio phenomenon.This training style,…

Read More

Fit Family, Food, Nutrition, Products

My Favorite High-Protein Snacks

Happy 2022! It’s been awhile since I’ve done a post. Now with 3 little kids – fitting in workouts and eating healthy has been more of a challenge! But, I…

Read More

Next Post >

Recipe of The Month!

Primary Sidebar

Connect

Featured Posts

Recipe: Pippa Middleton’s Peppermint Creams

Yoga for Better Sleep

Bonus Recipe of the Month!

Featured Posts

Old-School Bodybuilding Chest Workout – Featured in Oxygen Magazine

Family Travel Review – Margaritaville Lake Conroe

Weighted HIIT Workout Featured in Oxygen Magazine

Categories

  • Free Sample Workouts
  • Nutrition
  • Fit Travel
  • Yoga
  • Beauty
  • Lifestyle

 

Loading Comments...