The Best Exercise Order For Muscle Growth Workouts

Summary

In this RP Strength video, Dr. Mike discusses the importance of exercise order in a workout routine, emphasizing the difference between natural and enhanced athletes. He outlines factors affecting exercise order, such as energy levels, performance goals, muscle stimulation, and mind-muscle connection. For naturals, he suggests prioritizing high-priority exercises and those requiring coordination early in a workout. Enhanced athletes should consider injury risk and might benefit from lighter, isolated exercises first, followed by heavier compound movements. The video provides practical advice for optimizing workout structure based on individual needs and goals.

Takeaways

• 🏋️ Exercise order is crucial as it affects energy levels, performance, and the stimulus muscles receive during a workout.
• 💪 Performing high-energy exercises first ensures optimal performance due to less fatigue.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Exercises that require significant coordination and focus should be done early in the workout to prevent decreased performance due to fatigue.
• 🧠 Mind-muscle connection is better later in a workout when the muscles are pumped and warmed up.
• 📉 First exercises reduce overall performance on subsequent exercises, necessitating strategic planning of the workout order.
• 👶 Beginners should prioritize compound movements with high technique and load early in their workouts.
• 🚫 For natural lifters (natty), heavy compound exercises are often best suited for early in the workout, while isolations can come later.
• ⚠️ Enhanced lifters should consider starting with lighter, isolated exercises to reduce injury risk and then move to heavier compound movements later.
• 💊 Enhanced athletes have an easier time stimulating muscle growth, so they might prioritize injury risk reduction over stimulus intensity.
• 🔁 The order of exercises should be periodically reassessed and adjusted based on individual progress and goals.

Q & A

Why does the order of exercises matter in a workout routine?

The order of exercises matters because it affects energy levels, performance, muscle stimulation, mind-muscle connection, and the likelihood of injury. Performing high-energy exercises early in a workout can lead to better performance and muscle stimulation, while exercises that require focus and coordination are best done when you're not yet fatigued.

What is the recommended exercise order for someone who wants to prioritize squat performance?

If squat performance is a priority, squats should be done early in the workout when energy levels are highest and before other exercises that might fatigue the muscles needed for squatting, such as leg press.

How can exercise order affect the mind-muscle connection?

Exercises that require a good mind-muscle connection are best performed later in a workout when the muscles are warmed up and pumped, which can enhance the mind-muscle connection and the quality of the exercise.

What is the significance of exercise order for beginners in terms of technique learning?

For beginners, it's crucial to perform exercises that require high technique early in the workout to ensure they are learning the correct form without the interference of fatigue, which can lead to poor form and potential injury.

Why might someone choose to perform isolation exercises before compound exercises?

Performing isolation exercises before compound exercises can be beneficial for those looking to focus on specific muscle groups without the limiting factors of fatigue from larger muscle groups that are engaged in compound movements.

How does exercise order differ between natural (natty) and enhanced lifters?

Enhanced lifters may prioritize lighter, more isolated exercises earlier in their workout to reduce injury risk, while saving heavier compound movements for later. Natural lifters might focus more on heavy compound exercises earlier to maximize strength gains.

What is the rationale behind performing high-rep exercises later in a workout for enhanced lifters?

For enhanced lifters, performing high-rep exercises later in a workout can reduce injury risk associated with heavy loads and still provide significant muscle stimulation due to their ability to recover and grow muscle more easily with the aid of substances.

Why is it advised to perform exercises with a high systemic fatigue component later in a workout?

Exercises that cause high systemic fatigue, like squats and deadlifts, can deplete energy and affect the performance of subsequent exercises. Performing them later ensures that they don't negatively impact the execution of other exercises earlier in the workout.

How can the order of exercises be adjusted to reduce the risk of injury?

To reduce injury risk, one can prioritize exercises that pre-exhaust the target muscles with lower loads, perform isolation exercises before compound movements, and save high systemic fatigue exercises for later when the body is warmed up and less prone to injury.

What is the advice for intermediate lifters regarding exercise order?

Intermediate lifters should focus on the net session stimulus to fatigue ratio, balancing the order of exercises to maximize muscle stimulation while minimizing fatigue. They should also consider their personal goals and the specific demands of their training program.