WHAT IS THE ORDER IN WHICH DIFFERENT EXERCISES SHOULD BE PERFORMED WHILE WORKING OUT ?
We all workoout at some or the other time which involves a number of exercises. Knowing the sequence of these exercises is important to reap maximum benefits in the minimum possible time. This sequence depends upon your fitness goals. Following a particular sequence reduces ambiguity as to what exercise is to be performed next. This ensures a rhythm in your workouts and ensures your energy levels never dip during the course of workouts. Every workout should start with a warm-up and end with cooling down followed by stretching. The logic of energy channels can be applied while deciding this sequence. Maximum explosive energy is available at the starting and as the time passes, energy channels shift to fats for energy suitable for slow pace activities. The main chunk of your time should be devetoed in the sequence as follows:
STRENGTH
If you are aiming for strength, your maximum energy should be spent towards this. To improve strength, you need to stimulate your muscles to lifting more weights or handling more resistance. This requires explosive energy which is derived from the stored glycogens. These glycogens keep on depleting as you go through your workout. This means, you need to perform the complex and heavy exercises before you do the simpler ones. For example, if you are training for back and biceps strength, you need to first perform complex workouts like chinups amd pullups before the bicep curls. If bicep curls are performed before the chinups, you biceps get fatigued beforehand. Biceps no more help you in performing the chinups which results into your back muscles remaining undertrained and biceps being over trained. If the goal is to improve strength alone, your warmup sessions should be short and good enough to put your neevous system and muscles in sync.
Endurance activities before strength should be avoided. The sequence should look like:
- Dynamic stretching 10mins
- 1 km slow run 10mins
- light Deadlift 3 mins
- Heavy Deadlift 7 mins
- Heavy Pullups 5 mins
- Heavy Dips 5 mins
- Bicep curls 5 mins
- 1 km run 10 mins
- Stretching 10 mins
TOTAL 50 – 60 mins
ENDURNACE
If the aim of workouts is to improve cardiovascular endurance, endurance activities should be performed first. This will enable maximum glycogens being utilised in the initial short bursts of endurance. Keeping other activities after the endurnace will ensure training of the body into switching of energy channels viz glycogens and fats. Endurnace should be followed by strength training always, especially upper body.
This will ensure no muscles are lost and upper body strength is maintained. The sequence should look like:
- Dynamic stretching 5 mins
- 1 km run 10 mins
- 5 km run 15 – 20 mins
- Strengthening – 15 mins
- Cooling down and stretching 15 mins
TOTAL – 50 – 60 mins
ENDURANCE AND STRENGTH BOTH
This goal has to be handled more carefully. If a balanced mix of both strength and endurance is desired, the limited storage of energy is to be utilised sequentially. Strenght training needs explosives energy in short term in the absence of oxygen . This is called anaerobic combustion of fuel. It results into production of lactic acid. Hence, strenght training in the order of major muscles first and minor mucles later, should be followed by endurnace training . Caution, this approach will focus more towards balancing the both components instead of excelling in any one.
Performing endurnace after strength will also help in channelising the Lactic Acid produced during strength training and reduce soreness. This will also make your joints and muscles ready for stretching. A normal sequence should look like:
- Dynamic stretching 5 mins
- Warm up 5 mins
- Strength Training 20 mins
- Endurnace 20 mins
- Cool down and stretching 15 mins
TOTAL – 50 – 60 mins
Doing exercises in a pre-decided sequence ensures saving huge amount of time and efforts. This sequence can be typed in the notes of your phone or in a workout journal and tracked with a wrist watch simply.
Comment the sequence you have been following ….
STAY FIT!! STAY HEALTHY!!
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