Q: How should I organize the exercises in my workout?
A: A general rule of thumb for most training programs is to work out the biggest muscles first and the smallest muscles last. For instance, if you are doing a total body workout, the order could be legs (glutes, quads and hamstrings), chest, back, shoulders, biceps/triceps, calves and rotator cuff.
This is especially important if you’re doing difficult compound movements (i.e. squats) as you don’t want to exhaust the “little” muscles that actually assist your “big” muscles during the exercise. If you are unsure of how to organize your workout program, we urge you to talk to a fitness professional, such as a personal trainer. If you jump into a fitness program without proper guidance and instruction you could cause unnecessary strains and/or injury to your body.