Exercise Order: Getting it Right

Let's imagine that you're an Iron Habits lifter (you do want to be strong, after all) and your program looks something like this:

Squat — 3 x 5 @ 370 pounds

RDLs — 3 x 8 @ 295 pounds

Barbell Rows — 3 x 5 @ 245 pounds

Farmer's Carries — 3 x 30 seconds @ Bodyweight in your hands

A question that comes up every once in a while with a client is, "The squat rack was taken up

when I got there, is it okay that I did my RDLs first?"

To which the obvious answer is "Yes, but..." So let's discuss the "but" and all the considerations that follow it.

1. Time Constraints

Living in the real world, most of us don't have time to wait 30 minutes for the kid with the broccoli haircut to finish his curls and selfies in the squat rack. We have to maximize our 45 minutes to an hour, and since we've agreed to the part of social contract about not harming others for this kind of thing, sometimes that means we have to start with the equipment available. This is a perfectly normal response, but sometimes it means you may have to make adjustments downstream within your day. Since 99+% of people are not competitive athletes, it's perfectly fine to make some changes on the fly and move on with our lives. It is far better to do the planned exercises out of order than to cut things out of your training day to make sure you Squat first. The total volume is one of the most important training variables in any program and making swift adjustments by chopping exercises leads to a future of missed reps in very short time.

2. Order purpose

Exercises are prioritized and listed first for a reason. The larger the stimulus, usually the earlier they show up in your workout (unless under very specific programming plans like pre-exhaustion, which I won't get into today). In the example program above, the Squat is clearly the performance priority. It is likely the indicator of progress, and the first consideration before the rest of the plan is set in place. The other movements listed do serve a purpose, but their purpose is usually in service to the Squat. Because they can be fatiguing, they alter the performance of the Squat and create a new variable for the program. Usually, when the Squat suffers, this means a change to the programming. This is significant because the Squat, like the other major lifts, largely determine the trajectory of the entire programming plan and significantly impact the decision making of the coach.

This isn't to tell you making modifications to order is always bad or inappropriate. Just that you should avoid it as best you can, and you should always note it if it happens. It has to be recorded so the variables are understood.

3. Modifications and Consequences

In this instance, the lifter has two choices: Attempt to barrel through the Squat as-is, or peel a little weight off the bar to retry today's number another day. Either can be the right answer, but the important this is that the question is considered. It often comes down to a judgement call of the lifter, how they feel through warm-ups, and if they can see themselves completing the listed reps.

If the lifter feels like completing the prescribed reps is going to be a long shot, peeling ~2-5% off the bar and completing the same volume (all 15 reps in this case) is an appropriate adjustment.

Training this way usually provides enough stimulus to allow a repeat attempt the next week under better circumstances. In that case, the program essentially pauses for a week before continuing on with little disruption. This is obviously the preferred outcome, over wasting our time sitting there and terminating our future gains.

So yes, the order you train in matters, but it's no reason to waste your time. Making intelligent adjustments on the fly reduces disruptions to your program and leads to continued success. As is usually the case, context matters greatly. Now, go out there and lift.