Sequence

[Strychnine]

Just some musings on a thursday morning. .

Let's say you're doing a back/bi workout. How do you sequence your lifts...i.e., in what order do you do your lifts?

I've heard most people say do the bigger muscle group first. So back first on a back/bi day, or chest first on a chest/tri day.
I know a good hard back workout will incorporate the bi's just like a good hard chest workout incorporates the tri's.

But if you did the smaller group first, say tri's before chest, wouldn't you be forced to use more chest during a set of BP then if you would have done chest first, seeing as how you've already pounded your tri's?

Would one way be more benneficial than the other? Or is it all the same?


Conversely, if you have a split that puts bi/tri on the same day, do you do all of one before you do the other, or do you alternate a set of bi, set of tri, set of bi, etc?


- Matt

[Sami]

My triceps tire out before my chest does so doing triceps first would be a big mistake for me. Now I am doing chest/bi on Monday and shoulder/tri on Thursday, just to give the tris time to rest before doing them heavy and working out my bi/tri on two days a week as they need more than my chest/shoulders do.

If you have trouble to get to chest because your tris are better developed then it would worth it to try to do them first.

[The Big Matt]

On Chest/Tri day I do chest first then tris
On Back/Bi day I do bi's first then back

[Strychnine]

On Chest/Tri day I do chest first then tris
On Back/Bi day I do bi's first then back


As do I, but is there an advantage to this?
Are there disadvantages to doing it opposite?

[The Big Matt]

I'm not sure, I know that on chest day, i definately can't do as much chest after a tri workout. But on backday, i'm not all that concerned with my back as much as my bi's.

[Sami]

Are there disadvantages to doing it opposite?
Big muscles consume a lot of energy. You are more likely to be able to perform a heavy tricep workout even after a heavy bench than vice-versa. I guess it all comes down to what group of muscles you feel the need to improve most.

I certainly would not do calves before squat. (big vs. small)

[88Whitepony]

Maybe its just me, But I dont like to work my tri's and chest on the same day.
I do back/tri's.....Chest/bi's....

Anyone else do it this way?

[Sami]

Maybe its just me, But I dont like to work my tri's and chest on the same day.
I do back/tri's.....Chest/bi's....

Anyone else do it this way?
That's my routine now as well. I have been doing chest/shoulder and tri/bi days too in the past.