Train Larger Muscle Groups First

June 28, 2023

A jagged dark mass curves beneath a bright, white background.

Your Fitness Goal: Independence

When doing a workout, it is always the best practice to start with larger muscle groups

and multi-joint movements. The largest muscles in your body are your legs, glutes,

back and chest. Multi-joint movements are any exercises that involve more than one

joint during the exercise.

For example, a dumbbell press is an exercise that works your chest, which are larger

muscles in your body. And it involves your shoulders and elbows, which means it is a

multi-joint movement.

There are several reasons it is a good idea to work larger muscles before smaller ones.

Multi-joint movements are exercises that mimic real life movements. It is best to

ensure you do them regularly, and you work on getting stronger in those movements.

Often these lifts are more complicated, so it is good to start with them before you get

physically or mentally fatigued.

Working your big muscle groups also requires a lot more energy, which improves your

calorie burn in a workout and your overall fitness and stamina. Compound movements

and exercises that work a lot of muscles at once is a great way to see the best results

during a set time for exercise.

Also, if you work smaller muscles first, you can fatigue those muscles and not get the

best performance when working the larger muscles. However, when you exercise your

larger muscle groups, you always engage the smaller muscles and they do get some

work.

Isolating smaller muscle groups, such as biceps, triceps or calves, aren’t necessary

unless you have specific goals around muscle tone or unless it is helpful for injury

prevention or corrective exercises.

If you need a little guidance on your workouts, Axio Fitness is here to help!

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