Compared to variables like volume, frequency, and intensity, exercise order has a smaller impact on your progress. MyFitCoach considers the most important points, summarized below.
If you don’t like the order, you can adjust it via drag and drop. You can also swap the suggested exercise for a suitable alternative—more info here.
Core principles of the order
Most important first
At the start of a session, your performance is highest. That’s why we place exercises up front that help you accumulate stimulating volume most effectively.
Upper/Lower logic (by sex & priority)
Most users prefer a certain emphasis, which MFC applies automatically:
Men: Upper body (OK) before lower body (UK), unless lower-body muscles are prioritized.
Women: Lower body before upper body, unless upper-body muscles are prioritized.
If both OK and UK are scheduled on the same day, the session is split into OK/UK or UK/OK accordingly.
Compound before isolation
Compound lifts recruit more muscle mass and are more technical; within a segment they usually come before isolation work.
Prioritized muscles first
What you prioritize generally moves to the front (e.g., chest priority → start with a chest exercise). Exception: Your total volume may justify a different placement.
Antagonistic sequencing
Where useful, we alternate opposing muscle groups (e.g., push/pull) to maintain performance, distribute local fatigue, and reduce joint stress. To intentionally create fatigue, exercises may also be performed sequentially.
Why compound exercises aren’t always in position #1
Targeted prioritization: Smaller, prioritized muscle groups go first; the compound lift follows with high quality.
Technique & joint safety: Light pre-activation (e.g., isolation) can stabilize execution and lower injury risk.
Fatigue management: With high overall load, a compound lift may be placed later to avoid early peak stress.
Antagonistic supersets: For time efficiency and performance, compounds may be paired with antagonists—so they appear “in the middle.”
Gym practicality: Equipment/rack availability and sensible station flow can make a mid-session placement more efficient.
How important is the order, really?
Less important than progressive overload, volume, frequency, and intensity. Don’t overthink it—what matters is training consistently and hitting your targets.
Don’t like the order?
You can drag and drop your plan anytime into the sequence that suits you best.
The order follows “most important first” while factoring in priorities, technique, fatigue, and gym logistics. Seeing compounds in the middle is intentional and can even improve performance, safety, and progression.
Note on Non-Local Fatigue
Non-local fatigue—i.e., system-wide fatigue from prior work—can reduce performance in later exercises, even for other muscle groups. That’s why the first exercise of a session usually performs best, while the last tends to underperform. In practice, this effect is smaller than those of progressive overload, volume, frequency, and intensity, and it can’t be fully avoided; it therefore shouldn’t dictate your entire plan, especially since the literature still needs more research here. Individual responses also vary.
MyFitCoach already accounts for this in planning (most important first, priorities, and, where appropriate, antagonist blocks) and distributes your effective volume sensibly across the week. After each macrocycle (e.g., every 6–8 weeks), it’s worth rotating which muscle group or key lift you start with—you can do this quickly in the app via drag and drop. MFC also makes volume adjustments about two weeks after the deload when your progress indicates they’re needed, helping you keep moving forward despite unavoidable systemic fatigue.
If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to email us at support@myfitcoach.de.