Your gym routine – how to determine your order of exercise

Deciding on which exercise to perform first can be a guessing game for most people. Some people choose to work on their favourite body part first, some choose to start from the top of the body and work their way down, and others just use the first piece of equipment that may be vacant.
With a smorgasbord of equipment available to you, how do you determine what will give you the most benefit in the time you’ve made available.
There are some basic guidelines to stick to, to get the most out of your workout. Below is my top 4.
1. Complete your more complex exercises first
A complex gym exercise is any lift that is comprehensive to perform. These are exercises that require stability, energy and concentration and are more stressful on the body. It is best to complete these exercises when you are fresh for optimal performance and safety. Examples - perform a barbell squat before a leg press, or chin ups before seated rows etc.
2. Perform 1 complex lift per session
The physical demands on your body to perform a complex lift mean that your body is in overload, but provide the best stimulus for strength and muscle gains. For example...executing a barbell squat uses the core stabilizers of the shoulder, back and abdominals , the prime muscles in the legs and butt (quadriceps and gluteus muscles), and lots of assistant muscles (hamstrings, calves, etc). Other examples of complex lifts are Barbell squats, Dead-lifts and Chin ups.
3. Aim for more functional movement patterns.
Functional exercises (compound movements) replicate movements in everyday life. Compare the leg extension exercise (isolated movement) and the squat (compound movement). The principal aim of these 2 exercises is to strengthen the quadriceps muscles. The execution of these exercises is very different. The squat engages the muscles and joints of the hips, knee, and ankle whereas the leg extension engages the muscles about the knee only. The leg extension encourages poor posture, inadequate stabilization of the knee, and no stabilization about the other joints because of the seated nature of the exercise. The knee is not made to function in isolation as illustrated in daily activities such as walking, jumping or running and even more evident in activities such as squatting down to pick up something or up and down stairs. You can lift heavier loads due to a more stable base and more muscles recruited therefore a higher training stimulus. Examples of other compound movements are bench press, push ups, squats, lunges, chin ups, lat pull-downs, and seated rows. Examples of Isolated movements are bicep curls; leg extensions, leg curls, and triceps push down.
4. Train the stabilizers of the body during your lifts
Your stabilizers of the shoulder (rotator cuff) pelvis (transverse abdominals) and back (Erectae Spinae) play an important role in bracing the body when it is under load. They act as a stable base when you want your muscles to perform at optimal levels and protect other body parts from injury. If you are wanting to train these stabilizers separately, work them last to avoid them being pre-fatigued.
The most important rule as a trainer to give you is to ensure good posture throughout all exercises and work within your own limits.