Shouldn’t I squat before or after upper body workout?

Hey there, fitness enthusiasts! Ready to dive into a common yet intriguing question in the world of workouts?

We’ve all been there wondering whether to tackle those squats before or after conquering those upper body exercises.

It’s like figuring out the perfect recipe for a balanced and effective workout dish. In this blog post, we’re going to break down the pros and cons of both approaches, so you can make an informed decision that suits your fitness goals and leaves you feeling like a champ.

So, let’s lace up those sneakers and get ready to explore the world of pre vs. post upper body squatting.

 

Squat before or after upper body workout?

It’s generally recommended to prioritize compound movements that engage multiple muscle groups earlier in your workout.

Squats are a compound lower body exercise that also engages your core, and they require a lot of energy and focus.

If you’re aiming for a balanced and effective workout, it’s a good idea to perform squats before your upper body workout.

Starting with squats can help you take advantage of your energy levels and focus while they’re at their peak.

Additionally, squats activate your core and lower body muscles, which can provide stability and support during your upper body exercises.

Here’s a suggested workout order:

Squats: Begin with squats as your primary lower body exercise. This allows you to target your leg muscles while you’re fresh and have the energy to lift heavier weights.

Upper Body Exercises: After squats, move on to your upper body exercises, such as bench presses, rows, overhead presses, and pull-ups.

These exercises target your chest, back, shoulders, and arms. Since you’ve already worked on your lower body, your upper body muscles will be the main focus in this phase of your workout.

Isolation Exercises: Finish your workout with isolation exercises that target specific muscles, such as bicep curls, tricep extensions, and lateral raises.

These exercises can be performed after your compound movements since they don’t require as much energy and coordination.

Remember, individual preferences and goals can influence your workout routine. If you find that a different order works better for you, feel free to adjust.

It’s also important to warm up properly before starting your workout to prevent injuries. Always listen to your body and give yourself adequate rest between sets and workouts.

If you’re new to exercise or have any health concerns, consider consulting a fitness professional or healthcare provider for personalized guidance.

Explanations.

Let’s delve deeper, let me explain these points mentioned further.

Squats.

When you start your workout with squats as your primary lower body exercise, you’re taking advantage of a few key physiological and practical factors:

Energy Levels and Focus:

At the beginning of your workout, your overall energy levels and mental focus are at their highest. This is because you haven’t yet exerted yourself or depleted your energy stores.

Squats are a demanding compound exercise that engages multiple large muscle groups, including your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.

Performing squats while you’re fresh allows you to lift heavier weights and execute the exercise with proper form, maximizing the recruitment of muscle fibers.

Central Nervous System Activation:

Squats are a complex movement that require coordination and activation of your central nervous system.

Starting with squats can prime your nervous system and enhance muscle recruitment throughout the rest of your workout.

This can potentially lead to better overall performance in both squats and subsequent exercises.

Muscle Priority:

If your goal is to prioritize leg strength and muscle development, starting with squats makes sense.

By giving your leg muscles the primary focus at the beginning of your workout, you ensure that you’re dedicating ample energy and effort to this crucial muscle group.

Injury Prevention:

Squats require proper technique and form to be performed safely and effectively.

Beginning your workout with squats, when you’re still physically fresh and mentally alert, reduces the risk of using improper form due to fatigue. This can contribute to a lower risk of injury.

Compound Exercise Benefits:

Squats are considered a compound movement because they engage multiple joints and muscle groups simultaneously.

Starting with compound exercises is a common approach to building a balanced and effective workout routine, as they tend to produce more significant gains in strength and muscle mass compared to isolation exercises.

To put it simply, starting your workout with squats is like putting your best foot forward.

You’re taking advantage of your body’s readiness to tackle a demanding exercise that has a profound impact on muscle growth, strength, and overall fitness.

By the time you move on to your upper body exercises, you’ll have established a solid foundation for the rest of your workout session.

 

Upper Body Exercises.

Transitioning to upper body exercises after completing squats serves as a strategic approach to optimize your workout.

 

Here’s a breakdown of the rationale behind this sequence:

Muscle Group Focus:

After you’ve completed squats, your lower body muscles, including your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, have been engaged and fatigued to some extent.

Moving on to upper body exercises allows you to shift the focus to a different set of muscles your chest, back, shoulders, and arms.

This way, you can effectively target and stimulate those muscle groups without the fatigue from the previous lower body exercise affecting your performance.

Efficiency:

By grouping similar movements together, you can make your workout more efficient. This approach lets you maximize your use of equipment and minimize transition time between exercises.

Instead of hopping between lower body and upper body equipment, you can stay within one area of the gym and complete all your upper body exercises consecutively.

Energy Distribution:

Compound upper body exercises like bench presses, rows, overhead presses, and pull-ups require a good deal of energy and focus.

By performing them after squats, you ensure that your energy levels are still relatively high, allowing you to lift heavier weights and maintain proper form.

This is especially important for exercises like bench presses and pull-ups that involve significant upper body strength.

Comprehensive Workout:

Incorporating a variety of upper body exercises targets different muscle groups, promoting balanced muscle development.

Bench presses target your chest, rows work your back, overhead presses engage your shoulders, and pull-ups primarily activate your back and arms.

Performing these exercises in succession provides a well-rounded upper body workout.

Progressive Overload:

After squats, your central nervous system is already activated, and your body is accustomed to lifting weights.

This can set a positive tone for the rest of your workout, making it easier to progressively increase the weight you lift in your upper body exercises and promote strength gains.

In other words, transitioning from squats to upper body exercises strategically optimizes your workout routine.

By focusing on different muscle groups, maintaining energy levels, and promoting efficiency, this sequence helps you achieve a more effective and well-rounded workout session.

 

Isolation Exercises.

The inclusion of isolation exercises at the end of your workout follows a strategic approach that takes advantage of specific physiological and practical considerations.

Here’s an explanation of why finishing with isolation exercises can be effective:

Muscle Targeting:

Isolation exercises are designed to specifically target and isolate individual muscles or smaller muscle groups.

Examples include bicep curls (targeting the biceps), tricep extensions (targeting the triceps), and lateral raises (targeting the lateral deltoids).

By placing these exercises at the end of your workout, you can effectively hone in on these smaller muscle groups that may not have been fully engaged during the earlier compound exercises.

Fatigue Management:

Compound exercises like squats and upper body presses are demanding and require coordination among multiple muscle groups.

By the time you reach isolation exercises, your energy levels may have decreased, and your muscles may be fatigued.

Isolation exercises require less energy and coordination compared to compound movements. Placing them at the end of your workout allows you to work these specific muscles without the need for maximal energy and focus.

Mind-Muscle Connection:

Isolation exercises often involve controlled, targeted movements that can enhance your mind-muscle connection.

This connection refers to your ability to mentally focus on and contract the specific muscle you’re working.

Since isolation exercises are less physically demanding, you can dedicate more attention to the quality of each repetition, ensuring that you’re effectively engaging the targeted muscle.

Variety and Detail:

Isolation exercises provide an opportunity to add variety to your workout and target muscle groups that might not have received as much attention during compound movements.

This variety can contribute to more balanced muscle development and help address any specific muscle imbalances.

Cool-Down Effect:

As you approach the end of your workout, including isolation exercises can serve as a gradual cool-down phase.

These exercises allow your heart rate to gradually lower while still providing a productive way to conclude your training session.

In summary, placing isolation exercises at the end of your workout takes advantage of the benefits they offer while considering the energy levels and coordination demands of these exercises.

This approach ensures that you’re targeting specific muscles with focused movements, promoting a well-rounded workout that addresses both compound and isolated muscle groups.

A compare tabular on this topic here.

Here’s a comparison presented in a tabular format to help you decide whether to perform squats before or after your upper body workout:

Aspect	Squat Before Upper Body Workout	Squat After Upper Body Workout
Muscle Engagement	Engages lower body muscles such as quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.	Engages upper body muscles including chest, back, shoulders, and arms.
Energy Levels	Performed while energy levels are high, allowing for heavier lifting.	Performed when energy levels might be lower due to prior upper body exercises.
Central Nervous System Activation	Activates central nervous system early, potentially enhancing overall workout performance.	Less central nervous system activation compared to starting with squats.
Coordination	Requires coordination and balance; optimal for when you’re mentally fresh.	Requires less coordination and balance than compound movements.
Injury Risk	Reduced injury risk as you’re less likely to compromise form due to fatigue.	Slightly higher injury risk if fatigue affects squat form negatively.
Muscle Priority	Prioritizes leg strength and development at the start of the workout.	Allows upper body muscles to be the primary focus in the early phase of the workout.
Efficiency	Efficient if you’re using the same area/equipment for both upper and lower body exercises.	Requires transitioning to different equipment if using separate upper and lower body stations.
Progressive Overload	Can lift heavier weights for squats, potentially leading to better strength gains.	May lift slightly lighter weights for squats after upper body exercises.
Workout Flow	Sets the tone for the workout, with an intense compound movement upfront.	Provides a smooth transition from upper body to lower body exercises.

Ultimately, the decision of whether to squat before or after your upper body workout depends on your goals, preferences, and energy levels.

If you prioritize leg strength or want to maximize squat performance, starting with squats can be beneficial.

On the other hand, if you prefer to focus on upper body exercises early on and then shift to lower body movements, squatting after your upper body workout might be more suitable.

 

Conclusion.

In conclusion, whether you should perform squats before or after your upper body workout depends on your goals and workout preferences.

Starting with squats before your upper body exercises capitalizes on higher energy levels, engages your lower body muscles while fresh, and activates the central nervous system early.

This approach is ideal if you prioritize leg strength and want to lift heavier weights for squats. On the other hand, placing squats after your upper body workout allows upper body muscles to take the lead initially, with squats serving as a transition to lower body exercises.

This option might be more suitable if you prefer to emphasize upper body training before shifting to lower body work.

Consider your priorities and energy levels to determine which sequencing aligns best with your fitness objectives.