Rodrigo Lavinas Da Silva, Michel Ariad Brentano and Luiz Fernando Martines Kruel

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Purpose: To verify whether the order in which exercises are performed, represented by 2 different methods of strength training (circuit [CT] and pre-exhaustion [PE]), influences the magnitude of the excess postexercise oxygen comsumption (EPOC) as well as the energetic expenditure (EE).

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Conclusions: In strength training, the magnitude of the EPOC is not linked to the order in which the exercises are performed. However, the absence of recovery periods between the sets and exercises promotes an increase in the magnitude of the EPOC to the levels found in training sessions with higher percentages of 1RM.

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IN PLAIN ENGLISH: Working as hard as possible in strength training -- and gleaning maximal calorie usage from it -- is not dependent upon the order of exercises performed. What truly matters is the effort expended -- coupled with minimal recovery time between sets -- regardless of the order of exercises followed.