Muscular Endurance
Objectives:
The following are a range of common objectives. Resistance training exercises will be included in the training programmes that are designed to meet these objectives, although some are clearly far more resistance-based than others:

	Muscular Strength
	Muscle Size
	Muscular Endurance
	Fat Loss
	Health
	Hypertrophy (Bodybuilding)
	Posture
	Aerobic Conditioning
	Anaerobic Conditioning

Individuals with limited knowledge of components of fitness may need to have their interpretation of their own objective clarified. For example, a novice individual that indicates they want to get stronger may not fully appreciate the type of training that is required to develop genuine muscular strength. They may also fail to realise that the more advanced muscular goals of hypertrophy, strength and power require a significant background in resistance training in order to perform safely and effectively.

Muscular balance:
With respect to resistance training programme design, balance refers to working all of the major muscle groups equally. This practice ensures that the body will progress as a unit rather than a collection of isolated muscles. Focusing on a small number of glamour muscles, for example the muscles of the chest and upper arms, is counterproductive in the long term as it promotes imbalance within the body. These imbalances can promote dysfunction and adverse postural issues that can reduce the rate of training progress and potentially increase the risk of musculoskeletal injury.

The musculature of the upper legs, gluteals and the back should always be included in resistance training programmes. Because the body functions optimally when all muscles work together as an integrated unit, it is essential that these muscles in particular are not neglected.

Programme Rules and Workout Construction
When constructing a resistance training programme the exercises selected and the order in which these exercises are performed will profoundly influence the effectiveness of the subsequent workouts. In order to ensure effectiveness, the following fundamental programme design rules and guidelines should be adhered to.

Key programme design rules include:

	Promote muscular balance
	Train large muscles first
	Complex and high skill exercises first
	Synergists and fixators last

Rule 1
Exercise selection - promote muscular balance:
When selecting exercises to be included in resistance training programmes, we should make a concerted effort to include exercises that promote postural enhancement, co-ordination, proprioception and core strength. Development of these aspects of neuromuscular fitness will help offset some of the adverse effects of gravity and the modern 'flexion-dominated' lifestyle. To achieve these aims, most workouts, especially those for beginners, will include a variety of free-standing, free-weight compound (multi-joint) exercises. Free-standing cable exercises are also excellent choices for developing these aspects of muscular conditioning.

The number of exercises to be selected will depend on the objective of the workout and the training status (age) of the individual. We must also consider the time available for the workout as ascertained during the consultation stage. A rough guideline for the number of resistance exercises to be selected per workout is 4-10.

Rule 2
Exercise order - train large muscles first:
If multiple muscles groups are to be trained within the same workout the large muscle groups should be trained first. The consideration here is that large muscle groups require the most energy to train effectively, and by performing these exercises early in the workout while fresh the individual can obtain the greatest training effect for the large muscles. Effectively loading the large muscle groups (i.g. musculature of hips, thigh, upper back and chest) will accelerate the progress of the individual as a whole (fat burning potential, functional muscular fitness ect.)

Rule 3
Exercise order - perform complex or high skill movements first:
Complex and multi-joint exercises require more energy and greater neuromuscular co-ordination to perform safely and effectively (as compared to isolation exercises). As a result of this, compound exercises are best performed early in the workout when the individual is free from both neural and metabolic fatigue. This is especially true for beginners who potentially have a limited capacity to perform exercise prior to fatigue, as well as poorly established or non-existent motor patterns (technique) for the exercise.

In accordance with the previous guideline, caution should be exercised when placing exercises in sequence that heavily involves the same stabilising muscle groups (regardless of prime mover muscles groups involved). For example, sequencing the Barbell Squat, Still Leg Deadlift and Bent-over Row consecutively in a work out would fatigue the Erector Spinae complex as they fight to retain a neutral spine in the loaded forward flexed position. Accumulative erector spinae fatigue could result in the individual adopting a mechanically weaker spinal alignment during loaded forward flexion, thus increasing their risk of injury.

Rule 4
Exercise order - train synergists and fixators last:
If synergists are trained prior to agonists in a workout then the fatigue that they will accumulate renders them ineffective at performing their synergistic role when it comes to training the agonist.

Example of poor exercise order would be:

	Training the Triceps Brachii (Cable Pushdown, lying Barbell Extensions etc.) prior to training any upper body pressing exercise (Bench Press, Shoulder Press etc).
	Training the Biceps Brachii (Barbell / Dumbbell Curls) prior to any upper body pulling or rowing exercise (Lateral Pulldowns, Bent-over Rows, chins etc).

This type of inappropriate exercise order would result in an ineffective workout for the larger muscles of the torso (Pectoralis Major, Latissimus Dorsi, Deltoids etc), limiting the potential of the individual to make progress / gains in these areas.

A further role of muscles in human movement is that of fixators. As the name suggests fixators contract in a predominantly isometric manner to fixate or stabilise part of the body to give the agonist a solid platform to work from. The musculature of the core takes on a fixation role in the majority of free standing, free weight exercises; especially those that are compound or multi-joint in nature (Squats, Deadlifts, Overhead Presses, Bent-over Rows etc).

Training the core prior to the rest of the body in resistance training session is inappropriate as fixators fatigue would decrease the ability of the body to keep the spine in a safe alignment during exercise. This increases the risk of injury, as well as decreasing the effectiveness of the exercise being performed. As a rule, therefore, isolation exercises for the core should always be trained last in the exercise order.

Zatsiorsky (1995), suggest that the idea, when sequencing exercises, is to perform the most valuable exercises requiring fine motor co-ordination and maximal neuronal output, in a rested state at the start of the workout. We can achieve this by understanding the importance of exercise order and adhering to rules 2, 3 and 4. Programmes that follow these guidelines provide individuals with the greatest opportunity to make progress during their resistance training workouts.

Exercise Order and Selection
The following table illustrates an example of 10 free weight or cable exercises that promote optimal posture, proprioception, balance, co-ordination and core stability, while covering the objectives listed above in suitable order:

Frequency Guidelines (sessions / week) - Depending on status (age)
Beginner:	2 - 3	Intermediate:	3 - 4	Advanced:	4 - 7

Exercise Selection in Correct Order of Muscle Groups
Exercise	Sets	Reps	Load as % 1RM	Rest	Intensity	Frequency per Muscle group
Barbell Squat	2 - 3	12 +	< 67%	30 - 60sec.	Low	2 - 3 x / week
Barbell Bench Press	2 - 3	12 +	< 67%	30 - 60sec.	Low	2 - 3 x / week
Stiff-legged Deadlift	2 - 3	12 +	< 67%	30 - 60sec.	Low	2 - 3 x / week
Lateral Pulldown	2 - 3	12 +	< 67%	30 - 60sec.	Low	2 - 3 x / week
Wide Grip Bent Over Row	2 - 3	12 +	< 67%	30 - 60sec.	Low	2 - 3 x / week
Dumbbell Shoulder Press	2 - 3	12 +	< 67%	30 - 60sec.	Low	2 - 3 x / week
Barbell Bicep Curl	2 - 3	12 +	< 67%	30 - 60sec.	Low	2 - 3 x / week
Lying Barbell Triceps Extension	2 - 3	12 +	< 67%	30 - 60sec.	Low	2 - 3 x / week
Plank	2 - 3	12 +	< 67%	30 - 60sec.	Low	2 - 3 x / week
Dorsal Raise	2 - 3	12 +	< 67%	30 - 60sec.	Low	2 - 3 x / week