THE ORDER OF EXERCISES DIRECTLY AFFECTS PERFORMANCE IN A HAMSTRING TRAINING SESSION

Abstract

The stiff and leg curl are two of the most common exercises prescribed for the hamstring muscles. It is well established that they promote different types of adaptations. Therefore, incorporating both exercises within the same training session seems to be a valid strategy for achieving balanced hamstring development. Nevertheless, little is known regarding the optimal exercise order for this muscle group. This purpose was to compare performance between two training sessions involving the stiff-legged deadlift and leg curl in different orders for the hamstrings. Were recruited ten trained men, with an average of 2.65 ± 1.36 years of resistance training experience, performed a 10-repetition maximum (10RM) load test on both the leg curl and stiff-legged deadlift. Participants took part in two training conditions, separated by at least six days of recovery: in one session, the stiff-legged deadlift was performed before the leg curl, while in the other, the leg curl was performed first (protocol order was randomized). Total training volume (TTV) and the number of repetitions were recorded in each session. The results highlight that starting the session with the leg curl did not significantly affect stiff-legged deadlift performance (p = 0.102). However, when the session began with the stiff-legged deadlift, there was a significant decrease in the number of leg curl repetitions, which negatively impacted both the leg curl TTV and the session’s overall TTV (p < 0.001). It was concluded that starting the training session with the stiff-legged deadlift has a strong negative impact on the number of leg curl sets performed, the leg curl TTV, and consequently, the session’s total TTV.