There are few studies about the effects of exercise order on strength training performance in elderly subjects. This study compared the influence of exercise order in resistive training on the number of repetitions and perceived exertion of 8 older (69±7 years) and 12 young women (22±2 years). The subjects performed three sets until exhaustion with loads established at 10 maximum repetitions (10 RM) with inverted sequences of the following exercises: Sequence A - bench press (BP), military press (MP), pulley triceps extension (TP); Sequence B - TP, MP, and BP. The two-way ANOVA for repeated measurements showed that the number of repetitions in the young group was always smaller for the last exercise, regardless of the sequence or muscle group involved (p <0.05). The number of repetitions was not different in Sequence A for the older group, but declined significantly in Sequence B (p < 0.05). Perceived exertion was similar in both sequences for the young group, but in the older group it was significantly higher in Sequence B (p <0 .05). In conclusion, exercise order was indifferent for the young group performance, but influenced in the maximum number of repetitions in each exercise and perceived exertion at the end of the sequences in the older group.
aging; training; strength; exercise; health; physical fitness
