The Claim

In young, untrained men, maximal strength gains in the bench press and lying triceps press are not influenced by the order in which these exercises are performed, provided that training intensity is maintained at 80% of one-repetition maximum and each session is conducted to muscular failure.

Source: Varying the Order of Combinations of Single- and Multi-Joint Exercises Differentially Affects Resistance Training Adaptations.

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
47score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Cause and effect
1 study reviewed
In plain English

If you're a young guy who's new to lifting, it doesn't matter whether you do bench press first or triceps press first—your strength gains will be the same as long as you lift heavy (80% of your max) and push each set until you can't do another rep.

See the scientific wording

In young, untrained men, maximal strength gains in bench press and lying triceps press are not influenced by exercise order, as long as training intensity is maintained at 80% 1RM and sessions are performed to muscular failure.

What the research says

1 study

  1. Study: Varying the Order of Combinations of Single- and Multi-Joint Exercises Differentially Affects Resistance Training Adaptations.

    The study found that whether you do the bench press first or the triceps exercise first, you still get just as strong in both lifts — as long as you lift heavy and go until you can’t do another rep.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

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Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.