Chest Athletic Workout - 30min Beginner
This beginner friendly session builds a powerful foundation for your upper body pushing muscles. By combining heavy barbell work with high volume isolation moves, you will improve both your functional strength and muscle definition. This workout is perfect for those new to Tonal who want to see quick progress in chest and triceps development.
This is designed for beginner athletes or those returning to lifting who want a structured approach to upper body strength. It is ideal for anyone looking to improve their pushing power for sports like swimming or basketball.
Equipment
Workout Plan
Rest 90-120s between barbell sets, 60-90s for the handles exercises, and 45s for the triceps finisher.
Barbell Bench Press
Chest, Triceps, Abs
Keep your feet planted and squeeze the bar to engage Tonal's digital weight throughout the press.
Inline Chest Press
Chest, Triceps, Abs
Maintain a controlled tempo and do not let the cables pull your shoulders back too quickly at the bottom.
Bench Chest Fly
Chest, Shoulders
Imagine hugging a large barrel to keep a slight bend in your elbows while using the handles.
Reverse Grip Triceps Extension
Triceps, Forearms
Use an underhand grip on the handles to emphasize the medial head of the triceps with a full lockout.
Skull Crusher
Triceps
Keep your elbows tucked in and pointed toward the ceiling as you lower the handles toward your forehead.
Why this order
We start with the Barbell Bench Press to move the most weight while you are fresh, then transition to handle-based movements for a better range of motion. The order flows from heavy compound pressing to chest isolation and finally specific triceps fatigue, minimizing equipment swaps by grouping handle exercises.
Want this personalized for you?
This is a template workout. Connect your Tonal and the AI coach adjusts weights to your strength scores, swaps exercises around injuries, and progresses you week over week.
Start Free with AI CoachFrequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I should use Spotter Mode?
For the Barbell Bench Press, Tonal's Spotter Mode is automatically active to reduce weight if you struggle to finish a rep, allowing you to push safely.
Can I do this workout without the bench?
This specific routine relies on the bench for stability and correct pressing angles, but you could swap for standing versions of the chest press if necessary.
Why do the reps increase as the workout goes on?
We use lower reps for strength on big lifts and higher reps for hypertrophy on accessories to maximize muscle growth without overtaxing your joints.