Chest Hypertrophy Workout - 30min Intermediate
You will build a powerful chest and defined triceps with this high-volume hypertrophy session. By moving from heavy multi-joint presses to targeted isolation moves, you maximize muscle fiber recruitment and metabolic stress. This intermediate routine is designed to help you break through plateaus using Tonal's consistent digital tension.
This workout is ideal for intermediate lifters and athletes who want to increase upper body pushing power and muscle thickness. It is perfect for those who want a focused hypertrophy session without switching equipment.
Equipment
Workout Plan
Rest 90 seconds between heavy bench sets and 60 seconds for flys and triceps work to maintain high intensity.
Bench Press
Chest, Triceps, Abs
Lower the handles until your elbows just break the plane of the bench for a deep chest stretch.
Inline Chest Press
Chest, Triceps, Abs
Engage Tonal's Spotter mode to push through those final heavy reps with total confidence.
Bench Chest Fly
Chest, Shoulders
Maintain a slight bend in your elbows to keep the tension on the pecs rather than the shoulder joints.
Single Arm Bench Press
Chest, Triceps, Obliques
Resist the rotation from the digital weight by bracing your core as you press the handle upward.
Reverse Grip Triceps Extension
Triceps, Forearms
Use the reverse grip to isolate the triceps and focus on a full lockout at the bottom of the move.
Skull Crusher
Triceps
Keep your elbows pinned in place and pointing at the ceiling as you lower the handles.
Why this order
This workout follows a classic compound-to-isolation progression to fatigue the largest muscle groups first. We use unilateral bench pressing to address strength imbalances and finish with high-rep triceps work to maximize the muscle pump. Grouping all exercises with handles ensures you spend more time lifting and less time swapping accessories.
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
What weight should I start with for these movements?
Tonal will suggest a weight based on your previous performance and initial assessment. For hypertrophy goals, choose a weight where the last two reps of each set are difficult but can be completed with perfect form.
Why are we using handles for the bench press instead of the bar?
Using handles allows for a greater range of motion at the bottom of the press and requires more stabilization. This helps engage more muscle fibers and identifies strength imbalances between your left and right sides.
Is it okay to do this workout more than once a week?
For hypertrophy, you can perform this session twice a week with at least 48 hours of rest between sessions. This allows for adequate protein synthesis and muscle recovery while maintaining high weekly volume.