Push Hypertrophy Workout - 45min Intermediate
Increase your upper body mass with this intermediate push session designed to maximize mechanical tension. You will progress from heavy barbell compounds into high-volume handle and rope work to fully exhaust the chest, shoulders, and triceps. This layout ensures you move heavy weight while fresh before finishing with metabolic stress.
This session is designed for intermediate lifters who have mastered basic push mechanics and are looking to increase muscle cross-sectional area. It is ideal for those wanting a structured approach to building a stronger, more aesthetic upper body.
Equipment
Workout Plan
Rest 90-120s between heavy barbell sets, 60s for handle-based accessories, and 30-45s for the final triceps burnout.
Barbell Bench Press
Chest, Triceps, Abs
Engage the Smart Bar's digital weight at the top and maintain a controlled 3-second descent.
Standing Barbell Overhead Press
Shoulders, Triceps
Keep your core braced to prevent the digital weight from pulling your lower back into an arch.
Iso Split Squat Single Arm Chest Press
Chest, Quads, Obliques
Resist the cable's pull to keep your torso square to the Tonal while you press.
Inline Chest Press
Chest, Triceps, Abs
Drive the handles together at the top of the movement to maximize the contraction in your upper chest.
Skull Crusher
Triceps
Keep your elbows pinned toward the ceiling and use Tonal's eccentric mode to challenge the triceps on the way down.
Triceps Extension
Triceps
Pull the rope apart at the bottom of the movement to fully shorten the triceps.
Overhead Triceps Extension
Triceps
Maintain a slight forward lean and drive the rope toward the ceiling until your arms are fully locked out.
Why this order
The workout begins with heavy barbell compounds to recruit the maximum number of muscle fibers while energy is high. We then transition to handles for stability and unilateral work to address muscle imbalances, finally finishing with a high-rep rope superset to drive blood flow and metabolic stress into the triceps.
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
Should I turn on any Weight Modes for the bench press?
Yes, for the Barbell Bench Press, enabling Eccentric Mode will help maximize hypertrophy by adding weight during the lowering phase.
What should I do if the unilateral chest press feels too unstable?
Focus on driving your back foot into the floor to create a stable base, and utilize Tonal's digital weight to lower the resistance slightly until your stability improves.
How do I know if I'm using the right weight for the high-rep finishers?
Tonal's AI will suggest a weight, but for the final 20-rep sets, you should reach near-failure by the 15th rep; use the 'Burnout' feature if needed to reduce weight and finish the set.