Shoulders Athletic Workout - 20min Intermediate
You will build explosive overhead power and shoulder stability through this targeted upper body session. By combining heavy barbell work with unilateral handle movements, you challenge your core and shoulder mechanics simultaneously. This routine is designed to improve your athletic pressing strength and joint resilience.
This session is ideal for intermediate lifters or overhead athletes like volleyball and tennis players looking to build shoulder durability. It is also perfect for busy professionals who want a high-intensity shoulder pump in a short timeframe.
Equipment
Workout Plan
Rest 90 seconds between heavy barbell sets and 60 seconds between handle accessories.
Standing Barbell Overhead Press
Shoulders, Triceps
Drive the bar toward the ceiling and lock out your elbows while keeping your ribs tucked.
Lateral Raise
Shoulders
Reach the handles out toward the walls rather than just lifting them up to maximize tension.
Half Kneeling Single Arm Overhead Press
Shoulders, Obliques
Resist the cable pulling you sideways by squeezing your glute on the kneeling side.
Skull Crusher
Triceps
Keep your elbows stacked over your shoulders and move only from the forearm to isolate the triceps.
Why this order
This workout follows a compound-to-isolation progression to maximize force production early in the session. We start with a heavy barbell press for power, move to unilateral pressing for stability, and finish with high-volume isolation to drive hypertrophy.
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 use any weight modes for the barbell press?
Yes, enabling Tonal's Chains mode on the Standing Barbell Overhead Press is great for building the explosive power required for athletic performance.
How do I handle the unilateral press if my balance is off?
Focus your eyes on a single point in front of you and use Tonal's digital weight to find a resistance where you can maintain a vertical torso without leaning.
Can I swap the skull crushers for another tricep move?
Skull crushers are excellent for the long head of the triceps, but if you have elbow discomfort, you can use Tonal's weight dial to lower the resistance and focus on the eccentric phase.