Shoulders General Fitness Workout - 20min Advanced
This advanced session prioritizes heavy pressing power followed by targeted isolation to sculpt your deltoids and triceps. By transitioning from compound barbell movements to high-volume cable accessories you will maximize muscle fiber recruitment and metabolic stress. It is a high intensity 20 minute push focused on upper body density and definition.
Advanced lifters and athletes who want to increase their overhead stability and lockout strength. It is ideal for those looking to pack on upper body volume without spending an hour in the gym.
Equipment
Workout Plan
Rest 90-120s between heavy barbell sets to maintain power output, 60s for accessory work, and 30s before the final burnout finisher.
Close Grip Barbell Bench Press
Triceps, Chest
Keep your elbows tucked close to your ribs and feel the triceps engage as you press against the constant tension.
Standing Barbell Overhead Press
Shoulders, Triceps
Drive the bar directly over your mid-foot and engage your glutes to stabilize the heavy Tonal digital weight.
Overhead Triceps Extension
Triceps
Keep your upper arms pinned by your ears and fully extend the rope at the top for maximum triceps peak contraction.
Why this order
We start with heavy barbell overhead presses to tax the entire shoulder girdle while you are fresh then move into a close-grip bench to bridge the gap between shoulders and triceps. The workout concludes with isolation work for the lateral delts and long head of the triceps to ensure a complete aesthetic and functional finish while minimizing equipment changes.
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 the barbell press?
Since this is an advanced workout, start with about 70 percent of your max for the barbell press and let Tonal's AI adjust as you progress through the sets.
How do I handle the equipment transitions?
We have grouped the barbell movements first followed by handles and rope to minimize time spent adjusting your Tonal arms and switching accessories.
Is it safe to do the Close Grip Bench Press alone?
Yes, enable Spotter Mode on your Tonal so the digital weight will automatically reduce if you struggle on the final few reps of the set.
How often should I perform this specific routine?
Perform this shoulder and tricep focused session 1 to 2 times per week, ensuring at least 48 hours of recovery between heavy upper body pushing days.