Upper Body Hypertrophy Workout - 45min Advanced
You will challenge every muscle group in your upper body with this advanced hypertrophy session. This workout utilizes heavy barbell compounds followed by high volume handle accessories to maximize muscle fiber recruitment and growth. You will experience a comprehensive approach to building a powerful and aesthetic physique through mechanical tension.
This session is designed for advanced lifters who have reached a plateau with standard routines and need increased intensity. It is perfect for athletes seeking to add upper body muscle density and refined aesthetics.
Equipment
Workout Plan
Rest 90-120s between heavy barbell compound sets, 60-75s between handle accessories, and 30-45s for the final arm burnout.
Barbell Bench Press
Chest, Triceps, Abs
Focus on a slow 3-second descent to use Tonal's eccentric loading effectively.
Barbell Bent Over Row
Back, Biceps, Abs
Keep your back flat and pull the bar to your lower ribs for maximum lat recruitment.
Standing Barbell Overhead Press
Shoulders, Triceps
Engage your glutes and core to create a stable base for this heavy overhead lift.
Barbell Skull Crusher
Triceps
Keep your elbows fixed in space to ensure the triceps are doing all the work.
Standing Incline Press
Shoulders, Chest, Triceps
Press upward and inward to fully contract the upper pectoral muscles.
Lateral Raise
Shoulders
Lead with your elbows and keep the handles slightly in front of your body.
Biceps Curl
Biceps, Forearms
Turn on Burnout Mode for the final set to reach true muscular failure.
Seated Lat Pulldown
Back, Biceps
Imagine pulling through your elbows to take the biceps out of the movement.
Why this order
The session begins with the most taxing barbell movements to leverage peak energy for heavy mechanical tension. We transition to handle-based isolation exercises to increase metabolic stress and total volume across smaller muscle groups. This equipment grouping strategy minimizes setup time while allowing for targeted burnout of the chest and arms.
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 much weight should I use for the barbell movements?
Start with Tonal's suggested weight and adjust until the final two reps of each set feel difficult but manageable with good form.
What do I do if my form starts to break down during the heavy sets?
Ensure Spotter Mode is active so Tonal can automatically reduce the digital weight if you pause or struggle mid-rep.
Why are the rep ranges different for each exercise?
We use lower reps for heavy barbell movements to build strength and higher reps for handle isolations to maximize the metabolic pump.