Upper Body Strength Workout - 60min Intermediate
This intermediate strength session focuses on maximizing the efficiency of Tonal's digital weight to build a powerful upper body. You will progress from heavy compound presses and pulls into high-volume isolation work to ensure total muscle fatigue. It is designed to increase your raw lifting capacity while refining your physique through targeted accessory movements.
This workout is ideal for intermediate lifters or athletes looking to increase their bench press and overhead strength. It is particularly effective for those who want to transition from general fitness to more structured strength training.
Equipment
Workout Plan
Rest 120-180s between heavy compound sets, 60-90s between secondary compounds, and 45s during accessory supersets.
Bench Press
Chest, Triceps, Abs
Focus on driving your shoulder blades into the bench and using the digital weight's steady tension to press up.
Seated Row
Back, Biceps, Abs
Keep your chest tall and pull the handles toward your ribcage, resisting the cable's pull on the way back.
Biceps Curl
Biceps, Forearms
Avoid swinging your body; let the digital weight challenge your biceps through the full range of motion.
Lateral Raise
Shoulders
Lead with your elbows and maintain a slight bend in your arms to target the side delts effectively.
Reverse Fly
Back, Shoulders
Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the peak of the movement to engage the rear deltoids.
Standing Chest Press
Chest, Triceps
Use a staggered stance and keep your wrists firm to finish with a high-volume chest burnout.
Neutral Lat Pulldown
Back, Biceps, Abs
Drive your elbows down toward your hips and squeeze your lats at the bottom of the movement.
Standing Overhead Press
Shoulders, Triceps
Engage your core to keep your torso upright as you press the handles toward the ceiling.
Skull Crusher
Triceps
Keep your elbows tucked in and pointed toward the ceiling to isolate the triceps against the Tonal's resistance.
Why this order
This program follows a classic compound-to-isolation progression to prioritize high-energy lifts like the Bench Press when you are freshest. By grouping handle-based movements together, we minimize transitions and keep your heart rate in the training zone. The final high-rep sets utilize the cumulative fatigue to drive metabolic stress and 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 Tonal's Spotter Mode for the heavy Bench Press?
Yes, always enable Spotter Mode on your heavy sets so Tonal can automatically reduce the weight if you struggle to finish a rep.
How do I know if the weight is heavy enough for the 5-rep sets?
You should feel like you could only do 1 or 2 more reps with good form by the end of the set; Tonal will suggest weight based on your strength score.
Can I swap the handles for the Smart Bar?
This specific routine is optimized for handles to allow for a more natural range of motion and to target stabilizing muscles during the press.