Back Hypertrophy Workout - 30min Intermediate
Develop a thick V-taper and powerful arms with this intermediate hypertrophy session. By combining heavy horizontal and vertical pulls with targeted bicep isolation, you will stimulate maximum muscle growth across your entire posterior chain. This workout is designed to optimize Tonal's digital weight for constant tension.
This session is designed for intermediate lifters and athletes like climbers or swimmers who need a robust pull-chain. It is ideal for anyone looking to increase upper body muscle mass through focused hypertrophy training.
Equipment
Workout Plan
Rest 90 seconds between heavy pulldown and row sets, and 60 seconds for isolation work.
Seated Row
Back, Biceps, Abs
Engage Tonal's Chains mode to increase resistance as you pull the handles toward your torso.
Single Arm Bent Over Row
Back, Biceps, Abs
Keep your shoulders square to the Tonal and pull the handle toward your hip bone.
Seated Biceps Curl
Biceps, Forearms
Maintain a tall posture on the bench and use the digital weight to control the descent.
Neutral Lat Pulldown
Back, Biceps, Abs
Drive your elbows toward your hips and squeeze your lats at the bottom of the movement.
Hammer Curl
Biceps, Forearms
Keep your palms facing each other and focus on a slow eccentric to maximize the pump.
Standing Face Pull
Back, Shoulders
Pull the rope toward your forehead, pulling the ends apart to engage your rear shoulders.
Why this order
The workout begins with heavy compound movements to recruit maximum muscle fibers when energy is highest. It transitions to unilateral work to ensure balanced development and finishes with high-volume isolation to maximize metabolic stress. Equipment changes are minimized by grouping handle exercises before switching to the rope accessory.
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 do I choose the right starting weight?
Tonal will suggest weights based on your strength score, but you should aim for a resistance where the final two reps of every set are challenging while maintaining perfect form.
Why do the rep ranges change throughout the workout?
We use lower reps for heavy compounds to build foundational strength and higher reps for isolation movements to maximize blood flow and muscle growth.
Should I use Tonal's Spotter Mode?
Yes, keep Spotter Mode active on the heavy lat pulldowns and rows so the digital weight can automatically adjust if you reach failure during a set.
Can I do this workout multiple times per week?
You can perform this twice a week, but ensure you have at least 48 to 72 hours of recovery between sessions to allow for muscle repair and growth.