Back Hypertrophy Workout - 45min Beginner
This beginner-friendly session targets your entire posterior chain and arms to build a well-rounded, strong physique. By combining heavy vertical and horizontal pulls, you will stimulate muscle growth in the back and biceps. This workout uses Tonal digital resistance to ensure constant tension throughout every rep.
Ideal for beginner lifters who want to improve their posture and upper body pull strength. It is perfect for those transitioning into a dedicated hypertrophy split.
Equipment
Workout Plan
Rest 90 seconds between heavy compound sets and 60 seconds between accessory and isolation exercises.
Barbell Seated Lat Pulldown
Back, Biceps
Drive your elbows toward the floor and squeeze your shoulder blades at the bottom of the movement.
Seated Row
Back, Biceps, Abs
Keep your chest tall and avoid leaning back as you pull the handles toward your ribcage.
Biceps Curl
Biceps, Forearms
Pin your elbows to your sides and avoid using momentum to lift the smart handles.
Neutral Lat Pulldown
Back, Biceps, Abs
Utilize Tonals digital weight to maintain a slow, two-second eccentric on the way up.
Straight Arm Pulldown
Back, Shoulders
Maintain a slight bend in your elbows and focus on pulling with your lats rather than your triceps.
Hammer Curl
Biceps, Forearms
Keep a neutral grip on the rope to target the brachialis and improve forearm strength.
Seated Cable Crunch
Abs
Focus on curling your spine down rather than just pulling with your arms.
Standing Face Pull
Back, Shoulders
Pull the rope toward your forehead, flaring your elbows out to engage the rear deltoids.
Why this order
We start with the heaviest compound movements to fatigue the largest muscle groups while you are fresh. Exercises are grouped by accessory to minimize setup time, transitioning from the Barbell to Handles and finishing with the Rope.
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 as a beginner?
Tonal will automatically suggest a starting weight based on your strength assessment, but you can adjust it if the last few reps feel too easy.
Can I use the Smart Bar for all movements?
While the Barbell is used for the primary lift, this workout utilizes Handles and the Rope for specific isolation work to ensure better range of motion.
What if I can't finish the final reps?
Keep the weight turned on and Tonal's Spotter Mode will automatically reduce the resistance if it senses you are struggling to complete a rep.