Chest Hypertrophy Workout - 20min Advanced
Build a powerful chest and thick triceps with this high intensity session designed for advanced lifters. You will move from heavy barbell compounds to controlled handle isolations to maximize muscle fiber recruitment. This 20 minute blast uses Tonal digital weight to ensure every rep reaches failure.
This is for advanced lifters looking to break through plateaus in upper body pushing strength and size. It is ideal for those who have mastered Tonal barbell movements and want a time-efficient hypertrophy spark.
Equipment
Workout Plan
Rest 90 seconds between heavy barbell sets and 60 seconds for handle-based isolation exercises.
Barbell Bench Press
Chest, Triceps, Abs
Drive your feet into the floor and use Tonal's Eccentric Mode to resist the weight on the way down.
Close Grip Barbell Bench Press
Triceps, Chest
Keep your elbows tucked close to your ribs and maintain a narrow grip on the bar to prioritize triceps recruitment.
Bench Chest Fly
Chest, Shoulders
Maintain a slight bend in the elbows and focus on the deep stretch at the bottom of the movement.
Skull Crusher
Triceps
Keep your upper arms perpendicular to the floor and move only at the elbow to keep tension on the triceps.
Why this order
The workout begins with the Barbell Bench Press to move the most weight while fresh then transitions to a Close Grip variation to shift focus toward the triceps. We finish with chest flies and skull crushers to isolate the muscle groups and drive metabolic stress through higher rep ranges.
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 optimize the Barbell Bench Press for muscle growth?
Turn on Tonal's Eccentric Mode to increase the weight during the lowering phase and maximize muscle fiber recruitment.
Can I swap the Barbell Bench for a Handle Bench Press?
You can but the Barbell allows you to move heavier loads which is essential for this advanced hypertrophy protocol.
What should I do if my triceps fatigue before finishing the skull crushers?
Decrease the weight manually or rely on Tonal's Burnout Mode to automatically reduce the resistance so you can finish the set.
Should I use a bench for the flyes and skull crushers?
Yes, using the Tonal bench provides the stability needed to isolate the chest and triceps without worrying about balance.