Chest Hypertrophy Workout - 20min Intermediate
Build a powerful, defined chest and sculpted triceps with this efficient hypertrophy-focused session. You will leverage the Straight Bar for heavy compound pressing before transitioning to Handles for focused isolation and burnout work. This workout is designed to maximize muscle fiber recruitment through targeted angles and high time-under-tension.
Intermediate lifters who want to prioritize upper body push volume in a short window. It is ideal for athletes looking to improve their bench press accessory strength and aesthetic muscle definition.
Equipment
Workout Plan
Rest 90s after heavy barbell sets and 60s between handle-based isolation exercises.
Barbell Bench Press
Chest, Triceps, Abs
Drive your back into the bench and explode upward against the digital weight while keeping your feet planted.
Standing Incline Press
Shoulders, Chest, Triceps
Press the handles upward at a 45-degree angle and squeeze your upper chest at the top of the movement.
Bench Chest Fly
Chest, Shoulders
Maintain a slight bend in the elbows and use Tonal's constant tension to feel the stretch across your pecs.
Skull Crusher
Triceps
Keep your elbows pinned and stationary while using the handles to target the long head of the triceps.
Why this order
The workout begins with a heavy Barbell Bench Press to maximize mechanical tension while your primary movers are fresh. We then switch to handles to allow for a greater range of motion on the incline press and chest fly, finishing with a high-rep triceps isolation to maximize metabolic stress.
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 any Tonal dynamic weight modes?
Eccentric mode is highly effective for the Bench Press and Skull Crushers to increase the hypertrophy stimulus during the lowering phase.
What if the barbell weight feels too heavy?
Ensure Spotter Mode is enabled on your Tonal; it will automatically reduce the digital weight if it senses you are struggling to complete a rep.
Can I swap the Bench Fly for another movement?
If you prefer a standing variation, the Middle Chest Fly is a great alternative that maintains the same horizontal adduction pattern.