Chest General Fitness Workout - 20min Intermediate
Build a powerful and defined upper body with this high-intensity chest and triceps session. You will progress from heavy barbell work to targeted handle isolations to ensure complete muscle fatigue. This routine is designed to maximize your 20-minute window through efficient equipment grouping and varied rep ranges.
Ideal for intermediate lifters or recreational athletes like basketball players who need upper body pushing power and triceps endurance. It is also perfect for anyone needing a comprehensive 'push' day session in a condensed timeframe.
Equipment
Workout Plan
Rest 90 seconds between heavy barbell sets, 60 seconds for handle compounds, and 45 seconds during isolation finishers.
Barbell Bench Press
Chest, Triceps, Abs
Drive the bar up explosively while letting Tonal's Spotter mode provide safety on your final reps.
Standing Chest Press
Chest, Triceps
Maintain a staggered stance to stay stable against the constant cable tension pulling you back.
Middle Chest Fly
Chest, Shoulders
Imagine hugging a large barrel to keep the arc wide and maximize chest recruitment.
Skull Crusher
Triceps
Keep your elbows pinned toward the ceiling and use a slow eccentric to feel the triceps stretch.
Why this order
The workout follows a traditional compound-to-isolation sequence, starting with the Barbell Bench Press to move the heaviest load while the central nervous system is fresh. We transition to handles to incorporate stability-focused pushing and then finish with high-rep isolation work to maximize metabolic stress. Equipment changes are minimized by grouping all handle-based movements after the initial barbell work.
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
What digital weight should I use for the first time?
Tonal will suggest a weight based on your initial strength assessment; however, for the Barbell Bench Press, ensure you feel comfortable with the bar path before increasing the resistance manually.
Can I use Dynamic Weight modes like Eccentric or Chains?
Yes, adding Eccentric mode to the Skull Crushers is an excellent way to increase time under tension, while Chains on the Bench Press can help you build explosive power at the top of the movement.
How often should I perform this specific workout?
For general fitness and hypertrophy, aim to run this session twice a week with at least 48 hours of rest in between to allow for adequate muscle recovery.