Shoulders Hypertrophy Workout - 60min Advanced
This advanced hypertrophy session targets the shoulders and triceps using a combination of heavy barbell compounds and high-volume handle isolations. You will maximize muscle fiber recruitment by starting with high-intensity presses before moving into targeted accessory work to build cap-stone deltoids. The session concludes with a high-rep triceps burnout designed to push your metabolic limits.
This workout is designed for advanced lifters and overhead athletes looking to increase upper body pressing power and muscle thickness. It is ideal for those who have mastered Tonal's basic movements and want to utilize digital weight for peak hypertrophy.
Equipment
Workout Plan
Rest 90-120s between heavy barbell sets, 60s between handle accessories, and 30s during the final triceps burnout.
Close Grip Barbell Bench Press
Triceps, Chest
Keep your elbows tucked close to your ribcage to shift the load from your chest to your triceps.
Standing Barbell Overhead Press
Shoulders, Triceps
Drive the bar straight up and engage your core to resist Tonal's digital weight as it peaks at the top.
Barbell Seated Overhead Press
Shoulders, Triceps
Maintain a tall posture against the bench and control the descent to maximize eccentric tension.
Barbell Skull Crusher
Triceps
Fix your elbows in space and lower the bar toward your hairline while keeping the cables steady.
Lateral Raise
Shoulders
Raise the handles to shoulder height and lead with your elbows to isolate the lateral deltoid.
Front Raise
Shoulders, Abs
Control the handles on the way down to fight Tonal's constant tension throughout the full range of motion.
Reverse Fly
Back, Shoulders
Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top to target the rear delts and improve upper body posture.
Triceps Kickback
Triceps
Keep your upper arm parallel to the floor and use a slow tempo to maximize the burnout effect.
X-Pulldown w/ Triceps Extension
Back, Triceps, Biceps
Pull the cables across your body and fully lock out your elbows to emphasize the triceps long head.
Why this order
The workout follows a compound-to-isolation progression to ensure you can lift the heaviest loads while your central nervous system is fresh. Exercises are grouped by accessory to minimize transition time, moving from the straight bar for heavy stability to handles for increased range of motion and isolation.
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
Which Tonal weight modes should I use for the overhead presses?
Enable Eccentric Mode on the standing overhead press to add extra load during the lowering phase, which is a key driver for hypertrophy in advanced lifters.
How do I know if the weight is heavy enough for the 6-rep sets?
You should feel like you have only 1-2 reps left in the tank; Tonal will automatically adjust your weight if it senses you are moving too fast or slow.
What should I do if my triceps fatigue before the final finisher?
If you hit failure early, utilize Tonal's Spotter mode which will automatically reduce the weight so you can complete your remaining reps with perfect form.