Shoulders General Fitness Workout - 45min Intermediate
This session targets all three deltoid heads and the triceps to build a strong upper body profile. By combining heavy barbell pressing with high volume accessory work, you will improve both your overhead stability and muscle definition. This workout is specifically designed to maximize your time on Tonal by grouping movements by accessory.
This workout is for intermediate lifters who want to improve their overhead pressing power or swimmers and overhead athletes looking to build robust shoulder stability. It is ideal for anyone seeking better arm and shoulder definition through a balanced hypertrophy approach.
Equipment
Workout Plan
Rest 90 to 120 seconds between heavy barbell sets, 60 seconds between handle accessories, and 45 seconds during the final rope finisher.
Standing Barbell Overhead Press
Shoulders, Triceps
Engage your core to prevent your lower back from arching as the digital weight increases.
Lateral Raise
Shoulders
Think about leading with your elbows and maintain a slight bend to keep the tension on your side delts.
Front Raise
Shoulders, Abs
Control the descent to resist Tonals pull and maximize time under tension for your front delts.
Skull Crusher
Triceps
Keep your elbows tucked and pointed toward the ceiling to isolate the triceps throughout the movement.
Upright Row
Shoulders, Biceps
Keep the rope close to your body and pull until your elbows are slightly higher than your shoulders.
Triceps Extension
Triceps
Lock your elbows to your ribcage and fully extend your arms to feel the triceps peak contraction.
Standing Face Pull
Back, Shoulders
Pull the rope toward your forehead and emphasize the squeeze in your upper back and rear shoulders.
Overhead Triceps Extension
Triceps
Use a staggered stance for stability and focus on the deep stretch at the bottom of each rep.
Why this order
We lead with the barbell overhead press to capitalize on fresh energy for the most demanding compound movement. The workout then transitions through handle based raises and skull crushers before finishing with a high volume rope circuit to fully exhaust the triceps and rear deltoids. This sequence follows a compound to isolation logic while minimizing equipment transitions between the bar, handles, and 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
What weight should I start with for the barbell press?
Tonal will suggest a starting weight based on your initial assessment. Since this is the lead compound move, ensure spotter mode is enabled so you can safely push to the end of your 8 rep sets.
My shoulders feel tight during the overhead extension, what should I do?
If you experience limited mobility, try taking a wider staggered stance or slightly reducing the digital weight to focus on a comfortable range of motion. You can also swap to the single arm version for more freedom of movement.
Can I use the bar for triceps extensions instead of the rope?
While the bar is an option, the rope is programmed here because it allows for a greater range of motion and a more natural wrist position, which helps better isolate the long head of the triceps.
How often should I perform this shoulder and triceps session?
For best results, integrate this into your routine once or twice a week, ensuring at least 48 hours of rest between sessions that involve heavy overhead or chest pressing.