Upper Body Strength Workout - 45min Advanced
This advanced upper body session leverages high-intensity compound movements and isolation finishers to maximize absolute strength. You will utilize heavy horizontal and vertical planes to challenge your muscular endurance and structural integrity. It is designed for those who have mastered Tonal's mechanics and are ready to push their personal power plateaus.
Ideal for advanced lifters and power-focused athletes who want to increase their absolute strength across major upper body lifts. It is specifically tailored for those who prefer handle-based movements for better joint alignment and freedom of motion.
Equipment
Workout Plan
Rest 120-180s between heavy compound sets to ensure full ATP recovery, and 60-90s for accessory and isolation work.
Bench Press
Chest, Triceps, Abs
Drive your shoulder blades into the bench and engage Spotter Mode for your heaviest sets.
Bent Over Row
Back, Biceps, Abs
Maintain a flat back and use the digital weight to resist the pull on the way down.
Lateral Raise
Shoulders
Control the handles on the descent to keep the constant digital tension on your side delts.
Biceps Curl
Biceps, Forearms
Squeeze the handles at the top of the movement and fight the eccentric pull on the way down.
Standing Alternating Push-Pull
Back, Chest, Obliques
Rotate your torso aggressively to engage your core while maintaining high-speed handle movement.
Standing Overhead Press
Shoulders, Triceps
Keep your core tight to prevent arching your back against the Tonal's resistance.
Neutral Lat Pulldown
Back, Biceps, Abs
Drive your elbows down toward your hips and pause at the bottom to maximize peak tension.
Skull Crusher
Triceps
Lower the handles toward your forehead while keeping your elbows tucked and stationary.
Why this order
The workout begins with the heaviest compound movements like Bench Press and Bent Over Row to capitalize on peak energy for maximum force production. We then transition into vertical movements and finish with high-rep isolation exercises to drive metabolic stress. This compound-to-isolation sequence ensures that primary movers are fully taxed before smaller stabilizing muscles become the bottleneck.
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 should I determine my starting weight for the 4-rep sets?
Since this is an advanced strength session, aim for approximately 85-90% of your Tonal-calculated max for those movements to ensure high intensity.
Is it okay if the cables rub against my arms during the bench press?
Position your bench so the cables have a clear path and keep your wrists straight to maintain a stable line of force from the digital weights.
What should I do if I can't finish the last rep of a heavy set?
Tonal's Spotter Mode will automatically detect if you are struggling and reduce the weight slightly to help you finish the repetition safely.