60 Minutes Intermediate Chest Workout with Barbell
A 60 minutes muscle building workout targeting your chest using barbell equipment. 5 exercises, 19 total sets, designed for intermediate lifters.
60 Minutes
Duration
19
Total Sets
8-12 reps
Rep Range
~798
Est. Calories
The Workout
Start with this as your primary movement. Warm up with 2 lighter sets first.
Form cues
- Lie on the floor with the barbell in a rack or dumbbells in hand.
- Lower the weight until your upper arms touch the floor.
- Pause briefly on the floor (dead stop) to eliminate the stretch reflex.
Anchor one end of a barbell in a landmine attachment or corner, load the other end.
Form cues
- Anchor one end of a barbell in a landmine attachment or corner, load the other end.
- Hold the loaded end at chest height with both hands cupped around the sleeve.
- Press the bar up and forward at a roughly 45-degree angle until arms are fully extended.
Set the decline to 15-30 degrees — too steep shifts work to triceps.
Form cues
- Set the decline to 15-30 degrees — too steep shifts work to triceps.
- Secure your legs under the pads to prevent sliding.
- Lower the bar to your lower chest, just below the nipple line.
Hold two light plates squeezed together at chest height with palms pressing inward.
Form cues
- Hold two light plates squeezed together at chest height with palms pressing inward.
- Press the plates straight out in front of you until arms are fully extended.
- Squeeze the plates together as hard as possible throughout the entire range of motion.
Finish strong — take the last set close to failure.
Form cues
- Retract and depress your shoulder blades — squeeze them together like you are holding a pencil between them.
- Plant your feet flat on the floor and drive through your legs for a stable base.
- Lower the bar to your nipple line with elbows at roughly 45 degrees from your body.
Why This Workout Works
This workout is built around the principles of muscle building training. Use moderate loads (65-80% of your 1RM) with controlled eccentrics and full range of motion. Prioritize progressive overload by adding reps before adding weight. Train each muscle group 2x per week with 10-20 hard sets per muscle per week.
Training Parameters
- Rep Range: 8-12 reps — the hypertrophy sweet spot for maximum muscle growth
- Rest Periods: 60-90 seconds — long enough for quality reps, short enough for metabolic stress
- Sets Per Exercise: 3-4 sets — optimized for muscle building
Chest Training Tips
- *Retract your shoulder blades on every pressing movement to protect your shoulders and maximize chest activation.
- *Vary your incline angle every 4-6 weeks to hit upper, mid, and lower fibers.
- *Control the eccentric (lowering) phase for at least 2 seconds to increase time under tension.
Get this chest workout personalized for you
Revy's AI will analyze your training history, recovery status, and strength levels to customize every set, rep, and weight for maximum muscle building results.