Isolate and build your upper body muscles with this intermediate gym workout! Complete every single rep with perfect form — control the movement, feel the burn, and maximise every set. Gain muscle, get toned, and make every rep count!
Our final resistance exercise of the day! Try to avoid swinging and raise the dumbbells to eye level.
About this workout
Gym Upper Body Isolation: Muscle & Tone is a free 24 min workout plan with 5 illustrated exercises for your abs, back, chest and legs. Follow the workout online, save it to your WorkoutLabs Fit account or download it as a printable PDF.
Tap any exercise in the workout to see the muscles worked, clear exercise illustrations and step-by-step instructions. Each workout includes sets, reps, rest times and notes so you can follow the plan without guessing.
You'll need full gym for this workout. Tap any exercise to see form instructions and possible substitutions if a piece of equipment isn't available.
How long does the Gym Upper Body Isolation: Muscle & Tone take?
The full workout takes about 24 minutes, covering 5 exercises with prescribed sets, reps and rest periods. Using the built-in timers and auto-advance keeps you on pace from start to finish.
Is this workout suitable for my fitness level?
This is an intermediate workout, best suited to people with some training experience. Beginners can still follow it by reducing the weight, doing fewer sets or resting longer between sets – each exercise includes illustrated form instructions.
What muscles does this workout target?
This routine primarily works your glutes & hip flexors, quadriceps, abs, shoulders, upper back & lower traps, chest. Tap any exercise in the workout to see a muscle diagram showing exactly which primary and secondary muscles it activates.
How often should I do this workout?
For gain muscle, get toned, aim to do this workout 2–3 times per week with at least one rest day between sessions. Progress by gradually adding weight or reps, and pair it with workouts for other muscle groups during the week.
Can I download or save this workout?
Yes – you can download this workout as a free printable PDF using the download button, or save it to a free WorkoutLabs Fit account to follow it on your phone, customize the exercises and track your progress.
Isolate and build your upper body muscles with this intermediate gym workout! Complete every single rep with perfect form — control the movement, feel the burn, and maximise every set. Gain muscle, get toned, and make every rep count!
Auto-advanceStart exercises automatically after a 5-second delay
Stand with your feet together, arms fully extended with your hands by your sides. This is the start position.
Bend your knees slightly then straighten and push through the balls of your feet while straightening your your knees to jump up spreading your legs to wider than hip width apart.
As you do so, raise both arms out and up in a smooth arc until your hands meet above your head.
As you return to the ground, bring your feet together and your hands back to your sides with your arms fully extended.
Continue without pause for the desired amount of time or repetitions.
This exercise can be performed as a timed exercise, completing as many reps as possible in a set time or, in sets with a fixed number of repetitions per set. To increase intensity, bend your arms slightly as you raise them to engage your biceps and triceps and squeezing them during each rep.
Clean two kettlebells to your shoulders. Clean the kettlebells to your shoulders by extending through the legs and hips as you pull the kettlebells towards your shoulders. Rotate your wrists as you do so. This will be your starting position.
Begin to squat by flexing your hips and knees, lowering your hips between your legs. Maintain an upright, straight back as you descend as low as you can.
At the bottom, reverse direction and stand by extending your knees and hips and pushing down through your heels. As you do so, press both kettlebells overhead by extending your arms straight up, using the momentum from the squat to help drive the weights upward.
As you begin the next repetition, return the weights to the shoulders.
Holding a pair of dumbbells, sit on a flat bench and slowly lower yourself back.
Keep a tight core as you push the dumbbells above your chest. The dumbbells will be facing one another and held together.
With a slight bend in the elbow, open up your chest and slowly lower the dumbbells to the sides.
When the dumbbells are parallel with the ground, pause, and return to the starting position.
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
Stand between two cable stations with the dumbbell grip handles attached to the high pulleys on each side of you.
Hold the handles with an overhand grip. Your arms should be outstretched.
Bend your knees and hips slightly so that you are leaning forward, but not too far.
Bend your elbows slightly and rotate your shoulders in towards the centre of your chest a little. Your elbows should be slightly behind you.
Use a hugging motion, keeping your elbows in a fixed, bent position to bring the grip attachments together in front of your chest.
Slowly return to the starting position until you feel a slight stretch in your chest muscles.
Repeat.
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Shoulders, Triceps
Sit on a pec deck machine with your back flat against the back rest.
Grip the handles and make sure your arms are parallel to the floor. If not parallel,adjust the seat or handles accordingly. This is the start position.
Exhale and slowly push the handles together squeezing your chest to the middle as you do so. Hold for a count of one.
Inhale as you return to the starting position in a controlled movement.
Repeat.
This exercise can be performed using an exercise band or pulleys. There are a variety of different machines with different placement of your forearms. With these, place your forearms on the pad, with your elbow bent to 90 degrees. Perform the exercise by squeezing your elbows together.
Begin by holding a pair of dumbbells and standing with a braced core. Bend at the knees slightly and lean forward from the hips. Maintain a flat back throughout.
Keeping your elbows slightly bent throughout the movement, lift the dumbbells up and out to the side. Be sure to focus the contraction in the back of the shoulders.
Pause at the top of the movement then slowly bring the dumbbells to the starting position.
Primary muscle group(s):
Upper Back & Lower Traps
Secondary:
Shoulders
Begin by holding a pair of water bottles and standing with a braced core. Bend at the knees slightly and lean forward from the hips. Maintain a flat back throughout.
Keeping your elbows slightly bent throughout the movement, lift the water bottles up and out to the side. Be sure to focus the contraction in the back of the shoulders.
Pause at the top of the movement then slowly bring the water bottles to the starting position.
Primary muscle group(s):
Upper Back & Lower Traps
Secondary:
Middle Back / Lats
Adjust the cables so that the handles sit at chest height.
Grip the handle, across your body in a neutral grip, with both hands.
Keeping only a slight bend at your elbow, pull the cable back across your body using the muscles in your back.
Hold the flexed position for a full second before allowing the cable to pull you slowly back to the starting position.
Holding a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip, stand tall with your chest up and core braced.
Begin by lifting the dumbbells in front of you. Keep the abdominals contracted as you raise the dumbbells. Feel the contraction in the shoulder muscles.
Once the dumbbells reach shoulder height, pause and slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position.
Primary muscle group(s):
Shoulders
Stand straight holding a water bottle in each hand with an overhand grip.
Hold the water bottles in front of your thighs with your palms of the facing your thighs. Keep your arms fully extended. This is the start position.
Raise the left water bottle out and upwards, while keeping a slight bend in your elbow. Your palms must always face down for this exercise.
Continue raising the water bottle until your arm is a little above parallel to the floor. Exhale as you are raising the water bottle.
Pause for a count of one.
Inhale and slowly lower the water bottle to the start position.
As you lower the left water bottle, begin to lift the right water bottle, duplicating the movement.
When both water bottles have been raised and lowered in a cycle, that is one repetition.
Repeat.
Primary muscle group(s):
Shoulders
Holding the handle of a resistance band in each hand, step on the middle of the band with both feet. Stand up straight with a tight core and flat back.
Begin by lifting your hands straight up in front of you with an overhand grip. Be sure to keep a slight bend in the elbows at all times.
Pause at the top to feel the contraction then slowly lower the bands to the starting position.
Workout done!
Exercises done
of 5
Total time
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