Move gently and stop if you feel sharp pain, dizziness, numbness, or symptoms that feel unsafe. This routine is general fitness guidance, not medical care.
Exercises
1. Barbell Incline Bench Press
3 sets · 8 reps · 50s rest
The main press. A moderate incline keeps the shoulders comfortable while loading the upper chest.
Steps
Set the bench to about 30 to 45 degrees and lie back with feet planted flat on the floor.
Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width and pull the shoulder blades back into the pad.
Unrack the bar to full arm extension with the wrists stacked directly over the elbows.
Lower the bar slowly to the upper chest with elbows tracked at about 60 to 75 degrees from the torso.
Pause briefly at the chest, keeping a tight upper back and full body tension.
Drive the bar back up by pressing through the upper chest and triceps until the arms lock out.
Cues
Blades set back.
Lower to the upper chest.
Press evenly.
Common mistakes
Setting the bench too flat or too steep, which dilutes the upper-chest target either way.
Letting the elbows flare wide to 90 degrees, which strains the front shoulders.
Lifting the hips off the bench for leverage, which destabilizes the press and stresses the back.
Bouncing the bar off the chest to use momentum instead of a controlled touch and press.
2. Barbell High Incline Bench Press
3 sets · 8 reps · 50s rest
A steeper bench moves the work toward the shoulders, so the weight drops noticeably.
Steps
Set the bench to a steep incline of around 60 degrees and lie back with your feet planted flat.
Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width and pull your shoulder blades back into the pad.
Unrack the bar to full arm extension and stack the wrists directly over the elbows.
Lower the bar slowly to the upper chest, just below the collarbone, with elbows tracking under the bar.
Pause briefly with the bar at the chest, keeping core tension and a tight upper back.
Press the bar back up along the same path until the arms are fully locked out over the upper chest.
Cues
Steeper angle.
Ribs stay down.
Lighter than flat.
Common mistakes
Setting too steep an angle near vertical, which turns the lift into an overhead press and loses chest involvement.
Lowering the bar to the lower chest like a flat bench, which strains the shoulders at this angle.
Flaring the elbows wide, which loads the front of the shoulders instead of the upper chest.
Lifting the hips off the bench to cheat the press, which ruins the angle and risks back strain.
3. Barbell Pullover
3 sets · 12 reps · 45s rest
Opens the ribcage and links chest to lats. Go light; the stretch is the point.
Steps
Lie back on a flat bench with your head supported and feet planted flat on the floor.
Hold a barbell over your chest with a shoulder-width grip and a slight bend in the elbows.
Brace your core and pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench.
Lower the bar slowly in an arc behind your head until you feel a deep stretch in the lats.
Pause briefly at the bottom, keeping the elbow angle locked, then pull the bar back over the chest.
Stop the bar above the chest line and reset before the next controlled rep.
Cues
Long arms.
Reach overhead.
Ribs stay down.
Common mistakes
Bending and straightening the elbows mid-rep, which turns the lift into a triceps extension.
Lowering the bar too fast, which strains the front shoulders without loading the lats.
Lifting the lower back off the bench, which removes tension from the lats and stresses the spine.
Using too much weight, which forces the elbows to collapse and breaks the overhead arc.
4. Landmine T Bar Rows
3 sets · 10 reps · 45s rest
The row that balances all the pressing. Keep the back long throughout.
Steps
Anchor a barbell in a landmine attachment and load plates on the open end.
Straddle the bar near the loaded end and place a V-grip handle under the bar behind the plates.
Hinge at the hips with a flat back and grip the handle with both hands, arms extended.
Brace your core and row the handle up toward your lower chest, leading with the elbows.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top with the handle just below the sternum.
Lower the bar slowly back to the start, fighting the descent through the full range.
Cues
Hinge and hold.
Pull to the belly.
Squeeze the blades.
Common mistakes
Standing more upright as the set goes on, which turns the row into a partial shrug.
Letting the lower back round under load, which puts the spine at risk on heavy sets.
Yanking the bar up with momentum instead of pulling cleanly with the back.
Cutting the bottom of the rep short and skipping the full lat stretch.
5. Barbell Upright Row
3 sets · 12 reps · 40s rest
Finishes on the shoulders and traps. Keep the pull low and the weight light.
Steps
Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and grip the bar with hands slightly narrower than shoulder width.
Let the bar hang at arm's length against your thighs with shoulders pulled back and chest up.
Pull the bar straight up by leading with the elbows, keeping the bar close to your body the whole way.
Stop the pull when your upper arms are roughly parallel to the floor — do not crank the elbows higher.
Pause briefly at the top and feel the side delts and upper traps working under the load.
Lower the bar back down under control over 2 to 3 seconds, then reset for the next rep.
Cues
Elbows lead.
Stop at chest height.
Light weight only.
Common mistakes
Pulling the bar too high past shoulder level, which jams the shoulder joint and risks front-shoulder strain.
Using a grip that is too narrow, which forces the wrists into an awkward angle and shifts work off the delts.
Heaving the bar up with body english instead of leading with the elbows in a controlled pull.
Letting the bar drift away from the body, which kills side-delt tension and loads the lower back.