Advanced Upper Body Workout: Heavy Loads, Explosive Power, and Overhead Strength
This session is built for advanced lifters who already have a solid foundation in compound pressing, kettlebell mechanics, and bodyweight overhead work. You know how to brace, how to breathe, and how to listen to your body under load — now we'll walk you through a session designed to push your strength ceiling while developing explosive power through the shoulders, chest, back, and arms. If overhead stability, loaded carries, and ballistic kettlebell work are already in your vocabulary, this is where you put them to work.
What the research says
Two findings from the research are directly relevant to how you structure this session. First, rest periods matter more than many lifters assume: a study on resistance-trained men found that 3-minute rest intervals produced significantly greater gains in 1RM bench press strength and muscle thickness compared to 1-minute rest intervals over 8 weeks. For a session as demanding as this one — chains on the bar, bilateral and unilateral explosive kettlebell work, inverted pressing — you want to respect that finding and take your full rest. Second, the bench press, performed at 5 sets of 10 reps at approximately 75% of 1RM, did not produce significant changes in salivary testosterone or cortisol concentrations in recreationally trained men, while the back squat protocol did — a reminder that upper body work, even when intense, produces a different acute hormonal profile than lower body compound work.
The rest period finding comes from a controlled 8-week study on trained men and is reasonably strong for that specific population and outcome; the hormonal finding is limited to an acute response in a small sample of 13 men and should be interpreted narrowly.
In a crossover study of 13 recreationally trained men performing 5 sets of 10 repetitions at approximately 75% of 1RM, the bench press protocol produced no significant changes in salivary testosterone or cortisol concentrations at any time point measured, while the back squat protocol did produce significant changes.
View study →In a study of resistance-trained men, those who rested 3 minutes between sets showed significantly greater increases in 1RM bench press strength compared to those who rested 1 minute over an 8-week training period. Muscle thickness increases in the anterior thigh were also significantly greater in the longer rest group, while triceps brachii showed only a trend toward greater thickness, not a statistically significant difference.
View study →The routine
Warmup
Stand up and extend your arms straight out by the sides. The arms should be parallel to the floor and perpendicular (90-degree angle) to your torso. This will be your starting position. Slowly start to make circles of about 1 foot in diameter with each outstretched arm. Breathe normally as you perform the movement. Continue the circular motion of the outstretched arms for about ten seconds. Then reverse the movement, going the opposite direction.
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. This will be your starting position. Keeping your arms straight, swing them straight up in front of you 5-10 times, increasing the range of motion each time until your arms are above your head.
Stand with your hands together, arms extended directly in front of you. This will be your starting position. Keeping your arms straight, quickly move your arms back as far as possible and back in again, similar to an exaggerated clapping motion. Repeat 5-10 times, increasing speed as you do so.
Main
Adjust the leader chain, shortening it to the desired length.Place the chains on the sleeves of the bar. Lying on the bench, get your head beyond the bar if possible. Tuck your feet underneath you and arch your back. Using the bar to help support your weight, lift your shoulder off the bench and retract them, squeezing the shoulder blades together. Use your feet to drive your traps into the bench. Maintain this tight body position throughout the movement. However wide your grip, it should cover the ring on the bar. Pull the bar out of the rack without protracting your shoulders. Focus on squeezing the bar and trying to pull it apart. Lower the bar to your lower chest or upper stomach. The bar, wrist, and elbow should stay in line at all times. Pause when the barbell touches your torso, and then drive the bar up with as much force as possible. The elbows should be tucked in until lockout.
Place two kettlebells behind your feet. Bend your knees and sit back to pick up the kettlebells. Swing the kettlebells between your legs forcefully and reverse the direction. Drive through with your hips and lock the ketttlebells overhead in one uninterrupted motion.
With your back to the wall bend at the waist and place both hands on the floor at shoulder width. Kick yourself up against the wall with your arms straight. Your body should be upside down with the arms and legs fully extended. Keep your whole body as straight as possible. Tip: If doing this for the first time, have a spotter help you. Also, make sure that you keep facing the wall with your head, rather than looking down. Slowly lower yourself to the ground as you inhale until your head almost touches the floor. Tip: It is of utmost importance that you come down slow in order to avoid head injury. Push yourself back up slowly as you exhale until your elbows are nearly locked. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Place a kettlebell between your feet. Bend your knees and push your butt back to get in the proper starting position. Look straight ahead and swing the kettlebell back between your legs. Immediately reverse the direction and drive through with your hips and knees, accelerating the kettlebell upward. As the kettlebell rises to your shoulder rotate your hand and punch straight up, using momentum to receive the weight locked out overhead.
Hold a kettlebell in one hand by the handle. Squat towards the floor, and then reverse the motion, extending the hips, knees, and finally the ankles, to raise the kettlebell overhead. After fully extending the body, descend into a lunge position to receive the weights overhead, one leg forward and one leg back. Ensure you drive through with your hips and lock the ketttlebells overhead in one uninterrupted motion. Return to a standing position, holding the weight overhead, and bring the feet together. Lower the weight to return to the starting position.
Cooldown
Sit upright on the floor with your partner behind you. Place your hands behind your hand, and push your elbows back as far as you can. Your partner should hold your elbows. This will be your starting position. Gently attempt to pull your elbows forward with your hands still behind your head for 10 or more seconds. Your partner should prevent your elbows from moving. Now, relax your muscles and have your partner gently pull the elbows back as far as it comfortable for you. Be sure to let your partner know when the stretch is adequate to prevent overstretching or injury.
Lie on your side, with your upper arm against the foam roller. The upper arm should be more or less aligned with your body, with the outside of the bicep pressed against the foam roller. Raise your hips off of the floor, supporting your weight on your arm and on your feet. Hold for 10-30 seconds, and then switch sides.
Set and rep ranges are general starting suggestions based on this guide's level — adjust to your own experience, and progress gradually.
This session includes loaded overhead work, inverted pressing, and ballistic single-arm lifts — all of which place significant demand on the shoulder joint, rotator cuff, and wrist. If you have any existing shoulder, elbow, or wrist issues, review this session with a qualified sports medicine professional before attempting it. Nothing here is medical advice; it is educational guidance intended for healthy advanced lifters who can honestly assess their own readiness on a given day.