Name: Playbook - Sam Sweeney - 1/17 Back, Biceps, Core
Uploaded: 2026-06-17T00:04:46.546Z
Duration: 75 min
Description: 1/17 Back, Biceps, Core

#tgit❤️‍🔥
So grateful dat I can pull dat off(pull-up weighted5kg)which turned out to be a huge surprise 2myself2🫶🏻

yangBAE

Kathryn Whitten

Brittany

Chantal

Hilarious that you think I can do one barbell roll out let alone 8 minutes of them! 😂😅

Meghan

Spicy workout with a perfect balance of lats, biceps, and core fun!!! Really enjoyed this one a lot 💪❤️‍🔥

Megan

Melanie

Wow! Loved this workout and the dead bugs!

Kimberly

Holy cow!! What fantastic back& bi day 🦍

Kody Young

Mattie

Kimmy

Brandi

Pull-ups are getting better. Still banded but with less resistance this week 🙌🏻

Katie

I'm preggo and trying to avoid "coning" of the abdomen so core days have been tough for me trying to figure out alternatives for the ab exercises!

Emilie

Modified bc of a packed gym but did what we could

Chasity

Dominique

Jacqueline

Took time off due to terrible allergies. This was a "soft" start 🤧💪🏽

Cori

Dedra

Kelsey

Lakshmi Neelesh Nimmagadda

Modified due to apt gym and cut short due to early day tomorrow. Still valuable time in, just not as much as I would have liked!

Kaitlin

Gabriela

mariana

Humberto

Holy roller 😵‍💫😵‍💫💪🏻💪🏻

Shelly

Tiffany

Maria Zenz

Mia Arrowsmith

Janelle

Porchia

LOVED that Lat pull-down variation. Still loving having the warm up built into the workout too. Perfection ♥️👌😍

Audry

Officially in love with dead bug pullovers!

Jolene

My abs are going to be sore for a month😮‍💨

Ashley Laas

Mike

Heavens. That is all I have to say. 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

Nicole

Christina

Nyakeh

Superb session. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Feeling pumped up! 💪🏼 
Progress finally being made on the rollouts! 🙌🏼

Paula

Happy Tuesday!

[Week 3 of 6 in the current split]

Focus of this split: perfecting skills and building strength in fundamental joint archetypes. 

Pre Training Mobility and Warm Up: listed in the workout. 

*consider tracking your primary lifts throughout this split. I would even encourage you to film your working set(s) throughout this first week [and following weeks, if possible] so you are able to visually see improvement. 

Tap the ‘start now’ button to find the training day overview.

Back, Biceps, Core:

Pre Training Mobility and Warm Up: 1X through
a. Banded Overhead Distraction: 2 mins minimum each side 
b. Overhead Distraction with External Rotation Bias: 2 mins minimum per side
c. Bilateral Shoulder Flexion- Banded: 2-3 mins
e. 3 Minutes Dumbbell Carries: 1 min farmers carry- 1 min front racked- 1 min overhead- no rest
f. Supermans: 30R
g. RKC Planks: 1 minute: 5 second contractions/5 second rest- for 1 minute

Strength Training: 
1. Pull Ups [assisted/banded/bodyweight/weighted]: 5S/5R 

2. Hanging Straight Leg Raise: 4S/6-8R

Triset: 
3a.  Flat Bench Dead Bug Pullover: 3S/6-8R [3 second eccentric] 
3b. Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown: 3S/4-6R each side [seated sideways] + 8-10R together [facing forward] 
3c. Cable Rope Hammer Curl: 3S/20R [2 second pause at top] 

Superset: 
4a. Wide Grip Straight Arm Pulldown: 3S/10-12R [3 second eccentric] 
4b. Dumbbell Recline Curls: 3S/4-6R each side + 8-10R total 

Finisher: 8 minutes
5. Wide Grip Barbell Rollout: 30 secs on/30 secs off

1/17 Training Day Overview

Please reference the notes for further instruction. Understand that mobility work is very personal to each individual. These are outlines and movements I prescribe for myself. Always feel free to spend more/less time in one area over the other, or apply different movements. Hunt for spots of tension and spend time in those positions until you feel change occur.

Time: 2 minutes minimum each side 

*again the band creates space in the joint to reposition the humerus in the shoulder capsule.

Set Up: 
- loop band high around the rack
- hook your wrist through the band and grab both ends
*looping the band around your wrist instead of latching onto it

Execution: 
- use your other hand to bias your arm into external rotation so your palm is facing up and your thumb is pointing towards the outside of your body 
- keep your arm locked in an externally rated position and floss/hold 
- create tension by sinking your hips back and lowering your torso towards the gorund 
- contract and relax in this position and try to distract your shoulder into new lengthened ranges

Banded Overhead Distraction

Time: 2 minutes minimum each side 

Set Up: 
- loop the band high around the rack 
- face away from the band
- loop your arm through the band and hook the band around your elbow 

Execution: 
- step away from the rack to create tension with the band
- squeeze your glutes, drive your ribs down and brace- midline engaged
- twist elbow, lower your elevation- hunt for tension 
- drive elbows towards your face and forward * use other hand to help if needed
- fight to maintain external rotation torque in your shoulder

Overhead Distraction with External Rotation Bias

Time: 2-3 minutes minimum 

*use this time as needed. I will show a couple movements I do in this position. 

**The prescription will vary based off of your needs and where you feel tightness/tenderness. Play around here.

Set Up: 
- kneel in front of a bench or box
- wrap a loop band around your elbows [3 loops] 
- bend your arms and plant your elbows on top of the bench/box 

Execution: 
- keep your elbows as close together as possible, with the help of the band 
- extend your arms and floss in and out 
- with arms bent, position palms up and externally rotate your shoulders push your hips back and drive head down through your arms to hit the soft tissue of your lats and shoulders

*Tension hunt for yourself. Find tight positions and move and hold in those positions until you feel change.

Bilateral Shoulder Flexion: Banded

Time: 3 Minutes
- 1 minute farmers carry 
- 1 minute front racked carry 
- 1 minute overhead carry 

Set Up: 
- grip a dumbbell in each hand
- stand with your feet together
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine, drive ribs down and brace

Execution:
- contract your lats and pin dumbbells by your sides 
- hold the brace in your trunk and begin to walk forward
- after one minute, lift the dumbbells to your shoulders in a front racked position 
- elbows should be bent and pointing straight forward, in line with your shoulders 
- after 1 minute of walking in the front racked position, press the dumbbells up and overhead
- continue to walk forward with a strong brace in your core for your final minute

Dumbbell Carry [farmers, front racked, overhead]

Rep Count: 20-30R

Set Up: 
- get down on the ground in a prone position, chest down 
- extend your arms overhead and legs back
- point your toes and squeeze your glutes 
- head, neck, spine neutral 

Execution: 
- pull belly button to spine and brace your trunk as you lift your upper body/chest and legs off the ground 
- contract your glutes/core/low back- entire trunk at the top of the rep 
- release your upper and lower body back to the ground with control 
- keep head in a neutral position

Supermans

Time: 1 minute
- 5 seconds contraction/5 seconds rest for the entire minute [6 rounds]

Set Up: 
- get down on the ground in a low plank position, position your elbows IN FRONT of you shoulders- plant your palms down on the ground 
- squeeze your glutes and pull your belly button to spine to brace

Execution: 
- drive your elbows into the ground and towards your hips and contract your lats/core/glutes together and hold for 5 seconds
- drop knees to the ground and rest for 5 seconds before continuing reps 
- keep body in a straight line

RKC Planks

Pre Training Mobility and Warm Up

Rep Count: 5R
Tempo: power 
Modification: assisted machine or banded pull ups, or pronated grip inverted row

Set Up: 
- use a bench or chair to reach your hands up to the bar if needed
- grip the pull up bar with a pronated grip, just outside of shoulder width. [thumbs wrapped over the bar] 
* [step each foot into the band (if you are using the band)
- extend your legs and arms and allow your body to hang from the bar
- think about position your armpits facing forward- break the bar with your hands
- bend your legs [or keep them straight]
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine and brace your core [‘brace for a punch’ and create a “hollow” position]

Execution: 
- depress your scapula as you bend your elbows and pull your chest to meet the bar 
- as you pull yourself up, keep your elbows in front of your shoulders, think about breaking the pull up bar in half and use your lats to initiate the pull
- contract your lats/back when your chin is above the bar
- lower your body with control until your arms are fully extended again
- reset your scapula before each rep 
- keep your wrists straight

Pull Ups [assisted, bodyweight, weighted]

Rep Range: 6-8R
Tempo: steady 
Modification: forearm supported knee raise, or reverse crunch 

Set Up: 
- use a bench or chair to reach the pull up bar
- grip the bar with your hands, pronated grip, shoulder width apart
- extend your legs and hang your body down from the bar
- point your toes and position them slightly in front of your torso
- squeeze the bar and point armpits forward, contract your lats [break the bar]
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine and drive your ribs down to organize your spine and brace

Execution: 
- pull your belly tight, keep your legs straight
- use your core to lift your legs straight forward 
- contract your core
- lower your legs with control until they are extended towards the ground again and slightly in front of your torso 
[hollow position] 
- keep control of the movement through your core/lats

Hanging Straight Leg Raise

Rep Range: 8-10R total
Tempo: 3 second eccentric 
Modification: keep legs bent at 90 degrees or plant feet on ground 

Set Up: 
- grip a dumbbell with both hands, pin the head of the dumbbell in between hands, palms overlapped around the dumbbell and facing up
- position yourself on a flat bench 
- lie in a supine position on the flat bench
- bend your legs and pin them at 90 degrees, knees in line with your hips 
- extend your arms holding the dumbbell over your chest, keep a slight bend in your elbows 
- pull belly button to spine and brace

Execution: 
- release the dumbbell as you lower it back behind your head
- as you lower the dumbbell, extend one leg straight out 
- keep tension in your core and lower the dumbbell behind your head until you feel a full stretch in your lats 
- exhale and pull the dumbbell back up and over your chest
- as you pull the dumbbell bend your leg again and drive your knee over your hips again 
- contract your lats and core together 
- alternate extending each leg, each time you lower the dumbbell behind your head

Flat Bench Dead Bug Pullover

Rep Range: 4-6R each side + 8-10R arms together 
*4-6R seated sideways + 8-10R seated facing forward 
Tempo: steady 
Modification: banded pulldown [following the same variation], or if you only have a single lat cable pulldown- use a close grip attachment with the same variation

Set Up: 
- attach single arm handles to the double cable lat pulldown machine 
- sit on the bench facing 90 degrees from the cable 
- grip the outside cable with the hand furthest from the cable, neutral grip 
- keep a neutral spine, pull belly button to spine and brace 
- lean your torso back just slightly 
- plant your feet on the ground 
- begin with your arm extended in the direction of the cable [ARM IN FRONT OF YOUR TORSO- NOT STRAIGHT OVERHEAD] 

Execution: 
-  depress your scapula and pull the cable in front of your torso, across your chest 
- squeeze your elbow to your waist and contract your lat at the top of the rep 
- release the cable with control until your arm is extended towards the cable again 
- complete 4-6R facing sideways on each side 
- on your final 8-10R position yourself facing forward on the lat pulldown seat, press knees into the pads of the seat
- complete neutral grip pulldowns with both arms on your final 8-10R

Double Cable Lat Pulldown [single arm+both arms]

Rep Count: 20R
Tempo: 2 second pause at the top of each rep 
Modification: standing hammer curls 

Set Up: 
- attach the cable rope to one side of the cable and position it low 
- step in front of the cable, face the cable 
- grip the ends of the rope with a neutral/hammer grip 
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine, and brace 
- pin your shoulders down and back and drive your ribs down 
- begin with your arms extended down in front of your torso
- pin your elbows by your sides 

Execution: 
- lead with your thumbs and curl the rope up and towards your front delts 
- squeeze your elbows in to your sides and contract your biceps at the top of the rep 
- pause for 2 seconds on the contraction 
- release the cable with control until your arms are extended down in front of you again

Cable Rope Curls

Triset

Rep Range: 10-12R
Tempo: 3 second eccentric 
Modification: banded- wide grip straight arm pulldown 

Set Up: 
- attach the wide lat pulldown bar to the cable and position it high 
- stand in front of the cable, facing the cable 
- take 1-3 steps away from the cable 
-  grip the straight bar with a pronated grip, wider than shoulder width 
- pin your shoulders back and down and think about breaking the bar towards the ground
- lean your chest forward, towards the cable just slightly 
- squeeze your glutes and pull your belly button to spine, brace 
- depress your scapula and pin them down 
- keep arms mostly straight, a slight bend to keep from hyperextending is ok

Execution: 
- with arms straight, pull the bar down and towards your quads
- lift your chest slightly and contract your lats/low lats at the top of the rep 
- think about breaking the bar around your body at the bottom of the rep 
- use a 3 second eccentric to release the straight bar with control until your arms are fully extended towards the cable again 
- keep your traps down
- keep body position throughout

Wide Grip Straight Arm Pulldown

Rep Range: 4-6R each side + 8-10R together 
Tempo: steady 

Set Up: 
- set your bench to ~70 degrees
- grip a dumbbell in each hand, supinated grip
- sit on the bench, back against the bench, and plant your feet on the ground 
- extend your arms down by your sides [so they are positioned behind your torso, straight down from your delts] 
- pull belly button to spine, drive your ribs down and brace 
- pin your elbows to the sides of the bench 

Execution: 
- bend one arm as you curl the dumbbell up and towards your front delt
- contract your bicep at the top
- lower the dumbbell with control until your arm is fully extended again 
- complete 4-6R on each side 
- finish the set by completing 8-10R with both arms 
- do not lose tension at the bottom of the rep. keep the contraction on the bicep even when the arm is straight

Dumbbell Recline Curls

Compound Set

Time: 8 minutes total 
*30 seconds on/30 seconds off
Tempo: steady 
Modification: ab wheel rollouts, or plank walkouts 

Set Up:
- load the barbell with rubber plates that will give you the ability to roll the barbell back and forth
- get down into a kneeling positionand grip the barbell wider than shoulder width [pronated grip]
- depress your scapula and pin them down to keep control of the movement through your lats (and keep the 
movement from wrecking your shoulders)
- squeeze your glutes, pull your belly button to spine, and pin your ribs down- brace
- keep full body tension

Execution:
- with a slight bend in the elbows (slight) push the barbell and roll it away from your body
- extend your arms and roll the barbell out only so far that you still feel in control of the movement, and your lats feel fully stretched but still engaged
-- keep your arms locked in place and roll the barbell back in, towards your quads
- contract your core and lats together at the top of the rep each time [like you are breaking the bar around your legs at the top of the rep]
- the goal is to keep a neutral spine as you roll the barbell out into an extended position- think about engaging the glutes and tucking your pelvis up (posterior pelvic tilt). 
- your body should be a straight line in the extended position, hips should be in line with the spine/torso (pretend you have no butt)

Finisher: Wide Grip Barbell Rollouts

1/17 Back, Biceps, Core

No modification for hack squat. No weight is not modification. Overall okayish workout.

Jennifer

6/16 Quads, Glutes

Jessica

6/15 Shoulders, Arms

Really loved the trap bar grip on the stiff legs, hit soooo right ❤️‍🔥

Lizz

6/12 Hamstrings, Glutes

This felt great and the burnout was especially awesome!

Janet

6/11 Chest, Shoulders

💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻❤️🔥❤️❤️

6/10 Back, Core/Abs

Elaine Rondon

Loved the ladder SS! As always such a good leg day! 🔥

6/9 Quads, Glutes

How many times can I say perfection in a single split? The limit does not exist ♾️

6/8 Shoulders, Arms

Please make this split a permanent workout option on the app! I have extremely mixed feelings about it, but I can’t deny the growth I’ve been seeing!

Emily

Michelle 

6/5 Hamstrings, Glutes

6/4 Chest, Shoulders

Absolutely loved everything about this one, a favorite for sure!

6/3 Back, Core/Abs

The burnout leg extensions were a really cool variation!

BabyLuv

Morgan

6/2 Quads, Glutes

Love the lat raise variety, hit just right ❤️

6/1 Shoulders, Arms

Calling the authorities because that box squat into reverse lunges superset-pyramid-drop-set shenanigans was attempted murder.  😤🥵

Mandy Rigsby

Alice

5/29 Hamstrings, Glutes

Vanessa

Shoulders and chest annihilation 🤸🏻‍♀️🥇🪂

5/28 Chest, Shoulders

I would love if there were more abs on ab day. But I adore all of the diff ways we worked the back.

I surprised myself today! Didn’t know i had the strength or stability to do the one leg pullover and I did!!! This split has really made its way into my top favorites already!

5/27 Back, Core/Abs

5/26 Quads, Glutes

All the corkscrews felt SOOO good today 💪🥰

5/25 Shoulders, Arms

Heather

Alexis

5/22 Hamstrings, Glutes

Solid chest day. Those around the worlds depleted the tank fully!

Tamara Feist

5/21 Chest, Shoulders

I'm trying to fall in love with the gym again and the structure of this split is helping significantly! Thanks Sam!

5/20 Back, Core/Abs

First day back! Almost 11 months postpartum. That was tough but so glad to be back at it.

5/19 Quads, Glutes

The trisets flowed so perfectly together!

Trisha Jones

5/18 Shoulders, Arms [NEW SPLIT!]

This day always feels so aligning for me 🥰

Just did the running part …needed that this morning 🔥

Yesenia

5/15 Shoulders, Core (sprints- DELOAD)

Wall sits never fail to bring the quad fire 🔥

Vonny

5/14 Quads, Glutes (abs-DELOAD)

Shoulders have been feeling a lot stronger to support these chest day moves!!

Lorena

5/13 Chest, Triceps (sprints- DELOAD)

5/12 Glutes, Hamstrings (abs- DELOAD)

Bicep endurance has improved so much over the course of this split 💪🥰

5/11 Back, Biceps (sprints- DELOAD)

Linz

Great split. Ready for a deload week though

5/8 Shoulders, Core (sprints)

Holly

5/7 Quads, Glutes (abs)

Flavia

Has anyone got triceps I can borrow? Mine are on 🔥🔥💪

Carol

5/6 Chest, Triceps (sprints)

Really love the eccentric focus on the 2-1 ham curls

JulieAnn

5/5 Glutes, Hamstrings (abs)

God those inverted rows get me every time 💀🫠

Molly

5/4 Back, Biceps (sprints)

One of the kick ass workout ever. Those snatches wow. Loved it. 😍

5/1 Shoulders, Core (sprints)

Lateral walks and step ups were challenging today, loved it. 😍

Omg the step ups 😭🥵. I will not be able to walk right tomorrow

Faith

4/30 Quads, Glutes (abs)

Took a week break cause was in a rut but we're back and feeling better 🔥 even with the break still progressing 🔥 all thanks to the intentional programming.

4/29 Chest, Triceps (sprints)

The contralateral reverse lunges felt really great today!

4/28 Glutes, Hamstrings (abs)

Karen Arce

Better than late than never 🥹🤷🏻‍♀️

4/27 Back, Biceps (sprints)

Jill

This split is by far my favorite. Please add Cardio days more🩵

Olivia Schneider

4/24 Shoulders, Core (sprints)

Gabrielle

McKayla

Loving this!! I needed to switch gears! Love the new challenge.

4/23 Quads, Glutes (abs)

Rachael

So good. I’ve been combining chest and shoulders for my 4 days a week split and works great!!!

1/17 Back, Biceps, Core

Community

More workouts from Sam Sweeney