Name: Playbook - Sam Sweeney - 1/18 Back and Biceps [CHALLENGE WK 3/DAY2]
Uploaded: 2026-06-17T00:04:48.187Z
Duration: 65 min
Description: 1/18 Back and Biceps [CHALLENGE WK 3/DAY2]

Emily

Nate

Donalee

Petra

First time ever I did all sets of pull ups without having to break them up! Also, just like yesterday, that last compound set was a killer 💀(in the best way of course 😉)

Megan

Freaking amazing workout… Took me to a place I haven’t been in a little while with training!!!

chelsea

Breonna

Katie

Helping me reach my goals with unassisted pullups!

Holly Russo

What does the chest supported aspect of the pull down do?

Ashley

Kristy Conger

Caitlin Sparks

Nicole

Molly

Heather

My biceps are strugglinggg but in the best way

Samantha Briggs

Mike

It was pretty awesome. The snatch deadlifts were killer. Love getting my heart rate up and feeling the 🔥🔥 !

Kat Renteria

Jenny

Loved that low key cardio with them deadlifts 🥰

Veronica

Jean

Julia Bourguignon

Bailey

Jessica Phillips

Awesome workout-felt strong and challenged! Love back/bicep days!

Larissa

One of my favorites so far. The compounds felt like puzzle pieces fitting together perfectly!

Anna

Cindy Smith

It’s difficult for me to do a back day with out lat pull downs🤪

Alicia

Erin Alvear

Well… that burnout s*ucked..😂 got up but that didn’t last too long… I guess that’s why it’s called a burnout . Omg!

Alli

Back day is MY FAVE! And this was no disappointment

Lauren

Marelys Duenas

Jillian

Jeannie

Loved the snatch deadlift and single arm work. Holy biceps 💪🏽 killer back and bis day!

Amanda

Emilie

Boone

Brie

My arms are on fire, especially after the cable curls 💪🏻

Stephanie

Angie

Kelly

45 seconds for burner...again😩 was trying to go longer, but my arms literally gave out so gracefully you would've thought I was doing negative release chin ups😂😅😩

Caroline Kuc

Absolutely loved it! Favorite day of the week.

Kody Young

Best back workout I’ve done in a while. Loving this challenge!!

kimandkairi

Jennifer

Love your style of workouts and absolutely love the app!

Challenge week 3/day 2

Happy Tuesday!

1/18 Training Day Overview: 

Suggested accessory equipment: large loop bands

Warm Up: Foam Roll, warm up and activation routine from app. 

1. Pull Ups: 4S/6-8R

2. Snatch Grip Deadlifts: 5S/20R, 15R, 12R, 8R, 5R

Compound Set: 
3. Single Arm Cable Lat Row: 3S/8-10R [2 second pause at the top and 2 second pause at the bottom of each rep]
4. EZ Bar Curls: 3S/10-12R 

Compound Set: 
5. Chest Supported Neutral Grip Pull Down: 3S/1R  [10 second hold] + 10-12R [steady tempo]
6. Single Arm Preacher Curl: 3S/ 8-10R each side 

Compound Set: 
7. Standing Cable Rhomboid Row: 2S/1 minute [30 second steady row, 30 seconds iso hold]
8. Straight bar cable curls: 2S/10R drop 10R drop 10R [triple drop set, every set] 

Burnout Challenge: Chin Up Iso Hold: 1S/Failure [track your time, look back at week 1 to see your time to beat]

Warm Up Sets: 1-2S
Rep Range: 6-8R 
Tempo: Steady
Modification: banded pull ups, assisted pull up machine, inverted rows. 

*weighted for difficulty if you are to that point where you feel confident to add weight.

- grip the pull up bar with a pronated grip, just outside of shoulder width. 
- extend the arms straight, hang from the bar. 
- allow legs to hang straight down or bend the legs and cross your feet
- squeeze your glutes and brace your core [“brace for a punch]
- depress the scapula as you pull your chest to the bar. 
- as you pull yourself up, keep the elbows in front of the shoulders, think about breaking the pull up bar in half and use your lats. 
- lower with control until arms are fully extended. 
- keep the wrists straight.

Pull Ups

Rep Count: 
Set 1: 20R
Set 2: 15R
Set 3: 12R
Set 4: 8R
Set 5: 5R 
Tempo: steady
Modification: conventional deadlifts or wide lat pull down. 

- begin with loaded barbell on the ground in front of you. 
- barbell should be in line with mid shoelace of each foot. 
- take a hip width or slightly inside hip width stance
- hinge the hips back as you bend forward to grip the barbell, keep the spine neutral. 
- grip the bar with a snatch grip. 
*grip width will vary based on your body mechanics. Use the last rings on the barbell as your guide. Index fingers outside of the last rings will be a wider snatch grip, pinky lined up with the last rings on the barbell will make for a less wide grip. I typically line up my middle/ring fingers with the rings. 
- depress the scapula and pin them down, activate the lats. 
- lift your chest so it is facing forward and think about breaking the bar around your body as you drive your feet through the ground
- leg press the weight up from the floor to your knees
- as soon as the barbell is in line with the knees use the torque in your hips to snap the hips in and lift the bar to a standing position. 
- keep the chest high and forward and tension in the lats and low back at the top [break the bar around your body]
- lower the barbell with control by hinging the hips back while keeping a neutral spine. 
- when the bar is in line with the knees bend the knees and place the bar on the ground. 
- reset between reps if needed. 
- bar should stay close to your body throughout each rep. .

Snatch Grip Deadlifts

Rep Range: 8-10R each side 
Tempo: 2 second pause at the bottom and the top of each rep. 
Modification: Bent Over single arm dumbbell row.

- sit on the seated cable machine, double cables if possible. 
- grab one handle of the cable with one hand, place the opposite foot up on the platform to stabilize. 
- keep your torso upright and facing forward. 
- think about driving the shoulder and elbow down towards the ground as you pull the cable. 
- pull the cable until your elbow is in line with your waist, squeeze your elbow in tight. 
- lean into the rep by driving the elbow and shoulder towards the ground, but fight against the torso twisting as you row- chest should stay facing forward. 
- pause for two second and contract the low lat on the rowing side. 
- release with control until arm is fully extended, pause again for 2 seconds.

Single Arm Cable Lat Row

Rep Range: 10-12R 
Tempo: Steady 
Modification: Standing Dumbbell curls.

- grip the EZ bar with both hands, supinated grip
- stand with feet hip width or slightly inside 
- begin with the arms extended down so the EZ bar is resting on your quads. 
- pin elbows to your sides or slightly behind your torso 
- “tuck the ribs” and squeeze your glutes to help hold the brace. 
- dig the elbows into your sides as you curl the EZ bar up towards the shoulders. 
- contract the biceps at the top of the rep. 
- lower with control until arms are completely extended. 
- continue reps.

EZ Bar Curls

Compound Set

Rep Range: 1R + 10-12R  [13 reps all together each set]
Tempo: 10 second hold on the first rep, keep weight just use a steady tempo on the next 10-12R
Modification: straight bar pronated grip lat pull down, banded lat pull down.

- support your chest on an upright bench [bench with short back support] or an incline bench. [bench should be “facing away” from the cable machine so you are able to support your chest on the back pad while facing the cables.]
- set up your lat pulldown with double cable pulleys, or attach the straight bar and use a shoulder width pronated grip. 
- sit on the bench with your chest supported on the back pad of the bench. 
- grip the handles with a neutral grip. 
- plant your feet flat on the ground
- depress the scapula as you drive your elbows down towards your waist. [keep the elbows in close]
- contract the lats in this position for 10 seconds before releasing and continuing reps.

Chest Supported Neutral Grip Pulldown

Rep Range: 8-10R Each Side
Tempo: steady
Modification: single arm concentration curls [arm supported on back of bench or inside of leg in a seated position].

- set up with one arm on the preacher curl machine. 
- arm should be connected to the pad of the machine from armpit to elbow. 
- grip the handle with a supinated grip, with one hand. 
- begin with arm extended
- drive your tricep into the pad as you curl the handle towards your front delt. 
- contract the bicep at the top of the rep. 
- lower with control until arm is complete extended. 
- continue reps. 
- watch for the shoulder wanting to roll forward, make sure to depress your scap and pin them down to help with this.

Single Arm Preacher Curls

Time: 1 minute total
Tempo: 30 seconds steady row, 30 seconds iso hold. 
Modification: Dumbbell Bat Row

- adjust the cable low on the rack. 
- attach a straight bar or lat pulldown bar. 
- face the cable, and grip the bar with a pronated grip, wide. 
- step back from the cable 2-3 steps. [enough to feel the tension of the cable pulling you forward]. 
- stand with feet together or staggered for stability. 
- bend your chest forward just slightly, keep the spine neutral [chest pointing towards the cable] 
- retract the scapula and row the bar towards your mid chest/just below the chest. 
- contract the rhomboids. 
- release with control until arms are fully extended forward
- continue reps for 30 seconds
- hold on your final rep for another 30 seconds, focus on the contraction of your high/mid back. 
- elbows and wrists stay in line. 
- wrists stay straight.

Standing Cable Rhomboid Row

Rep Range: 10R drop 10R drop 10R [triple drop set, every set]
Tempo: steady
Modification: standing dumbbell curls

- position the cable low and attach the rope
- grip the rope with both hands, neutral grip
- step back from the cable 2-3 steps. 
- pin your elbows by your sides or slightly behind the torso. 
- pin the scapula down and keep the shoulders back and chest up. 
- begin with the arms extended down in front of you
- dig the elbows into your sides as you lead with the thumbs and curl the rope up, towards the front delts. 
- contract the biceps
- lower with control until arms are completely extended. 
- continue reps

Rope Cable Curls

Time: Failure
Tempo: Iso Hold
 Modification: use a band or the assisted machine if needed, or inverted row iso hold (pronated or supinated).

- use a bench or chair to position yourself on the pull up bar
- use a supinated grip/chin up grip to grip the bar. [death grip= grip as tightly as you can to the bar]
- hop/get yourself up to the bar, chin above the bar, elbows pinned to your sides.
- hold yourself in this position as long as you can, until your hands give out. 
- hold the tension in your lats/back by keeping the scapula pinned and core braced.

Burnout Challenge: Chin Up Iso Hold

1/18 Back and Biceps [CHALLENGE WK 3/DAY2]

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

Porchia

6/16 Quads, Glutes

Audry

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!

Michelle 

6/5 Hamstrings, Glutes

Nyakeh

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

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 💀🫠

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!!!

1/18 Back and Biceps [CHALLENGE WK 3/DAY2]

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