Name: Playbook - Sam Sweeney - 2/14 Back, Biceps, Core
Uploaded: 2026-06-17T00:04:46.407Z
Duration: 75 min
Description: 2/14 Back, Biceps, Core

Brittany

Jennifer

yangBAE

Kelly

Loving the change up of this split. Sweeney’s you guys are geniuses! 🧠 📚

Kody Young

Having a break for deadlifts really gave me such appreciation for my form, and coming back today I felt so much more confident in my movement. Also, biceps feel exceptionally great!

Megan

DEADLIFTS!!!!     
Woohoo! It’s good to be back.

Sarah

Stephanie

Anjali

My biceps are on fire after that last super set.

Diana

Hello deadlift my old frieeend I’ve missed you!

Audry

Audi

Kenia

Kimmy

Dominique

Humberto

Jessica

My grip strength is SAD. 😑 gotta work on this.

Samantha

Lakshmi Neelesh Nimmagadda

Rosa

Marla

A muuuuch better workout than yesterday, thanks period😃

Rachael Milbrook

Madison

Arielle

Loved this one! My back feel wide and strong! 🤘🏻

Alicia Heier

Great back and biceps workout. Love that deadlifts are back.

Dedra

Julie

Sharon

Amanda

Annie Allard

Just when I thought my pull-up form was getting better, you had to go and throw in chin ups…

Angie

Loved it! Back is definitely a favorite of mine 💪🏼

Amie

Those deadlifts followed by chin ups!!!! 🔥

Anastasia L

Forced myself today but I got it done ✔️

Nicole

Janelle

April

Enjoyed deadlifting again.  Chin-ups are not my thing.  I got work to do!

❤️💗🌹 a perfect Valentine’s Day workout. Really enjoyed all the movements! Very satisfying

Kayleigh B

Wow the bicep pump is insane!! 🔥🔥🔥

Kathryn

Porchia

Michelle 

Great pump! Movements and flow felt really good 🤩

Maryse Lalumiere

Andrea

Chelsea

Jamie

Happy Tuesday! [HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! ❤️]

[Week 1 of 6 in the current split- we are extending the last split but replacing primary/secondary movements]

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. Conventional Deadlifts: 5S/5R 

2. [assisted/weighted] Chin Ups: 4S/8-10R

Compound Set: 
3a. Mid Grip Lat Pulldown: 3S/10-12R 
3b. Back Extension Banded Lat Row: 3S/8-10R 

Compound Set: 
4a. Seated [floor] Single Arm Pulldown: 3S/15R each side 
4b. Single Arm Cable Hammer Curl [facing away]: 3S/6-8R each side 

Superset: 
5a. Concentrated Reverse + Supinated Curls: 3S/5R [each], 8R [each], 12R [each], 15R [each]
5b. Anti Extension Dead Bug Variation: 3S/5R, 8R, 12R, 15R

2/14 Training Day Overview

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: steady, power
Modification: trap bar or dumbbell deadlift 

*be sure to track your weight, reps, sets so you are able to refer back to this each week. 

Set Up: 
 - load the bar with an appropriate weight for the rep count. 
- stand behind the bar and position the bar so it is in line with/above “mid shoelace “
- take a hip width stance or slightly inside. (feel free to play around with stance, your mobility and biomechanics will play a large role in the width of your stance)
- create a tripod foot with your feet (think about connecting/pressing through the base of your big toe, little toe, and heel) 
- with a neutral spine, hinge the hips back and bend forward to grip the barbell. 
- grip the barbell with a pronated grip (feel free to use straps), hook grip, or an under/overhand grip. (Use a “death grip” on the bar)
- grip should be just outside of the hips
- activate your lats by depressing your scapula (shoving them down and pinning them there) and think about breaking the bar around your body to create tension.
*as you do this the bar should be pulled right up to your shins.
- keep head/neck/spine neutral

Execution: 
- take a bracing breath, expand your core 3D
- keep a neutral spine, and press your feet through the ground. 
- leg press the weight up until the bar is at knee level 
- as soon as the bar reaches the knees use torque snap your hips in and lift your torso as you stand the rest of the way. (think about your knees externally rotating, but don’t actually rotate, and push the hips in)
- contract the entire posterior chain and keep it tight, make sure to reach full hip extension at the top of the rep, but don’t hyperextend through the low back
- lower the bar with control, keep the bar as close to your body as possible. 
- Reset your breath in between each rep.
- at the top and bottom of the rep we should always be able to ‘read the logo on your shirt’- this just means keep your chest up and facing forward.

Conventional Deadlifts

Rep Range: 8-10R 
Tempo: steady
Modification: supinated grip pulldown 

**use weight for difficulty

Set Up: 
- use a bench or chair for assistance up to the bar if needed [or feel free to jump up] 
- grip the bar with a supinated grip, just outside of shoulder width
- let your body hang down from the bar, legs straight or bent
- contract the glutes to help create full body tension

Execution: 
- depress the scapula and point your chest towards the bar
- pull your chest to the bar
- pin your elbows to your sides and contract your back and biceps simultaneously
- lower your body back to the extended position. 
- arms fully extended at the bottom of the rep, before you move into the next rep

[assisted/weighted] Chin Ups

Rep Range: 10-12R 
Tempo: steady 
Modification: banded lat pulldown 

Set Up: 
- attach a lat pulldown or mid grip bar to the lat pulldown machine 
- grip the bar with a shoulder width or just inside grip [mid] 
- sit on the edge of the seat
- drive your toes into the ground and press your knees up into the pads [flex your calves] 
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine and tuck your ribs
- keep a neutral spine and lean your torso back just slightly so your chest faces the bar

Execution: 
- depress your scapula and drive your elbows straight down as you pull the bar towards your chest
- squeeze your elbows in close by your sides
- contract your lats [wrists straight] 
- release the cable with control until your arms are extended towards the cable again 
- be sure to reset your scapula if needed, between reps

Mid Grip Lat Pulldown

Rep Range: 8-10R 
Tempo: steady 
Modification: no band

Set Up: 
- loop a large loop band low around a rack or cable 
- lie on the ground facing the band in a prone position [chest down] 
- extend your legs, drive your toes into the ground 
- extend your arms overhead and grip each end of the band with each hand- pronated grip 
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine and brace 
- tuck your chin and create a neutral head, neck, and spine 

Execution: 
- legs stay down, toes dug into the ground 
- use your trunk [low back and core] to lift your chest off the ground 
- as you lift your chest, depress your scapula, pull the band and drive your elbows towards your sides as you pull the band
- contract your lats 
- extend your arms overhead again as you lower your chest to the ground

Back Extension Banded Lat Row

Compound Set

Rep Count: 15R each side 
Tempo: steady 
Modification: seated single arm banded pulldown 

Set Up: 
- use no attachment on one side of the cable and position it high
- stand in front of the cable, face the cable 
- grip the handle with a neutral grip 
- sit on the ground facing the cable 
- bend your legs and plant your feet on the ground 
- pull your belly button to spine, tuck your ribs and brace 
- keep an upright torso and neutral spine 
- pin a bend in your arm [this is less straight, more bent] 
- hold onto the cable with the supporting hand to help keep your chest upright 

Execution: 
- with a bend in your arm pull the cable straight down towards the ground
- squeeze your arm in by your side
- contract your low lat/core
- release the cable with control until your arm is extended towards the cable again 
- complete all reps on one side before moving to the next

Seated [floor] Single Arm Pulldown

Rep Range: 6-8R each side 
Tempo: steady 
Modification: banded or dumbbell single arm hammer curl

Set Up: 
- use not attachment and position one side of the cable low
- stand in front of the cable, face away 
- grip the knob of the cable with a neutral grip 
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine, tuck your ribs and brace
- stagger your stance or keep feet together, create a stable base
- lean your torso just slightly 
- pull your shoulder back and allow the cable to pull your arm straight, slightly behind your torso

Execution: 
- keep your shoulder pinned back, and elbow pinned behind your torso 
- lead with your thumb and pull the cable as you curl it up towards your shoulder
- contract your bicep
- lower the cable with control as you extend your arm back towards the cable [be sure your arm fully extends each rep] 
- complete all reps on one side before moving to the next

Single Arm Cable Hammer Curl [facing away]

Rep Range: 5R [each way], 8R [each way], 12R [each way], 15R [each way]
** 10R, 16R, 24R, 30R total 
Tempo: steady 

Set Up: 
- sit facing reverse on the lat pulldown seat
- adjust the knee pad to level with your elbows
- grip a dumbbell in each hand, begin with a reverse grip 
- push your elbows into the pads behind you
- sit up tall, pull your shoulders back, pull belly button to spine and drive your ribs down to brace

Execution: 
- dig your elbows into the pads and curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders using a reverse grip 
- contract your biceps at the top, palms down
- lower the dumbbells with control and fully extend your arms towards the ground again 
- after completing listed amount of reverse curls, rotate your grip to supinated and complete the same listed amount of reps but with palms up

Concentrated Reverse + Supinated Curls

Rep Count: 5R, 8R, 12R, 15R 
Tempo: steady 
Modification: anti extension reverse crunch

Set Up: 
- loop a band low around a rack or machine 
- lie on the ground in a supinated position, toes pointing away from the band 
- reach overhead to grip each end of the band with each hand
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine, tuck your ribs to brace
- point your toes and lift your legs off the ground
- bend your knees and position your legs in a reverse table top 
- pull the band with straight arms until your hands are over your chest, palms facing forward
- contract your lats and hold the band in place over your chest

Execution: 
- keep a flat back, straighten your legs and lower them towards the ground 
- tap your heels on the ground [or lower as far as you are able while keeping control of the movement through your core] 
- immediately bend your legs again and pull your knees back over your hips
- contract your core/lats together at the top of the rep
- keep your spine neutral, try to keep from hyperextending at the bottom of the rep

Anti Extension Dead Bug Variation [both legs]

Superset

2/14 Back, Biceps, Core

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

6/16 Quads, Glutes

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 ♾️

Katie

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

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

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.

2/14 Back, Biceps, Core

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