Name: Playbook - Sam Sweeney - 2/21 Back, Biceps, Core
Uploaded: 2026-06-17T00:04:46.374Z
Duration: 75 min
Description: 2/21 Back, Biceps, Core

Sally

Brittany

This split doesn’t miss! 👏🏼👏🏼

Meghan

Perfect balance of everything today. Lats, biceps, and core are all feeding an equal and balanced burn ❤️‍🔥

Megan

I missed deadlifts 🥺 so happy it's back haha

yangBAE

I also had to skip deadlifts after yesterday! No way.

Sarah

Had to skip deadlifts because my hamstrings are BEYOND sore but great workout 🙌

Humberto

Amie

Ditto to another comment - awesome mind-body connection on this workout. Love the intentional and focused movements ❤️

Kelsey

Mind / muscle connection was on POINT this workout! Thank you!!

Audry

Anna Claire

Not my favorite. Maybe because it hit a lot of my weaknesses

Julie

Kenia

Rachael Milbrook

Arms are shakingggg 🙌🏻💪🏼💪🏼

Deadlifts were super challenging today! Feeling good but tired!

Gabriela

Dedra

Stefanie

Cori

Klaudia

Maria Zenz

Mia Arrowsmith

Janelle

Badass workout!!!! Loved this one ♥️💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

Audi

I love this sooooo much👏🏾👏🏾💪🏽💪🏽

Kimmy

Brandi

The pump was real today 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Porchia

Nyakeh

Testing my strength withe these splits loving them very much than ever

Lakshmi Neelesh Nimmagadda

Becky

Xenia

Brandy

Jamie

Victoria

Abs were still sore from the weekend 😂👌🏻

Corrine

Happy Tuesday!

Week 2 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. Conventional Deadlifts: 5S/5R 

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

Compound Set: 
3a. Close Grip Pulldown: 3S/8-10R [2 second pause at the bottom]
3b. Seated Incline Bench Cable Pullover: 3S/20R

Compound Set: 
4a. Double Cable Bent Over Reverse Fly: 3S/10-12R [3 second eccentric]
4b. Kneeling Double Cable Recline Curl: 3S/10-12R [3 second eccentric]

Superset: 
5a. Standing Hammer Curl: 4S/20R, 15R, 10R, 5R
5b. Standing Cable Crunch: 3S/20R, 15R, 10R, 5R

2/21 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: 8-10R 
Tempo: 2 second pause at the bottom 
Modification: Banded neutral grip pulldown 

Set Up: 
- connect the close grip handle to the lat pulldown machine 
- grip the handle with a neutral grip 
- sit on the edge of the bench 
- press down through your toes, drive your knees up into the pads of the bench 
- pull your belly button to spine, tuck your ribs, brace
- lean your torso back just slightly 
- keep a neutral head, neck, spine 

Execution: 
- depress your scapula and pull the bar straight down towards your chest
- drive your elbows straight down towards the ground 
- squeeze your elbows in close, contract your lats and hold for 2 seconds 
- release the cable with control until your arms are fully extended again 
- keep your torso fixed in place 
- reset your scapula between sets if needed

Close Grip Pulldown

Rep Range: 20R
Tempo: steady 
Modification: seated incline bench banded pullover

Set Up: 
- attach a rope to the cable and position it high 
- set an incline bench to 70-80 degrees and position it in front of one side of the cable- facing away 
- grip the cable rope with a neutral grip 
- sit on the incline bench, facing away from the cable 
- pin your mid/high back to the bench, plant your feet on the ground 
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine, and brace
- keep a slight bend in your arms 

Execution: 
- depress your scapula and pull the rope over your chest and towards your quads in front of you
- contract your lats 
- release the cable with control until your arms are extended back towards the cable again

Seated Incline Bench Cable Pullover

Compound Set

Rep Range: 10-12R 
Tempo: 3 second eccentric 
Modification: dumbbell bent over reverse fly 

Set Up: 
- use no attachments and position each side of the cable low 
- grip each end of the cable with the opposite hand [pronated grip] 
- stand in the center of the cable, feet hip width apart
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine, and brace
- push your hips back and bend your torso forward so your chest is facing the ground 
- pin a slight bend in your arms 

Execution: 
- retract your scapula and pull the cables
- fly the cables out to either side, leading with your pinkies
- when your hands are in line with your back contract your mid/high back 
- release the cables with control until your hands are under your chest again

Double Cable Bent Over Reverse Fly

Rep Range: 10-12R 
Tempo: steady 
Modification: dumbbell recline curl 

*kneeling will force you to utilize your core to stay upright and stable 

Execution:
- attach single arm handles to each side side of the cable and position them low 
- grip each handle of the cable with a supinated grip and step to the center of the cable 
- take 3-4 steps forward 
- get down into a double kneeling position 
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine, and drive your ribs down to brace 
-  keep your hips pinned forward 
- allow the cable to pull your arms back towards the direction of the cable 
- keep chest upright 
- keep head, neck, spine neutral 

Execution: 
- pin your elbows behind your torso, pull the cables, and curl the cables towards your shoulders
- contract your biceps at the top of the rep 
- release the cables with control until your arms are fully extended back behind your torso 
- keep elbows pinned behind torso throughout each rep

Kneeling Double Cable Recline Curls

Rep Count: 20R, 15R, 10R, 5R 
Tempo: steady 

Set Up: 
- grip a dumbbell in each hand, hammer grip
- stand with your feet hip width apart
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine, brace
- extend your arms down by your sides
- pin your elbows to your sides in line with or slightly behind your torso- squeeze them in close

Execution: 
- keep your elbows pinned by your sides
- curl the dumbbells up and towards your shoulders
- contract your biceps
- lower the dumbbells with control until your arms are extended down by your sides again

Standing Hammer Curls

Rep Range: 20R, 15R, 10R, 5R
Tempo: steady 
Modification: standing banded crunch 

Set Up: 
- attach the straight bar to the cable and position it high 
- step in front of the cable, face the cable 
- bend your elbows and grip the straight bar with a supinated grip 
- point your elbows forward, squeeze them close
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine and brace, drive your ribs down 

Execution: 
- use your core to pull the cable and drive your head towards the ground 
- contract your core 
- release the cable with control, keep your hips fixed
- allow the cable to pull your torso back up so your chest faces forward

Standing Cable Crunch

2/21 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 ♾️

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

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!!!

2/21 Back, Biceps, Core

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