Name: Playbook - Sam Sweeney - 3/18 Back, Rear Delts, Biceps
Uploaded: 2026-06-17T00:04:40.933Z
Duration: 75 min
Description: 3/18 Back, Rear Delts, Biceps

Forgot to mark this yesterday (gym brain bliss 🤪) but flying high in bicep gains this week! Couldn’t have asked for a better birthday workout 🥰

Megan

Back and biceps on 🔥🔥🔥 was sweating a lot today and I usually don't sweat as much on pull days 😂

Chantal

Nyakeh

Melanie

Serena

Kody Young

Skipped a couple sets due to time constraints but getting after it

Molly

Jennifer

Porchia

Lorena

Annmarie

Marta

Regina

Brittanie

Tonya 

Annie

Kimberly R

Happy Wednesday! Remember, you will be repeating workouts from week to week during this split. Please refer to the pinned community posts for all information about this split and how to get the most out of it. 

Week 4 of 5 week split [week 5 deload]

Goal of Split: 5 weeks of systematic and pure progressive overload focused on load increase and form mastery of both primary and accessory movements. Programming will intertwine stability, hypertrophy, and strength training in an efficient manner to build muscle and contribute to overall strength. 

Pre Training Mobility and Warm Up: please choose appropriate warm up from the “Warm Up and Activation” bubble in the app. [previous warm ups can all be found here]

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

Back, Rear Delts, Biceps: 

1. Primer: Flat Bench Dumbbell Superman Lat Row: 2-3S/10-15R 

2. Primary: Barbell Bent Over Row: 4S/6-8R

3. [Assisted] Chin Ups [or Supinated Grip Lat Pulldowns]: 4S/8-10R 

4a. Seated Double Cable Y Raise: 3S/8-10R 
4b. Seated Cable Single Arm Lat Row: 3S/10-12R each side

5a. Chest Supported Single Arm Dumbbell Reverse Fly: 2S/8-12R each side
5b. Hammer Grip Dumbbell Spider Curls: 2S/6-8R drop 6-8R 

6. Standing Barbell Curls: 2S/Failure

Training Day Overview

Rep Range: 10-15R
Tempo: steady 
Modification: use no weight

Target muscle group: rear delts, back

Set Up:
- grip a dumbbell in both hands, pronated grip
- lie in a supine position on a flat bench 
- extend your legs straight off the bench 
- extend your arms overhead
- tuck your chin and keep a neutral head, neck, and spine

Execution: 
- raise your legs off of the bench
- lift your chest as you bend your arms and row your elbows towards your hips on either side
- contract your posterior chain
- lower your chest and extend your arms overhead again 
- keep tension in your traps, rear delt, back/low back throughout each rep

Primer: Flat Bench Dumbbell Superman Lat Row

Rep Range: 6-8R
Tempo: steady 
Modification: dumbbell pronated grip bent over row

Target muscle group: back- please note, this is a compound movement so you will be working multiple muscle groups at once

Set Up: 
- position the barbell across the pins of the rack 
[only load the barbell when you feel prepared to do so] 
- extend your arms down to grip the bar with a pronated grip, just outside of hip width apart
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine and brace
- tuck your chin, keep a neutral head, neck, and spine 
- lift the bar from the rack and step back into a hip width stance
- push your hips back and bend your torso forward, chest towards the ground
- position the barbell directly under your chest

Execution: 
- retract your scapula 
- bend your arms so your elbows travel towards your waist, at a 45 degree angle from your torso
- row the bar to your chest
- squeeze elbows to your sides, contract your back 
- extend your arms and lower the bar back to the start position under your chest
- keep wrists straight throughout each rep

Barbell Bent Over Row

*or sub for Supinated Grip Lat Pulldowns
Rep Range: 8-10R 
Tempo: steady 
Modification: lat pulldowns

Target muscle group: back- please note, this is a compound movement so you will be working multiple muscle groups at once

*band or machine assisted, bodyweight, or weighted- be consistent and progress as appropriate from week to week 

Set Up: 
- use a bench or chair to reach your hands up to the bar if needed
- grip the pull up bar with a supinated grip, shoulder width apart [thumbs wrapped under 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 in a hollow position, feet slightly in front of your torso, or bend your legs and cross your feet behind you
- think about pointing your armpits forward- break the bar with your hands and contract your lats
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine and brace your core [‘brace for a punch’ and create a “hollow” position]
- keep a neutral head, neck, and spine
- control the movement through your lats

Execution: 
- depress your scapula 
- bend your elbows and think about driving them down into the ground
- 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
- extend your arms and lower your body away from the bar with control
- be sure to fully extend your arms between reps, reset scapula 
- keep your wrists straight

[Assisted/Bodyweight/Weighted] Chin Ups

Rep Range: 8-10R 
Tempo: steady 
Modification: chest supported dumbbell Y raise

Target muscle group: rear delts, back 

Set Up: 
- sit on the double cable row machine 
- plant your feet on the platforms in front of you, slight bend in your legs
- keep a tall torso
- reach your arms forward to grip the handles with a pronated grip 
- pin your traps down 

Execution: 
- keep your arms straight and pull the cables overhead and into the Y shape
- contract your rear delts, traps, back 
- lower your arms and guide the cables back to the start position with arms extended out in front of your chest
- keep your wrists pinned straight

Seated Double Cable Y Raise

Rep Range: 8-12R each side
Tempo: steady
Modification: single arm neutral grip dumbbell bent over row 

Target muscle group: back 

Set Up: 
- sit on the double cable row bench 
- plant one foot on the platform in front of you, slight bend in your leg
- plant your other foot on the ground
- reach forward with the hand opposite from the platform
- grip the handle with a neutral grip 
- sit with your torso upright, pin your traps down 

Execution: 
- retract your scapula
- bend your arm and row your elbow to your hip on one side
- lean into your row, but do not twist
- squeeze your elbow in close
- contract your lat
- extend your arm and guide the cable back to the start position

Seated Single Arm Cable Lat Row

Superset

Rep Range: 8-12R each side
Tempo: steady

Target muscle group: rear delts, back

Set Up: 
- set your bench to a ~60-75 degree in cline 
- grip a dumbbell in one hand, neutral grip
- straddle the seat of the bench 
- press your torso into the pad of the bench 
- extend your arm down over the end of the bench on one side
- pin a slight bend in your arm
- hug the bench with your other arm 
- keep your traps down 

Execution: 
- lift the dumbbell and raise the dumbbell out to your side
- contract your rear delts and back 
- lower the dumbbell towards the ground and under your delt again

Chest Supported Single Arm Dumbbell Reverse Fly

Rep Range: 6-8R drop 6-8R
*drop the weight by 20-50% 
*record reps/start weight [make note of drop weight]
Tempo: steady 

Target muscle group: biceps

Set Up:
- set your bench to a ~75 degree angle
- grip a dumbbell in each hand, hammer grip
- straddle the seat of the bench 
- press your torso into the pad of the bench 
- extend your arms down over the end of the bench
- pin your elbows under your delts on either side
- pull your traps back
- tuck your chin

Execution: 
- bend your arms and curl the dumbbells towards your delts
- contract your biceps
- keep elbows in position and extend your arms
- lower the dumbbells towards the ground again

Hammer Grip Dumbbell Spider Curls

Rep Count: Failure
*begin with a weight you know you can lift for at least 10 reps
*failure means as many reps as you can complete with good form
Tempo: steady
Modification: EZ bar or dumbbell bicep curls 

Target muscle group: biceps

Set Up: 
- grip a barbell in both hands, supinated grip
- extend your arms down by your sides, hold the bar in front of your torso
- stand with feet hip width apart
- squeeze you glutes and set a neutral pelvis position 
- pin your traps down, shoulders back 

Execution: 
- bend your arms, dig your elbows into your sides
- curl the bar towards your chest
- contract your biceps
- extend your arms and lower the bar down in front of you again

Standing Barbell Bicep Curls

3/18 Back, Rear Delts, Biceps

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

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 ♾️

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!!

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!!!

4/22 Chest, Triceps (sprints)

Jessi mollak

Lisa

4/21 Glutes, Hamstrings (abs)

Pull ups will forever be a struggle 😂😂

4/20 Back, Biceps (sprints)

Love this program. Skipped run did deep stretches instead.

4/17 Shoulders, Core (sprints)

Shannon

4/16 Quads, Glutes (abs)

Energy on high today! Flew through that and finished feeling absolutely fantastic! A favorite for sure!!

4/15 Chest, Triceps (sprints)

Wow I really needed that! Feeling so strong and balanced 🥰❤️‍🔥

4/14 Glutes, Hamstrings (abs)

Kayla Staker

4/13 Back, Biceps (sprints)

Love the addition of core and ab work. Thank you. Always a challenge for me but worth it!

3/18 Back, Rear Delts, Biceps

Community

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