Name: Playbook - Sam Sweeney - 5/20 Back, Rear Delts
Uploaded: 2026-06-17T00:04:42.581Z
Duration: 75 min
Description: 5/20 Back, Rear Delts

Serena

Kody Young

My hands were definitely feeling it from that core workout lol. Great workout. Love me some back day!

Dedra

Had to use a lot of bands at home but still felt good

Katie

Stephanie

Allisen

Marta

Loved that variation of lay pulldown. Unique burn!!

Audry

Loved the snatch grip deadlift circuit!!!

Rear delts feeling so happy right now 🥰

Megan

Grip strength is a thing. I’m dead 💀

April

Really missed the thorough exercise descriptions and suggested modifications she usually gives for all the exercises... A few were missing. Noticed some descriptors were super brief. I missed that a lot. But liked the training session.

Michelle 

Vanessa

Loving this split especially the amrap at end

Libby

Sam, holy crap! what. a. pump. 😅 who’s forearms are these??

Brittany

Ashley Laas

Kathy

Kimberly R

Kimmy

Those hanging knees were harder than expected but loved it

Brandi

Deja

Holy cannoli that core finisher was a cardio burn

Lexi

Grip was a struggle in the last few rounds! Loving the dedicated abs at the end.

Gabrielle

Great, so I just learned you had an app saw something on IG, so excited to do this!

JulieAnn

Incredible! I just love everything about this workout! 🔥🔥🔥

Mia Arrowsmith

Today was a long one.
Office day. Middle of the day—boom, my cycle started.
But it was back day, and I don’t skip back day.
So I showed up. Got in. Got out. Got it done.
And you know what? I feel good.

Discipline > excuses.

Porchia

After this last Split, entering this one I am Feeling strong & confident. Thank you 🙏🏼

Lorena

Loving this split already!  Loving the core at the end!  ❤️

An entire day for back?! Thank you ma’am 🫶🏼🥵

Morgan

Regina

Solid upper back day! I really appreciate the added core workout at the end - didn't know I was missing this! Thanks Sam!

Tamara

Megan Laudick

Pamela

Tasha

Kelly

Annamarie McConaghy

Shania

Jamie

Barbi

Ruby Smith

Happy Tuesday!

Week 1 of 4 (week 5 deload)

Pre Training Mobility and Warm Up: please use the programmed warm up and mobility movements below or 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: 

1a. Dumbbell Pullover: 4S/12-15R 
1b. Dumbbell Bent Over Row (neutral grip): 4S/8-12R 

2. Extra Wide (serratus)  Lat Pulldown (drop set): 3S/5R drop 10R 

3a. Single Arm Cable Rear Delt Extensions: 4S/8-12R each side
3b. Half Kneeling D Grip Cable High Row: 4S/15-20R 

4. Machine Reverse Fly: 5S/10R (every 30 seconds)

OPTIONAL CORE AMRAP: 5 MINUTES
5a. Snatch Grip Deadlifts: 10R 
5b. Hanging Bent Leg Raise: 10R

5/20 Training Day Overview

Rep Range: 12-15R
Tempo: steady 
Modification: cable or banded straight arm pulldown

Target muscle group: lats, mid back

Set Up: 
- sit in front of a flat bench, press your mid back into the bench (like you are setting up for a hip thrust)
- grip a single dumbbell in both hands, make a triangle with your palms up and pin the dumbbell between your hands
- bend your legs and plant your feet on the ground, heels under your knees
- press your back into the bench and raise your hips off of the ground
- keep your hips below your torso 
- squeeze your glutes, keep a neutral pelvis position and brace
- extend your arms towards the ceiling and hold the dumbbell over your chest
- keep your arms mostly straight, a slight bend in your arms is ok 
- rest your head back on the bench
- pin your scapula down 

Execution: 
- keep arms extended and lower the dumbbell over your head and towards the ground 
- feel a stretch through your lats and mid back as you lower the dumbbell
- pull the dumbbell over your chest again, contract your lats and mid back 
- focus on the stretch of the movement
- keep scapula pinned down so you are stretching through your lats and not just your shoulders

Dumbbell Lat Pullover

Rep Range: 8-12R 
Tempo: steady 

Target muscle group: mid back, lats

Set Up: 
- grip a dumbbell in each hand, neutral grip 
- stand with feet hip width apart, toes forward
- squeeze your glutes, set a neutral pelvis position 
- push your hips back, slight bend in your knees
- bend your torso forward so your chest faces the ground 
- extend your arms down towards the ground, dumbbells directly below your delts
- keep a flat back and a neutral head, neck, and spine
- brace

Execution: 
- retract your scapula 
- bend your arms and row your elbows towards your hips on each side, squeeze your elbows in close by your sides
- contract your mid back and lats
- extend your arms and lower the dumbbells towards the ground again 
- keep the movement controlled, try not to swing the dumbbells as you row

Dumbbell Bent Over Row (neutral grip)

Primary Compound Set

Rep Range: 5R drop 10R 
*drop the weight by 20-50%
Tempo: steady 

Target muscle group: serratus, lats

Set Up: 
- grip the lat pulldown bar with an extra wide, pronated grip (wider than shoulders, at the ends of the bar)
- extend your arms overhead and sit on the bench 
- press your knees up into the pads
- think about breaking the bar in half and point your armpits forward, hold tension in your lats
- keep your torso upright
- drive your ribs down and brace

Execution: 
- depress your scapula 
- pull the bar straight down in front of your face and drive your elbows down 
- pull the bar to chin level or just below
- contract your lats/serratus (under armpits)
- extend your arms and lower the bar to the start position 
- allow your scapula to come up at the top of the rep so you are in a fully stretched position 
- be sure to drive your scapula down as you pull the bar down with each rep

Extra Wide (serratus) Lat Pulldown (drop set)

Rep Range: 8-12R each side
Tempo: steady
Modification: banded rear delt extension or bent over rear delt fly

Target muscle group: rear delts

Set Up: 
- use no handle attachment and position one side of the cable high, just above your shoulders
- stand in front of the cable, facing 90 degrees away 
- squeeze your glutes and set a neutral pelvis position 
- reach across your torso with your arm furthest from the cable and grip the knob of the cable
- pin a slight bend in your elbow
- keep your torso upright and facing forward

Execution: 
- lead with your pinky and pull the cable across your torso and out to your side so the cable is in line with or slightly below your delts
- contract your rear delt
- bring your arm forward again and across your torso towards the direction of the cable

Single Arm Cable Rear Delt Extensions

Rep Range: 15-20R
Tempo: steady 
Modification: if you don't have a d grip handle- just attach two single handles and use a neutral grip to complete the same movement pattern, or use banded high row or pronated grip bent over row 

Target muscle groups: rear delts, mid/high back 

Set Up: 
- attach the d grip handle to one side of the cable and position it high 
- step in front of the cable, facing the cable
- grip the d grip with both hands, neutral grip 
- step away from the cable and get down into a half kneeling position 
- extend your arms high and forward, towards the cable
- squeeze your glutes, set a neutral pelvis position 
- lean your torso back slightly so your chest is facing the cable 
- drive your ribs down and brace

Execution: 
- retract your scapula
- bend your elbows and drive them wide
- row the bar towards your collarbone, just under your chin 
- contract your rear delts, high/mid back 
- release the bar and extend your arms high and towards the cable again 
- keep traps down and shoulders back

Half Kneeling D Grip Cable High Row

Compound Set

Rep Count: 10R
*every 30 seconds
Tempo: steady 
Modification: dumbbell bent over reverse fly 

Target muscle group: rear delts, mid back, lats

Set Up:
- sit on the reverse fly bench
- press your chest into the pad 
- extend your arms forward to grip the handles with a neutral grip
- pin a slight bend in your elbows 
- keep a tall torso 

Execution:
- retract your scapula 
- lead with your elbows and pull the handles back and out to each side 
- contract your mid back, high back, and rear delts
- lower your arms forward again with control 
- keep traps down

Machine Reverse Fly

Rep Count: 10R
Tempo: steady 
Modification: dumbbell or barbell standard deadlifts

Target muscle group: trunk/core, entire posterior chain

Snatch Grip Deadlifts

Rep Count: 10R
Tempo: steady
Modification: forearm supported knee raise, or reverse crunch

Target muscle group: core

Hanging Bent Leg Raise

OPTIONAL CORE AMRAP

5/20 Back, Rear Delts

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

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

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

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

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)

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!

5/20 Back, Rear Delts

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