Name: Playbook - Sam Sweeney - 6/20 Upper Body [Back and Shoulders]
Uploaded: 2026-06-17T00:04:43.910Z
Duration: 70 min
Description: 6/20 Upper Body [Back and Shoulders]

Stephanie

Loving this split. Thank you so much because due to these workouts ( I am doing 6 days and week) and focusing on macros for fat loss I have lost 13 pounds in 12 weeks. I feel like I have my life back and this is just the beginning

Marta

Back day always feels so good 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Janelle

50 R x 2.  What the f**k!
Absolute Insanity!🔥

Michelle 

Decided to get up early and get in my workout before work. Best decision EVER!! Feeling so ready for the day 💪🤩 Had so much fun with this one, and feeling mighty fabulous!!

Megan

Katie

Dem 50 pull ups were brutal. I did some unassisted as well

Deja

Morgan

Pull-ups about killed me!! 🥵 had to add another band but got them done.  🔥

Stephani Widmer

Manda

Keri

Definitely going to feel this tomorrow! 🔥

Lisa

Kimmy

Jodii

🤯🥵those 50 pull ups. I got it done. Great workout.

April

Molly DiSabato

Lorena

Shelly

Ouch! 50 pull ups and then Superman hold 🥵

Porchia

Mia Arrowsmith

Back day 🫶🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼

Megan Laudick

Definitely rested more than 10 seconds for the pull ups 😉

Aimee fong

💪🏼 think I love these upper days more and more each week

Olivia

Happy Thursday!

Week 6 of 8 week split 

[PRIMARY MOVEMENTS PROGRESS TO BARBELL]

Goal of Split: Progress fundamental movement patterns through high volume, muscular endurance training. This means high rep and building set schemes, focused on endurance lifting using lower weight per movements- about 70% of max or lower. Reps stay *high*, and will not drop below 10 throughout the entire split. Rest periods are purposely *short*.

Pre Training Mobility and Warm Up: I have included a short prehab/mobility routine prior to each training day but also feel free to please choose any 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..

Upper Body: 

Optional Prehab: 1 round [or as many as you need for warm up] 
a. Lying Heel Taps: 20-30R total
b. High Plank Elbow Taps: 20-30R total
c. Wall Ball Push Ups: 8-12R 
d. Bird Dog: 10-12R total

**Optional Warm Up Cardio: Bike [or cardio of choice]: 10-15 mins**

Strength/Endurance Training: 

1. Close Grip Landmine Row: 3S150R 
*75 seconds rest between sets*
2. Close Grip Landmine Row: 1S/60 second AMRAP [as many reps as possible within 60 second timeframe- record your reps each week] 

3. Barbell Behind the Head Overhead Press: 5S/10R
*60 seconds rest*

4a. Single Arm Cable Leaning Lateral Raise [behind the back]: 3S/10-12R each side
4b. Chest Supported Dumbbell A Raise: 3S/12-15R 
*75 seconds rest*

5. Cable Straight Bar Side-to-Side Straight Arm Pulldown: 4S/16-20R total
*75 seconds rest*

6. [Band Assisted] Pull Ups: 1S/50R
*take short rests, no longer than 10 seconds at a time, until you reach 50 reps*

7. Back Extension Y Raise Iso Hold: 1S/Failure [failure means hold as long as you are able to with good form- record your time each week]

6/20 Training Day Overview

Rep Range: 20-30R total 
Tempo: steady
Modification: keep legs bent

Lying Heel Taps

Rep Range: 20-30R total 
Tempo: steady
Modification: drop to your knees

High Plank Elbow Taps

Wall Ball Push Ups

Rep Range: 10-12R total 
Tempo: steady
Modification: rest knees on the ground

Bird Dog

Optional Prehab

Rep Count: 15R
Tempo: steady 
Modification: bent over dumbbell row

*if you do not have a landmine attachment you can also just position one side of the barbell in the corner or a room or rack 

Set Up: 
- place one end of the barbell in the landmine attachment 
- step to the free end of the bar and load with appropriate weight
- step behind the weight, straddling the bar, facing away from the landmine
- plant your feet on the ground
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine, and set your brace
- hook a close grip handle under the bar or simply grip the bar with both hands [overlap your hands or place one in front of the other]
- grip the handle with a neutral grip 
- push your hips back, bend your torso forward so your chest faces the ground 
- depress your scapula, extend your arms towards the ground, weight under your chest
- keep a neutral head, neck, and spine 

Execution: 
- retract your scapula and bend your arms
- row the bar to your chest
- squeeze your elbows close by your sides
- contract your lats/mid back 
- release the bar from your chest and extend your arms as you lower the bar to the ground again with control 
- keep your traps down and shoulders back

Landmine Close Grip Row

Time: 60 seconds
Tempo: steady 
Modification: dumbbell bent over row

*if you do not have a landmine attachment you can also just position one side of the barbell in the corner or a room or rack 

Set Up: 
- place one end of the barbell in the landmine attachment 
- step to the free end of the bar and load with appropriate weight
- step behind the weight, straddling the bar, facing away from the landmine
- plant your feet on the ground
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine, and set your brace
- hook a close grip handle under the bar or simply grip the bar with both hands [overlap your hands or place one in front of the other]
- grip the handle with a neutral grip 
- push your hips back, bend your torso forward so your chest faces the ground 
- depress your scapula, extend your arms towards the ground, weight under your chest
- keep a neutral head, neck, and spine 

Execution: 
- retract your scapula and bend your arms
- row the bar to your chest
- squeeze your elbows close by your sides
- contract your lats/mid back 
- release the bar from your chest and extend your arms as you lower the bar to the ground again with control 
- keep your traps down and shoulders back

Rep Count: 10R
Tempo: steady 
Modification: banded behind the head overhead press, or seated dumbbell overhead press

*think is a more advanced movement. if you are not familiar or have not done this movement before, be sure to practice with light weight to see if you have the mobility/strength before loading up the bar. 

Set Up: 
- place a flat bench in the center of the rack, no back support
- sit on the bench, straddle with both legs, plant your feet on the ground
- keep a tall, upright torso and a neutral head, neck, and spine 
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine, and set your brace
- drive your ribs down 
- reach your arms up and slightly behind you to grip the barbell with a pronated grip, just outside of shoulder width 
- lift the bar off of the rack and position it directly overhead
- keep your traps down and armpits pointing forward 
- hold tension in your lats, think about breaking the bar in half 

Execution: 
- bend your arms so your elbows travel in line with or slightly in front of your torso
- lower the bar behind your head to a 90 degree bend in your arms
- extend your arms and press the bar up and directly over your head again 
- contract your delts
- keep your wrists straight, knuckles facing the ceiling 
- keep your spine neutral, tall torso
- keep a tight upper and mid back

Barbell Behind the Head Overhead Press

Rep Range; 10-12R each side
Tempo: steady 
Modification: banded behind the back leaning lateral raise, or dumbbell leaning lateral raise

Set Up: 
- attach a single arm handle to one side of the cable and position it low
- step in front of the cable, facing 90 degrees from the handle
- grip the handle with the hand further from the cable, neutral grip
- step over the cable so the cable runs behind your back
- lightly grip the rack with the hand closest
- bring your feet close to the cable
- extend your arm gripping onto the rack and lean your torso away from the rack 
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine, and set your brace
- pin your trap down, shoulder back 

Execution: 
- keep your arm straight 
- pull the cable behind your back and raise your arm out to your side
- when the handle is in line with your delt, contract your lateral delt
- lower the cable behind your back again, until your arm is back down by your side
- keep your trap down
- keep torso facing 90 degrees from the cable 
- keep your arm/wrist straight

Single Arm Cable Behind the Back Leaning Lateral Raise

Rep Range: 12-15R
Tempo: steady 

Set Up: 
- set the bench at ~50-60 degree angle 
- grip a dumbbell in each hand, supinated grip 
- straddle the seat of the bench, facing the pad of the bench 
- press your torso to the back pad of the bench
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine, and set your brace
- drive your chest and hips into the pad
- extend your arms down on either side of the bench, dumbbells directly under your delts
- tuck your chin, keep a neutral head, neck, and spine 
- pin your traps down 
- allow your shoulders to roll forward at the bottom of the rep, push your mid back through your scapula 

Execution: 
- keep your arms straight 
- retract your scapula and roll your shoulders back 
- raise the dumbbells low and out to each side at ~45 degree angle
- lift your chest slightly at the top of the rep 
- contract your mid and low back 
- bring your chest back to the pad and lower the dumbbells towards the ground, under your delts again 
- control the movement through your scapula, reset each rep

Chest Supported Dumbbell A Raise

Superset

Rep Range: 16-20R total 
Tempo: steady 
Modification: banded side to side straight arm pulldown, or alternating dumbbell pullover

Set Up: 
- attach a straight bar to one side of the cable and position it high 
- step in front of the cable, facing the bar
- grip the bar with each hand, pronated grip 
- step 2-4 steps away from the cable
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine, and set your brace
- keep a neutral head, neck, and spine
- push your hips back and bend your torso forward just slightly 
- extend your arms high, towards the cable
- hold tension in your lats, brace your core

Execution: 
- depress your scapula on one side
- keep both arms straight and lean slightly to one side as you drive one end of the bar towards your hip 
- contract your lat
- with straight arms release the bar high and to the center again 
- alternate each arm, each rep
- keep your traps down, shoulders back 
- keep your spine neutral

Cable Straight Bar Side-to-Side Straight Arm Pulldown

Rep Count: 50R
*take small rests, no longer than 10 seconds at a time, until you reach 50 reps
Tempo: steady 
Modification: banded or cable lat pulldowns

Set Up: 
- loop a large loop band across the rack between chest and hip height [adjust to fit you]
*feel free to loop the band high around the rack if you prefer
- grip the pull up bar with both hands, pronated grip, slightly wider than shoulder width 
- allow your body to hang down from the rack 
- position your feet in the center of the band
- squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine, and set your brace
- tuck your ribs
- contract your lats and think about breaking the bar in half, armpits should point forward

Execution: 
- depress your scapula and bend your arms
- drive your elbows towards the ground as you lift your chest towards the bar
- when your chin is over the bar, contract your lats and mid back 
- elbows should be ~45 degrees from your torso at the top of the rep
- extend your arms and lower your chest away from the bar again 
- be sure to fully extend your arms at the bottom of each rep
- be sure to reset your scapula between reps
- hold a tight brace, keep your torso stiff
- keep your traps down, control the movement through your lats

[Band Assisted] Pull Ups

Time: Failure
*as long as you are able to hold with good form 
Tempo: hold
Modification: weighted superman hold 

Set Up: 
- position yourself on the back extension machine so the pad hits at or just below your hips
- grip a dumbbell in each hand, pronated grip 
- drive your hips into the pad, squeeze your glutes, pull belly button to spine, and set your brace
- keep a neutral head, neck, and spine 

Execution: 
- raise your torso so your chest faces out
- keep your arms straight and extend them overhead in a Y SHAPE 
- hold this position
- keep tension in your trunk/core, low back, mid and upper back, and delts 
- keep your arms as straight as you are able
- keep your spine neutral

Back Extension Y Raise Iso Hold

6/20 Upper Body [Back and Shoulders]

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

Jennifer

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!

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

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 💀🫠

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!!!

4/22 Chest, Triceps (sprints)

Jessi mollak

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!

6/20 Upper Body [Back and Shoulders]

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