Name: Playbook - Sam Sweeney - 8/19 Upper Body Hypertrophy [chest, back, shoulders]
Uploaded: 2026-06-17T00:04:47.230Z
Duration: 65 min
Description: 8/19 Upper Body Hypertrophy [chest, back, shoulders]

Carmen

I'm always fully proud of how strong you are doing pull-ups! They are tough, but no match for you.
I started with chinups as a teen before I joined the military and though I was stronger at points in my career, pull-ups were always my nemesis. I can't imagine doing the weighted option.

How long has it taken you to get to your level and how often do you do them?

Thanks!

Lexi

Joyce

Louise

Nicole

A week behind because of vacation. Was so worried I'd lost all my strength but feel as good as ever!

Robin

Wicked pump today! These reverse pyramid sets and triple drops have me in absolute gym bliss 💪🥰

Megan

I’m so dead! I wasn’t sure I was going to make it after the pull ups ad push-ups! Thank you!

Haley Papineau

Malan wu

Loved every second of this super challenging upper body day!

Morgan

Even on days when I don’t try to go heavy or hit any PRs, it feels like I am with how much my form has improved and how much easier different lifts feel! Freakin stoked!🤘🏻

Leslie

Missed this one last week decided to throw it in on todays rest day

Great upper body hypertrophy day. Shoulders are smoked!

Eunice

Betty

Jess

Diana

my fave to date!! it was challenging AND empowering!!

Anastasia L

Melanie

Is it just me or is this app and Mrs.Sweeney making me hotter?! Heeyyyoooo! 💪🏻💪🏻

Andrea

Having been following the daily training since the app started, I am so much more confident going into lifts and feel better about pushing myself knowing the form cues etc. This felt SO good!

Katie

Stephanie

Kathryn Whitten

Whew felt that one all over. I'm proud of myself for being able to do 8 reps of weighted push ups 🔥 I always doubt myself but your workouts always push me ☺️

My arms are burning. That was my favorite workout so far. Also lowered the bands I needed for my pull ups so I'm positive it's working.

Sandy

Those iso movements are always humbling! 🙌👏☠️

Kody Young

Mia Arrowsmith

Briane

Anne

So good! This one had me breathing hard and grunting in the gym today, telling myself I can do this!

Lesley

I absolutely love these workouts! Dance party after this one!

Jessica

Petra

Sarahi

Another girl at the gym recognized the program I was doing! 🤣💪🏻

Gretchen

Kaitlin

Kaycee Pirkle

Dedra

JulieAnn

Chasity

Brandi

Didn’t want to do it but so glad I did.

Killer workout 🏋️‍♀️ loved it! Challenging for sure

Carrie Feather

Molly

Sidney

So much growth with your programming. To think back just a few months ago with what I was struggling with…so. Much. Improvement. Sweeney 🐶 for life!!

Veronica

Soooooooo good.  I needed this one💪🏽🔥🔥

Kimmy

[Challenge Week 5/Day 5] 

Happy Friday! 

Warm Up: foam roll, warm up and activation routine B from app, + dead hangs on the bar [10-30 seconds]

*Remember to track your primary movements [pull ups and push ups] and iso hold movement [dumbbell overhead press] starting today! 

Click the ‘start now’ button to find the training day overview

Upper Body Hypertrophy [chest, back, shoulders]:

1. Pull Ups: 5S/4-6R [weighted/assisted]

2. Push Ups: 5S/6-8R [weighted/modified] 

3. Standing Dumbbell Overhead Press Iso Hold: 3S/35

Superset: 
4A. Flat Bench Single Arm Chest Press: 3S/10R, 12R, 15R
4B. Single Arm Dumbbell Bent Over Row: 3S/10R, 12R, 15R

Compound Set: 
5A. Incline Bench Lateral Raise Pulses: 3S/30R
5B. Single Arm Z Press: 3S/10R, 12R, 15R 

Superset: 
6A. Cable Rope Straight Arm Pulldown: 2S/30R total [10R drop 10R drop 10R- triple drop set, every set] 
6B. Double Dumbbell Pullover to Hex Press: 2S/10R total [pullover to hex press=1R]

8/19 Training Day Overview

Rep Range: 4-6R
Tempo: steady 
Modification: assisted or banded pull ups or inverted rows

*check back to your numbers from week 4 to know your starting weight. 

*be sure to track your weight, reps, sets so you are able to refer back to this each 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 pronated grip, just outside of shoulder width. [thumbs wrapped over or 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. 
- bend your legs [or keep them straight] and squeeze your glutes to brace your core [‘brace for a punch’ and create a “hollow” position]

Execution: 
- depress your scapula as you bend your elbows and 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 back when your chin is above the bar
- lower your body with control until your arms are fully extended again. 
- reset your scapula before each rep 
- keep your wrists straight.

Pull Ups [weighted/assisted]

Rep Range: 6-8R 
Tempo: steady 
Modification: incline push ups or drop to your knees.

*weighted for difficulty 

*check back to your numbers from week 4 to know your starting weight. 

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

Set Up:
- position yourself in a high plank/push up position, hands under your shoulders just outside of your chest. 
- squeeze your glutes and quads simultaneously and push your mid back through your scapula. 
- hold the “hollow hold” position to secure the brace. 

Execution: 
- bend your elbows so they are below your shoulders [~45 degree angle from the torso]
- lower chest towards the ground
- tap your chest on the ground at the bottom of the rep [or lower as far as you are able]
- drive your palms and toes through the ground and extend your arms as you press yourself up into the high plank position. 
- your body should lower and rise in a straight line [watch for “worming”, the hips rising faster than the chest or vice versa.] 

*use weight or band for difficulty, drop to knees or perform incline push ups to modify. Make sure to record.

Push Ups [weighted/modified]

Time: 35 seconds 
Tempo: iso hold

*look back at your numbers from week 3 to know your starting weight

*track the weight you use for your iso hold. 

Set Up: 
- grip a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip 
- stand with your feet together
- curl and press or clean and press the dumbbells to your shoulders and then up into the overhead position 
- palms should face in at the top, dumbbells should stay pinned in line with your shoulders. 
- drive your ribs down and brace your core
- squeeze your glutes and create a stable trunk. 

Execution: 
- hold this position as steady as you are able to for the entire 30 seconds
- the goal is to allow your core to keep you in position and use your lats to support your shoulders and arms as they hold the dumbbells in the overhead position. 
- this is a bracing movement, meant to highlight both shoulder stability and core bracing and control.

Standing Dumbbell Overhead Press Iso Hold

Rep Count: 10R, 12R, 15R each side
Tempo: steady 

*start with appropriately heavy weight and drop as needed as the rep count goes down each set

Set Up: 
- grip a dumbbell in one hand, pronated grip 
- sit on the end of a flat bench 
- rock back to a supine position and use your ‘free hand’ to help position your dumbbell over your chest, in line with your front delt 
- plant your feet on the ground and press your back into the bench
- extend your ‘free’ arm up so it is in line with your shoulder to help stabilize and keep you centered as you press
- squeeze your glutes and keep your body pinned to the bench

Execution: 
- tuck your elbow below your shoulder and lower the dumbbell until your arm is bent at ~90 degrees or just below 
- your pinky should be tucked forward slightly and your dumbbell should be outside of/in line with your chest at the bottom of the rep 
- drive your feet through the ground as you extend your arm and press the dumbbell back up and over your chest
- keep the dumbbell in line with your shoulder at the top of the rep 
- keep your hips from wanting to shift as you move through each rep

Flat Bench Single Arm Dumbbell Chest Press

Rep Count: 10R, 12R, 15R each side 
Tempo: steady 

*start with appropriately heavy weight and drop as needed as the rep count goes down each set

Set Up: 
- grip a dumbbell in one hand, neutral grip 
- tuck your chin and bend your chest forward towards the ground 
- place your ‘free’ hand on a bench in front of you to stabilize and help keep you centered 
- keep your chest/hips square to the ground and your spine completely neutral in the bent over position 
- extend the arm holding the dumbbell so it is in line with your front delt
- stagger your stance just slightly and give yourself a wide base 

Execution: 
- retract your scap and drive your elbow towards your hip as you row the dumbbell up towards your chest
- when your elbows is in line with your torso, squeeze it in close and contract your lat
- release the dumbbell with control until your arm is fully extended towards the ground again 
- keep your hips square to the ground
- keep your shoulder from lifting as you row

Single Arm Bent Over Row

Superset

Rep Count: 30 pulsing reps [.5 reps] 
Tempo: steady, pulsing 

*because these are pulsing reps this allows you to overload the movement just a bit, make sure to pick appropriately heavy weight for the rep count, knowing you are completing .5 reps

Set Up: 
- set an incline bench to 60-75 degrees
- grip a dumbbell in each hand, neutral grip 
- sit on the bench, press your back into the bench and plant your feet firmly on the ground
- allow your arms to hang down, extended from your shoulders to the dumbbells are positioned behind your toros/hips

Execution: 
- keep your arms mostly straight [a slightly bend is ok] and raise the dumbbells out to your sides only .5 rep [pulse] 
- immediately lower the dumbbells back down behind your torso and continue pulsing reps 
- keep your palms facing down as you raise
- keep the tension in your medial/lateral delt [raise the dumbbells slightly in front of your shoulders to help keep your traps out of the movement] 
- if you arm feeling too much trap/upper back activation, lighten the load

Incline Bench Lateral Raise Pulses

Rep Count: 10R, 12R, 15R each side
Tempo: steady 
Modification: seated or standing single arm overhead press

*start with appropriately heavy weight and drop as needed as the rep count goes down each set

Set Up: 
- grip a dumbbell in one hand, pronated grip 
- sit on the ground with legs spread or extended in front of you
- use your free arm to help position your dumbbell overhead, in line with your shoulder
- extend the free arm out to the side for balance and control 
- keep an upright spine
- drive your ribs down and brace

Execution: 
- bend your elbow slightly in front of your torso and lower the dumbbell until your arm is bent at ~90 degrees or slightly lower [pinky tucked forward just a bit] 
- extend your arm and press the dumbbell back up into the overhead position 
- keep your chest square, facing forward
- keep a neutral and upright spine

Single Arm Z Press

Compound Set

Rep Count: 30R total [10R drop 10R drop 10R] 
*triple drop set, every set
**drop the weight by 20-50% on each drop
Tempo: steady
Modification: banded straight arm pulldown [30R] 

Set Up: 
- attach the rope to one side of the cable and position the cable high 
- face the cable and grip each end of the rope with a neutral grip 
- step back, away from the cable 1-3 steps 
- keep a neutral spine while leaning your chest forward towards the cable just slightly 
- extend your arms towards the direction of the cable 
- tuck your chin, drive your ribs down, squeeze your glutes and brace to hold this position 

Execution: 
- depress your scapula and keep straight arms as you pull the rope straight down, towards your quads
- contract your lats
- extend your arms back towards the cable until your are in a fully stretched position again 
- make sure to depress your scapula before each rep [reset if needed] 
- continue on for 10R before dropping the weight by 20-50% and doing 10R more and then drop the weight again by another 20-50% before completing 10R more

Cable Rope Straight Arm Pulldowns

Rep Count: 10R total [1pullover + 1hex press= 1 full rep]
Tempo: steady 

Set Up: 
- grip a dumbbell in each hand
- set up on a flat bench so your mid back is pressed into the edge of the bench, legs bent and feet planted firmly on the ground  [hip thrust positioning] 
- lift your hips off the ground and drive your back into the bench 
- press your dumbbells together and extend your arms so the dumbbells are in line with your mid chest

Execution: 
- continue to press the dumbbells together as you extend your arms back behind you
- lower the dumbbell behind you until the dumbbells are in line with your head or slightly below [or until your lats are fully stretched] 
- use your lats to pull your arms forward, back over your chest, and contract your low lats/pecs together
- continue to squeeze the dumbbells together as you bend your arms and lower the dumbbells towards the center of your chest
- keep your elbows squeezed to your sides as the bottom of the rep 
- extend your arms and press the dumbbells back up and over your chest
- contract your pecs/chest
- pullover + hex press= 1 rep

Double Dumbbell Pullover to Hex Press

8/19 Upper Body Hypertrophy [chest, back, shoulders]

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

Porchia

Jennifer

6/16 Quads, Glutes

Audry

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

Michelle 

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!!

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

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!!!

8/19 Upper Body Hypertrophy [chest, back, shoulders]

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