Name: Playbook - Sam Sweeney - 9/17 Deadlift Strength + Back + Rear Delts
Uploaded: 2026-06-17T00:04:41.632Z
Duration: 90 min
Description: 9/17 Deadlift Strength + Back + Rear Delts

Marsha Ross

I sub pull ups for dead lifts but 🔥 nonetheless!

Becky

Audry

Always feeling strong on deadlift days 🔥

Loved the snatch pulls at the end! Need that to help with my deadlifts!

Leanna

Megan

Kaity

Dedra

Morgan

The wide to neutral grip pulldowns were heavenly 😍

Bethany

Not been a huge fan of deadlifts as a primary movement. Enjoy the other exercises a lot though!

Lily

Jennifer

Mike

Deja

Love the Rack Pull at the end! 💪🏼🔥🔥🔥

Mia Arrowsmith

April

Holy smokes this was so good. I can’t believe how strong I feel. This is what happens when I have been consistent with your training for a year and a half now. I am so freaking happy

Marta

Porchia

I am feeling so strong already from this split!!

Aimee

Amazing… wow! Never have I felt excited about a program before. Training to so intentional. Thank you!🙏🏼

Lorena

Tiffany

Barbi

Brittanie

Regina

Kimmy

That was the best back day in a while! 🔥

Bradley

Tasha

Nyakeh

Just what I needed to start my Wednesday strong.

Kimberly R

Steph

Happy Wednesday! 

Week 2 of 5 (week 5 deload)

Pre Training Mobility and Warm Up: Please use the warm up listed and/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.

Deadlift Strength + Back + Rear Delts: 

Warm Up: 
1a. Cat Cow: 1-2S/30-60 seconds 
1b. Banded Good Mornings: 1-2S/10-20R
1c. Barbell Deadlift Press Primer Sets: 1-2S/2-3R 

Strength Training: 
2. Barbell Deadlifts: 5S/3-5R 

3. Single Arm Wide Stance Dumbbell Row: 3S/6-8R each side

4a. Single Arm Cable Rear Delt Extension: 4S/12-15R
4b. Bent Forward EZ Bar Wide Grip Facepull: 4S/8-10R

5. Double Cable Wide to Neutral Grip Lat Pulldowns: 4S/6-8R 

6. Snatch Grip Rack Pulls: 3S/5R

9/17 Training Day Overview

Rep Range: 30-60 seconds 
Tempo: steady 

Set Up: 
- get on the ground in a quadruped/table top position 
- plant your hands on the ground under your delts, legs bent with knees planted on the ground under your hips
- squeeze your glutes, set a neutral pelvis position 

Execution: 
- inhale as you arch your back and tilt your head up to the ceiling 
- exhale as you round your back, push your mid back through your scapula
- keep a slow and steady pace

Cat Cow

Rep Count: 10-20R 
Tempo: steady  
Modification: dumbbell good mornings

Set Up: 
- grip a long loop band in both hands
- lie one end of the band on the ground, step each foot on top of the band in a slightly wider than hip width stance
- bend your torso forward and stretch the other end of the band over your head and across your traps
- keep a tight grip on the band, bend your arms and squeeze your elbows to your sides
- squeeze your glutes, set a neutral pelvis position, and brace
- keep a flat back and a neutral head, neck, and spine 

Execution: 
- keep your legs straight and push your hips straight back 
- bend your torso forward so your chest is facing the ground
- drive your hips in, raise your torso
- contract your glutes at the top of the rep

Banded Good Morning

Rep Count: 2-3R
set 1: bar or 50% of working weight
set 2: 50-75% of working weight 
[add another ramp up set if appropriate]
Tempo: steady

*these are light sets to be used as a neural primer to your heavy sets. We want these to be as clean as possible. Use these sets to practice set up, and execution. The goal is to make your working sets looking as easy as your ramp up sets.

Barbell Deadlift Ramp Up Sets

Warm Ups and Activation

Rep Range: 3-5R 
*rest at least 120 seconds, 180 seconds if appropriate
Tempo: steady, powerful
Modification: dumbbell or kettlebell deadlifts or sub for a bent over row or pull ups if more appropriate for you 

Target Muscle Groups: posterior chain- back, glutes, hamstrings, core [please note; this is a compound movement so you will be utilizing multiple muscle groups at once]

Set Up: 
 - load the bar with appropriate weight 
- stand behind the bar, position the bar so it is over mid foot position
- take a hip width stance or slightly inside, toes forward (feel free to play around with stance. your mobility and anatomy 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
- squeeze your glutes, set a neutral pelvis position
- pull belly button to spine, and set your brace
- keep a neutral spine and hinge at your hips 
- 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 your hips
- sink your hips down and lift your chest so it is facing forward 
- 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
- press your feet through the ground
- "leg press" and lift the bar from the floor up until it is at knee level 
- as the bar reaches your knees, drive your hips in and extend your legs fully
(think about your knees externally rotating as you pull the bar, and push hips in> torque)
- raise your torso upright and lift the bar into the standing position
- contract your entire posterior chain and keep tight, make sure to reach full hip extension at the top of the rep, but don’t hyperextend through the low back
- reverse the movement and 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

Barbell Deadlifts

Rep Range: 6-8R
Tempo: steady

Target muscle groups: mid back, lat

Set Up: 
- grip a dumbbell in one hand, neutral grip
- get into a wider than hip width stance, facing a flat bench 
- squeeze your glutes, set a neutral pelvis position, and brace
- push your hips back, slight bend in your knees, and bend your torso forward
- extend your free arm down and plant your hand on top of the flat bench 
- extend your arm holding the dumbbell straight down towards the ground
- position dumbbell under your chest to begin 
- keep a flat back and a neutral head, neck, and spine

Execution: 
- retract your scapula
- bend your arm and row your elbow to your hip on one side
- squeeze your elbow in close by your side
- contract your lat/mid back 
- extend your arm and lower the dumbbell towards the ground again

Single Arm Wide Stance Dumbbell Row

Rep Range: 12-15R each side
Tempo: steady 
Modification: bent forward single arm rear delt fly 

Target muscle group: rear delts

Set Up: 
- use no handle attachment and position one side of the cable just above shoulder height
- step in front of the cable, facing 90 degrees from the cable
- reach across your torso to grip the knob of the cable with your hand furthest from the cable
- pin a very slight bend in your arm
- keep your feet glued to the ground, squeeze your glutes, set a neutral pelvis position, and brace

Execution: 
- pull the cable across your torso and out to your side
- when your hand is in line with your rear delt, contract your rear delt
- guide the cable across your torso again 
- keep your torso facing 90 degrees from the cable

Single Arm Cable Rear Delt Lateral Extension

Rep Count: 8-10R
Tempo: steady 
Modification: bent over dumbbell facepull 

Target muscle group: rear delts, high/mid back

Set Up: 
- grip the ez bar with a wide, pronated grip 
- stand with your feet hip width apart
- squeeze your glutes, set a neutral pelvis position, and brace
- push your hips back, slight bend in your knees, and bend your torso forward so your chest faces the ground
- extend your arms and position the bar below your chest
- keep a flat back and a neutral head, neck, and spine

Execution: 
- retract your scapula
- bend your arms and drive your elbows high and wide, in line with your rear delts
- contract your rear delts/high/mid back
- extend your arms and lower the bar towards the ground and below your chest

Bent Over EZ Bar Wide Grip Facepull

Compound Set

Rep Range: 6-8R
*1 rep wide + 1 rep neutral= 1 full rep 
Tempo: steady 
Modification: double dumbbell or ez/straight bar wide to narrow grip lat pullovers

Target muscle group: lats

Set Up: 
- sit on the lat pulldown seat
- extend your arms overhead and grip the handles with a pronated grip to begin
- drive your knees up into the pads
- lean your torso back slightly 
- tuck your ribs down and brace

Execution: 
- depress your scapula
- bend your arms and pull the cables straight down 
- drive your elbows towards the ground
- contract your lats
- extend your arms overhead again 
- rotate your grip to neutral 
- depress your scapula 
- bend your arms, pull the cables
- keep elbows tucked and drive your elbows straight down 
- contract your lats
- extend your arms overhead again with control 
- keep traps down, shoulders back

Double Cable Wide to Neutral Grip Lat Pulldowns

Rep Range: 5R 
Tempo: steady 
Modification: superman lat rows

Target muscle group: low back, trunk

Set Up: 
- set your safety bars to just above knee height
- rack the bar across the safety bars
- step up to the bar, keep a hip width stance
- squeeze your glutes, set a neutral pelvis position, and brace
- push your hips back, and bend your knees slightly 
- keep your chest facing forward
- extend your arms down and out to grip the bar with a snatch grip 
- depress your scapula
- think about breaking the bar around your torso, contract your lats
- keep tension in your lats and hold a strong brace in your core
- keep a tight torso

Execution: 
- extend your legs, drive your hips in, and lift the bar from the rack 
- contract your lats, lower back, trunk 
- keep chest facing forward, push hips back, and bend knees slightly as you lower the bar along the line of your legs and to tap the safety bars

Snatch Grip Rack Pulls

9/17 Deadlift Strength + Back + Rear Delts

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

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

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

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!

9/17 Deadlift Strength + Back + Rear Delts

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