Name: Playbook - Sam Sweeney - Chest and Core
Uploaded: 2026-06-17T00:04:48.347Z
Duration: 65 min
Description: Chest and Core

That was a really challenging workout! Didn't think it was going to be!

Ivana Gallo

Megan

New PR 145 for 3 reps 🙌🙌🙌 this app and your coaching really changed the way I lift.

Felisha

Definitely worked my muscles in a different way and I surprised myself with both my chest and core strength! I have been setting reps for the timed workouts this week, just because that works best for me 🙂

Kyliegh

Love the slow negatives and the pulses! Really got a cardio workout with this one. Thanks!

Michelle Yore

Very challenging trio for this weeks split. Every week I’m sore and that’s awesome! Not a boring day of training.👍

Diana

inchworms harder than I thought they’d be 🥵🥵🥵

Lexi Munoz

Alexandra Casi

Tamara

Kara Hutcheson

Michelle Correa

Alex

I hit a personal best on my bench press today! Totally pumped!! 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

Tracy

Arms are shaking can barely lift my water bottle 😅

Sammi

Firuza

Needed this core and chest workout today. Refocused my mind on hump day.

Marilyn

Amaya

Kate Wolf

I’ve been lifting for years and these workouts keep me on my toes!

Maria

The Iso hold abs today 😮‍💨🔥🔥

Megan Laudick

I love how different all the workouts are!

Colleen

Thank you for these upper body workouts. They have really kept my spirits up as I am recovering from an ACL reconstruction from a damaged knee.

Angela Pariseau

Joyce

F*ckkkkkk! I hated every minute of that 🤪

Sarah

Tammy Quenneville

Only my second week doing the daily workouts and I’m loving them!

Mary

Sweeney Fitness App for the win!  I love every workout! I never used to sweat on upper body days and now always! ❤️ Every day is a new challenge and I am here for it!! Thank you Sam!!

I can’t say enough about this programming!! You can tell that so much thought goes into each exercise and the proof is in the progress!! I’ve not only surpassed my previous 1 RM in my lifts but I’m now doing them in sets of 5 and 3!!!

Cindy Smith

Best birthday workout! Now time for cake😍

Bailey

Happy Tuesday!

12/13 Training Day Overview: 

Suggested Accessory Equipment: Large Loop Band

Warm Up: Foam Roll, upper body warm up and activation routine A from app. 

1. Bench Press: 5S/3R (+2 warm up sets)

Triset: 
2. Dumbbell Chest Press: 4S/5R (5 second slow negative/eccentric)
3. Banded Push Up Pulses: 4S/30 Pulses
4. Standing Landmine Sven Press: 4S/1 minute 

Triset: 
5. Machine Chest Fly: 3S/5R (5 second slow negative/eccentric)
6. Plate Crunches: 3S/30 pulsing reps
7. Inchworm: 3S/1 minute

Core Compound Set: 
8. Knee ups: 3S/30 seconds
9. Knee up Iso hold: 3S/30 seconds

Warm Up Sets: 2S
Rep Count: 3R
Tempo: Power
Modification: Dumbbell Chest Press

- Set up on a flat bench 
- Set the bar at a reasonable height, so you are able to safely un-rack the barbell
- Retract and depress the scapula and pin your mid/upper back to the bench. 
- Grip the bar with a pronated grip, wider than shoulder width (grip placement will depend on your body mechanics and mobility)
- Lock in the natural arch in your low back.
- To do so, contract the lats (keep the scapula depressed), lift your chest towards the bar, squeeze the glutes, and position the toes in line with or slightly behind the knees. 
- The arch will keep your shoulders safe during heavy pressing. (No need to accentuate it if uncomfortable, just utilize the natural arch)
- Keep full body tension (break the bar) as you un-rack the barbell and position it above your chest in the starting position. 
- Lower the bar to tap mid/low chest
- Tuck your elbows as you lower, elbows should be below the shoulders at the bottom of the rep
- Drive your feet through the floor and exhale as you press the bar up and slightly “back” to the start position.
- Elbows should stay in line with the wrists.

Bench Press

Rep Count: 5R
Tempo: 5 second slow negative/eccentric

- Sit on the edge of a flat bench and rest a dumbbell on each leg. 
- Keeping the dumbbells connected to the legs, rock yourself back until your back is flat on the bench and dumbbells are positioned over the chest. 
- Plant the feet firmly on the floor, toes in line with or slightly behind the knees. 
- Lock in the natural arch in your low back by contracting the glutes and lats simultaneously. 
- Use a 5 second negative/eccentric to lower the dumbbells. 
- As you lower the elbows should move below the shoulders (tuck the pinkies slightly).
- Once you have reached your full ROM (using a 5 second negative) drive your feet through the floor and press the dumbbells back up into the start position, dumbbells in line with the shoulders (do not clang dumbbells together at the top of each rep. Focus on a full contraction in your chest).

Dumbbell Flat Bench Chest Press

Rep Count: 30 pulses
Tempo: Pulsing
Modification: no band or on knees

- Loop each end of a large loop band around your hands and wrap it around your mid/high back. 
- Get down on the ground in a high plank/push up position
- Hands should be slightly wider than the shoulders. 
- Contract the glutes and quads to help you hold the brace and push your mid back through your scap, hold this position.
- Lower only 1/4 to 1/2 of the rep before pulsing up, complete 30 pulses
- As you lower slightly tuck the elbows the keep the tension in the chest. 
- Band should keep tension the entire time.

Banded Push Up Pulses

Time: 1 minute
Tempo: Steady
Modification: Incline bench dumbbell hex press

- Set up one barbell in a landmine machine attachment or shove one end of the barbell into a corner. 
- Lift one end of the barbell to your chest and grip it with both hands. 
- Stand at a slight angle to the landmine, chest forward. 
- Create a stiff torso (squeeze the glutes and quads/brace for a punch) to keep you from swinging to much throughout each rep. 
- Squeeze the barbell with both hands and contract the chest, hold that tension as you press the barbell up, following the angel of the barbell (should hit at your high chest)
- Contract the chest at the top of the rep. 
- Lower the barbell with control, tuck the elbows by your sides as you do. 
- Lower until the end of the barbell taps your high chest. 
- Continue for 1 minute straight keeping a steady pace.

Landmine Sven Press

Triset 1

Rep Count: 5R
Tempo: 5 second slow negative/eccentric
Modification: Dumbbell flat bench chest fly.

- Position yourself on the chest fly machine so the handles are slightly below the shoulders
- Grip the handles and push your entire back into the pad of the machine. 
- Plant feet firmly on the ground
- Keep a slight bend in the elbows as you fly the weight in, handles in line with the center of your chest at the top of each rep. 
- contract the chest
- Release the weight using a 5 second slow negative. 
- Release until you reach a full stretch across the chest (using your 5 second count).

Machine Chest Fly

Rep Count: 30 pulses
Tempo: Pulsing
Modification: Hold no weight.

- Position yourself in a supine position on the floor, bent at the knees and feet planted firmly on the ground. 
- Hold a plate above the chest. 
- Contract the core and hold the brace as you fill the space in your low back and press the plate straight up towards the ceiling. 
- Lower with control, keeping the arms extended straight and plate pinned in position above the chest.
- Complete 30 pulsing reps.

Plate Pulsing Crunches

Time: 1 minute
Tempo: Steady
Modification: Drop to knees for the push up, only walk the feet in as far as is reasonable for you and your mobility. 

- Start in a standing position
- Bend forward and place your hands flat on the floor (keep the legs as straight as possible. This will largely depend on your mobility. Bending the knees is ok.)
- Walk your hands out until they are under the shoulders and you are in a high plank/push up position. 
- Tuck the elbows as you lower your chest to the ground. 
- Press through the ground and back up into the high plank position. 
- Hold the brace in your core and tip toe/walk the feet in towards your hands, get the feet as close to your hands as possible. 
- Immediately move into the next rep by walking the hands back out. 
- Repeat with a steady pace for 1 minute.

Walking Inchworm

Triset 2

Time: 30 seconds
Tempo: steady
Modification: hanging knee ups or butt ups from floor. 

- Position yourself on the ab raise machine. 
- Press your forearms down into the pads and press your back flat against the back pads. 
- Hold the chest up by contracting the lats and pinning the scap down (depress the scap)
- Let the legs hand down, extended. 
- Brace the core (as if you are bracing for a punch)
- Bend the legs and raise the knees up into a 90 degree position. 
- Contract the core at the top of the rep. 
- Lower the legs back down with control until they are fully extended. 
- Repeat for 30 seconds.

Knee Ups (on forearms)

Time: 30 seconds
Tempo: Iso Hold
Modification: Hanging knee up hold or plank hold on forearms. 

- Position yourself on the ab raise machine. 
- Press your forearms down into the pads and press your back flat against the back pads. 
- Hold the chest up by contracting the lats and pinning the scap down (depress the scap)
- Let the legs hand down, extended. 
- Brace the core (as if you are bracing for a punch)
- Bend the legs and raise the knees up into a 90 degree position. 
- Contract the core at the top of the rep and hold this position for 30 seconds. 
- Fight to keep the knees from falling, try to keep the 90 degree angle.

Knee Up Iso Hold (on forearms)

Core Compound Set

Chest and Core

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

Porchia

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 ♾️

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

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

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!!

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

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!

Chest and Core

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