Name: Playbook - Sam Sweeney - W4/D3 Shoulders and Core [CHALLENGE WK4/DAY 3]
Uploaded: 2025-10-11T18:58:00.329Z
Duration: 60 min
Description: W4/D3 Shoulders and Core [CHALLENGE WK4/DAY 3]

Abby

Chris Martinez

Alexandra Casi

Ahhhhhh
I feel like we burned out all workout 🤣🤣

Lauren

Serena

Kimberly R

Good but not enough abs and too much shoulders lol 🫠

Jennifer

Challenging workout but got a majority of it done. Just couldn’t do the pike press because my wrist bothers me once in awhile

Colleen

Combined this with flying yoga this morning. Shoulders are spent 🥵

Rachel

Jozlinn

My gym is limited in equipment so I had to modify several of these exercises. My shoulders are still on 🔥🚒!!! Thanks Sam!

Tamara

Mena

Christina

I wish I had time to finish these workouts, I usually get to the last set before I have to leave! Awesome workout 😍

Kailey

Sher

Sarah

Jennifer Glenn

Pike presses were new for me. Like those!

Katie Schultz

Allie

Left my shoulders on the floor after that one! 🔥

Kolbi

More core workouts would be great!!  Overall great shoulder burn!!

Rossana

Mikaela

Laura Brown

Dare I say it’s getting easier for me? Finally!!!!

Ariz

yangBAE

Nicole

Gabriela

Warit

[Challenge week 4/day 3]

Training Day Overview: 

Suggested Accessory Equipment: Large loop band. 

Warm Up: Foam Roll, warm up and activation routine A

Warm Up Sets: 1-2S
Rep Range: 6-8R
Tempo: Power
Modification: Seated dumbbell overhead Press.

- position a bench [with back support] in the center of the rack. 
- set up the barbell on the rack so you are able to extend your arms up and behind you to easily grip the bar. [elbows bent no more than 90 degrees as you un-rack the barbell]. 
- plant your feet flat on the ground and push your back into the back of the seat. 
- extend your arms up and reach them behind you to grip the bar
- grip the barbell with a pronated grip [a thumbs distance in from the knurling on each side is a good starting point. Adjust grip based on your mobility and bio mechanics.]
- un rack the barbell from behind and position it overhead. 
- tuck the elbows just slightly as you lower the bar
- elbows should reach 90 degrees or just below at the bottom of the rep. 
- drive your feet through the floor as you extend the arms and press the weight back overhead. 
- wrists should stay in line with the elbows.

Seated Military Press

Rep Count: 
Set 1: 20R
Set 2: 15R
Set 3: 12R
Set 4: 8R
Set 5: 5R
Tempo: steady
Modification: standing dumbbell overhead press

- grip a dumbbell in each hand and stand with feet hip width apart. 
- “clean” or shrug the dumbbells up to your shoulders, this is your start point. 
- begin with palms facing in, dumbbells rested at the shoulders and elbows pointing forward. 
- bend the knees and then press up onto your toes as you extend the legs while simultaneously pressing the dumbbells into the overhead position. [feet flat on the ground as soon as the dumbbells are overhead]. 
- as you press the dumbbells overhead, rotate your palms so they are facing forward at the top of the rep. 
- think “ribs down” while the dumbbells are overhead and hold a steady base. 
- lower the dumbbells with control back to the shoulders and begin again.

Dumbbell Push Press

Rep Range: 8-10R
Tempo: 3 second eccentric
Modification: standing dumbbell lateral raises. 

- position yourself in the center of the handles of the lateral raise machine. 
- grip the handles with each hand and begin with them down at your side. 
- squeeze the glutes and hold the brace
- keep your arms straight as you extend your arms out to your sides. 
- raise the arms until they are in line with the shoulders [hands slightly in front of the shoulders at the top of the rep]
- lower using a 3 second eccentric until your arms are back down by your sides.

Machine Lateral Raise

Rep Count: 20R total [10 marches each leg]
Tempo: steady
Modification: standing overhead iso hold [no marches]

* you can always replace kettlebells with dumbbells 

- grip a kettlebell in each hand, position them at your shoulders in a standing position and push press them overhead. 
- depress the scapula and pin them in place to help lock your arms in the overhead position. 
- tuck your ribs and squeeze your glutes to hold the brace, breathe behind the brace as you move through the reps. 
- keep arms extended overhead as you slowly begin to lift one leg
- bend the leg and raise the leg so the knee is in line with the hip at the top of the rep, ankle flexed. 
- lower the leg back to the ground and alternate marching with each leg. [standing in place] 
- do not let the low back flare in this position, keeping the ribs pinned down and not letting them flare will help with this.

Overhead ISO hold marches [in place]

Compound Set

Rep Range: 8-10R 
Tempo: 2 second hold at the top of each rep
Modification: dumbbell y raise [bent forward]


- sit on the seated double cable machine, position your feet up on the platforms to stabilize. 
- grip each handle with a pronated grip. 
- keep your torso upright and chest facing forward. 
- lock arms as straight as you can  
- depress the scap and keep them pinned down, and brace the core by thinking about keeping the ribs down. 
- raise the cables in a Y shape overhead [again, keeping the arms straight]
- contract the rear delts/high back as you hold at the top in the Y shape for 2 seconds. 
- lower with control until your arms are extended in front of you again.

Seated Cable Y Raise

Rep Range: 20R total [10 presses each arm]
Tempo: steady
Modification: drop to your knees. 

- position yourself on the ground in a low plank position, on your forearms. 
- squeeze the glutes and contract the quads to help hold a stable base [the wider your feet, the most stable base- the more narrow your feet, the more you will need to use your core for stability]
- keep the hips square to the ground as you begin to press yourself up onto your hands, alternating each side. 
- once you are up on both hands, lower yourself back to your forearms, one at a time, with control. 
- try to alternate the hand your press up and move down with if possible. 
- try to keep the hips from shifting back and forth too much as you move through the reps. This is where core control will play a huge roll. [if your hips are swaying back and forth you likely are not holding a brace in your core. Move down to your knees for less pressure if needed.]

Walking Planks

Time: 1 minute [alternate between 15 seconds cab driver reps, and 15 seconds hold]
Tempo: steady, iso hold
Modification: shorten the time . 

- grab a plate in both hands and stand with feet together/hip width apart. 
- grip each side of the plate and lock in a very slight bend in the arms arms
- raise the plate out so it is chest level. 
- start your timer and begin to rotate the plate side to side, keeping the plate  level with the chest. 
- spend 15 seconds rotating the plate back and forth
- then pause and hold the plate with arms extended, in line with the chest for 15 seconds. 
- repeat this sequence.

Plate Cab Drivers

Rep Range: 6-10R 
Tempo: 3-4 second eccentric 
Modification: take out the slow negative and lower your rom [do not bring your head all the way to the ground]. 

- begin in a high plank position, hands just outside of the shoulders. 
- walk your feet in towards your hands as far as you are able, your hips should be high and your body should  be in a “pike” position. [for less tension on the shoulders, don’t walk the feet in quite as far.] 
- tuck your chin [sometimes I will close my eyes in this position to focus and keep from getting dizzy. Otherwise find one spot on the floor to focus on]
- slowly begin to bend the elbows back [below the shoulders- 45 degrees]
- use a 3-4 second eccentric as you bend the arms and lower your head to tap the ground or just above. 
- press through the palms and think about driving your hips back up towards the ceiling as you extend the arms back to a pike position.

Pike Press

Rep Range: Failure [complete as many reps as you can with good form]. 
Tempo: Steady/quick 
Modification: dumbbell overhead pres pulses. 

[look back at your results from week 2’s burnout challenge to find your number to beat. Keep track of how many you complete.]

- loop a large loop band around a rack or sturdy object so it is chest height. 
- grip the band with a pronated grip, slightly wider than shoulder width. 
- face the direction of the band and step back until you are able to feel the tension of the band pull you forward, but not so much that you cannot control it. 
- extend the arms overhead, pulling the band apart as you do. [palms should face forward]
- depress the scapula as you pull the band back behind your head. 
- lower until the arms reach a 90 degree bend or just below before pressing the band back overhead. 
- keep tension on the band by pulling apart and “back” as you move through each rep.  
-  keep a strong base, tuck the ribs and squeeze the glutes. 
- complete as many reps as you can with good form.

Burnout Challenge: Banded Behind the Head Press

W4/D3 Shoulders and Core [CHALLENGE WK4/DAY 3]

Brooke

This was such a good workout !!! My legs are shaking 🥹💪🏽🔥

Monica

W1/D1 Quads, Adductors, Calves [CHALLENGE WK1/DAY 1]

Claudia

The back and bicep workout I’ve been missing! So good!

Emily

W1/D2 Back and Biceps [Challenge Wk1/Day 2]

Holy shoulders, Batman! This was a good one!!

W1/D3 Shoulders and Core [CHALLENGE WK1/Day 3]

Ohhh my. RIP my glutes + hammies 🔥🤝🏽🙌🏽

GEEZ LOUISE. Pick me up off the gym floor, this ended me.

W1/D4 Glutes, Hamstrings, Abductors [CHALLENGE Wk1/Day 4]

Amazing way to increase my Vo2 max!! Thank you for incorporating jumping too! Learning about how good that is for women’s bodies as we age!

Tanya

Loved it! This is my first time training this way in a while. I swapped some moves for bodyweight only, and this still destroyed me!

Bethany

Tiffany Echols

W1/D5 Full Body [CHALLENGE Wk 1/Day 5]

LOL at going to failure with push-ups at the end. 6 of the weakest push-ups I’ve maybe ever done 😂

Nick

W1/D6 Chest and Triceps [CHALLENGE Wk 1/Day 6]

So good. So bad, but so good. The pump in my legs is INSANE

Kassandra

W2/D1 Quads, Adductors, Calves [CHALLENGE Wk 2/ Day 1]

I was tired but still did it and feeling good!! Biceps are burning 🔥

Shakira

Holy arm burn out!!!! Fantastic arm and back workout!

Felicia

W2/D2 Back and Biceps [Challenge Wk2/Day2]

Bridgette Gomez

Love how the core always works the shoulders too!! Great shoulder day! 💪🏼

W2/D3 Shoulders and Core [CHALLENGE WK 2/DAY 3]

Hello butt and hamstrings. Great variety.

Maybe adapt machines that go together. Sometimes it’s tough to follow all supersets when you’re in the gym as too many people

Milloe

W2/D4 Glutes, Hamstrings, Abductors [CHALLENGE WK2/DAY 4]

Only got 20 seconds on the dead hang cause I lost grip and I also had to cut the workout short to 30 minutes

Laryn

Another good gut check but also showed me growth.

W2/D5 Full Body [CHALLENGE WK2/DAY 5]

Salena

It’s amazing how in one workout I can feel so strong but also weak. 🔥

W2/D6 Chest and Triceps [CHALLENGE WK2/DAY 6]

Hannah Marks

Joanna

W3/D1 Quads, Calves, Adductors [CHALLENGE WK 3/DAY 1]

I had stress dreams about those deadlifts. Wowsers.

Awesome back day. Arms were shaking on that chin up iso hold! 💪🏼

W3/D2  Back and Biceps [CHALLENGE WK 3/DAY2]

Loved including Turkish get ups. Been a hot minute

Loved the flow of this one and the core moves that still work the shoulders 💪🏼 Turkish Get ups are harder than they look and I love working on them!

W3/D3 Shoulders and Core [CHALLENGE WK 3/DAY 3]

Yenny

By far the hardest glute/ hammy workout I have done. My glutes and hammies were cramping. I increased my weight so my legs were toast halfway through.

These leg days are making me a stronger runner 🏃‍♀️💪🏼

W3/D4 Glutes, Hamstrings, Abductors [CHALLENGE WK 3/DAY 4]

Liked the pairings here! Felt strong 💪🏼

Jessica

Dying after that workout 🏋🏻‍♀️

W3/D5 Full Body [CHALLENGE WK 3/DAY 5]

Great chest day 💪🏼 loved the single arm chest press!

Great upper body. Love working chest and triceps. My biceps were feeling pumped at the end too lol 🤗

Dedra

W3/D6 Chest and Triceps [CHALLENGE WK3/DAY 6]

Copenhagens are so much harder than they look! Making me a stronger runner 🏃‍♀️💪🏼

W4/D1 Quads, Calves, Adductors [CHALLENGE WK 4/DAY 1]

Allison

Second time around and still love this one!

W4/D2 Back and Biceps [CHALLENGE WK 4/DAY2]

Jess

These hamstring/gute days kill me. Incredible workout Sam!

W4/D4 Glutes, Hamstrings, Abductors [CHALLENGE WK 4/DAY 4]

It could’ve been the Texas heat but absolutely brutal workout

Omitted the burpees bc I had run earlier in the day and didn’t want any more cardio. The blend of these movements felt great! Love the ab wheel! 💪🏼

Nádia

W4/D5 Full Body [CHALLENGE WK4/DAY 5]

Great chest and tri day. Those skull crushers were hard!

Deceivingly spicyyyyy can’t feel my triceps.

RICC'I

W4/D6 Chest and Triceps [CHALLENGE WK4/DAY 6]

Ariel

Veronica

W5/D1  Quads, Calves, Adductors [CHALLENGE WK5/DAY1]

Brittany

A lot of posterior chain, not much of an upper back pump normally back is my favorite day

Too many reps in this workout. It took me over 90mins to do and I was moving fast.

W5/D2 Back and Biceps [CHALLENGE WK5/DAY2]

Célia

Sydnee

W5/D3 Shoulders and Core [CHALLENGE WK5/DAY 3]

Legs and body are dead after that. Those tri-sets are exhausting!

Need to work on those med ball ham curls 💪🏼

W5/D4 Glutes, Hamstrings, Abductors [CHALLENGE WK5/DAY 4]

Loved the bb box jumps! Had never tried those! Shrimp squats are hard! 🔥

Had to modify some and cut down the AMRAP time due to time constraints but still got an amazing workout.

A toughie. But was very excited to be able to do full on pushups no issues today!! So much progress in this program 🎉

Cassie

W5/D5  Full Body [CHALLENGE WK 5/DAY 5]

Good chest workout but wish we did more weighted triceps.

Saved the pushups until after my core cooldown to give my triceps a BREAK 😅

Laryn Welch

W5/D6  Chest and Triceps [CHALLENGE WK 5/DAY 6]

Sweaty mess.  Great workout. Starting to feel stronger!

Had to do some sets out of order because of equipment availability but I got it done. Legs feel like jello!!!

W6/D1  Quads, Adductors, Calves [CHALLENGE WK 6/DAY 1]

I’ll be feeling that later… but I’m getting stronger.

My arms and back are on fire 🔥. That row at the end 😪🫠🥵

W6/D2  Back and Biceps [CHALLENGE WK 6/DAY 2]

Great shoulder burn. Plus sneaky way to get in 50 TTB 😀

Priscilla

W6/D3 Shoulders and Core [CHALLENGE WK 6/DAY 3]

Death by Sam! Legs are cooked!!!!! Thank you for another awesome glute/ham day!

Those tri sets are going to be the death of me 🤩💪🏼

W6/D4  Glutes, Hamstrings, Abductors [CHALLENGE WK 6/DAY 4]

Holy shit… I think part of me died on the gym floor in this workout 😂

Boyd

I think this was my favorite full body yet! Quads are gonna be strong! 🫶🏼

W6/D5  Full Body [CHALLENGE WK 6/DAY 5]

Feeling pumped after this one 🫶🏼💪🏼

W6/D6 Chest and Triceps [CHALLENGE WK6/DAY6]

Feeling the strength coming back!!  Love Sam’s workouts!

Aiden

I know my quads are stronger than when I started this program 💪🏼

W7/D1 Quads, Adductors, Calves [CHALLENGE WK7/DAY1]

Feeling jacked after this one 🫶🏼💪🏼

Back and biceps day… is my favorite day.

Added more weight to my pull ups 🙌🏽🔥. I know I will be feeling it tomorrow and the day after though 😓 Great workout as always. 💪🏽

W7/D2 Back and Biceps [CHALLENGE WK7/DAY 2]

These are two core moves to save in the memory bank 🫶🏼💪🏼

W7/D3 Shoulders and Core [CHALLENGE WK7/DAY3]

That was legit!!! Best glute day in a while.

Love the landmine moves here 🫶🏼💪🏼

W7/D4 Glutes, Hamstrings, Abductors [CHALLENGE WK7/DAY4]

Challenging full body day! Some of those pairings were tough 🫶🏼💪🏼

Love! 8 min AMRAP went faster than I thought. Didn’t have a sled, did rope swings.

W7/D5 Full Body [CHALLENGE WK7/DAY5]

Dips and pushups to top things off 🫶🏼💪🏼

W7/D6  Chest and Triceps [CHALLENGE WK7/DAY6]

Loved the zercher step ups and sneaky lunges 🫶🏼💪🏼

Perfect way to return to my home gym. Legs are on 🔥.

W4/D3 Shoulders and Core [CHALLENGE WK4/DAY 3]

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