This is all you Joel, we are just spectators enjoying your progress. You are the one that keeps yourself motivated to do it and it may come from several different factors that may include this thread but overall you make the decision to work out or not. We'd like you either way but as long as you are working out then you get our support. And don't think for once that your actions don't speak loud as well as it is nice to know that you are checking in on us as well.

You know it's funny sometimes how motivation works. I had been planning since my workout on Friday to to the weights again tonight after work. I get off at 8 and have plenty of time to do that and everything else.
So I get off of work, go home, have a banana and some granola, begin drinking some water to hydrate beforehand. Then when it gets time to workout and I'm just not feeling it. I'm pretty ok with it, I'll just do some yoga later on and get up early tomorrow to lift.
So I sit down and begin mixing together my newly purchased trail mix components, munching on a few, a handful of granola, and BAM, now I really want to workout!! Ok, a little confusing, but I'm not going to argue with myself. So I get out there and have a great workout.
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Sunday, August 27

Workout A
Dynamic stretches warmup
Overhead Squat 4x5, 95lbs
Deadlift 4x5, 130lbs
Overhead Press 4x5, 75lbs
7 minutes med-pace jumprope cooldown
36 minutes total

Great workout. Dealifts at 130 went fine, almost feel like I could have done more. I'll give it at least a week though. Upped the jumprope to 7 minutes. I just kept going and didn't look at the clock, could have done more, but it felt good there.

Monday, August 28
Off day

Tuesday, August 29

HIIT today- with the reduced break times again

150 skips on the jump rope as fast as possible
10 pushups on medicine ball (2 sets alternating and 2 sets both hands on)
10 trunk rotations with medicine ball at waist level
10 lunges each leg- medicine ball held above head
10 V-ups with medicine ball held above head
10 Groiners/Mountain Climbers(2 each side=1)

superset times were
3:30
3:49
4:21
4:29
Total time 18:24 (7 seconds longer than last time)

Felt good! I wasn't sure I'd be able to keep up with the pace I did last time, but I did. Maybe a little more winded at the end, but that's ok.

Back to weights tomorrow

Good stuff Joel
To increase intensity on your torso twists, try putting 20lbs on one side of your barbell only, then holding it behind your neck like traditional squat, and do the twists in this position. Change which side the weight is on each circuit (l,r,l,r), and work on not only the movement of the weight through the twist, but also controlling its stopping- massive oblique engagement

Cooool!! Will do.

Wednesday, August 30

Workout A
Dynamic stretches warmup
Overhead Squat 4x5, 95lbs
Deadlift 4x5, 130lbs
Overhead Press 4x5, 75lbs
6 minutes med-pace jumprope cooldown
34 minutes total

Deadlift definitely feels better at 130.

Atta boy Joel, keeping up the good work.

Monday, September 4

Had a few days off, doing some other things around the house and around town to do. But came back with a good one today.


Dynamic stretches warmup
Overhead Squat 4x5, 100lbs
Deadlift 4x5, 130lbs
Overhead Press 4x5, 80lbs
33 minutes total


I upped the overhead squat and overhead press. It's been a while since they've increased and I felt good with them. I had to increase the amount of rest time between sets, but still in the 1:30-2:30 range, which isn't a problem. No jumprope this time.

On the overhead squat I did drop it once on the last set. Luckily I was at the bottom of a rep and only fell a little bit and was able to get it in front of me, not on me. It did split the carpet on one side where it landed, a small, 2-inch strip. And no, I won't be telling my sister, she'd have a conniption fit.

I'll be glad to eventually find a place where I can workout in a garage.

OOWWWWW!!!!!

The only bad element of training barefoot that i have found is jumping rope. I got the rope caught between my big toe and second toe and landed badly on the second and third toes during my first set of jumping rope tonight. About 15 minutes after I finished all of the blood nd adrenaline went away and now I'm sitting here in pain. I've got it on ice and my ceramic heating/cooling pad in the freezer cooling down..I at least jammed the joint on the second toe, it puffed up like a marshmallow. I hope it's only a bad toe jam(get it? ) and not broken or anything long-term.

Anyways, I did workout tonight as well...

HIIT today- with the reduced break times again

150 skips on the jump rope as fast as possible
10 pushups on medicine ball (2 sets alternating and 2 sets both hands on)
10 trunk rotations with Cord's recommended barbell weights- 20lbs on one side of my 20lb barbell.
10 lunges each leg- medicine ball held above head
10 V-ups with medicine ball held above head
10 Groiners/Mountain Climbers(2 each side=1)

superset times were
4:00
4:20
4:37
5:00
Total time 20:12

Took me 2 minutes longer than last time, I could feel myself going slower today. Plus the weighted barbell took longer than the medicine ball for the trunk rotations. I also messed up with the jumprope much more than usual, I'd say that added about 20 seconds to my total time.
I had to grunt and scream a few times to get through the last superset. Scared the cats and my sister, but it does help a lot.
I'm a little disappointed with today, but not too much. I know that I had a great one last time and I'm not going to be there every single time. Just gives me a place to work towards next time.

Tomorrow is another day, another workout. I just gotta figure out what...

Nice work amigo dont worry that it took you longer- you made it harder for yourself, and have to build up again, that is the '3 steps forward, 2 back' nature of training. Be proud that you have moved forward from where you were

bad luck with the skipping, you are doing right by icing and resting it now.

Cord.