I've already been lifting for almost 5 months since I moved to Vietnam, and I made a ton of progress that I never thought I could be capable of.

It's probably too late to start a "progress" thread, so I figured it'd be a more encompassing general thread about my weightlifting routine. It's gotten me results and I thought I'd share what I've been doing.

First off, thanks to forum member Buakaw for getting me started on a consistent routine and for helping me push my own limits. We were gym partners for the first three months, which was plenty of time to get my gym routine deeply entrenched into my life.

Background

I started off with a slender and skinny-fat body. My legs were already strong from my bike racing days, but my upper body was pretty weak and had lots of skinny fat. As you all know, skinny fat is the worst kind of fat that can lead to serious health problems down the road. Imagine a cyclist with strong legs but a thin torso with love handles -- that was me. A heart attack waiting to happen on a triathlon course.

Basic Stats - Current

- Height: 5'11''
- Weight: 180
- Bodyfat: Not sure, probably around 17-18% inferred from comparing myself to the pic below. My physique is right in between 15% and 20%.



3 years ago, I was at least 25%! Just by eating healthier, removing toxic people from my life, reducing stress and drinking less, I got myself down to 20-22%, where I was when I started my weightlifting routine.

My weight was also 180 when I started and that remains largely unchanged, which means I've been losing fat and gaining muscle.

Goals

Short-Term: Improve form in compound lifts, improve posture, improve sleep, and eat a better diet.

Long-Term: Extend my quality years into my 50s and 60s with a decent muscle mass. Not a bodybuilder beast or anything like that. Just someone who looks good and is in good shape all the way into my 60s. And if I ever have kids, I ought to be able to keep up with them until they're at least 18.

Diet Rules

- Intermittent fasting, only have a coffee mixed with creatine before my morning gym session
- Eat at least 4-6 eggs per day
- Other than eggs, eat at least one other form of protein (beef, pork, or chicken)
- Eat at least 2-3 servings of vegetables a day, plus 1 serving of yogurt with live active cultures
- Eat clean during the week, eat whatever I want on the weekend
- Don't drink more than 3 nights a week, maximum... and no more than 3 drinks in one night
- No food after 8 pm on weekdays, except a handful of nuts if I feel really hungry.

I don't count calories, btw. I go by feelings of hunger. If I'm hungry, I eat until I feel full -- then I stop.

EXERCISE ROUTINE

I go to the gym 5 days a week, M-F, each day focusing on one body part. Saturday and Sunday are rest days.

I start each session with the biggest compound lifts and do 5 sets of 5 reps each. Then I move towards the smaller isolation exercises in the end.

Monday: Chest

- Chest press, 190 lbs*
- Incline press, 140 lbs
- Deep pushups, divebombers, crossover flys

* In the beginning, I could only bench 155.

Tuesday: Back

- Deadlifts, 250 lbs*
- Weighted pullups and chinups
- Barbell two arm rows, 150 lbs

* In the beginning, I could only deadlift 180.

Wednesday: Shoulder

Note: This is the toughest for me. I've had shoulder problems from my competitive swimming days, so I do lots of stretching and PT as well. I try not to push it too hard with the weights because another shoulder injury (or re-injury) could put me out of commission for weeks if not months.

- Military press, 95 lbs*
- Dumbbell shoulder press, 45 lbs each
- Lateral raises, front raises, shoulder shrugs, lots of stretching, plus PT

* In the beginning, I could only do 75 lbs on military press.

Thursday: Leg

Note: I don't like doing squats and deadlifts on the same day like some people do. For me, it's too hard on my lower back, so I space them out a couple days apart giving my back time to rest and recover.

- Squats, 215 lbs*
- Leg press, 530 lbs
- Calf raises, pistol squats, stretching

* In the beginning, I could only squat 170.

Friday: Biceps and Triceps

- Bicep curls, 39 lb each dumbbell (17.5 kg)
- Hammer curls, 33 lb each dumbbell (15 kg)
- Decline tricep extensions, 40 lb each dumbbell
- Weighted dips

Supplementation

I don't really supplement except Vitamin C. I did consume whey protein after every gym session, but I need to buy a new tub and I haven't gotten around to it. I can say that it does work.

I also mix creatine in my morning coffee, along with cinnamon, honey, and coconut milk. That concoction is delicious!

I should also note that I'm on TRT. But I have been on TRT for more than two years, and it does not automatically help with muscle definition. I was still skinny fat on TRT, only hornier. Only weightlifting helps with muscle definition.

Plus my cholesterol numbers vastly improved before and after starting this routine. When I was most out of my shape a few months before my divorce, it was 235 with low HDL and high LDL, triglycerides through the roof. The look on my doctor's face when reading those lab results told me I was a dead man walking.

Now? Total cholesterol at a perfect 160. LDL only half of what it was before, and HDL was double. Triglycerides only in the double digits.

Possible Room For Improvement

There are somethings that can be improved from here on out.

1. Better form. Sometimes I think it's a good idea to, every once in a while, scale back from heavy weights and "go back to the basics" with my form.

I've been toying with a routine that goes like this: 3 week lift heavy + 1 week light lifting with more emphasis on form, then cycle back to heavy lifting. We'll see how my body responds to this.

2. Diet. I don't track my calories. I drink craft beer. I'm pretty liberal with food on the weekends. There's still a thin layer of fat masking my six pack, and if I really wanted to expose my six pack, I would have to track calories and eliminate beer for the most part.

3. Avoiding injuries. At almost age 38, I'm no spring chicken. I have to resist the temptation to push harder and harder, because at heavy weights, particularly with benches, deadlifts or squats, one little mistake in form can seriously injure myself.

So I have one rule. Never do a 1 rep max attempt. The last time I tried this was when I attempted 200 lbs on the bench when I could only do 180 x 3 (I know, stupid...), I hurt my shoulder and had to take a two week break from lifting entirely, and spent another 2-3 weeks easing myself back in.

Instead, I conservatively add 5 pounds a week, or every two weeks, and only on the last set. If after adding, I could only do 2 or 3 reps, I'll be happy to leave it at that and try an extra rep the following week.

Comments and suggestions are welcome.

Really great routine from the looks of it. I am glad you don't do 1 rep maxes, anything less than 4-5 reps can really injure you. What's your rest like in between sets 60s/90s/120s?

Only thing I would suggest is maybe some core workout somewhere. Doing Leg raises and some plank has caused my upper abs to come out for the first time ever in my life. To the surprise of no one Buakaw puts up a great program.

Quote: (07-27-2017 12:07 AM)CleanSlate Wrote:  

First off, thanks to forum member Buakaw for getting me started on a consistent routine and for helping me push my own limits. We were gym partners for the first three months, which was plenty of time to get my gym routine deeply entrenched into my life.

Thanks for the kind words man.

I have personally witnessed Cleanslates gainz journey and its been impressive. Both in terms of physique and the increase in weights he's using when lifting.

Still remember all those IOI's we got from Vietnamese girls when we walked to our post gym lunch. Our bodies filled with muscle pump and testosterone. Good times.

Keep up the good work!

Quote: (07-27-2017 12:23 AM)RustyShackleford Wrote:  

Really great routine from the looks of it. I am glad you don't do 1 rep maxes, anything less than 4-5 reps can really injure you. What's your rest like in between sets 60s/90s/120s?

Only thing I would suggest is maybe some core workout somewhere. Doing Leg raises and some plank has caused my upper abs to come out for the first time ever in my life. To the surprise of no one Buakaw puts up a great program.

Typically I do 60s rest between sets. Sometimes 90-120s if a set was particularly heavy, like deadlifts.

Yeah I really should do core workouts. I hate doing planks, but yes they are effective. Maybe fit them into leg day?

A couple of other things I'm considering... maybe I should get a weight belt?

When I add weight to my dips, chinups and pullups, I just put a dumbbell between my feet and lock it in. But as I add more weight, it's getting harder to do that. But I've never had a weight belt before, so how do I go about getting one?

^ I've found these in Vietnam before, Cleanslate. A well-equipped fitness store should have one.

Also, in Thailand they have those local websites for ordering online, kind of like a mini Amazon. I've seen them on there too. Surely they have something like that in Nam?

Quote: (07-27-2017 03:58 AM)CleanSlate Wrote:  

Quote: (07-27-2017 12:23 AM)RustyShackleford Wrote:  

Really great routine from the looks of it. I am glad you don't do 1 rep maxes, anything less than 4-5 reps can really injure you. What's your rest like in between sets 60s/90s/120s?

Only thing I would suggest is maybe some core workout somewhere. Doing Leg raises and some plank has caused my upper abs to come out for the first time ever in my life. To the surprise of no one Buakaw puts up a great program.

Typically I do 60s rest between sets. Sometimes 90-120s if a set was particularly heavy, like deadlifts.

Yeah I really should do core workouts. I hate doing planks, but yes they are effective. Maybe fit them into leg day?

A couple of other things I'm considering... maybe I should get a weight belt?

When I add weight to my dips, chinups and pullups, I just put a dumbbell between my feet and lock it in. But as I add more weight, it's getting harder to do that. But I've never had a weight belt before, so how do I go about getting one?

No need for a dedicated weight belt, I have used a simple martial arts belt for years.

Quote: (07-27-2017 04:31 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

^ I've found these in Vietnam before, Cleanslate. A well-equipped fitness store should have one.

Also, in Thailand they have those local websites for ordering online, kind of like a mini Amazon. I've seen them on there too. Surely they have something like that in Nam?

Sure, Lazada ships to Vietnam as well. But I'll look around for a fitness store and see what they have.

Quote: (07-27-2017 05:36 AM)king bast Wrote:  

No need for a dedicated weight belt, I have used a simple martial arts belt for years.

Haha, now that'll do in a pinch!

You can also make a really strong one if you find a decent hardware store. I have come across good references online. There's a beast out there somewhere with a bunch of videos showing you how to make all kinds of great training equipment in his garage. Unfortunately, I can't remember his name but I know I've seen his stuff shared on the forum before.

I'll be following this thread closly Cleanslate as I'm close to your age and also on TRT. Was your cholesterol high before you started on TRT or did it rise after? How did you go about lowering it?

Quote: (07-27-2017 03:58 AM)CleanSlate Wrote:  

But I've never had a weight belt before, so how do I go about getting one?

Along with the option mentioned above, if you have an older belt that you don't or seldom use, you could use that. I did that for a while with an old leather belt and a long piece of ripstop nylon strap. Obviously, if it's too old and falling apart you probably don't want to put too much weight on it, but as long as it doesn't have any rips or tears it should hold up just fine. Hell, I even used my dog's leash a few times after the old leather belt finally gave out.

Quote: (07-27-2017 04:43 PM)scotian Wrote:  

Was your cholesterol high before you started on TRT or did it rise after?

If anything, TRT might have lowered my cholesterol.

But I can't fully prove this because I made healthy lifestyle changes right at the same time I started TRT. It might have been coincidental, or TRT might have partially contributed to the decrease.

Before I started TRT, my cholesterol climbed and climbed until the doctors were alarmed enough to do an ultrasound on my carteroid artery and prescribe statin drugs. My blood pressure was borderline hypertensive, flirting with the 150/100 territory.

Quote: (07-27-2017 04:43 PM)scotian Wrote:  

How did you go about lowering it?

Oh man, that's a loaded question.

Thankfully, I refused to take statins. My approach to reducing cholesterol was three pronged:

1. Reduce sugar intake

I cut out processed foods and refused to eat anything with the words "added sugar" on its label. I'd get my carbs through fruits and vegetables (like potatoes and carrots) on my clean eating days, while allowing for a few beers and a dessert here and there.

I focused on reducing the glycemic index of my food intake. This is key because hyerglycemic food leads to insulin resistance, and insulin resistance leads to high cholesterol.

I also did nothing to reduce my fat intake -- fat doesn't make you fat. It makes you full. Empty carbs don't make you full, and you eat more empty carbs, and so on, ad nasueam.

2. Reduce stress

- Kicked toxic people out of my life
- Shortened my commute from 2 hours both ways to 10 minutes
- Exercise
- Get laid
- Have a consistent sleep schedule (I'm still working on this)

3. Reduce inflammation

This is the most important thing to do to not only reduce cholesterol, but also to lead a healthier life while making your body more resistant to disease and infections.

We know inflammation as whenever you get a cut or scrape, the surrounding skin gets all red and warm as the immune system cells fight the invading bacteria. That's just a localized example of inflammation.

But what happens when your entire body has low-grade inflammation? That's when things get really bad, and its insidious because we don't know when it's happening -- we don't even feel it.

High cholesterol is a tell-tale sign of chronic low-grade inflammation. The way I understand it is inflammatory compounds (like sugar!) in your bloodstream "scratch" the inner lining of your arteries while your blood flows through. All this scratching leads to inflammation in your arteries, and your body tries to repair your arteries by patching them up.

What does it use to patch up your arteries? Yep. Cholesterol! The problem with this is that it clogs the arteries over time.

Naturally, people blame cholesterol as public enemy #1, which is a mistake. The real culprit is inflammation. No inflammation, nothing to patch up with cholesterol, and no clogged arteries. Instead, your body uses the cholesterol to make more hormones -- including the all important testosterone.

Inflammation disrupts all of this, leading to all kinds of nasty health effects.

TL;DR

So the way I reduced inflammation / cholesterol is to consume less sugar -- not less fat or cholesterol -- and to reduce stress. If you have all these high stress hormones pumping through your bloodstream, that also causes inflammation over time. That's how stress kills.

So #1 and #2 above also helps #3.

I gotta go to the gym now -- if you want some sources or literature to support this, let me know and I'll dig some stuff up I've read before. PM me if you prefer.

Im digging what clean slate is saying.

Quote: (07-27-2017 12:40 PM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

You can also make a really strong one if you find a decent hardware store. I have come across good references online. There's a beast out there somewhere with a bunch of videos showing you how to make all kinds of great training equipment in his garage. Unfortunately, I can't remember his name but I know I've seen his stuff shared on the forum before.

Found it:
http://rosstraining.com/blog/articles/

Scroll down to the Video Demos and Tutorials Section.

Quote: (07-28-2017 12:33 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

Quote: (07-27-2017 12:40 PM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

You can also make a really strong one if you find a decent hardware store. I have come across good references online. There's a beast out there somewhere with a bunch of videos showing you how to make all kinds of great training equipment in his garage. Unfortunately, I can't remember his name but I know I've seen his stuff shared on the forum before.

Found it:
http://rosstraining.com/blog/articles/

Scroll down to the Video Demos and Tutorials Section.

Thanks man!

I overslept this morning after a night of drinking. Felt like shit. I didn't want to go to the gym today.

Then I thought of this thread -- and how hypocritical of me would it be if I started a weightlifting thread just three days ago and then skipped going to the gym after 2 rest days.

So I dragged my ass to the gym, thinking I'll just do light weights and more volume. Then when I got on the bench and did a warm up set, I felt a surge in energy.

Ended up doing 3 x 5 @ 190 lbs bench after a couple of warm up sets. Felt so much better towards the end.

Many have gone to the gym feeling like shit or feeling great.

Nobody has ever left the gym feeling like shit.

New deadlift PR -- 3 x 5 @ 255 lbs
New two arm barbell row PR -- 4 x 6 @ 165 lbs

I tried doing the monkey bars for the first time since middle school, but I could only go forward by two bars before dropping. Which is a clue that, while I may be putting up decent numbers for compound lifts, I could be lacking functional strength and flexibility. I'll try three next time.

For the rest of the week, I'll lift heavy, but next week I'll go back to light reps and slightly more volume to give my muscles a break.

Very helpful info CleanSlate.
I have come to the same conclusion as you on the cholesterol and inflammation and look forward to replicating your results there.
My doctor started me on statins and I'd very much prefer to be off those.
The side effects people report on those do not sound good at all.

Skipped squats today because my lower back is a bit sore from deadlifts earlier this week. Did leg press 4 x 570 lbs, pistol squats, and air lunges with arms up. Did a little core and shoulder work as well.

I think my body is getting a little burnt out because it's been a tough 3-4 weeks in the gym, so next week is a good time to back off on the heavy stuff and do more light volume. Throw in a little cardio as well.

If you only squat once a week, you shouldn't skip a squat workout because of soreness. Even if you don't feel like you can go heavy, there's always going to be some lighter weight you're capable of handling.

Also, the best way to get over soreness long-term is to do things while you're sore. Getting used to soreness is an adaptation like everything else.

Well, creatine + magnesium help soreness a lot for starters.

Did biceps and triceps today, and also did squats at half the usual weight, but I went deeper than usual. I could only do a couple of sets before my lower back started acting up. This week was not the best week in the gym.

I'll look for zinc and magnesium this weekend.

Fitness update:

1) That one "easy" week gave my muscles much needed rest. In my trip to Bangkok this past week, I trained with Kdog at a quality gym and blew through my previous PRs.

My new numbers:

- 250 lb deadlifts (edit: realized I did 255 before, so not a PR, but felt pretty strong this time. Should increase next time)
- 225 lb squats
- 200 lb bench

Each for 5 full reps, powered through each one while retaining solid form.

2) I've also added two new supplements to help with sleep, muscle recovery, and cartilage tissue regeneration:

- Calcium Magnesium Zinc (from Nature's Bounty)
- MSM & Glucosamine (from Health Beauty)

I'm almost 38 and my joints and cartilage tissue are not as springy as before, and more prone to injury if I'm not careful, so I think Glucosamine is a good addition, and even has contributed to my strongest week yet.

3) I'm switching gyms. Bought one month at a new one with clean showers, locker room, organized facilities, air conditioning, and even am signing up for boxing lessons.

For all the strength gains I've been making, my cardio has been lacking and I think boxing is a great way to work that in. Cardio just for the sake of cardio (running, biking, etc) is boring and I don't have the motivation for that anymore. But an interesting activity like Boxing or MMA has cardio built in right there, as I learn a new skill.

I may need to rename this thread to make it a more encompassing "CleanSlate's Fitness Thread" or something.

Besides, Buakaw is coming back, so I may start training with him again.

Good stuff. If you are really interested in BF% you should get it professionally checked I mean at the end of the day what actually matters is how you look and if you are happy, but there are places that do hydrostatic weighing which is supposedly the most accurate metric for BF content.

I know you are weary of your older age being a factor in your fitness, but from all the things I have observed if you are on TRT you can certainly push yourself with little regret. Obviously take joint pain seriously but the boost in T will be a huge factor for you in the gym for growth and recovery.

I like you idea of taking time to refresh yourself on form. Hell I could stand to do that from time to time myself...

Okay so I took my first boxing lesson... man, that kicked my ass. It's been a while since I worked my cardio, at least 3 years since I've done bike racing. Think I used some new muscles I never thought I had before. I could barely lift my arms at the end of the first lesson.

Anyway, I'm thinking I'd rearrange my schedule to fit those boxing classes in. Trying this for a month to see how I like it:

M: chest/triceps
T: boxing
W: back/biceps
Th: boxing
F: shoulder/abs
S: rest (or either take a krav maga or an extra boxing class if I feel like it)
S: rest