Background
These days, I get asked all the time “Andrew, what’s your workout routine and what are you taking?”. The short answer is, I don’t stick to one workout routine and you shouldn’t either. I change up my workouts regularly to keep my muscles shocked and constantly growing.
With that said, it’s important to try different routines to see which best suit you, below I have listed out my current regiment so you can try it out. As I have been training for 10 years now, I don’t always stick to one specific set of exercises or one specific routine, I let my body decide what I am going to train.
I normally decided what I am going to train after I arrive in the gym and finish stretching. For example, if Sunday is Chest, Calves, and Abs day but my chest is feeling sore or maybe not fully recovered; then I might choose to do a back routine instead.
Disclaimer: I am not a personal trainer and hold no formal certifications as a dietitian or physical trainer. Everything stated is based on my own independent research, studies, trial and error, and my own personal experiences over the last 10 years. Please train at your own risk, at your own pace, and remember too have fun!
Current Stats
Height: 5’8
Weight: 155lbs
Age: 31
Bodytype: Ectomorph
Supplements:
Before we get into the supplements, let me say I have taken many different kinds, from a wide variety of brands and one thing I can say with confidence: There is no substitute for a balanced diet and quality food. Although supplements do have their place, there is no better supplement then eating nutritious foods. Supplements should be used for just that: supplementing food, not replacing it.
- Daily Multivitamin – Over the years I have used many different brands ranging from GNC to grocery stores brands. I don’t tend to notice much difference. Currently I am using Men’s One A day. I would recommend everyone take a multivitamin.
- Probiotics – I have used many different probiotic brands. GNC has several good brands but I normally buy a generic brand from Walgreens, CVS, or Publix. For daily support, I recommend using a probiotic with 10 billion CFUs. CFU stands for Colony-Forming Units and it represents the best estimate of the number of living microorganisms in a sample.
- Optimum Nutrition Amino Energy – I use this as a pre-workout before and during gym sessions. Watermelon is my favorite flavor. This is by far the best pre-workout I have used and I have used almost all that are on the market. I don’t get jittery or have that heart pounding sensation while I am training; it provides a clean boost of energy. One thing I really like about this product is that you can dose out the scoops depending on the level of energy you need. In my opinion you can’t really go wrong with Optimum Nutrition, they make some of the best products on the market.
- Whey Protein – I have used whey protein off and on for over a decade now and there are two brands I would recommend purchasing, Optimum Nutrition and Ghost. Both have good flavor and many options to choose from. I will typically use Whey protein for a month or two at a time.
- Pea Protein – I switched from whey to pea protein at the beginning of 2019 as part of my commitment to decrease my dairy intake. Currently I use Now Sports Pea Protein. I highly recommend this brand; it is the best non-dairy protein I have found. I normally use this as a meal supplement and drink it in a shake post-workout. When I am in a heavy training mode I will drink one protein shake in the morning and one in the afternoon post-workout.
- Glutamine – I recently started taking this in 2023 at the recommendation of a fellow gym goer. I mixed it in with my protein shakes post workout to aide in muscle recovery. Since I started taking it, I have found that that my strength is improving each week and my recovery time is improving. The only brand I have used is MuscleTech and it is flavorless and odorless, so it easily mixes with any liquid.
- Creatine Monohydrate – This is the only type of creatine I recommend taking. Creatine is said to be the most test and one of the safest supplements on the market. Its primary purpose is to aid in exercise performance, including increased strength, power and muscle mass. I mix this in with my glutamine and protein shake. I am currently using Nutricost brand, it is flavorless and easily mixes with any liquid. I typically do cycles of creatine, using it for 2 months at a time and then taking a 2-3 week break before starting to supplement again.
If I had to pick just 2 supplements that I would recommend everyone take; it would be a daily multivitamin and probiotics. Even if you don’t have a strong training or workout schedule, I would still recommend that you take them daily.
Diet:
Unless I am training for something specific, I don’t adhere to a strict diet. At this point in my life, I have a good understanding of how my body reacts to what I put in it and I adjust to what my body is telling me. I don’t follow fad diets or anything of the sort, I eat food and go hard in the gym.
My regular diet consists of lots of high protein, complex carbs, and low fat meals. For meat based protein, I eat mostly chicken, turkey, white fish, and occasionally red meat. I also eat rice with most meals. I switch between Jasmine, Basmati, and Brown depending on what I’m in the mood to eat.
I don’t count calories per-say, unless I am trying to gain weight in order to put on size. In the past I followed the typical path of eating eat 6-8 small meals a day. These days I am eating around 4 meals a day.
For breakfast my meals vary but I typically eat 2-4 eggs, 2 cups of oatmeal, banana, dry toast with cinnamon, and coffee. On weekends I will typically eat a full breakfast at a restaurant and that can include Steak, French Toast, Waffles, or Pancakes.
For lunch and dinner I tend to eat chicken or turkey with rice and green vegetables. I may change the protein depending on my mood. I may also add sweet potatoes as a side dish. Sweet potatoes are an excellent complex carb.
When eating snacks throughout the day I tend to lean on eating fruit, granola, nuts, and other high protein options.
I consume almost no dairy products (including cheese) and substitute as much as possible with Almond milk and other alternatives. I highly encourage all adults to do the same.
I drink mostly water and coffee. A few times a week I will have a Pepsi or Dr. Pepper (especially when I eat a hamburger or pizza).
Workout Principles
When it comes to my routines, I tend to use a lot of super-sets and in some cases tri-sets. I also like to use HIIT style training and at least one day a week, usually a weekend day, I will do a full body workout. With most exercises, I aim to do 10-15 reps on the first set, and gradually drop the number of reps to 6-8 for the last set. When I am doing HIIT style training I try to rest very little (if at all) in between sets; 15-30 seconds max.
Generally I lift 6 times a week with 1 rest day. If I can’t make it to a gym I will have an “active rest day” where I practice dynamic stretching or do body weight exercises (pushups, pull ups etc.) at home. If my body is feeling healthy I lift, if it isn’t I will take a rest day. Keep it simple.
I also make sure to hit calves after each workout or in-between sets; I do a minimum of 100 calve raises a day. I tend to do abs at the end of my workout for 10-15 minutes, 2-3 times a week.
When it comes to nutrition, the old school bulking and cutting methodology is my usual way of progression. However, for the last 3 years I have been eating a more balanced diet and haven’t been doing a lot of bulking or cutting. Currently I am focusing on gaining strength and muscle symmetry as opposed to size. Remember: you set your goals.
Andrew Mimault’s Workout Routine
Before we get into the details of my workout routine, it’s important for me to re-emphasize that I am always switching up my routines; this is in an attempt to shock my muscles and focus on progressive overload.
The routine I provide below is just one of the routines that I have seen great results from, and I recommend others to try out. Naturally, with any workout routine, regularly switching things up is the key to growth and success.
Warm Up
This is one of the most important parts of any workout routine. To warm up everyday I start with dynamic stretching and light lifting for 10 minutes. This is important because a smart warm up will help improve your speed, strength, endurance, and flexibility. Below is an example of my warm up exercises/stretches. They are not listed in any particular order and I choose which ones I do depending on how my body is feeling. Do not skip the step!
- No Weight Squats – 25-50 reps. 2 sets.
- No Weight Lunges – 10-20 reps. 2 sets
- Toe Touch – 15 second hold. 2 sets.
- Triceps Stretch – 15 second hold each arm.
- Quadriceps – 30 second hold each leg.
- Thigh Hug – 30 second hold each leg.
- Ankle Roll – 15 seconds each ankle.
- Pectoral Stretch at 90 & 120 degrees – 15 second hold each side of the body.
- Lateral Lunge – 10-12 reps. Hold 3 seconds on each stretch.
- Pull-ups wide grip – 10-12 reps. 3 sets
- Pull-ups close grip – 10-12 reps. 3 sets.
- Hammer Curls – 15-20 reps light weight. 2 sets.
Training tip: if you hate leg day, have weak quads, and just don’t know where to start when it comes to building your legs; I would recommend starting all warm ups with no weight squats, lunges, and other active stretching exercises for legs. This brings more flexibility to your abductors, groin muscles, and hamstrings while also teaching them how to fire in a new range of motion. This is going to produce functional range of motion, support proper form, and will make your exercises much more effective when you begin to add weight to them.
Day 1: Chest, Calves, Abs
- Barbell Incline Bench Press – 4 sets (10-15, 8, 8, 6)
- Dumbbell Bench Press – 4 sets (10-15, 8, 8, 6)
- Superset
- Dumbbell Incline Bench Press – 4 sets (10-15, 8, 8, 6)
- Incline Dumbbell Flys – 4 sets (10-15, 8, 8, 6)
- Dips – Chest Version – 2 sets to failure
- Superset
- Cable Flys – 4 sets (10-15, 8, 8, 6)
- Cable Cross-Overs – 4 sets (10-15, 8, 8, 6)
- Superset
- Pec Fly Machine – 4 sets (10-15, 8, 8, 6)
- Pushups – 4 sets to failure
- Standing Calve Raises – 4 sets of 25
- Seated Calve Raises – 4 sets of 25
Day 2: Rest/Cardio
Enjoy your day off! On my rest day I normally do some active stretching, yoga, or go for a mile jog/run.
Day 3: Legs
- Barbell Squat – 5 sets (15, 10, 8, 8, 6)
- Sumo Squat – 4 sets (15, 10, 8, 6)
- Leg Press – 4 sets (15, 10, 8, 6)
- Weighted Walking Lunge – 3 sets of 6 lunges back and fourth (12 total)
- Leg Extensions (Machine) – 5 sets (15, 10, 8, 8, 6)
- Dumbbell Squat – 4 sets (15, 10, 8, 6)
- Seated Calf Raises – 4 sets of 25
- Standing Calf Raises – 4 sets of 25
Day 4: Bicep, Tricep, Abs
- Superset
- Barbell Curl – 4 sets (15, 10, 8, 6)
- Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension – 4 sets (15, 10, 8, 6)
- Triset
- Preacher Curl – 3 sets (10, 10, 10)
- Skull Crushers – 3 sets (10, 10, 10)
- Reverse Barbell Curl – 3 sets (10, 10, 10)
- Triset
- Standing Hammer Curls – 4 sets (15, 10, 8, 6)
- Standing Tricep Cable Pulldown – 4 sets (15, 10, 8, 6)
- Standing Close Grip Cable Curls – 4 sets (15, 10, 8, 6)
- Superset
- Wide-Grip EZ Bar Curls – 4 sets to failure
- Standing Overhead Cable Triceps Extension – 4 sets to failure
- Abs
- 15 minutes various exercises
Day 5: Back, Abs
- Barbell Deadlift – 3 sets (10, 8, 6)
- Superset
- Bent-Over Barbell Row – 4 sets (12, 10, 8, 6)
- Wide Grip Chin-Up – 4 sets of 10 (or till failure)
- Triset
- Seated Cable Rows – 4 sets (15, 10, 8, 6)
- Seated Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown – 4 sets (15, 10, 8, 6)
- Standing One-Arm Cable Pulley Row – 4 sets (15, 10, 8, 6)
- Triset
- Underhand Cable Pulldown – 4 sets (15, 10, 8, 6)
- Straight-Arm Pulldown – 4 sets (15, 10, 8, 6)
- Face Pull – 4 sets (15, 10, 8, 6)
- Abs
- 15 minutes various exercises
Day 6: Chest, Calves, Abs
- Barbell Incline Bench Press – 4 sets (10-15, 8, 8, 6)
- Dumbbell Bench Press – 4 sets (10-15, 8, 8, 6)
- Superset
- Dumbbell Incline Bench Press – 4 sets (10-15, 8, 8, 6)
- Incline Dumbbell Flys – 4 sets (10-15, 8, 8, 6)
- Dips – Chest Version – 2 sets to failure
- Superset
- Cable Flys – 4 sets (10-15, 8, 8, 6)
- Cable Cross-Overs – 4 sets (10-15, 8, 8, 6)
- Superset
- Pec Fly Machine – 4 sets (10-15, 8, 8, 6)
- Pushups – 4 sets to failure
- Standing Calve Raises – 4 sets of 25
- Seated Calve Raises – 4 sets of 25
- Abs
- 15 minutes various exercises
Day 7: Shoulders
- Superset:
- Seated Front Dumbbell Press – 4 sets (10-15, 8, 8, 6)
- Side Lateral Raise – 4 sets (10-15, 8, 8, 6)
- Superset
- Seated Barbell Military Press – 4 sets (8-12 reps)
- Front Cable Raise – 4 sets (8-12 reps)
- Superset
- Arnold Press – 4 sets (8-15 reps)
- Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raise – 4 sets (8-15 reps)
- Superset
- Upright Barbell Row – 4 sets (10-15, 8, 8, 6)
- Cable Lateral Raise – 4 sets (10-15, 8, 8, 6)
