Been diabetic for 36 yrs (42 now) and worked out hard since I was 13. Didn't start doing "real" squats until my early 20s. Gains were fairly static at the time if I remember bench max was 275lb, squat the same and deadlift wasn't popular.
Then at the age of 27 I found a good article on benefits of heavy lifting for a juice free guy. By keeping reps 5 or less and set at 5 or more you will get a natural pump that is fuc*in* awesome and you will feel like you have more testosterone and you will get stronger. Use good form, keep your chin level when heavy squatting or dead lifting as to not strain the muscles run down the center of your back. Get a good belt and heavy knee wraps for some extra grunt.
It should look something like this: All heavy lifts are compound movement meaning more than 1 joint involved.
Day 1: Deadlift 3 to 5 reps for 5-8 sets. Yeah that's 40 reps with 400 lbs baby. The last rep of the last set should be tough.
Day 3: Squat 3 to 5 reps for 5-8 sets. Yeah that's 40 reps with 330 lbs baby. The last rep of the last set should be tough.
Day 5: Bench 5 reps for 5-8 sets. Yeah that's 40 reps with 300 lbs baby.
The last rep of the last set should be tough.
Do your arm extension and calf raises and all the girly stuff after the big compound stuff and warm up for a good 4 sets until you feel your natural juice flowing going with that first heavy set.
Follow this routine for a month than change it up and go lighter for a couple weeks to give your body a rest.
You will love it. 3 days per week of heavy training will maximize your natural attributes, it did for me even after training for 15 years and having diabetes & insulin for 25 years.
So after this at the ripe age of 32 yrs in my first powerlifting competion in Calgary I benched 275 lbs which sucked as i did 365lb in gym, squatted 331 lbs and deadlifted 408 lbs. In the gym I did 365 lb squat record and 440 lb deadlift record, pretty damn good for not starting this routing until the age of 27-28 yrs old.
powerlifting.ca/prov/alberta/2002.html contestant patrick lockhart and weight is metric.
My opinion anyway,
You will recover faster than me and get more gains than I ever did doing this.
Patch