Dave Draper’s Musclebuilding Q&A

I don’t have time to go to the gym, so I bought one of those Samson Twisters, which are made of steel, that you have made an advertisement of in the ’60s for Weider (you were bending it in the picture). So I bought this flex bar and I began to bend it in the way the manual describes, and I felt my muscles much more pumped and tough. Ok, that’s good, but at night I feel my shoulders hurting. Do you have some tips on how to use a power flex bar, or should I change the tool and begin to use one of those back/chest expanders?

Chances are you are doing too many of the same exercise patterns over and over again. You are limiting yourself.

Back off the twister and revise your training to include freehand exercises — chins, pushups, dips, freehand squats and their variations (improvise: feet on a block, close grip, wide grip, lean forward, lean back)… play seriously.

I don’t really have any tips on how to use it. Just don’t over exert joints or apply force unnatural to body.

You might invest in exercise bands (rubber bands) of varying strengths. They work very well when limited in equipment.
Godspeed… Dave Draper

You said you dissuade from taking the shirt off and flexing and groaning out loud under heavy weight. Coming from the era you did where guys and gals alike did just that, and often,  why would you dissuade at least from the groaning out loud? I have been asked to please keep it down after being kinda vocal during a heavy set of benches, and I never understood it. Can you please give your opinion on this? 

When in the greater majority of public gyms we are responsible to control our personal habits that might distress our neighbors. No one wants his or her space invaded by undo sounds, nearness, gestures or odors in mutual work areas. We must be respectful of those around us.

That said, one’s behavior is determined by commonsense and unspoken mutual agreement with one’s co-inhabitants. Vocal response to heavy exertion while lifting is sometimes helpful and unavoidable and generally acceptable on selected occasion. Excessive and frequent noise-making is disturbing, annoying and irritating. It is also unnecessary, careless, often selfish and just plain dumb.

Dig in and enjoy yourself; keep the noise to a minimum so those nearby can do the same. They’ll love ya for it.

Godspeed… Dave