Dave Draper’s Musclebuilding Q&A

Some of us have always been “twigs,” i.e. undermuscled kids who grew up to be skinny, undermuscled adults. I was told to eat a lot of protein and lift heavy weights. Well, this definitely does work, but there is also an inevitable bulking up of stomach fat to go with it. So I started doing lots of cardio and cutting back on the calories, which was the advice on how to lose fat.

As I lost the stomach fat, I seemed to lose my muscle at an identical rate. It seems like I am doomed to one of two choices: 1) Get bigger muscles and have a gut, or 2) Have a flat stomach and be overly skinny. I am 34 and don’t have great genetics, maybe good muscles and a six pack is just something beyond my potential. Do you have any thoughts, or is that just how the human body works?

You’ve been through it; this way, that way and back again. I’d say the genetics are a factor, but you must not let them absolutely define your training. Like me saying I’m old and settling for old-guy goals and results. Not exactly inspiring.

I’d stay with the high protein (red meat and whey protein, eggs, poultry and fish), low carb (tons of salad, some fruit and the carbs you get in milk products, no refined sugar) and medium good fat (no fried food, but add EFAs).

Find a bodyweight that is 5 to 10 pounds over your lean weight that is acceptable. This added weight is functional, a valuable tool needed for lifting power and training energy and endurance. You will also need to realize and agree this is for long-term muscular growth, the maintenance of a metabolic environment in your system. The attention to daily muscular definition will diminish sufficiently to allow you freedom to train without excessive frustration.

Review your training scheme and note content, intensity, regularity, sensible passion, rest, stress and so forth. No time to be mean or become an obsessed musclehead, but what needs rethinking? Practice just enough HIIT cardio to get by and invest time saved in a vigorous core training program which contributes to cardio input. Blast the weights during your allotted workout time.

Routine suggestions are in articles periodically and within the web page content or Brother Iron Sister Steel.

This is my general training regimen. I can see and feel improvement taking place in various ways — strength, shape, density, skin tone, muscle thickness, harness beneath the surface. When I get the urge not too often, it’s tuna and water, salads and free form amino acids for the time it takes to satisfy my interest. Then, back to building.

You said: Now I am 150 lbs., and back to the 10 percent body fat I started with. Granted I gained approx. 8-10 lbs. of muscle over 2 years, but it really does not seem noticeable.

This is the good stuff, right here. You’re about 35. You have 10 prime growth years ahead and none will disappoint you — if you’re smart minded and if your good health continues — for another 25 years. Dings and pings of age are a drag, but they are easier and less noticeable and delayed when you work out.

I think you get the picture. Perseverance, guts and the basics and presto, a well-traveled lifetime later.

God’s speed and strength… Dave