Dave Draper’s Musclebuilding Q&A

First and foremost thank you for the time that you commit to young bodybuilders like myself through your website and emails. During this past summer I was looking for new routines and came across your all time favorite routine. It caught my eye primarily because the day splits fit what I wanted. After that routine I continued on to your advanced training program which has also been a good experience. I was just debating what kind of routine I may use way down the road when I thought what if I just trained instinctively?

You’re welcome. Keeps Laree and me out of trouble.

I particularly like the All-time-favorite routine for its structure and balance, and time allowance for both power and twice-per-week bodypart assurance. This is a nice plan for modifying in subtle ways to prevent staleness and overload. It allows for instinctive intervention without losing control until your instincts have strengthened and proven their reliability.

My more recent programs offered in the weekly articles over the past months exhibit greater instinctive reliability than those in Brother Iron or listed on the web page. You might find the aforementioned style likable and a suitable match for you or, at least, a change of pace for discovery and challenge. It all works if one applies oneself diligently and attentively and positively.

Instinctive training is particularly valuable and enjoyable when one has years of workouts behind him or her and a sound level of muscle development.

Hope this helps you choose the road to walk… one step at a time.

Dave

I love the idea of your top squat, but it sort of hurts my neck. Is this expected?

I suspect you’re not using the unit correctly.  For comfort and capability to locate the bar on the shoulders it is much better than the plain bar version.

The bar should be placed on the back (several inches below neck line) and your hands gripping the handle should be about chin height as you face forward.

As you commence squatting you can move your hands upward to rotate the bar back (lower) on your back. This repositioning assists in attaining and maintaining correct squatting form, improves load positioning to affect more efficient muscle exertion and assures balance and stability.

Practice with Oly bar and a pair of 25- or 35-pound plates. Relax, be natural in form and practice a couple of times.

Have fun…. Godspeed… Dave

What do you think about some ‘negative’ training? I want to bust through some plateaus with two movements.

No negatives for me. Murder on joints and sooner than later.

Be strong, be sensible, push and pull hard; form and focus trump super-heavy weight for the long-term non-competitive musclehead with brains and a smile and without inflamed and throbbing muscles and joints.

Note: What most guys do is do it — negatives or whatever — to get it out of their system. Nothing like experience.

Steady and surely as she goes, mate… Draper

You ever try the AA thing? Any opinion?

The AA is a great organization and resource. I went once as part of a rehab program and decided it was not for me. It is based on the Christian God premise. I was (am) a Bible believing Christian and, thus, went straight back to my faith and fellow believers and a strong church body. This was an almost immediate act upon my release from the hospital in ‘83. Grew stronger every day, as one does when dedicated to a good and realistic purpose — two steps forward, one step back.

My particular group was into alcoholism war stories and a dependency upon each other that reminded me of alcoholism itself. Proud x-drunks and druggies. I suspect there are all levels depending on neighborhoods.

AA members admit their alcoholism and share the precepts and encouragements of a higher power, or God. The authors of the program were Christians, but avoided direct reference to biblical God so as to broaden a non-religious acceptance.

Good choice if one is serious about being “clean and sober” and needs a support group or a support person (a sponsor). This is a step some folks take when all else fails and they can’t do it alone. Tough stuff, bad habits.

I guess you might say I chose to go directly to the source of repair and salvation, Jesus Christ.

My point of view, by the Grace of God… DD

At age 62, nutrition for me has to taste good, and if I’m on the move, it has to be available. What readily available foods would you say are okay? Could you say which foods are the least bad for a hungry guy or gal driving around with low blood sugar?

I carry my Bomber Blend with me always… tupperware in gym bag or a large baggie when traveling big.

I look for “In ‘n Out” fast-food burger joints when on the road with a big smile and appetite to match for totally super-good fresh stuff (including fresh-cut french fries) and good-folks service.

I’m supplied with quality beef jerky (homemade or from American Grassfed Beef) and favorite fruit, poptop cans of tuna and water. Mixed nuts and dried fruit are healthy and have their place. Certain protein meal bars fit nicely in pockets and hungry mouths while driving.

I don’t graze without end… drool, gulp, burp… Hours pass without food for short fasts and stomach sanity.

Go… Godspeed… Dave

How do you do it, going from one of the TOP-5 bodybuilders of all-time, to the current situation? I always wonder how I’ll handle the later years.

I beg your pardon. I represent that!

I keep wondering the same thing and then I realize I’m among the later years… Oh, boy…

I guess that’s a hint. We never know till we get there and find we are there. Of course, we all age, show signs of age, or give into age differently, and sooner or later.

I’m a wreck, always hoping, thinking and planning I’ll be fixed — get better. And with that simple combination, aka Faith in God’s will, along with Bomber Blend and Laree, I bend down, I pull up, I press on and I fight the good fight.

Presto… Godspeed… Dave

I’m a 68-year-old man. I don’t feel I’m lifting too much weight, but after workouts the left side of my left elbow hurts and both shoulders hurt. Weights range in poundage from 30 pounds to 40 pounds. I do 15-10-5 reps. Should I back these off or lower my weights?

Oh, boy. The stinkers. Elbows and shoulders and past 25; to back off or not back off.

I don’t know, and I say this with a whiny sigh. The origins of injury and pain are often varied and uncertain and the ultimate resolutions are no less a mystery. I’m going to the gym in an hour and face similar circumstances and wonder which way I’ll go to outwit my adversary.

Warming up is important. I’ll have my right elbow wrap in action, on and off as needed. You might consider a similar assistance, a smaller version of a knee wrap, to handle the load, protect the joint, reduce the pain and enable more exertion — sets and reps or weight handled.

The shoulder limitation demands more creativity. The range of exercises from presses to lateral raises need to be investigated and modified and improvised. The answer is found by trial and (near) error. Try both avenues — alter the reps or alter the weight — for a week and make assessments during and after (days following) the workout.

Focus, feel, find, fix, finished… fun. That’s what I’d do.

There are always your over-the-counter anti-inflammation meds: Tylenol, Advil, Aleve.

Carry on the good fight… we press on… foreword march… never quit… never…

Godspeed….DD

What’s your opinion of the Roman Chair?

My observation, my opinion: Killer on the lower back (lumbar region) and doesn’t engage abs in the healthiest, most efficient and productive way.

Go hanging leg raises and rope tucks.

dd

What do you think of arm curl blasters? Have you used one?

We had one at our gym… not tempted… looks more like a triceps crusher than a biceps builder. It wasn’t used much at all as I recall.

Give me standing barbell curls, dumbbell inclines — low-low to 35 degrees, seated dumbbell alternates. I’m not big on biceps isolation. Guess I never need to isolate, not that it helps.

Go… Godspeed… Dave

I was wondering what you thought of journaling your workouts. What have you done? Do you log your workouts?

Journals can be a distraction from the action… too much time and focus on words can dilute time and intensity in the gym.

Reliance on intelligence forgoes and diminishes reliance on instincts, sub conscious and commonsense.

However, when training for a weightlifting or powerlifting competition, training logs are a must.

Go… God’s Might… Dave

What is your description for the “seated front press” mentioned on page 90 and 91 in Brother Iron? Is this exercise performed with a machine only, or can it be done with free weights? Also, when supersetting, do you tend to move up in weight after each set or do you stay with the same fixed weight from the initial set? I appreciate your newsletter and want to learn more.

Thanks for the good words. Hang around. It only gets better from here.

For the seated front press, I use the Smith machine because of shoulder damage, but as written, it’s a dumbbell press sitting on a bench or utility chair. Standing militarys from a rack work great, as does any type of overhead pressing with a barbell.
Just press, sensibly and with good form and focus. Practice proves itself a worthy teacher.

On the supersets, I generally increment each set by 5 pounds, more or less, and lower the reps depending on the exercise. Sometimes remaining constant is desirable. With that one, play it by ear… learn by doing.

Blast on!

dd

What did you and Arnold eat and which supplements do you use? How much has changed?

We ate - in the past and now - red meat, poultry, fish, milk and eggs for protein and B complex to build muscle.

We ate and eat fresh vegetables and fresh fruit for carbohydrates and enzymes, vitamins and minerals for healthy bodies.

We did not and do not eat sugar and greasy junk food.

We take high quality food supplements for vitamins and minerals and essential fatty acids.

Have fun, train always, be confident, live, learn and grow strong…

Godspeed… Dave