Dave Draper’s Musclebuilding Q&A

I am 67, with osteoarthritis in the knees. I discontinued squats, and in my home gym I don’t have a leg press or calf raise. Will there be no harm doing squats, leg press, deadlift or standing calf raise, or can you suggest an alternative?

I, at 68 and with leg-limiting stenosis issues, have decided my best plan for my future fitness and mobility is to train the legs to walk well, prevent muscle deterioration and not injure or overtrain them. My suggestions include walking a lot, varying the pace from steady, long-distance plods to swift short-distance stints. Include stairs and hills in your sessions and wear a weighted knapsack as your desire and ability allow.

You are the best (and only) one to determine the program for your needs, wants and goals… a mix and match adventure for the wise and willing.

I have taken to farmer walks with 50-pound kettlebells up and down a sufficient grade for 10 sets of 40 to 50 paces. I do this twice a week to complement my twice weekly weighted workouts for the upper body. I think I’m onto something for my particular problem. Leg presses and squats were causing my knees to swell and ache. The farmer walks are, thus far, a welcome event and appear to have improved my balance and gait.

For more direct thigh and core work, you might try standing at the end of a flat bench and half-squatting till your butt taps the bench top. Focused and formed reps count most. When ready, grab a pair of dumbbells and apply the good old-fashioned rules of weight training. High reps, low reps, a few or a lot of sets… your knees will speak to you plainly and help you determine a program.

A popular exercise since Hercules Unchained is the one-leg calf raise off a block holding a dumbbell in the hand matching the leg. Go…

We have enough here to keep us busy, growing and going and going and going… God speed… Dave