Dave Draper’s Musclebuilding Q&A

What do you think about the fewer reps, higher poundage workouts? I’m 56, train at my home in Nebraska and have found I don’t quite recover quite as fast as I  used to.

Must get lonely in rural Nebraska with few if any to share your iron tossing madness.

I like to mix the reps and weight in the sets of each exercise. For example, barbell curls: I choose a weight that allows me to preform 10 solid reps with a little body thrust to expand the muscle engagement. I can maybe get one more if I gag, scream, bleed and lose my groove — not good — I hold it at 10.

I then add weight and go for eight reps, same rules apply.

Next set, I add sufficient weight and go for six reps.

By this time I’m rockin’ and make another weight addition and go for another six, accepting 5 if I must.

I find the variation in resistance and repetitions is challenging, inspiring and otherwise beneficial to muscle growth.

Yes, recovery is slower as we get older. Our training needs to modified accordingly to avoid injury, overload, fatigue and disappointment.

Train hard and always… God’s Might… Dave

 I have a very labor intensive job and at 55 years old old I am currently working out 3 days a week, full body workouts 4 sets of 10 with a change in workouts every 30 days. I am tired at the end of my work week as I go to the gym at 5 am. Do you have any hints for this old dungeon gym rat?

A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do: Quit your job.

Or, you might have to alter your workouts to accommodate your weariness, which I suspect is due to the mounting years. 55 is wide open to years of strong training ahead, but recoup time becomes the trick. You might spread the workouts over a four-day period (includes a weekend day, perhaps) or try a new approach… exercise combos, rep scheme 12, 10, 8, 6 or all 6s or 8s, split routines…

Often, when bound by job and schedule and convention, we stick to what we know, what we trust. Be creative, be risky (clue: there’s no risk), have fun, mix it up… just press on, always.

Bomber Blend before and/or after workouts… Go Godspeed… Dave

I’m getting a lot of soreness in the hands,  elbows and lower back and hip areas. Lifting slowly with control to get back into the program, but feel like the Tin Man at times.Supplements you recommend? Good drugs? Old fashion rack to be stretched on?

Pain and soreness — more or less — come and go like hooded warriors on horseback with big sticks. You can run, but you can’t hide. I’m always finessing my workouts to accommodate joint and muscle pain. I sit here a heap of throbs and stings and stiffness. Can’t wait till my next workout.

Warming up helps big-time, containing your level of exertion (last rep, extra sets) is important, rest and eating for repair and recuperation are major factors.

Add Omega 3 oils to your diet. Check out Body Ammo, particularly popular and effective for some consumers. I use both.

Any of the over-the-counter basics: Tylenol, Aleve, ibuprophen. These work, but there are downsides, and it’s best not to use them regularly.

There’s a lot to myofascial message therapy. Laree’s big into such pressure message and writes about it almost weekly as her training experience and instruction. Good stuff - excellent - and can be self-administered, but requires fascination and attention. Check her blog entries, here.
We adapt, physically and mentally, but the pain continues to rear its ugly head as we plod through the iron jungle.

Don’t forget your machete if you have far to go… Godspeed… Dave

To train to maintain only seems to take away the incentive for training. I feel lost and worry  it’s just a matter to time before all of it goes away. I finally got to look good and it happened when I’m in my 60s. Can you offer some words of wisdom?

I sit and ponder your questions noting I’ve experienced it all before, and anything I have to offer is a retread of what I’ve offered before. Your concerns are legitimate and not foreign to any of us over 40, then 50, and then 60. We struggle and we strive and we achieve what we can, only to reluctantly let go with the passing of time.

I’m a few years ahead of you in the daunting and inevitable process and I press on to press on. Our health is the main object, and our focus should be there. We need to be joyful and content and grateful with the level of achievement we have. Now is the time to nurture ourselves with creative, fun, variety workouts to pump and burn the muscle and keep the heart happily beating and the mind active and engaged.

No more injuries, less intense overload, more appreciation, more rest, improved attitude, more understanding and acceptance of our mortality and compliance to aging… and less dwelling upon it.

Discouragement and disappointment and defeat are negatives that stress and age us. Beware. It takes courage and active mental and emotional effort to fix or counter these negatives that crowd us as the years mount.

There are tons of fulfillment in the workouts to come.

Growing big was easy. Growing up is hard.

We press on… fewer sets, less weight, longer rest between exercises, more tender loving care, serious prayer and Godspeed… and a big broad smile… Dave

After a couple of decades of training, I’m just tired of lifting weights, and all that goes along with it.

You’ve got to exercise vigorously and eat right and apply yourself to caring for yourself. Here’s the cold truth: It only gets worse if you don’t.

One step at a time, as the adage goes. It’s back to the basics with renewed enthusiasm, or it backwards day by day.

You are really a young guy, unless you think otherwise. Think of where you’ll be a year from now if you train sensibly, consistently and enjoyably and with high hopes.

Think of where you’ll be if you don’t.

dd

I am all for the old days when it comes to training, but as I turn 50, my joints, especially my shoulders, are a mess. I used to to do 225 for ten reps on the bench. Today maybe 185 for six on a good day.

Yeah,  funny how that happens. We wear out like old shoes, fan belts and washers in the kitchen faucet.

I say this: Be grateful, not critical, young man.

We have a need, iron-headed as we are, to press on. So we must practice the deed sensibly, courageously and consistently.

Letting go, lightening up, is not a sign of weakness, surrender or inability; it’s a wise, voluntary and brave action to preserve, extend and enable. Love it or hate it, in time the fork is in road and we must make a choice: fight till we drop, or nurture, coax and persuade for a good long time.

Perhaps two more reps is too many and enough reps are just right…

Train smart, eat good, be happy, live, learn and grow… Godspeed…Dave

Do you really personally autograph your books? I’ve got a copy of Brother/Sister and I like the inscription. I’m 54… it seems hard to get my body to change shape… also, I have a lot of aches and pains, except when I’m liftin. Any insight?

Not since we hired the monkey — I’ll let Chacha know… she’ll flip out. She’s clever, but can’t draw worth a darn.
I’m being a wiseguy… isn’t it a shame when we have cause to believe someone else is faking my autograph? It’s not you, dear iron-worker, but the tin-heads who cause our distrust. Thanks for your support and kind words.

Everything I know is in the book you refer to. The important thing is consistency in your efforts — sensibly hard weight training, right eating and a smart lifestyle (high hopes, low stress). One has a turkey neck and and another’s is that of a chicken. Happens, dagnabit.

Throw in some 15 minutes of aerobic activity on off weight training days and try to hit the muscles directly or indirectly twice a week in three to four workouts. No superman stuff ‘cuz injuries hide in the extra heavy weights (weights get extra heavy fast after 50).

Shape comes in time (time flies fast after 50, but there’s no hurry), as bodyfat drops and muscle mass and density develop. Count on it… And don’t count the calories and percentages. They’re a drag… wing it.

Unless we hit pain killers and anti-inflammation meds, prescribed or over-the-counter, and neither a good idea, we face the inevitable APOAs (Aches and Pains of Old Age).  I take Omega-3s and Body Ammo and vitamin D. You might want to see a doc and check your hormone balance for solutions.
Go… Godspeed… Dave

 I’m 57 and my arthritis and left knee replacement keep me from exercising as I did 10-15 years ago, and as I did in the Army before that.  Is there a way I can still lift weights and not kill my arthritic joints?

Our Old Guy Blues club is getting bigger by the minute.

I suggest you start by adding plenty of Omega-3 oils and a combo of the joint building and protecting ingredients, chondroitin and glucosamine, to your menu. Body Ammo is top quality, my choice for nearly 10 years.

These are a must for the lifter loading his joints and attachments and muscles regularly. A well-balanced diet high in protein and lots of fresh, living food is absolutely important. Add water and rest in abundance, and less stress (water’s the EZ part).

Each day, as you sensibly persist to train, you learn how to establish and finesse the exercises that work, modify the grooves and improvise and invent movements to accommodate you and your limitations. Pain necessitates invention and improvisation. The creativity of ouch…

I use wraps here and there (elbow, wrist, knee) regularly. I warm up a lot in each grouchy exercise and put the wraps on and take them off with each set of exercise where needed. Helps get another worthy percentage of resistance while protecting the area and diminishing the pain.

Warm up lots — Moderate — And by all means, enjoy Bomber Blend – the best protein in the world.

Train hard and always… God’s Might… Dave

I am a 55-year-old unemployed, overweight, out of condition bodybuilder who is attempting to get himself back in shape after a sharp wake-up call when I was told I might have inherited my family’s predisposition towards diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke. In an attempt to do this I’m working out at home a few times a week, trying to eat more healthily and use suitable protein supplements to augment my efforts.  After about two months, I’ve already seen a noticeable improvement in my blood pressure and my general feeling of well being, and my weight has come down about 20 pounds. How long will it take before I should expect to see some positive results in terms of an improved MUSCULAR physique? I don’t have much by way of equipment other than a barbell with about 40Lbs of weights on it and right now feel uncomfortable about going to a gym.

I commend you for grasping your problems and giving them a good shake. The progress you’ve made thus far is lifesaving.

Though you may see little muscular development to date, be certain improvement in muscle growth, strength and health are underway. As you lift and learn and persist, the muscle becomes evident. We don’t look too closely at a flower bud, as it will never bloom before our eyes.

Your lack of basic exercise equipment will limit the completeness and pace of your muscular development. Pushups and dips — two popular freehand exercises — engage the chest, shoulder, back, triceps and core muscles.

Consider a selection of dumbbells, or think Kettlebells, to expand your exercise and development capacity. Snoop out a nearby glitz-free gym and buy a single workout… you might find it adventuresome.

Brother Dave

My biceps are kinda drag’n, so I’m gonna work ‘em exclusively and let the triceps get their work from presses, etc. I’m trying straight-bar curls, seated DB curls, incline DB curls as a giant set for 5 sets. Any other ideas?

Don’t burn out or tear up the bis. Your scheme is good for a short shot, but excessive for the muscle and the head over time. They get their dose of training, and overtraining once we add pulling for the back.

My favs are standing barbell curls and seated dumbbell alternate curls, very low (20-degree) incline curls and thumbs-up curls… 6, 8, 10 range, 4 set minimum… bring in wrist curls once a week, higher reps. Now 67, I train bis once a week with lots of pulling the rest of the week.

The older I get, the more I mix up exercises from workout to workout. Strategies change swiftly as one ages. Getting bigger becomes less of a target. Getting up and to the gym is the bullseye.

Have fun, be aware, press on always… Dave

I work out three days a week with weights and some cardio. Every other day I do 40 minutes of just cardio. My issue is I get so sore. I had stents two years ago so this soreness scares the hell out of me. In your opinion, am I training too hard? I’m only 62.

Press on…

It’s not the sets and reps or exercises performed, as much as it is the protracted intensity of the repetitions. Exertion must be wisely monitored. My body applied the brakes involuntarily by inserting injury from overload in joints and tendons.

We’re all different, as we all agree, and harshness of aging became most significant in me at the tender 64. I was forced to finesse my physical and psychological descent daily. The attitude and emotions became a mix of alarm, disappointment, reluctant surrender, bitter compromise, gratitude and understanding and relief.

We fight with all our might in spite of our plight… Be strong and very courageous… be prepared for appropriate training modifications.

Godspeed… Dave

Can a man in his 60s increase in muscle size and strength?

The short answer is yes if he hasn’t been training long, but probably not if he’s got a long history of training.

Everyone is different… no secret there. Structure, chemistry, genetics, attitude, health, will, commonsense, exercise affinity, mental and emotional balance, stresses, support systems, knowledge and understanding.

Apply yourself eagerly, hopefully and wisely to a very good cause — muscle, might and fitness — and have fun doing it. You have an opportunity to grow in countless ways, even if muscle mass comes slowly.

Consider this: Keeping what you gained (muscle, strength and health) and preventing it from diminishing is a triumph in itself.

Grab those dumbbells, get under that bar…and push… God’s strength… Dave

I’m 57. I want to increase my running, but I don’t want to give up any weight training, although my gains appear to be turning into losses. The muscle seems to be disappearing faster than I can renew and I know it’s because of or partly due to the running. If I want to increase both my running capabilities and weight gains, things have to change. People either run or weight train, I want to do both. With some education and understanding there’s no reason that I can’t.

The two activities accommodate each other if you’re sensible about your engagement of each and your goals. Physical fitness, health, longevity and quality of life are smart, wonderful and fulfilling goals. Wanting to exceed in both at once is not exactly sensible — more like excessive, overloading, frustrating and destructive. Were you hovering above 30, I’d say sorta the same thing, adding have fun.

Fact is, all you can do is what you’re doing. Train hard, eat right, be strong and be happy. I can only encourage you to add sufficient lean red meat to your daily menu, and quality peanut butter and bananas to your shake, and a meal of tuna and water to your existing diet, and cottage cheese and plenty of raw fresh vegetables regularly, enough fruit and, by all means, Bomber Blend. I love it.

Don’t run yourself down, expect too much, flog yourself. 57 is a great age with delicious and righteous training ahead. Don’t miss the journey, hasten it or injure the traveler. Be good to yourself and your dog.

Godspeed

I am 69 years young — I work out six days a week with mostly lighter weights and a variety of exercises, including improving in hack squats. The problem is that while my legs are improving in muscularity, some of the veins on the inside of my left leg and several spider veins on the bottom of my right leg and now getting larger and turning dark blue. Is it possible the squatting is causing some of this and if so, are there some good alternative exercises I can use to improve the size and tone of my legs without the risk of vein problems?

There is nothing like regular and vigorous resistance training and smart eating to keep us healthy across the spectrum of our life. And it’s enabling and commendable to be positive and seek improvement where we can. These efforts are generally beneficial, unless we exceed our real limitations.

At 67 I’m learning there are many less-than-agreeable changes to our bodies due to natural aging that we can not avoid. Ugh! We press on using our common sense. At some point our strong drive and desires can damage our system and structure by training overload. We modify.

Health, avoidance of injury, fulfillment and wisdom and joy are our goals via sustained moderation in our efforts.

As a bomber and not a doctor, I don’t have a specific answer for you regarding the vascular variations in your legs. My least favorite exercise is hack squats; I give them a D-. Do they cause the vein problem? I’d say they contribute — increased blood pressure on less-resilient, aging venal walls. Who at 69 doesn’t have some degree of this condition?

Me? I’d continue with what I can do and enjoy with close attention to the target site and any similar or associated concerns. I’d make adjustments ­ weight, sets, reps, max output, workout frequency, exercise ­ in an effort to accommodate the distress. Better regular and thoughtful moderate exertion than little or none at all

There’s the stationary bike with a comfortable version of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), walking with a weighted backpack, climbing stairs, or standing freehand squats or lunges, or either with light dumbbells.

Not a bad idea for all bombers: Get a complete physical with a blood work up from the best MD in your world.

You’re doing great. Thank God… Dave

If you had it to do all over again, what training would you do differently?  Also, what lower back exercises do you recommend for someone who’s had lower back surgery?

There are one or two (or a thousand) reps I would have withheld that culminated in overload and a bad injury. Our enthusiasm, drive, need and stupidity bring us to the edge and push us over… Oops, torn rotator, strained lower back or overtraining in general.

No routine or particular exercise would I recall. They all had their place in building, teaching and growing. I could go on as I finesse and pick apart the inquiry, but we have muscles to build.

Not long ago I had a quad lamenectomy (L2,3,4,5) and within weeks I was performing rope tucks for health and strength of the midsection and torso, and some version of lat rows and one arm dumbbell rows. When and how you incorporate these movements depends on your surgery and your back’s health, repair and recovery.

Go light (duh!) and higher reps (10+ range) and with great focus on groove-finesse and pain signals. Modify weight and reps as you recover, no more world championships.

Press on with God’s might… Dave

Deadlift problems… hurt my back a little, caught a minor cold, took some time off and now, after a month in the weight room, all my lifts are back to normal but the deads took a dive. I suppose it is silly to want to deadlift 250 just because I could three years ago, or 8 x 235 anyway, but it is kind of a hobby of mine.

Give the deads a rest for awhile. Do some healthy non-aggressive stiff-legged DLs to keep your back and mind placated; give the one-arm dumbbell rows a good toss and perform full range-of-motion seated lat rows with a good arch at the end-pull contraction… no maniacal thrusting, maintain good control.

Eat right, gain a few red-meat pounds and return to the deadlifts in a powerlifter’s month (three weeks), refreshed, sensible and smiling — teeth bared.

Systemic movements are known to crash when we get out of rhythm, tilt and go bananas. We press on…

FYI — Bodybuilder’s month = five weeks.

God’s might… Dave

From reading your newsletters, I know  you have a pacemaker. I got one in December. I’m okayed to work out, but my doctor said not to exaggerate arm movements as with the dumbbell fly. He had nothing more to offer than that. Apparently some exercises may break the wire from the pacemaker to the heart or cause what is called a clavicle pinch. What exercises are you unable to do?

I’m a triple-lead Medtronic man, myself. It’s been like a year and no problemos.

I was offered the same in-depth training input by the docs and decided to do what I always do: use commonsense, instinct, and feel.

Approach slowly, cautiously, attentively with freehand stretching and warming up… soon daring experimentation and testing of limits as the unit settles in and wire placements strengthen their attachments.

A few momentary scares early on (Oops, now I did it — not a bad thing to keep you honest) when I was sensitive and protective, but in weeks I was dipping, performing dumbbell presses and cable crossovers with legitimate confidence and only occasional discomfort. Now I don’t think about it unless the unit itself slides down my pant leg… tickles… just kidding.

That was my experience, and I offer no solid advice. We’re all different, mind and body. I do wish you a long, healthy and happy life with the solid iron in your hands and a rhythmic sparkle in your heart.

Go… Godspeed… Dave

I’m getting up there in the decades. I still PUSH. Then I pay. I still try to bench the 75-pound dumbbells when I can press them, but my lower back says no. I can’t get over wanting to PUSH. Screw the pain. Should I continue on? Need your best guess.

We’re not alone, pushing and paying. Comes with age plus passion and drive. Oh, and vanity… and stupidity.

Save the body. We need to adjust our minds, moderate our workouts and accept less to achieve more.

For example, dump the heavy dumbbells; thrusting them to get them in position is murder on the hips, not to mention the shoulders and elbows once they’re in place.

A whole new training style evolves out of age and limitations. Knowing that, seek it and come to know it well.

I manage to push my workouts with my limitations by realizing I will only increase the limitations and add more sooner if I exceed them.

This is to say nothing of the crappy pain accompanying them when I play the bombing and blasting fool.

Warming up takes on new meaning — more and slowly.

I lighten up the weight (duh) and slow down the reps and focus on the useful pain with enhanced radar. The latter requires practice and confidence in its value.

I separate good — necessary — pain of injury from abusive, destructive pain, relying on the former for direction and guidance (groove, max-exertion). Wrestling abusive pain is tempting at first, grows old fast and only contributes to injury and delays healing. And, there are the sleepless nights and tantrums.

Big head-trip, growing older. Hang on and hope for a long, long ride…

We press on… God’s mercy and might… Dave

What do you mean when you mention that depending on how you execute a dip, you can hit every muscle on the upper body? I train at home, am disabled with bad balance, don’t have a lot of equipment available and have been training for 15 years.

By “hit” I meant stimulate or involve muscle, but not necessarily to the extent of overload as to build mass in all areas engaged.

After 15 years training, I don’t think there’s much I can tell you about chins and dips you don’t already know.

It seems it would be a great advantage to train at a gym where there are pulley systems available, a Smith press and various machines affording stability. I depend on the Smith machine for all pressing. I also require a dip machine for dipping as my shoulders are a wreck. A fall 30 years ago tore me up, plus heavy training and heavy woodworking added to the body’s punishment. I’m also a gazillion years old.

Invent, improvise, imagine… create your own supports and gadgetry. How about one-arm stuff (curls, laterals, overhead presses) while seated and holding on to an upright. Our wills are stronger than we think when put to good use.

We press on with God’s might… Dave

Aches and pains — I wonder if all of us who are so persistent in the battle of Mother Nature are experiencing the same thing.

Are you kidding? Aches, pains and stiffness… loose skin, sags and bags.

Adjusting is a continual challenge… ha, it’s a dirty rotten battle and I’m cross-eyed from dialing in.

I’m seriously thinking about refreshing Brother Iron before we print again — add some chapters about this and that, and mainly discuss training after fifty, the aging beast, few experiences and some other ugly but welcome and lovely truths.

Have fun sharing our pain… why not… live, learn, limp, lament and lighten-up…

God’s Might… Dave