Dave Draper’s Musclebuilding Q&A

Greetings from Ireland. I am 64, 5ft 5 and 155 lbs.  I have been training one way or another most of my life – marathon running, swimming and hill walking and weight training. I am in good shape and training very hard one day each week in the gym. I also cycle abt 20 miles and swim for 20 mins on different days. My question is how can I cut the flab around my waist? I eat very little bread red meat or dairy products and avoid junk food and cookies etc. On training days I take a good protein drink before bed.  I have  good definition for my age. I would like to reduce my waist and maybe increase my thigh size – do you have any advice?

Gee, you’re doing it all, and well. I suggest splitting your weight routine into two whole-body workouts a week, and adjusting your other athletic activities accordingly. Review my articles from 2011 wherein there are stashed multiple short and intense revolving workouts.

I suspect you’ll sacrifice muscle and strength and endurance in your attempts to diminish the excess tissue. Is it worth it to you, is the big question. I can’t think of anything more you can do – beyond hopeful tinkering – to blast the blasted area. At 64, staying injury-free (whatever that is) and healthy are the main concerns. Carry on with wisdom and vigor and gratitude… I call that Godspeed… Dave from the USA

PS… have you heard about tuna and water?

I am an alcoholic, used to work out regularly but not for the past few years. What is your advice to get out of this funk and back in shape?

Some things never change. Some things must change.

Alcohol wrecked my life by time I was 40. Health, family, home, work, gone. Haven’t had a drink or recreational drug since release from the hospital with very-near-fatal congestive heart failure 30 years ago.

I stopped the hard way — drink and die or stay straight and live. Chose the latter, by God’s grace. Works wonders.

Walk a lot, get before the iron and do some old-fashioned pushing and pulling — standing barbell curls and light bench presses. This is a neat combo for easy interest and easy re-learning and rapid response and pure fun.

Keep it that way for a long time. Don’t get crazy, don’t injure yourself, don’t make big demands, don’t make it a pressure, but keep it consistent. Three times a week or every third day works… work up to four sets of 12, 10, 8, 6 reps.

Get the miles in on off days… stairs and uphill if you can.

In time add an exercise for the back (pulldowns, one-arm dumbbell rows, assist chins) once a week. Dips are fun and productive… dumbbells are best for pressing when you’re invested… on you go and grow with wisdom and increasing confidence and enthusiasm…

Zoom… You can do it… pray about it…

God’s strength… the Bomber

I love to get out on a road and run, and have now been running for several years, but wonder if I should put more attention to weight training, which I do for about 30 minutes twice per week. As I get into my 50s, do you have any suggestions for me? Can I continue as I’m doing for the long term, or is there a worry here?

Aerobics are important and do their part in assisting one in a pursuit of fitness. You love running, obviously — the lift and the results. I’m a musclebuilder who wants and seeks health also, but my accent is on muscle building. Beware: too much running will interfere with sound and healthy musclebuilding advances. I believe your knees might begin to show the strain, and your feet, ankles or hips from all the pounding — good sneakers, soft ground or not, but even more so on the road. In my opinion, and especially as we age, a good mix of weights and aerobic is 25% spin bike or running and 75% weights. We lose muscle regularly each year after our mid-20s and spinning or running are not muscle builders after the initial conditioning phase.

Try superset training — if you don’t already — to match your apparent need-to-move nature. You’ll love it for pace and rhythm and muscular results and aerobic-conditioning effect.

Go… God’s speed… Dave

I am not a body builder but at almost 55, an avid weight lifter and person who is constantly in search of new nutrition information and training advise. I weight train 5 days a week (arms/shoulders 2x, legs 2x, chest/back 1x) I ride the bike every morning (Mon-Sat) for 75 minutes and try to ride an additional hour 4 nights a week as well. On occasion I run 3-4 miles instead. On Sunday I don’t train at all. I stick with my diet (detailed in email) every day except Saturday for dinner when I eat what I want. I would like to retain my weight about 120 lbs with fuller muscles and added strength but wonder, am I doing too much cardio? From a woman who has worried about weight my entire life, it is hard. Though I have lost weight and have good shape and fair muscle tone, I notice that my inner thighs and inner upper arm skin seems less firm. Can you help here?

Everything is good. You’re healthy, in condition and your bodyweight’s in a desirable range… and you have the resources — know-how, discipline, energy and spirit to continue.

Cloudy Thoughts:

I suspect swapping some aerobic time from running and biking for some more time in the weight room might be a good idea. Eventually, you need to think in terms of longevity and the wise distribution of your demand on the body. Running is tough on the joints. Your weight workouts are balanced and there’s room to play and investigate different MOs to accomplish this ‘n that. Remember, 55 is a wonderful time to train, enjoy and discover… exceeding your already commendable form might be a who-needs-it pressure.

Whatever you do, don’t be harsh on yourself. Be aware and grateful for what you have and what’s before you. Your diet (as described in the email) is a bit light for muscle building. Some lean red meat makes us strong, tuna works wonders and, of course Bomber Blend has been know to restore youth to cranky old men. Lotsa salad with olive oil and balsamic, some fruit daily keeps the doctor away.

Standing barbell curls with a little thrust after ample warm up supersetted with pulley pushdowns are good for kids and certain adventurous, fit 120-pound adults… easy does it…

God bless us… Dave

I have been lifting since the late 1960s and believe I understand the formula for size and bulk is best accomplished with sets of heavy weight and low reps, while definition is normally accomplished with sets with high number of high reps with lighter weights. Do you feel that a older person ) should concentrate on higher reps for overall health and conditioning rather than sets using heavier weights?  I understand that heavy weights if not abused may be more beneficial for bone strength and higher reps although condition may tend to wear joints faster. What is your belief?

The above are the basic rules of the barbell.

In all my years of training — yesterday and today — I like and believe in mixing the reps, typically in the 12, 10, 8, 6 range, starting with an attentive warm-up set. Going heavy is costly, though tough and meaningful exertion works well with legitimate weight.

A nutritious conscious musclebuilder should have no problem with bone strength and density. The joints are another story. They take a beating — wear, tear, misuse, abuse — and need careful attention, right movement, rest, balance and protection.

God’s might… DD

Dave, I’m trying to get into top shape for my 50th birthday. What do you suggest?

I was 50 once. Today I’m up to my ears in old. My latest dance, to the tune and words of That Lucky Old Sun — ya put your left leg out and drag your right leg in, you put your left leg out and drag your right leg in. Keep this up till you get where you’re going, if you still remember where that might be.

Crazies like us need expression. Glad I learned how to put one word after another that make some sense cuz the weights they don’t go up and down like they usta. Down still works, but the up part is dragging way behind.

Stay strong and happy and healthy, you’re doing fine.

See ya, sonny… Godspeed… Dave

At age 63, I’m on a four-day split 63. I read in IronMan that a three-day split is better. If true, do you have a program to follow or should I just stay with the four?

Guess it depends on the exercise choices, muscle-group combinations and intensity of each workout, as well as recuperative ability, aches and pains, health, goals, time and pressures, and one’s mental and emotional structure…

Easy. Which do you prefer? Three’s enough. But, then, is four better?

I’m a 69 wreck and two workouts weekly are bearable. I’m thinking three per week with less intensity per workout might be better. I am a guinea pig. I shall try the plan on the beast this week. How about you?

Risky business, this metal and muscle stuff…

Rejoice… DD

The  50s is a great span of time in mans’ life; enjoy and embrace them.

Weight training and muscle- and strength-building are wonderful endeavors and can reap more rewards than you expect; appreciate and develop them.

Genetics play a major role in one’s development. All you can do is apply yourself sensibly… enthusiastically… hopefully.

Expect a lot, but not too much. Train hard, eat right, be consistent and be positive. Don’t injure yourself, overtrain, doubt, fret or dismay. The muscle will come as you weave you’re way through your training schemes. You have, after all, access to our web page and the guidance of Brother Iron… you’re way ahead of the game (just joking, but not really).

Hold a body weight that is comfortable and not reaching toward lean. You need the extra ab-hiding bulk to provide strength and energy and muscle building nutrient-intake to encourage and fortify lean muscle growth. In time — after this winter season, or the next, or the next — you will feel ready for getting ripped and the changes in programing to achieve it.

By that time you’ll have grown enormously in character and personal understanding and patience and discipline and popular support and, possibly, shoulder mass.

Getting to lean too fast is muscle-costly and tiresome.

We try our best, by God…

Dave

I notice you do Smith Machine work often…especially pressing. I always thought Smith Machine weren’t good for shoulder work due to the static design. I’ve stayed away from them due to this. Wondering if I should give them a try. I do have some shoulder issues and do regular barbell presses.

You’re right. The stiff, unyielding action of the Smith Machine is no replacement for the real deal unless you can no longer do the real deal. That’s me, and I’m not alone. Thus, I have discovered the advantages of the racked and guided bar. I cheerfully modify the movement to engage a sufficient portion of the deltoid without threatening its already compromised health. I do them seated on a steep incline bench, alternating them with dumbbell incline presses thru the week.

Try ‘em… the timing might be right… don’t expect too much… we do what we can.

Have fun… Godspeed… Dave

I am 69 with rising blood sugars. My MD advised me to lose weight (205 down to 155). I have lost 40 pounds so far. The good news is that my blood sugars are nearly normal. The bad news is there has been a serious loss of strength, muscle mass and endurance. I am getting around 100g protein daily and am exercising about 10 hours per week, mostly moderate to low intensity.  Should I accept the loss as part of weight loss, planning to recover after I reach target weight?? Or is there a smarter strategy? Is there a smart way to work in HIT?

That’s a big drop in body weight. I can’t make your personal fat- and muscle-loss references, but I (that’s me) would consider holding 165 as a new standard for awhile and training with sensible intensity and a clean musclebuilding diet. My hope would be that this bodyweight allowance would enable me to train with more strength, endurance and spirit, and my condition and health would, thus, improve in time.

I don’t think any kind of HIT is smart.

Letting go is hard to do… hit the iron with what you’ve got… just enough cardio to make sense…

Go… Godspeed… Dave

Do you have any experience with testosterone replacement therapy, or do you know where I can research the benefits. I’m male, 47 years old.

Computer search for Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). There’s gotta be legitimate information and research for your reading and learning that doesn’t hype a product or company or bias. Usually one visits a doc, discusses the issues, has a blood panel done to check testosterone and related levels, and decide the needs, if any, and what steps to take. A testosterone patch  is a common prescription, as is gel or an oral taken under the tongue. Indications and contraindications are discussed and understood. Presto, change-o!

Low test is a pretty common problem and hormone replacement therapy is a common solution. If the doc is sufficiently cautious, the side effects to a relatively healthy subject are minimal. I’m sure the list of contraindications is long and grim, but so are they for aspirin.

I believe the therapy will shut down an already fading test production… once on the therapy, you might expect to stay on it for a long time. The shut down is reversible, but long in the process.

Remember, I ain’t no doc.

Dave

I feel as though I am reading my own text before it is penned when gleaning your articles, the best yet to be written. I literally feel in your articles all the benefits that weight training has been providing all these years.

Thanks for the good word. The tough get tougher when time reaches out its heavy hand and rests it on our shoulder. At first a welcome challenge; shortly an ever-growing burden, bearing down and wearing down. We fight the good fight with all our might.

Go… God’s speed… Dave

I know you prefer volume training over HIT training.  Is this also true in the case of a lifter in his mid-60s with only some experience?

“Yup,” said the older feller wearing the ripped Bomber T-shirt.

• incline dumbbell press (shoulders, chest, some triceps)
• widegrip pulldowns — seated lat row (back, some biceps)
• standing barbell curls (biceps and some core)
• pulley pushdowns (triceps)
• machine dips (shoulders, chest, triceps, some back)

Train regularly, eat right, reap wonderful rewards, enjoy.

Godspeed… Dave

I’m trying to get rid of the gut. I’m shy of 65 and strong like a bull. The problem is my waist is 38 and no matter how much cardio and watching what I eat it just stays there. If I really diet, the shoulders and chest shrink before the gut even goes in a little. I don’t want to use any drugs because I don’t want to screw around with my health, which is pretty good.  What do I do?

I knows what you’re saying. We’re getting older and it’s getting tougher. What to do… hmmm…

You’re doing it: training sensibly, eating right and staying healthy. We never quit and we never let go, but we must not ignore the disagreeable fact that we’re over those scenic and grand peaks in our lives and we must adjust and adapt with the wisdom and common sense we accumulated over the years.

You know that, I know that, the other guys know that, but do we hafta… now… today?

The answer is, “Not lying down, but… yes…sorta… day by day, day after day, forever.”

Thank God for the good stuff you have in abundance. Seriously! You’re in top form with years to go. Cherish and engage those babies. Don’t chase ‘em away. We must keep our attitude on our side. I communicate with guys and gals who are damaged, sick, broke and broken. The road ain’t so good and still they’re clanking the iron with virtue and might. Hallelujah!

See your doctor, take a few blood tests and determine if your a valid candidate for some hormonal replacement therapy. What the heck…

God loves us… Dave

I’ve got two questions about training methods. I’ve read quite a few articles about adopting more abbreviated training as you get older (I’m 46). Did you find you used fewer sets or fewer exercises in your 40s compared to your 30s? Also did you use singles / doubles (reps) in your training very much, or just now and again to test yourself?

Not really… maybe a 20% drop in sets…workouts were contained within five days a week, twice a week per muscle group… check link here

I used singles and doubles occasionally — every three weeks to test and benefit.

I’m a volume trainer; it suits my personality and IQ… HIT MO makes no sense to me…

Of course, eventually, if you press on and on, you do what you can do.

We press on, by God…

I keep trying to improve my rather pathetic strength on the exercises I mostly do. I usually do deadlift, bench and row — not much else,  rest three days, work shoulders and arms hard, rest three days and go again. Any suggestions?

You’ll be sorry you asked.

I’ll reserve getting fussy over your workout and remind you… eventually… progress is not enjoyed in increased weight handled, but the consistency and quality, feel and focus of good workouts. Time’s going by and trying to keep up the poundages can be frustrating and damaging and dismal. I’m not a quitter and I don’t let go, but I learned ASAP that well-controlled lighter weights are more effective and agreeable and safer (less injuries) than the joint-busting, muscle-tearing heavier weights.

Keep up the drive, but welcome common sense and wisdom to your training and discover a renewed appreciation for muscle building, strength and health. Adapt to a drop in heaviness of weights used, apply as much force and intensity as ever and customize your workouts. You won’t plummet, you’ll rise up…

Advice for now or the future…

I don’t have an answer to your original question… not a healthy and smart one… Take a swim…

Go… Godspeed… DD

I have a long history of training, mixed with drinking that culminated in a recent divorce. I’m no longer drinking, but my life is in shambles and I now discover I need a major surgery. I guess I just want your advice on how best to recover from my impending operation.

You have your hands full of life’s battles. The first thing is to shake off the doubts, guilts, anger and fear (they must be put aside like useless baggage) and get on with the immediate basics: train sensibly (just get to the gym and push, pull and stimulate, day-by-day-by day, using your commonsense – it will unfold wonderfully), eat simple meat-veg-dairy meals regularly, and tidy up your surroundings, physical and psychological and spiritual. This is that famous one-step-at-a-time, step-by-step process we all must take from here to there.

Order and organization and simplicity in your daily life is absolutely necessary. You’ve got a number of things that need fixing and healing. Time, patience, courage, persistence…

Got guts, Will Travel — Got Iron, Will Travel Boldly — Got God, Will travel Surely and Certainly and Magnificently.

It’s tough alone. Not long ago (say 30 years ago) by my own making I was in a mess so bad it’s beyond description. My relationship with God rekindled then amid a series of catastrophes and I grabbed hold of things tightly – by his grace – as I described above. I survived, revived and refreshed.

Jesus Christ is my Lord and savior… about as simple and basic and direct as you can get…

Hope something in this note rings a bell…

Go… Godspeed… Dave

I can’t wait for Brother Iron Sister Steel to come out on Kindle, and your weekly newsletter is always a great read. Last night I had one of those workouts where  everything hurt, my hips, my shoulders, my wrist, my bad ankle… Blah blahh  blahh. I am usually on a high the whole day after a workout, but today I am flat, still sore and a little cranky. My training consists mostly of deadlifts, squats and military press.

Sorry for your blues. About sore and cranky: maybe you have a subtle bug, or you’re overtrained and need a rest, or you’re a little low, nutritionally (feed yourself generously, sensibly) or you need your mommy (that’s not funny, bomber). A change of routine can be just what the doctor ordered.

Be grateful you can’t bench press or you’d be in big trouble. You have a grand yet punishing combo of standards. It would be beneficial, healthy and enjoyable to broaden you workout… dumbbell presses on bench (incline), some barbell curls, one arm rows, pull-ups for back and stretching, lunges to break away from squats…

Boredom, sluggishness, aches upon aches and sameness can bring down a weightlifting fortress.

Did you have your Bomber Blend today? Be nice to everyone, others first… be grateful… Some books, btw, are better in print. BISS has a ton of photos and reference pages and outlines, all of which are best dog-eared and in hand. Get a slightly scuffed copy for $15…

Go… God’s speed, mercy and grace… The Bomb

I’ll be 55 in couple of months, work out 3x/wk for 70 to 90 minutes, weights and some cardio. I work out in the basement, free weights, resistance bands and speed bag, pretty Spartan, but the price is right. If I mix it up more for a little more variety and only do some of the exercises once a week is that enough to maintain strength, weight and (what little) definition I have?

Once you’ve invested the years in the iron and have developed ample muscle density and training savvy, you’ve earned reasonably wide training margins. This allows time to experiment and to enjoy and to learn and grow. Those 75 to 90 minutes three ties a week must not become long, dragged-out affairs void of wandering and experiencing and playing.

Trust yourself. If after a month of mixed and instinctive training you are pudgy and weak, we were wrong. Oops.

A good musclehead is never really wrong for very long.

Godspeed… Dave

New injuries have arisen — I slightly tore some cartilage in my left knee and saw the surgeon yesterday. I am going to gut it out for a while and see if I can handle a bit of pain and avoid the surgery. My right rotator cuff is also bothering me and I have had to really reduce the weights in an attempt to continue training while recovering without losing to much muscle size. My plan has been to compete again next fall at 60 years of age. Hopefully, I can get my body together enough to do that.

Be aware, friend. May I?

Your choice to train for competition is, I suspect, going to be costly. Commonsense and responsibility go out the window when goals are set in stone-cold time and the warm, flexible body is ignored.

Be strong, be tough, but don’t beat the bull to death.

Moderate while it’s your choice and not the painful, unbending command of a bent and broken body.

Moderation, not a child’s road, will take you further along the path…

You’ll last longer and feel better and be healthier and look mightier.

Go… Godspeed… Dave