Dave Draper’s Musclebuilding Q&A

I work my chest 2x week, Monday and Thursday. Monday is the entire chest –flat bench, incline bench, flat and incline flys, and upper and lower cable crossovers. Thursday is only incline for upper chest. How do bodybuilders develop that split in the middle of the pec?

You want a healthy and productive change. Don’t be sorry to give the bench and incline press a long rest. Flat and incline dumbbell presses are safer on the shoulders and more productive in developing and shaping the shoulder and chest region.

Don’t overwork the muscle areas with too many exercises. Be particular and focused and intense with those you choose, and rotate them with a cool combination of thoughtfulness and intuition. Single cable crossovers are my favorite, contracting all parts of each pec according to body position in relation to the pulley — leaning forward more or less, the crossover groove of the arm, the focus of muscle engagement.

Flys work; choose only one at a time to avoid head and time and muscle overload.

Throw forward-leaning dips into the weekly workout scheme, on arm or back or shoulder days for additional pec attention.

Remember, muscle development follows a genetic blueprint. Another thing, don’t look at the charged physiques displayed in the muscle mags for a real impression of male and female development. They are displays more than functioning, hard working and on-the-spot bodies.

Thanks for the kind words and support… God’s strength… Dave

The sport of modern bodybuilding I feel is blemished and tarnished compared to what is often called the glory days. How do you feel about competitive bodybuilding these days?

You are not alone in viewing the bodybuilding scene as if from the outside looking in. The subjects we see being glorified on stage and in the mags represent a relatively small subculture and I thus regard them as such. I liken them to NASCAR autos screaming around oval courses or Monster Trucks careening across mounds of dirt… spectators wild-eyed and cheering. They are modified, amplified, totally committed performers and they have accomplished their deeds with great zeal and sacrifice. They are truly impressive. Wow!

But as beings walking the surface of the earth pursuing muscle and might they have in effect missed the boat. They have become the boat. Grand as their pursuits are, they are confined to a small and tight circle, and I’m not sure it’s the center of the target.

You and I and our mates lift for a hundred reasons, a few of them the same as the pros (muscle and might), but many are different — health, fitness, authentic development, real discipline, earned patience and long-suffering perseverance, honorable self-achievement; a day at the beach, the cool fit of a tank top, the first rep of the first set of an honest to goodness workout… lifting weights for the rewards of lifting weights.

Stay afloat under your own power and love for the sport, the challenge, the action, the hard-gained mass, muscularity and might. What’s yours is yours. Be strong, be generous, be unafraid and be safe.

Go… Godspeed… Bomber Draper, Dave P.

I had a friend take some pictures of me posing, but they came out bad. Small camera, bad lighting, and I guess body hair do not make for getting good definition shots. Should a pro or semi-pro photographer take the pix?

To get good physique photos one needs to have a clean shaven body, a tan and a light and smooth application of oil. Lighting is more important than words can express. Flash wipes out shadows and muscle contrasting. Overhead, not bright natural lighting is sought… go black and white.

Poses and posing make a major difference in success and it’s not uncommon for a photographer to take a hundred and more shots for one or two good ones.

Forget a pro from the yellow pages — expensive and don’t know the difference between a bride saying I do, a kid graduating high school or a musclebuilder presenting his body grande… only a seasoned physique photographer does.

Choose a friend with whom you feel comfortable, has patience and commonsense and knows the camera’s basics. Reserve some unhurried time, have a pocketful of disc space, engage trial and error methodology, galvanize your ego and go…

Editing reserved for the brave and bold.

Glad the camera sessions are behind me,

dd

I am a 55-year-old female, height 5′5 1/2″. I started weight training with a partner a year and a half ago, and went from 165 down to 140-145, and pants size 18-20 down to 8. My desire is to compete in a bodybuilding figure competition in about a year. I plan to train at home. What advice can you give me to get my body competition ready?

I’m all for goal setting and for high hopes and a strong attitude, but I seldom lead folks in the direction of competition. As a kid it’s certainly a healthy part of growing stronger, but as an adult it can be destructive to a healthy and happy and balanced life.

Contest training drains the body’s resources from top to bottom, front to back, and does not always contribute to one’s physical and mental wellbeing. Training for fun and health, strength and function purposes is much more appealing and realistic and satisfying now and in the long run.

A winning physique is cool, but training to have one is not exactly a winning idea. Disappointment, stress, irritability and discouragement are not unlikely companions along the way.

Train hard, eat right, be strong and be happy… that’s my motto.

I support your continued training. There’s a ton of advice on our web page, and home training is attractive in countless ways. Yet, most competitive training is done in a gym with all the basic equipment at hand.

You might view our forum… or join in… a smart and friendly bunch.

Go… God’s Might… Dave

I often hear bodybuilders say that diet amounts to up to 80% or more of the muscle mass that they put on. This statement implies that weight training plays only a minimal role in muscle gain. Is it possible to build muscle without any weight training, but solely through diet?

Commonsense prevails: No exercise, no muscle. The better you eat and live, the greater your muscle gains.

The broad diet comment is to underscore the importance of eating right when seeking muscle tone, density, definition and the finer details of muscularity concomitant with tough workouts.

Blast it, eat right, grow, be happy… Godspeed… Dave

I have read many articles and sites about getting lean and ripped, but I have a more unique case. I am 6′2 and about 150 pounds. I have been working out for about 2 years on and off now so I’m am a decent size. However, I don’t have the six pack that I’ve wanted for the longest time.

Overall musclebuilding is far more important and healthier than training for abs as your chief motivator. Your core and midsection will develop sooner, more correctly and functionally.

Building muscle mass and shape and definition takes a long, long time and requires perseverance, trial and error to understand what suits your particular needs. Stick to the basics in menu and training as outlined in my book Brother Iron Sister Steel.

You are 6′2″ and 150 pounds. This is extremely thin and your attention is on great abs… I suspect you need to rethink and revise your training motivations.

If you don’t have tight, visible abs at your weight and height and with two years training, you are on the wrong program. Abs are muscles (like arms) and need to treated as such — rope tucks, hanging leg raises — three days a week. Train abs every other workout.

Eat right to gain needed muscle mass, and the strength and energy that accompanies it to train hard. Add red meat to your diet, the aggressive musclebuilding protein and B-complex source.

Cut the cardio in half as it interferes with sound muscle growth in a lean individual. You can’t have much of a fat problem with your statistic to warrant extensive aerobics. Do cardio HIIT-style and limit the rest.

Eat more animal protein, nutritional carbs and EFAs (50-25-25 ratio). Musclebuild four days a week.

Pay attention and discover your needs without relying on others to lead you. The answers are in you and your training. The sooner this musclebuilding becomes personal through wins and losses and persistence and determination and living and learning, the more fun and productive it becomes. I sense you expect too much too soon, a common and disappointing obstacle for all early and intermediate lifters. Train head, eat right, practice, be strong, be confident.

Go… God’s strength… DD

I have no access to a squat rack and currently do hack squats. I was wondering if there were any other exercises to help develop the outer thigh area for me.

Do deep squats holding dumbbells in your hands. Try walking lunges with a light bar you can place on your back freehand.

Try sissy squats. Stand four or more feet from a secure rigging, with an attached rope mid-waist, hold rope, lean backward and drop with knees bending… you’ll be going down as if falling on your back… control with hands, arms and rope… practice and discover resistance and movement groove.

These are some ideas of leg work when limited by available equipment. Thigh sweep often depends on inherent structure. Not all lifters achieve this quality, and in fact, from a movement perspective — and particularly an athletic perspective, striving for that is not even a good idea.

Don’t neglect hamstrings… curls and leg extensions if possible… lunges — lunges with rotation in the upper body. Try wind sprints.

Go… Godspeed… Dave

I’m seven weeks out from an upcoming bodybuilding contest. Do you have any suggestions for how to retain size while cutting bodyfat?

We’re all so different and respond differently in the last critical stages of contest preparation.
Several errors are quite common among many contestants in the last weeks and days: We get nervous, stressed and doubtful and overly critical, all conditions causing mental and physical inhibition, and result in overtraining and under-nourishing. Cortisol and catabolism have a field day. Avoid these killers.

In the day, I continued to train hard and sensibly and intuitively till two weeks out, dropping bodyweight to my desired weight range by adjusting quantity of food intake (My preferred balance: 50,25,25 — protein, hi-value carbs and fats), removing most milk products.

At this point my training regimen became enthusiastic stimulation with the notion of nurturing my muscle and body with enjoyable and uplifting workouts.

Posing would become, not excessive, but more deliberate.

Visualizing positively — confident imagining — is a valuable practice.

Keep your eyes open for controllable flaws, be grateful for your wonderful development and health, appreciate your strengths.

Rest a lot, but don’t be inactive.

Here’s one for you: aerobics didn’t exist outside supersetting or the tough gym workouts during the golden era. No treadmill, no loop-t-do master, no bike. Don’t over aerobicize, kids.

Don’t starve yourself. Don’t overtrain. Relax and think positively.

Go… Godspeed… Dave

I’m planning to enter a bodybuilding contest and have a few questions. First, I don’t know how to deal with the stage.

Nothing to it. It’s like jumping off a cliff. Once you’re in midair it becomes fun and you forget the fright and the audience becomes your friend. They want to like you. Help them by liking them. Let that be evident in your expressions, your aura, your spirits, your posing through which you speak. Be happy you’re there, on stage with them for the joy of it. Doubt and fear and dread have an odor about them… they turn an audience off… be prepared.

- Is waxing as dreadful and painful as it looks?

Probably, and expensive and sort of embarrassing.

I never knew anyone who waxed in my day. Shave with a barber’s electric clippers for the bulk of the body hair and use a safety razor or average electric shaver to get very close shave. I use a barber’s electric clippers with fine cutting teeth… Perfect.

What can I do to “ignore” the crowd and perform my posing routine at the stage without feeling shy?

You want to choose your exercises wisely — those that accentuate your strong points and hide your weak points — and you want to practice them often with a purposeful mind and discovered enjoyment. Have a pal whom you can trust and who has an eye for muscle and performance help you, assess and encourage you. Practice, practice, practice, so the poses are alive and enthusiastic, automatic but not robotic; so they flow and complement each other, never halted, never doubtful. You are entertaining the audience; work and smile and be real — with real excitement and confidence (not arrogance).

While you rehearse and prepare your posing routine, visualize, imagine, your backstage moments prior to your stage appearance, your name being announced and your appearance. And, too, visualize your routine before the crowd. Always up, always successful, never unsure or dispirited. Purposeful visualizing will put you there before you get there and it’s good, it’s great. Don’t become breathless backstage, be warmed up, lightly oiled and relaxed as possible — certain as possible. Three deep breaths and you’re on your way when they call out your name and favorite gym location.

- What did you do to keep focused in your training and diet when things got tough?

Be strong. That’s the easy part. Never give in. Never, never, never give in.

- What is it like to be Mr. Universe? That’s just what I want to be.

There’s a lot of work and compromise and challenge in preparation and you hope that in itself is a worthy investment in your character and spirit. To win is exciting, confusing, noisy and uplifting to a tired body, mind and soul. The greatest thing about winning is not losing.

There’s more to it than that: gratifying, fulfilling, stunning, cool, large… That was in my day 42 years ago.

Have fun… Hoist the iron… Godspeed

Will twice per day split sessions, same body part, different routine, AM-PM, help or hurt me?

You don’t want to burn out a good and responsive machine. At 26 you can successfully apply such a strategy before a contest or a special occasion, but at 56 you want to be careful with your resources: joints, muscles, endurance and resistance, internal system and central nervous system, motivation, attitude, spirit.

Try it for a month and decide it’s value. If I had to guess, I’ll go with nix on that, though.

Go… God’s Wisdom… Dave

I am 46, an intermediate bodybuilder, 6 feet tall, at 207 lbs, constantly striving for lower body fat while maintaining and gaining muscle mass. The one stubborn area I struggle with are abs. I do HIIT cardio daily, sometimes twice a day- incorporating things from the “300” cardio routine, sometimes wind sprints, kettle bell and the like — for about 20 minutes on an empty stomach- using only Nitric Oxide upon wake up.

The regular supplements I use are: Bulgarian Tribulus, Nitric Oxide 2, Creatine, L-Glutamine, protein shakes with water only, ZMA at Bedtime, DHEA, Multivitamin, EFAs in the form of Olive Oil. I eat a high protein, low in simple carbs, moderate in complex carbs.

You’re definitely on the right track.

There is little more you can do than train hard and persevere in mind and spirit. Not everyone can or will develop six-pack abs, and you might need to settle for a tight and strong midsection.

Seeking a six-pack can be frustrating, time- and energy-consuming and derail the musclebuilding process.

Precautions: Train to build muscle and might. Forget the Nitric Oxide and stick to the basics. Exotic supps and training tricks often lead to burn out. Unload the excess baggage — lighten up and fly right.

You might view our forum… or join in... a smart and friendly bunch.

Train hard and always… God’s Might… Dave

My inner biceps grow, but I have no outer biceps. I’ve tried close grip barbell curls, nothing seems to work. Do you think it’s just genetic, or can I do something about this?

Solution in brief: Biceps and triceps exercises of the most basic variations, plus patient time, enthusiastic hard work, loving persistence, high hopes, plenty of protein, sufficient rest. Your arms (and much more) will grow impressively according to their pre-described pattern.

Time and Perseverance and Focus work Wonders.

There’s nothing specific you can do to accentuate the outer area of the arm. This region develops as muscles and training mature and according to your genetic blueprint.

Rotate in other biceps-building exercises for variation and completeness — incline curls (25 to 45 degrees), standing straight bar curls (oly bar is fun), thumbs-up curls with dumbbells and reverse curls. Either of the latter might very well hit the area more directly.

On all exercises try 4 - 5 sets x 10, 8, 6 reps, increasing the weight according to urge, need, common sense or instinct.

Fullness of bis depends upon fullness — thickness — of triceps as well.

Also, biceps are involved in most every exercise as you train the whole body and are subject to overload and subsequent development — cleans, sidearm lateral raises, rows, pulldowns. I’ll bet these movements account for substantial behind-the-scenes biceps thickening and shaping. Every little bit counts.

Of course, training intensity with an eye on power is a swell idea — In other words, Blast It!

I speak the truth. Hoist that steel… Draper… Godspeed

I have a son who trains hard, eats well and is very very strict on himself. He’s very dedicated to his dream of being a professional bodybuilder. I do not want to kill his dream, but I also do not want him to waste years of his life on something that’s never going to happen. My question to you is does he have any kind of realistic chance at achieving his goals?

Part of the great journey of lifting weights is the growth of character and commonsense and insight. There’s a good chance he will develop these hallmark qualities. As for becoming a champion bodybuilder sponsored by the fitness industry and continuing a career as a paid product endorsee, the chances are one in a zillion.

There are few things more worthy than muscular fitness and good health and the determination to achieve them. The money will make a strong man weak, a healthy man sick.

Remember: The iron heals, mends, fortifies, toughens, vitalizes, enables, engages, entertains, satisfies, serves, instructs, humbles and makes a good door stop… (note… riches, yes… no mention of money).

My suggestion: Train hard and always… God’s Might… Dave

Although my upper body has dialed in tremendously, my legs lack the hardness and cuts that I need in order to place in a bodybuilding competition. Any advice as to how to cut the legs up in the next ten weeks?

I suspect your legs need more musclebuilding work and not last-minute cutting-up techniques. I’d continue healthy, productive leg training and lighten up the last week to drop a few pounds of water-weight often held in thighs.

Flexing thighs intensely in various poses regularly between now and show time should help delineate the muscles, and familiarize you with their action and potential.

The journey continues… Godspeed… DD

What are the benefits or attributes of thin skin and what does this say about fitness or heredity?

Thin skin is generally an indicator of low bodyfat content and allows developed muscle to stand out in bold relief. Muscle definition, delineation and striation are coveted bodybuilding qualities.

Thin skin is a sign of a healthy and fast metabolism and/or hard, disciplined training and eating.

I’m occasionally asked how I got my forearms so vascular, a better way to describe what I call thin skin. I started resistance exercise with hand grips when I was a little kid and have always worked forearms with the usual wrist curls and reverse curl supersets. I also have a predisposition to vascular extremities as my legs are vascular as well.

Consistent hard work and eating to be lean contribute to the cause… Go… DD

My gym now has a standing calf-raise machine; I do two sets of twelve of each: forward, inward, outward. Is that sufficient or should I be persisting ’til I want to groan? And donkey raises are a matter of someone sitting on my lower back, oui?

A set of calf work is not complete till the calves cry for mercy, the louder the better.

Yes, super-builder donkeys are as you suspect. Last time I did those was with Arnold in 1970 at Joe Gold’s Gym in Venice.

Another common question: Is it beneficial to do calf work every day? Or does one reach a point of diminishing returns by hitting them that often?

I believe calves are mostly built in the womb. However, some size can be built, but only when intense and extended efforts are made. Many sets and high reps with moderate weight, much burning and back-to-back workouts, seated and standing and any other variation of the calf-muscle action.

Diminishing returns can only be determined by the troubled yet hopeful practitioner.

Don’t be too greedy with the calves. Seems one needs dear Mom and Dad genes for those stubborn buggers to grow. Superset seated and standing for a time, try every day calf work, high reps and tons of stretching… the list goes on.

I can’t see any reason for separating quads and hams and calves. Complicates matters and serves no purpose unless you’re seeking some priority due to slow muscle response… or under someone’s canned influence.

Remember this: We don’t always get what we want. That’s not being negative or against the American dream; it’s the naked truth. But we sure do try hard, don’t we?

What exactly is a superset? Two or three reps at very high weight?

Supersets are two exercises that complement each other done consecutively as one set, hence superset.

Examples:

Same bodypart superset — Standing calf exercise followed by seated calf, allowing a short (or not-so-short) pause between sets

Opposing bodypart superset — Barbell curl followed by overhead triceps extension

Time between sets depends on your physical condition (recuperation), your goals and your training familiarity resulting in immediate continuation of action or a restful, preparatory 30 seconds between set.

Between supersets, time is gauged according exercise combination, exercise intensity and your needs and goals — 30 seconds or less to two minutes or more.

I like four to five supersets for completion. I no longer hurry.

More reading: Superset training

I’ve been training for several years, powerlifting more or less, and, at 42, am thinking about trying a bodybuilding contest. Is it realistic to gain a couple more inches without suffering tendon tears due to overloads along the way? I’m still seeking size while trying to cut.

It’s good to keep the hopes high while putting your heart into your workouts. Training with confidence and enthusiasm, along with consistency and right eating, are the keys to musclebuilding success. To assure continued health in these major areas I’d rethink your bodybuilding possibilities with your structure and age factor. Disappointment and frustration are killers and we should not allow them a foothold in our lives.

I suspect your development is powerful and thick, and you will find it antagonizing to lose weight and muscle mass and strength as you seek your envisioned muscularity and shape.

Your second comment about seeking size during your contest preparation suggests you’re not prepared for the steps and mindset it takes to get muscle separation and definition and vascularity. I, too, hate dropping weight and mass.

I suspect your genetic and acquired metabolism might not be leaning toward muscularity. Thick, dense muscle without hardness and obvious vascularity is an indicator.

I highly recommend you enter your bodybuilding phase of weight training for health and safety, fun, learning, curiosity, change of pace, continued muscle improvement and training longevity. As you proceed, enjoy the journey, hard work and development, but don’t over-scrutinize; don’t set unreal goals. You’ve got strong years of training ahead. See what transpires and appreciate your progress and be thankful always.

And here’s something to consider when you find you’re not ready for your bodybuilding contest.

Carry on and God’s speed… dave

I am a 20 year old Indian, and have been going to the gym for four years, but have not achieved much. I am a regular at the gym and do my workouts perfectly. People in India train six days a week, one muscle per day. When I talk about the cyclic training they tell me that it won’t suit me. People outside Asia train different muscle groups in a single session, four days a week. Help! Please tell me which method is beneficial?

I challenge you to train according to your needs and common sense and instincts, and not as directed by the conventional, narrow-minded do-it-my-way hotshots outside your very personal sphere. Current waves of training are didactic and blunted.

Stick to IronOnline and be filled with truth and encouragement. Join in the fun and learning of the IOL forum, a gathering of great people, a hungry and instructive lot with a wonderful capacity to share and enlighten.

I offer you direction through some brief, straight-forward davedraper.com links, a great summary of training advice…

Six Keys to Successful Bodybuilding

Sample Weight Training Workouts

General Nutrition Guidelines

This Slumpbuster page will offer you a sample of how to add a little fun to your workout. Try one of these combinations to discover joy in your training this month.
Live and learn and train hard always… Be strong.

Go… God’s strength… Dave

I’ve heard about off-season & in-season training, but I’m quite confused. What do these mean? How many seasons are there in bodybuilding? And how should one train during theses seasons?

As a free and unbridled weight trainer, you have the privilege and right to train as you please and discover firsthand the attributes of different lifting methodology.

Try each program for four to five weeks and see how you respond and how you enjoy one compared to the other. You have plenty of time for the greatest teacher of all, trial and error.
The training styles are all good, worth the investment of time and energy, and you will move forward. Sometimes trainees will choose a program that suits his or her nature. Are you a high rep or low rep personality?

High reps can be good for trimming, conditioning, pumping or treating injuries. They can be also excessive and boring.

Medium reps fit all purposes.

Low reps are generally used for bulking and increasing power, but can be also an injury risk.

That’s why I like to mix the reps — to get the benefits and rewards of all three.

Carry on… God’s speed… dd