Dave Draper’s Musclebuilding Q&A

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 would like to get my cardio system in shape. I know bodybuilding is probably your main focus, however, might you have any suggestions on how to safely work towards being able to jog for about 30 min. 4-6 times per week?  I’m not in shape right now, but I have until this coming January to work towards this goal.

If I were you I’d begin with a pair of flat running shoes  (gotta take care of the feet). Then I’d commence my training by walking through a ready-to-go course to prepare the body and mind, and to become familiar with the terrain (streets, parks, neighborhood, traffic, lions, tigers). This can be done daily, a variety of courses if you desire. Hydrate, keep water handy. I’d then mix walking and jogging over short distances (walk a block, jog a block, walk, jog). You might practice this every other day.

In due time, as you observe the great athlete within rise up (you’re injury-free, heart and lungs function more fully everyday, legs becoming stronger and more enduring, your understanding of your abilities has matured and instincts have evolved), increase you total distance… increase the jogging duration, decrease the walking, run swiftly on occasion when spirited. Finesse your goals.

That’s sort of the Bomber strategy: warm up, don’t overtrain, take your time, listen to and heed pain signals in structure, eat right, rest lots, nudge the weights regularly.

Isn’t there a book you can reference? Jogging for Idiots? (where I’d fit into a running program)

Go… Dave

How did you lose fat back in the day before a contest? You don’t say a lot about cardio, so I assume you didn’t do too much of it. How do you feel about “slow” cardio, as in walking for hours a day?

No secrets, just the basics, hard work and smart nutrition all-year-round. I cleaned up the diet and amped the training in the last six weeks.

We did little traditional aerobics in those days, though we split our training to twice a day and dropped power-pounds through eating less of the bulking foods… high glycemics, milk products and such.

Longer cardio is healthy but no big muscularizer or muscle-mass changer. 15 to 20 minutes three times a week is smart… look up HIIT.

We press on by God… DD

Do you think I can train for hypertrophy for my upper body and endurance for my legs? Are these at cross-purposes?

You can try and I suspect you will. You are, as you note, working in two sort of different directions at once. Not an ideal situation, but worth the struggle.

You will progress slowly but surely as you persist. You will try various methodologies in your pursuit, get frustrated, struggle, get inspired, struggle and grow and learn. Beats going to school for advanced courses in personal training. They’ll be coming to you for answers.

Feed the muscle and carry on the good fight…. God’s speed… Dave

What is your advice for fitting in training with a busy life? I just don’t seem to have the time anymore.

I think the best advice comes wrapped up with a clear, almost sharp, yet friendly and humorous reminder of the consequences of foregoing one’s exercise and dietary responsibilities during the holiday season; the unwanted weight gain, loss of muscle and fitness, discipline and mental balance, a great habit interrupted, the uncontrolled extension of a minor training gap which has been know to last till the spring and at a very large cost.

The softball approach is correct, but the same as the next and last. Savvy tough — a cute kick in the pants — rings a bell for most, and we appreciate the cue.

I did a miniature article on fitness for a local mag and suggested a push-pull routine of one exercise for each action to accompany a short core and leg raise routine, done first as a warm-up (2 ­ 3 sets x maximum, 10 -25 reps). Many exercise combinations will work and therefore can be alternated according to a trainee’s modified “busy life” training scheme (every other day, three days a week, whenever). I offered the standing barbell curl and the incline dumbbell press cuz there’s plenty of overlapping muscle action (3 ­ 4 sets x 10 repetitions). Alternates can be seated lat row and machine dips, or leg press and stiff-leg deadlift… etc…

Short burst workouts performed with focus and spirit can be very effective for muscle stimulation and cardio activity. Not a beat will be lost and something will be learned, about training, about oneself.

It’s getting the folks to the gym. Encouragement is like nitro. A training partner and a commitment during busy times is a clever combination. Spouse, like-minded friend…

Early AM is best and precludes excuses and reasons to miss throughout the day. Home training works anytime and it might be good timing to examine the notion. Small pair of adjustable dumbbells and an improvised bench can open new doors to the garage, basement, bedroom corner and nifty lifestyle.

A big cautionary note: Don’t eat and drink like a fool. I sometimes want to soften that one, but it’s important to guys and gals of all ages. The days come and go, and mixed in with the fun and freedom is guilt, a dark cloud not far overhead. Then the months go by and life is a small mess — lethargy, overweight, grimness, lost disciplines, procrastination — oh, my.

It’s a serious, pervasive problem. Nip that one in the bud pronto.

dd

In my combination of martial arts and weight training, probably overdoing both, at what point does the pain degenerate into more pain and eventual injury? And are there specialized workouts for psychos like me who actually enjoy lifting weights seven days week?

Soon, real soon. You need to fix your head, your body, your goals, your priorities, your realities…

Nothing personal, we’re all nuts and we all need to do the same things: Live, lift, practice you art, learn and grow and be happy. The weights and martial arts are big contributors. They can also be great detractors… too much, like anything, can break you.

The body needs rest, the mind needs space, emotions need relief, creativity needs room, dog needs kibbles, kitty needs petting, baby needs shoes.

Part of your discipline and growth is to take a day off. Try one. Try two. Real whackos are afraid to. No other interests… insecure… think they’ll slide backwards or fail, or be forced to face responsibilities and/or themselves.

There are ways of balancing your training endeavors… your best friends are common sense and instinct. Only you know which is most important — iron or martial arts — to you. Blend them sensibly: alternate days, 3 iron and 3 art, or 2 iron/4 art, or 2 art/4 iron. Trial and error and experiment and experience. I hope you’re young.

dd

1) My torso completely dwarfs my arms, giving me a bad side view. I need to supersize my arms. I’ve been doing for my triceps: 2 compound exercises like close grip bench & one exercise each for all 3 heads as heavy as I can. For biceps, 2 compound exercise, 1 for peak, one for outer arm. I’ve been following this routine  over a year now. This I do twice a week. But there’s no improvement in size AT ALL. My arms seem to have frozen at 14 inches. Do hourly swimming sessions 4 times a week thin the  arms? Or can it be my diet? 2) I can see & feel a six pack in my mid section when I tighten it, but when I leave it relaxed, my belly looks big, especially from the side view, and it sorta hangs down. What should I do to improve it?

Probably not diet if it is protein-high and full of good and fresh stuff  — veggies and clean carbs and EFAs.

You’re as fit as a fiddle, but want the body of a bass. Your problem is the healthy, but contradictory, swimming regimen. You can do both and life is good, but you will not excel at both at once. Opposing musclebuilding activity; volume swimming naturally encourages the body to be efficiently strong and buoyant, hence, streamlined musculature, less muscle bulk and more internal fat and surface fat.

Life is full of compromises…

As a swimmer you have well-developed diaphragm muscles from proper and dutiful breathing. And in the watery environment, your associated abdominal and breathing muscles are left to properly distend as you inhale and exhale. That, plus the swimmer’s buoyancy factor, might be a hard to overcome problem. Due to structure and genetic factors, not everyone can achieve the desirable six-pack.

My thoughts… press on… God’s strength… DD

I’m starting my 3rd combat tour here in Afghanistan and have some time to devote to physical fitness. I was wondering if there was any training advise tailored more to a soldier’s requirements than just bodybuilding. A soldier’s physical fitness test is currently graded by how many pushups and situps we can do in two minutes and then how fast we can complete a two-mile run. Being in tune with the bodybuilding and performance community as you are, can you direct me to a program that is more in line with performing this test as well as possible?

Two links to view to get you started: Nate Morrison’s Alpine Tactical and our Police and Fire Testing fitness overview page.

To enhance your performance as a runner, I  suggest you run regularly, including sprints and hills and stairs. Time your two-mile runs on occasion and seek to improve your numbers. Don’t flog yourself.

Same for pushups. Practice them every other day to avoid overtraining, and apply x sets of  y reps (perhaps 5 sets of 80-percent-max reps) to build muscle and power and technique. Once weekly go for a set of max reps. Modify my set-rep and weekly max according to your own abilities and common sense.

All basic bodybuilding (I prefer the idea of musclebuilding) exercises are effective in increasing muscle and strength.

God Bless America and our amazing military… Big Thanks for your sacrifice and service… Dave

I have a very unique training question and haven’t been able to find much on the subject anywhere. I train the Olympic lifts 2 days a week and do some work capacity training 2 other days a week, mostly with burpees and kettlebell snatches for high reps.  Do you have any thoughts on how to incorporate some bodybuilding type training into a routine like this?

Such exercises can serve as a body builders as soon as you put a size-building slant on your training. This means higher reps on the oly lifts, more controllable weight, a tighter pace and a musclebuilding attention in your mind, pump and burn.

Your diet, your menu, might need modification.

Perhaps, when the time is right, when you get the urge, you can put the Olympic lifts aside for a month (change is good) and get out the ever-fruitful dumbbells for inclines presses, curls, triceps extensions, rows and pullovers for the adventure, research and experience. During this time you can evaluate their worth and improvise a way to mingle the two closely allied activities.

You’re equipped to do this… have fun… DD

I cannot for the life of me figure out what the “truck pushes” in your workout might look like.  Pushups done against a Smith bar??

Basically, that’s it. Between sets I push against a stable piece of equipment to stretch my calves and work my core as if I were vigorously pushing a truck out of the mud… sounds dumb, but I can’t achieve hip mobility, leg action and warm up the shoulders and tris…

Be creative, 5 sets x 30 to 60 second mild or grunting thrusts.
Don’t like mud? Pretend it’s snow…
Godspeed… Dave

I now weigh 189 pounds and am trying to gain a little more weight. I do 30 minute cardio workouts about five times a week, using a form of HIIT training you speak of on your website. Is this the right idea?

HIIT is the best way to go, though you don’t want to overdue the cardio. Too much interferes with muscle growth and can be an energy and motivation sacrifice. 15-minute sessions might be a target in the future.

Laree and Byron have been poking around with longer cardio lately (Laree’s been talking about more cardio for weight loss, particularly for women, for a long time), and I’ll bet there’s a case to be made for that as we age.

HIIT is  a great payoff for the time investment, and with shorter sessions, most people are more likely to keep it up. I’m not sure I’d do it five times a week. That’s quite a hit physically if you’re working it hard.

dd

In balancing gym training with martial arts, while I may look better than had I never lifted, and I have some strength, what’s the use if none of it can be applied in a meaningful way outside the gym, especially should I ever need to defend myself?

I practiced karate for a brief period in the ’60s to learn stance, attitude and sense of fighting, defending and aggressing. That was in the range of sufficient for my needs, as the thorough study of the art is consuming. Wrestling, boxing and martial arts coexist well, if one has the time, the energy, desire  and affinity for both.

I’d learn the basics of boxing and grappling for the purpose of self-defense from someone capable, but not get caught up in ratings and classes and style and art form. I wish I had a big bag and a speed bag to apply myself to with some fundamentals, my own instincts and my own rage.

Push iron, beat bag… Push iron, beat bag… Push iron, beat bag

DD

Been lifting weights for 30 years. At 43, is there any reason I couldn’t stop lifting weights and just freehand exercise — chins, dips, handstand pushups, hindu pushups, one-legged squats, muscle-ups, etc?  My goal at this point is to be strong, agile and fit. Other than potential for massive bulk, is there something weights bring to the table that bodyweight exercises don’t?

Yes! Iron.

I think one can achieve or maintain fitness with a good diet and the variety of freehand exercises you list, providing they are well-executed, vigorous, thoughtfully arranged and consistent.

Certain lean, muscley body types (those guys with natural abs and no excess skin, the dirty rats) respond well to bodyweight exercise, significantly better than others.

If muscle mass and power are really important to the trainee, resistance exercise (weights, cables, kettlebells) is the by far leader of the pack.

Injuries lurk in dark corners. Lately, I dare not chin for fear of pulling my biceps… I refuse to freehand dip or perform a pushup because I suspect I’ll shred my rotator cuff. But I lift wisely and safely.

Give me the iron, just enough, and I’ll press on… DD

PS: Did I mention Bomber Blend… it’s the greatest…

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

Is it true that if I’m a regular swimmer, my arms and legs will go thin and my torso relatively larger and grotesque due to adaptation of my body to prolonged swimming?

My guess follows: If you want a bodybuilder’s body, bodybuild primarily and add sufficient swimming as a healthy aerobic activity tol develop sound universal muscle, as well as improve cardiovascular health. Too much will interfere with large, thick muscle development, and counter bodybuilding goals.

If your goals are athletic fitness superiority, the two modes of exercise are accommodating. Add cycling and running and you’re a triathlete.

Swimming, as a training priority for winning competition, will produce a system of muscles to accomplish your challenges: more supple arms, broad shoulders and wide back, with a trim waist and strong, lean leg musculature. Wise weight training will assist your swimming power.

dd

I can swim for an hour continuously, but I can’t run continuously at medium speed for more than three minutes on a manual treadmill inclined at 20 degrees. Even running a mile in the stadium is a big pain. I start gasping and it sucks. What do you think is the reason for this?

Ask a swim coach.

My logic: Entirely different activities with different muscles involved and under demand. Legs are not conditioned for endurance running, traps and back and diaphram working under largely different conditions (in water/out of water support or suspension).

Structure must have something to do with it — what one is best built for. Running is in many ways a tougher training task on the muscular system — more systemically demanding — plus no time to glide, no buoyancy, nothing relaxes.

Matter of conditioning… plus less accustomed to gravity. I suspect if you practiced running instead of swimming, you’d reverse this trend.

dd

I started a new plan of working out 3 days a week and hitting the speed bag and heavy bag after my weight routine. Should I work out on the speed bag and heavy bag the same days that I am doing weight training on my arms or should I do the speedbag and heavy bag workout on opposite days?

I don’t have a specific answer. You’re in charge.

The bag is a great activity by itself and can assist one’s general conditioning if one is young, vital, eats right and is not excessive in either of his workouts. Only a month into the combination of exercises, you’ll have to live, lift, experiment and learn and grow.

Mix the two activities as your energy and desire dictates: same day, alternate days, before and after weight training and evaluate the coordination of activities. Do you favor one over the other?

If your goal is to develop both equally, timing doesn’t matter. Enjoy both and the dilemma will sort out itself.

If big muscles dominate your goals, the bag work will need to be minimal… an aerobic assist and not a muscle overload or teardown.

And so it goes with your skills in bag work… determine your priorities.

Busy… gotta go… Godspeed… DD