Dave Draper’s Musclebuilding Q&A

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

Could you help me with some advice? How do I get over the fear of working out with all these strong guys like you? All I want is for my muscles to have muscles if you know what I mean.

You don’t need a lot of help. Bodybuilding is a simple process with hard work and dedication as the main requirements.

You need to train hard and eat right regularly. Choose the basic exercises (presses, curls, rows, deadlifts, squats, chins and dips) in a basic routine and practice them with attention, growing confidence and loving affection. You, yourself, will soon become your most important and accurate and enthusiastic teacher.

You must dare yourself to go to the gym of your choice just to look around… like going to a shop to buy a suit or a holiday mutton or a car. Fear not (I know, easily said) cuz most people in the gym are not unlike you — rather new, wondering and in need of physical conditioning. Unless it’s different in your town, the muscle guys at worst will ignore you, and at best, remember their own early venture to the gym and help you.

Another thing… try this… ask permission to hop on a stationary bike for five minutes. The activity diverts self-consciousness to effort and performance, and a hint of endorphins or adrenaline or pure confidence charges the system and you painlessly, shamelessly transform into one of the committed trainees. Works!

I believe the best book for you to read as a beginner seeking advanced status is Brother Iron Sister Steel. See your library or our online store.  I don’t have time to go into details. That’s why I wrote the book — to get you where you want to go with no wasted words; just motivation, inspiration and the plane facts in exercise, nutrition and savvy.

God’s speed… Dave

I want to get started on an exercise program but don’t know what I’m doing. I’m thinking about taking group exercise classes at a local gym. Will that work as well as a personal trainer?

At best:
Any exercise is better than none, and the group or class attempts might serve some folks sufficiently. Better yet, the classes might interest the novices and prepare them for more serious exercise fulfillment ­ training on their own with more defined goals, awareness and self-motivation.

The success of the groups and classes depends largely on the instructor, his or her knowledge of the sport and understanding of people, enthusiasm and devotion and commitment to teach. Muscle building approaching the intermediate level requires more time, greater intensity and more individualized focus than one can expect from group performance. Personal drive and aspiration do not thrive in group environments.

Obvious concerns:
The fact that classes or groups meet at a specific time can be a drawback in today’s world of rush and hurry. I can see self-consciousness and ego interfering in small group settings. Bad habits or wrong concepts — difficult to aright — can be ingrained in the beginner. The level of attending mentalities might be less than aspiring, inspiring. Entertainment might become the focus and musclebuilding a possible by-product.

The smartest way for a reasonably motivated beginner to step into training is to hire a trainer who is seasoned, polite and personable for three workout sessions to teach him or her the basics in weightlifting and diet. The trainee practices his lessons faithfully and attentively, visiting his trainer once very four to six weeks for encouragement and counsel. The basics and consistent performance regularly are the best teachers and only by them will muscles and fitness, independence and fulfillment be realized.

How do you choose a personal trainer that’s right for you? Seasoned (does not mean old), polite and listens and hears, sense of humor, common-sensible, articulates but doesn’t quote from books, demonstrates and not given to perfection and excessive detail. Doesn’t drive a Ferrari or where gold necklaces.

There’s a modern small group exercise movement afoot. The right instructor with the right program with the right group of people changed the dynamics a lot. Bodybuilding is something different, and requires getting in deep in the iron.

That’s that… God’s speed… 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 am 24 years old, 5’10′ at 73kg after three years of training. My whole skeleton is weak, and my ribcage and shoulder bones are too narrow. I tried supplements, but the result was zero. Can you help?

There’s not much you can do with your bone structure beyond what you’re already doing. A sound diet (including meat and milk products) and focused weight training are the pathways to improvement. I believe everyone has gifts and qualities and strengths and weaknesses they are born with and, accordingly, degrees of potential.

Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and with courage and wisdom adjust your life to fit and fulfill them.

Here are a couple of favorite links:

• General nutrition guidelines
• Keys to bodybuilding

Unless you have a medical problem, hard training, right eating and a courageous attitude are your best answers.

None of this is easy or quick… but it is fantastic…

Godspeed… Dave

I’m 19 and have been training for six months. I have a lot of questions for you.  I train six days a week, splitting bodyparts as I was instructed by a friend. He told me to switch to a new routine every two months, and then he moved away. Could you write me a new program? I also wanted to ask about the bench press. How can I get my bench to 225? Should I work more singles? I was thinking about benching every other workout. Are squats important? Some guys say they are, but they’re really hard.

I’m very generous with my time and info, but you are young and not seeking on your own. You want answers dropped in your lap, and thus, I expect you want muscle and might gained as conveniently. Everything you ask is answered on the davedraper.com website, in the IronOnline forum, or in Brother Iron Sister Steel (go to the local library—they’ll order it for you). Dig around.

This is tough stuff for tough people, takes lots of time and is a wonderful adventure, worth every mighty minute.

Go… God’s Strength… DD

I’ve avoided lifting heavy things most of my life, but started hitting the gym as I hit middle/post middle age and after starting very light, I find I’m very slowly working my way up the dumbbells. My question is about moving up in weights. I find I’m always wanting to push to that next five pound increment, but often to get there I can’t maintain form. Should you wait until you can do the next weight level with good form, or is it OK to lose a bit of form on that last heavy set?

There are exact methodologies to slowly add weight to your lifts, but they are too tedious for me to outline. Somewhere in our pages they were outlined years ago when such information seemed important to my range of readers. Now most of us do what we can, when we can, with sensible mighty exertion, avoid injury, eat right and rest a lot and stick to it with a smile and a grin and a wince.

Play with the set, rep and weight arrangement on chosen movements: a warm-up set and then some doubles and singles with aspiring weight goals.

Keep a log… improvise, be careful and intuitive.

Bad form and poor grooves are bad news. A little thrust or body-coaxing is okay — unless you tear somethin’…

Be tough, but don’t be mean…

He who lasts longest wins…

Press on and on and on…

Godspeed… Dave

What are your overall thoughts on the big three (squat, bench, deadlift), for a 46-year-old who’s just getting back into the iron game after a long hiatus? Out of those three, which one was your favorite for overall size and strength?

Take your time re-familiarizing yourself with the iron and reconditioning the body. I’d diversify, including standing barbell curls and rows and chins and dips. Last thing you need is an injury or brutal pain.

Think dumbbell presses instead of bench presses when the tank’s rollin’ (bench plays havoc with the shoulders — dumbbells better muscle builder). Squats and deadlifts are favored movements, most beneficial and challenging.

Train hard, eat right, rest lots, grow, smile and drink Bomber Blend…

Godspeed… Dave

I was hoping you would have a section on seniors who want to stay in shape. I’m turning 65 soon and would like to build back a little muscle and lose some weight, but you know the metabolism in seniors is low. I think mine is zero.

I’m good for pointing directions and encouraging folks, not taking on the responsibility of real teaching.

If I were you I’d start walking with determination daily, taking on hills and stairs and distance as you accustom yourself to the exercise. Walking with a weighted backpack or hand weights make interesting musclebuilding alternatives. Laree listens to info-cds when she hits the stairs and hills. Neat trick.

Check your diet: it’s simple to eat right and it’s a life-saver. Get rid of the junk (like pop, sugary and non-nutritious carbohydrates, greasy fats, cigs, excess alcohol) and seek a balance of 30-percent good fats (nuts, unsaturated fats, essential fatty acids), 30-percent good carbs (lots of fresh vegetables, some fruit and grain, plenty of fiber) and 40-percent protein from fish, chicken, meat, eggs and dairy.

Eat enough — breakfast through dinner in smaller servings — and not too much. More water is always good advice.

Resistance exercise (dumbbells, barbells, weight machines) is a good idea. This takes equipment and some direction. The right gym, two or three personal training sessions only, with an honest guy not looking to take you for a long, unnecessary ride, or some pounding the iron in your garage every other day.

Commonsense is my favorite tool.

Dave

I’m thinking about taking July off from training. What happens if you don’t train?

What if I don’t train? Holy smoking guns! Just presenting the notion causes me to cringe, like I made a blasphemous statement before the raging spirits of muscle and power. The thunder I heard, that flash of light — tell me they were my imagination.

Let’s try that again. Ask yourself

>> What if I don’t train?

• You shrivel up and die within seconds. Just Kidding! It takes days. Still kidding. Personally, I’m hoping humor will protect me from obliteration, an old-fashioned superstition steeped in mysterious fact. When I don’t train (never happens) I wisely wear a wooden cross around my neck to guard me from demons.

• Guilt is immediate, and eats away at the soul.

• The muscles die from lack of stimulation and tender, loving care.

• You become confused ­ life and things become less clear. Disorder rules, collapse is inevitable.

• You care less, as there is less to care for and care about.

• Stress mounts, as that which dissipated the dreadful disease is no longer present.

• People point and stare and whisper about your squishy arms and jelly belly. People can be cruel.

• What once was light in weight becomes indescribably heavy. Oooff is an unappealing (and most revealing) sound you make more and more frequently, like, when carrying out the garbage.

• Your snug T-shirt fits like a sack and your baggy sweatpants like a leotard. Cute.

• You find it fatiguing to order pizza and beer from Joe’s Place. You wish they’d just send it automatically.

• Great energy is expended moving from the recliner to bed after the late show, nevermind moving the iron from the squat rack to the benchpress after work.

• The only discipline you exhibit is when your dog drags you around the block for the evening poop ‘n scoop. Down, Spot.

If you are just starting out on a routine and need to purchase a set of barbells, what would you need in numbers and weight of them?

I’d head for the nearest sporting goods store and look at their selection of adjustable barbells and dumbbells. Base your decision on seriousness of mission, your goals, your strength, space available and budget.

The more weight equipment you have, the less adjusting of weight required for different exercises. Garage sales and flea markets and newspaper ‘for sale’ ads are a good place to shop. — Oh, heck, online savvy shoppers would be on the local craigslist, or so I hear

You should have at least a long bar, two short bars and 150 pounds of weights. More is better, less will work. Build your body, health and gym from there.

dd

What do you mean by “pump” in training? What is meant by “no rest” in the dumbbell routine?

I don’t understand the Q.

Generally speaking, I rest just long enough to let the burn subside and gain my wind to hit the next set intensely and with focus — in straight sets or supersets (one set of one exercise followed immediately by one set of another exercise).

The pump is the temporary feel-good inflow of blood supporting the tissues under load. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Glad to have you aboard… God’s strength… DD

It is very difficult for me to stay focused on my bodybuilding dream when I have to deal with all this “discouragement” on my own. How do you do it?

Lack of encouragement does not necessarily mean discouragement. It’s nice and good to have an audience of approval or at least acceptance, but when it is not present and you continue your pursuits, you know you have the desire needed to approach your goals, whatever they might be. I recognized my goals were worthy and I obliged myself in spite of and, perhaps because of, the lack of support around me. I saw weight lifting as a tough application that separated me from the conventional crowd and that I found especially appealing. I wanted to be different.

There’s an answer to your question in here somewhere. Weight lifting early on, though not the most popular interest of the day was then and, of course, is today valuable, productive and right.

I was attracted, thank God, and encouragement/inspiration/purpose came from within. No one discouraged me.

dd

Is there a secret to doing front squats? When I try the front squats I just fall over. Are there any tips or just supreme strength and conditioning required?

The front squat is a terrific movement. I’m sure there are smart and elaborate instructions for the movement on the web, but it’s courage, commonsense, warming up, trial and error and practice.

• Keep the bar in a high and secure position, shoulders back, eyes upward, back flat
• Drop down with minimum of forward motion
• Reach parallel target position and power straight up
• No forward lean or lag

Here’s a helpful link to learn the squat pattern using Dan John’s goblet squats.

Have fun… Godspeed… Dave

Could you help me with an exercise routine I saw in a magazine?  It was about a bodybuilder whose exercise was lateral dumbbell raises and his sets were

40lb x 10 reps
50 x 10
60 x10
80 x 10

What is the purpose of this? I’ve seen this quite a bit with other bodybuilders I’ve read about. Wouldn’t more sets with 80lbs be more beneficial?

I’m not being a wiseguy here, but don’t believe much of what you read in the mags. It’s all a tale unless you write it yourself.

Perhaps the lifter is warming up, prepping and psyching with each set for an all-out crescendo on the final set.

We work out, share, inspire, win and lose and learn and grow, always changing and experimenting… we press on… no rules but intensity and consistency.

Godspeed… DD

I’m getting ready to join a gym, but the places I went to were very shiny. This just doesn’t feel right. Can I get a good workout there, or where should I look?

It is brought to my attention regularly that I speak to the choir. The choir, my dear friends, is all that is left. The congregation is leaving the blessed building daily. Look at the gyms today; they’re veritable playgrounds, complete with elaborate, electronic toys, monkey bars, see-saws and swings; noise, misbehavior and disorder. Where are the squat racks?

A few good workout facilities are sprinkled about the musclebuilding landscape. They struggle like a bear whose hind leg is caught in a trap, pulling and straining to gain freedom, bleeding and losing strength. The decent gyms among the chains are packed with pretenders and charlatans, imitators and mimics, bullies and wise guys and male and female hound dogs. Some know they are and some don’t.

The remnant of seekers is strong and growing stronger. In every exercise center there is a striver who lost 10, 20 and 50 pounds, avoided heart surgery, leveled his blood sugar, restored his self-esteem or delightedly shopped for appealing summer wear — a brand new experience. Look and you’ll find a determined believer who lifted 300 pounds, did his first chin-up or plans to enter a master’s athletic event.

The best we can do is spread the word to anyone who will listen, follow the precepts of healthy and mighty living as best we can and support one another. We never know when a lost, weak, overweight, undernourished and ailing soul will see or hear us and be saved from a life of hurt and soft.

Go, man, go!

dd

I’m returning to the gym after a long layoff (college, law school, starting a practice, getting married… getting old!). I trained regularly through high school and early college years. Will muscle memory bring strength back fast?

The thing you have going for you is the gym floor and training savvy. Your past experiences with the weights and the struggle prepares you for the obstacles ahead and eliminates the doubts, wrong moves and wondering.

However, how much muscle-memory you’ve retained after a 15 to 20-year layoff remains to be determined. That’s part of the fun of returning to your workouts after an absence.

Be realistic in your hopes and aspirations, and be thrilled with your revived energy and training desire. Regard it as a blessing or good fortune.

God’s speed and don’t you dare quit… for your sake, your kids’ sake and your wife, God and country… Dave

I’m getting ready to re-start my training. Do you think I should join a gym or train at home?

Often motivation on the gym floor surrounded by hard trainees and sights and sounds still falls flat. It’s in our hearts and minds and not always at our fingertips.

Ideally, one would have a home gym and a gym membership too. One or two workouts a week at the Colosseum and two or three in the dungeon, according to moods and needs.

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

I too have had open heart surgery… could stand a challenge and especially from you to really keep the momentum.

The end-of-year challenge the IronOnline forum members do works because it has the spirit of many. Review the logs on the forum of those who participated — they’re interesting and insightful, and perpetuate the reader and the writer.

Then start yourself a training log in the logs section. People will cheer you on. Great opportunity to press on with shared power… while being private, focused and alone… my preference…

Go… Godspeed… Dave