Dave Draper’s Musclebuilding Q&A

Having been infected with the disease requiring the need for iron more than 30 years ago, I have come to a crossroad. I was recently diagnosed with PV (polythycemia vera) and mitrial regurutation, and have been told by my hematologist “no more weight lifting.” I’m awaiting my visit to the cardiologist to see if I need to have surgery. Silly me, I thought the shortness of breath and chest pains were just a sign of an older guy still being able to hold his own. I ask no medical advice of you, only that if you have the time, can you answer me this? I’m a deeply spiritual person and have prayed over this, yet I have no clear answer. I feel I have to give up a part of who I am. If it is necessary, is there really life without lifting?

Absolutely. Health and family first. There’s a path…

But Still.

Ask more than one doctor, more like 10, if you can you do a little curling and pulling and pushing… any is better than none for the BMS — body, mind, spirit.

I would find the elimination of resistance exercise less distressing if I wasn’t the actor behind the curtain of davedraper.com and had an image and rep to putz with. Drop the bodyweight, seek yoga-type meditation and performance in my own zone of refuge. Gee, sounds like fun, especially when it’s life-sparing. Any viable reason (excuse) not to clink, clank, clunk.

I face a similar dilemma, being a small wreck for the past three years. I push too hard (child’s play) and it concerns me. Thank God I have the keyboard and find expression and fulfillment in writing. Thankfully, I have God (Jesus), who cares for all my problems.

A quickie google search tells me exercise with PV is limited to mild performance, such as walking. Once you’re certain the iron is out of the picture, then you walk and watch your diet and adjust, which includes seeking another avenue of expression.

I understand there’s a lot more to Yoga than we ironheads realize.

Time, common sense, creativity, encouragement, gratefulness, guts and moving ahead… Look to the reality and joy and promise in the wife and kids and the horizons… God loves us… DD

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

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

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

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

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

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

Go… Godspeed… Dave

It’s a year later and I’m wondering how your chelation experience went. I’ve had three heart attacks; the docs won’t put a stent in because it’s a capillary that’s blocked instead of an artery. Too small to put a stint in, but big enough to put me in hospital three times. What you think about chelation now that you’ve gone through it?

Sorry for your challenges; they’re at every bend.

I had a quadruple bypass surgery in Feb of ‘07 and between July ‘07 and January ‘08, I underwent 40 three-hour sessions (141 hours) of EDTA chelation to treat symptoms of arterial blockage in the legs. I noticed no difference in anything anywhere, though blood tests indicated my metal levels were reduced. They weren’t high to begin with.

Now Laree’s going to tell me to add one caveat: I had an angiogram earlier this years and the new bypass grafts are completely clear. The thing is, we don’t know if they were clear when the arteries were used during the surgery; we don’t know if blockage would have occurred this quickly; and we don’t know if the chelation contributed in any way. Unfortunately, my ability to report chelation success or failure is right about nil.

I had high hopes for positive results in both the surgery and the chelation therapy and was disappointed in both. Late summer I underwent a quadruple lamenectomy (L-2,3,4,5) to improve nerve function and muscle response in the legs. So far, another disappointment.

So, if you’re looking for encouragement from this warrior, forget it. I’m thinking about drinking and going back to drugs. Just kidding… quadruple laughs. Time, prayer, training, right eating, smiles and laughter and Laree are the sure cure for what ails me.

An appointment with Dr. Quinn, a physiologist, is next on my agenda. Rolfing and Feldenkrais treatments are somewhere in the future. Mr. Olympia over-100 is a ways away yet.

We press on with God’s might… Dave Draper, the Bomber, not to be confused with DD, the Bummer.

Where do I get started on my training again after congestive heart failure and insertion of a pacemaker? My arteries are clear, blood pressure is good and now I have a better VO2. I’ve kept up an exercise program until getting sick; I’d like some advice into this phase. Who better to ask? You got me started in this iron thing and with your history (health wise), where do I go from here?

Since you can’t go backward (there ain’t no room left), it must be forward.

I’m getting a pacemaker soon, too, and I expect I’ll do what I always do: Go to the gym a little too soon and wander amid the equipment and pick out exercises like pieces of chocolate from a two-pound box. My favorites first and, not to be piggy, just nibble on the edges. Savor what I can and chomp on the gooey ones that taste good.

Partial movements on the machines, some guided pressing and pulling without stretching or compacting, lots of oxygenizing and gratitude between sets, always warming up.

I would not go to the gym floor until mid-day, when the body is up and running smoothly.

Though random in style, whatever you do will have meaning at the completion of your efforts; a direction and pathway will be initiated, courage and confidence established and the rebuilding begun.

I dare not be specific — I leave that up to the man in charge (you the man). Train for 30 to 45 to 60 minutes every other day (or so), depending on recovery and the stars.

Eat right, rest a ton and be nice to your dog… Godspeed… Dave

The reason for this e-mail is to ask you to give me a little help with one of your exercises, the Farmer’s Walk. I cannot find this anywhere in my small library on fitness and training. I guess just walking holding heavy dumbbells is good, but are there any thoughts you could give me before I try it out, please?

It’s a quick-learn. Go to a pair of 50-pounders (more or less as you estimate) and scope out at reasonably clear path to walk the dumbbells considering where you stand as the starting block. I choose a path that follows a wide oval around the equipment and returns to the starting point — approximately 100 feet. You might need to shift a few movable benches and inform nearby trainees of your intentions to ease the way.

Grasping the dumbbells fully is the most important bit of advice, dry hands or with chalk. The grip goes first, then traps and shoulders, then legs and wind. Be precise in the start, focus on the whole event and go till you are a moment from dropping the DBs or have completed the circuit. Your mental resilience is tested and gives out before the muscles do. Push it.

Three to five sets are good. Depending on you and your performance, go up in five-pound increments each successive set.

You can analyze the effects and determine the worth of the farmer walks. I do them once a week at the end of my workout on any day but shoulder, back and chest days.

I like them.

Go… DD

I’ve been lifting for about 30 years. A week ago my doctor told me I have a enlarged heart from lifting, as well as a dilated aorta. He said to lift lighter for more reps… no more heavy lifting. How can I keep my size and stay strong lifting lighter?

In ‘83 I was hospitalized with severe congestive heart failure… seriously almost died. My heart’s a mess and I was offered a more severe training option… aerobic only. “I don’t think so,” was my response under a few layers of tough skin, AKA madness.

It took three months of walk-and-sit recovery and three months of mickey-mouse weight training before I found my legs. I was checked regularly ‘cuz of the diseased condition by a fine doc who realized I was stubborn. As the months went by and with my continued attentive and intensifying training accompanied by superior eating habits, I improved in health and strength. In a year he admitted my progress exceeded that of any of his other patients and contributed it to the training. In two years I was blasting it and have ever since.

The truth is God and my faith in Him healed me, but I won’t deny the workouts and right eating and traces of humility added to my recovery.

The moral to the story is this: Ease into your training as suggested and build up to a moderate level of output. Training with the new parameters will teach you modified yet effective training approaches. Be confident.

Throw in three or four 20-minute brisk stationary bike rides or neighborhood walks and attend your weight and right eating.

The thing the doctor doesn’t want you to do, I suspect, is long sustained breath-holding reps, one-rep and two-rep max exercises, giant squat and deadlift routines. He’s protecting you and he may be overly protecting himself (malpractice). Which reminds me, don’t listen to a thing I say.

A good idea: Get a check up by a heart specialist — EKG — and get another in six months. See what’s up by comparing results. If he’s sports-hip, tell him of your plan. He might like the challenge.

Oh, yeah… pray!

God’s speed… Dave

I read you were doing the intravenous chelation. Did you do any research into oral chelation? Would you recommend any product that can be taken orally?

I haven’t heard favorable reports on oral chelation treatment. As I understand it, only 5-10% of the EDTA chemistry is absorbed when taken orally. Some believe this is an option for long term preventative therapy, not too useful for extreme cases that need the IV boost.

Stay tuned to the newsletter, as I will give updates regarding my chelation experience as it unfolds. I’ve undergone 23 of 40 IV EDTA chelation sessions thus far (3+ hours, twice a week).

Last I wrote about it, I had little more to say, but here’s a reprint since you missed it.

“As promised, here’s a brief update of my dazzling and exciting therapy: I’ve completed 18 of 40 three-hour IV treatments administered twice weekly. They’re not painful and I ruthlessly kill time resting, reading or searching for keys on my laptop. I’d rather be performing acrobatics or stacking my gold bullion, but a guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do. There have been no evident changes in pain, energy or well-being, though blood tests indicate improvement in certain markers. Something’s happening somewhere.

Fact is, nothing substantial is expected until the full treatment has been administered, or some time (weeks) later. I knew this going in and have found the process to be a test of resilience, patience and faith. Insurance doesn’t cover the costs and I’ve found a swell space under the Santa Cruz Town Clock to set up a beach chair and beg. Hey, buddy… got a dime… 1,500 dimes to be exact?”

No news yet… Takes time… Dave

Do you have any opinion on weights and cardio as a package deal? How about if I did my cardio before swinging off a barbell for an hour?

I admit frequently that I don’t spend a lot of time in specific cardio activity. In those years when training with Arnold, Zane and Columbo, no one did any, period. I achieve my heart and lung activity through the tough training on the floor with the weights and save the aerobic for getting in particularly good, lean shape or when injured or slightly sick or backing off intentionally. In brief, aerobic exercise was on hold — on the sidelines — always.

Squatting, deadlifting, supersetting and continual forward motion and intensity in my training provide plenty of lung and heart work. I save my time, energy and spirits for the iron.

As cardio is part of your training scheme (meets your needs — good), do it first to warm and rev you up. The bad boys are right. Feed yourself after your hard iron work and slow down. Don’t do energy consuming activity. Logic tells me it intrudes upon muscle recuperation and repair.

Due to recent heart concerns, my favorite philosophy has taken a back seat, alas… carry on. DD