Dave Draper’s Musclebuilding Q&A

Can one really train on their own to get true benefits? Is a gym with some guidance essential or is this just a lot of hype?  I would rather train at home, but I am wondering if I will really know what to do.

You can achieve strength and fitness goals at home or the gym. It’s a personal thing.

Training at home versus training at a gym: both have their advantages, their pros and cons. Best is a gym on the corner you can call home.

At home, it’s there whenever you want it, personal, private and no compromise. It’s all you, kid.

At the gym, more is there for exercise variation, convenience and experiencing and interacting. It’s you and them, kids.

I like training at a gym I can call home when it is least populated, always have… that is, after I had put in sufficient time at home to know myself and the iron and my needs.

Many IronOnline readers and correspondents train at home, always have and are unwilling to train anyplace else… that is, after they had put sufficient time in a gym to know themselves and the iron and their needs.

If you have a nearby gym that isn’t absolutely repelling, take a trial workout, or a week or a month. I’ll bet you’re a good detective and evaluator and calculator of reality: people, equipment, convenience, benefits versus time, money, comfort, sacrifice.

Oh, boy…

Godspeed… Dave

I am 76 years old, been working out with weights practically all my life.  I stopped working out with my weights about six months ago (too many back and shoulder injuries) and started doing  just pushups.  Every other day I do 3 sets of 80 pushups, 3 sets of 22 very close-grip pushups and two sets of dips.  Is this overdoing  it?  I really feel good when I do my pushups and want to do them every day–would I really be overdoing it if I did the pushups every day?  What do you think of  a workout like this?

Your ability to do pushups astounds me. I can’t get one good one for similar reasons you can’t weight lift happily any longer — things ain’t workin’ right.

I suggest you do them every other day for health and muscle/joint recovery. As dips and pushup are all pushing, improvise an exercise or exercises that incorporate pulling on the days between: lying on the floor and pulling up on a bar, some sensible dumbbell or barbell curling, tugging on a rope attached to a weighted sled.

Walking is a super exercise. Hit the hills and stairs for emphatic leg and cardio work.

In everything, be sensible and joyful and grateful…

Go… Godspeed,

dd

Dave, I did not grow up on the farm. What is a Farmers Walk? Please don’t tell me it’s squats with manure on your boots.

Reference note: pails of milk farmers carried from cows to distribution point across the yard…

Grab a pair of moderate weight dumbbells and walk for a reasonable distance. Build up to heavier weight for a reasonable distance. Clean boots recommended by all.

As an exercise twice a week, try this for starters: 2 walks with 35 pounders for 100 feet. From there determine your own weight and distance and number of sets.

Good stuff for the entire system… Go… Godspeed

dd

A friend of mine started doing a high volume push-up routine a couple months ago and I’m really shocked at how much muscle mass he has put on. In a few weeks I’m moving into my first apartment, can’t take any of my weight lifting equipment with me and I can’t afford a gym membership at the moment. I was thinking about doing a stand-alone push-up routine like my buddy. Do you see any problems with this idea?

Here’s an idea:

Include other exercises to work different muscles and add interest and fun to your musclebuilding: dips between chairs backs (like kitchen chairs back to back) or off the end of a coffee table with your feet up, kick into a handstand with stocking feet, heels to the wall and perform press-ups from the floor (tough).

Check out a doorway chinning apparatus and, of course, include your abdominal work (leg raises, hip crunches).

I highly recommend the TRX suspension unit: see fitnessanywhere.com… there’s more to the exercise unit than meets the eye.

Jog and sprint, eat, rest and live right… smile, be happy; it all helps.

Remember — we’re all different and respond differently to various exercise plans than others.

Go… Godspeed… Dave

I need a program that I can do at home with my barbell and no spotters. I also ask that since you are so pro tuna and water, is there any way to make it taste a bit better (lemon seasoning, anything) as I am not a tuna fan and I have a hundred pounds to lose.

Walk a lot and consistently, distance, uphill and up stairs with a deliberate training mentality — Great conditioner.

You can curl the bar, press the bar over head, clean the bar to your shoulders, deadlift the bar, perform bent-over rows with the bar, practice triceps extensions with the bar, do light squats and good mornings and partial walking lunges with the bar.

Mix tuna or chicken in salads as you like. Eat a high protein, medium fat (no grease) and low carb diet (wholesome carbs, no junk) often, yet in smaller portions, and spread those smaller portions throughout the day for energy and muscle repair and less chance of unwanted fat storage.

Your training facilities and understanding will expand as you peruse it and will it.

Read my favorite book for weight loss, Your Body Revival. This book written by me are the best straight talk and fun experience to gain every bit of knowledge and encouragement you need to go where you want to go. Freedom from obesity, and a place of toned and vital muscle.

This is not a sale, this is the best advice I can offer, the best advice anyone can offer.

GO… Godspeed… Dave Draper

Is there an effective substitute for Seated Cable Rows? My equipment is just barbells and dumbbells.

Bentover barbell rows and one-arm dumbbell rows (full range of motion) are super back builders… substitutes for the cables.

Throw in wide-grip and close-grip chins and you’re covered.

Go… Godspeed… dd

I’m having trouble getting my heavier dumbbells overhead for incline pressing. Basically what I need is an apparatus for storing the dumbbells in position at the right height to start the exercise. Are you aware of any such training support apparatus being available?

There are ways and techniques to thrust the dumbbells in place with the hips and good timing. This is something one learns in a tough gym setting. Takes practice and strength in grip, arms and back, all of which you are trying to build. And this — cleaning dumbbell into position for pressing– is one of the direct building processes.

I’ve seen such racks at gym conventions and they are heavy duty, for 100- to 175-pound range. One with handyman attributes and resourcefulness, wood, hammer and nails might be able improvise something in one’s garage. Where there’s a will there’s a way.

Another option, and probably what you’re after: power hooks.

Heft and heave… Dave

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 own two olympic bars and a smith bar. They all have slightly different circumferences and I do not know if any of them is 1 1/16″ in diameter. Do you happen to know if the Top Squat will fit on the Smith Machine bar? If it fits the Smith, will I be able to twist the bar on and off into the locked position to start and end a lift by just changing the elevation of the handle? Does the Top Squat place comparable strain on the neck and lower back as the Safety Squat?

I’m not sure if the top squat will be a perfect fit on any of these, but you can out the inner tabs (provided for fit modification) with an exacto to accommodate a thicker bar, or layer duct tape or inner tubing at appropriate locations for thinner bars.

It’s used on the Smith Machine at my gym with effectiveness, with individuals attaching or removing it easily.

There’s no strain on neck once you are familiar with unit… you’ll understand the action and placement throughout your first attentive workout, and there’s no strain on the lower back except the resistance of the weight used.

Key point: Let the handles move along with you, down and back up — don’t try to keep the handles firmly in place a the top position.

I absolutely love it and have had my best workouts using it — good form, pain free and heavy. I think three have been returned due to not fitting the bars, and another couple that the buyers reported it worked as advertised, but wasn’t suitable for their particular issues.

Lots of raves, a few school coaches bought 4 to 6 to 24.

Godspeed… Dave

What is your feeling on elastic band training instead of free weights? I have an idea, but would like to hear from the horse’s mouth.

Not as good as iron, but better than nothing.

I’ve watched Laree use bands for a few exercises — there are some things in the rehab world especially where they work better than weights.

Very useful for people who travel a lot; stuff one in the luggage rather than skipping the workouts, in combination with pushups and bodyweight squats… quite useful.

I have most success using the bands attached to a doorway and doing giant sets non-stop, making up the workout as I go along, feeling the pump and burn and muscles working collectively — pulling, pushing, extending laterally, changing body positions and locations and changing hands every devised set of 8, 10, 12 reps.

You can reasonably simulate some 20 different dumbbell or cable movements. I’ve done this manner of training for 20 to 30 minutes virtually nonstop and was soaked and pumped and agreeably exhausted afterwards. No gym, just me, the bands and the hotel room and desire to blast it.

Think less, feel more… Be creative… go… Godspeed… Davy D

I don’t have time to go to the gym, so I bought one of those Samson Twisters, which are made of steel, that you have made an advertisement of in the ’60s for Weider (you were bending it in the picture). So I bought this flex bar and I began to bend it in the way the manual describes, and I felt my muscles much more pumped and tough. Ok, that’s good, but at night I feel my shoulders hurting. Do you have some tips on how to use a power flex bar, or should I change the tool and begin to use one of those back/chest expanders?

Chances are you are doing too many of the same exercise patterns over and over again. You are limiting yourself.

Back off the twister and revise your training to include freehand exercises — chins, pushups, dips, freehand squats and their variations (improvise: feet on a block, close grip, wide grip, lean forward, lean back)… play seriously.

I don’t really have any tips on how to use it. Just don’t over exert joints or apply force unnatural to body.

You might invest in exercise bands (rubber bands) of varying strengths. They work very well when limited in equipment.
Godspeed… Dave Draper

I’ve been training on a Bowflex for six months. Could you give me a Bowflex workout program? Also, I work out 3 times a week, 30 minutes each time. Should I increase this workout?

You’re doing a great job and I wish you continued success through dedication and discipline.

I’ve never trained on a Bowflex and am not savvy of its features and multiple uses. I’m sure it is a worthy piece of equipment and will serve you well.

Give it 45 to 60 minutes on the Bowflex three days a week, or 45 minutes four days a week — simulating dips, incline pressing, cable crossovers, stiffarm pullovers, low incline curls, pulldowns, triceps work throughout the week — 3 to 4 sets per exercise, 12, 10, 8 reps per set.

I’d pretend I was training with weights to simulate the exercise movements.

Using commonsense and the joy of training, pick out six exercises that appeal to you and cover the whole body.

Practice regularly and as you become familiar with the apparatus and your response, create different routines according to needs and wants.

Exert wisely, focus closely, move with moderate pace. Do aerobics for 15 to 20 minutes on off days.

No big secret science… This is kidstuff… the best thing for adults. Play and grow strong.

I know you are a great fan of supersets. I’m 60, been training for about a year, and have a elbow tendon issue (which is getting better, thanks to IOL forum). Would you mind giving me your best dumbbell superset combos? I’ve been training light avoiding biceps and triceps isolation stuff, but hope to get back on track with them soon.

You might want to investigate wrapping the elbows to mitigate pain during exercise movement and reduce pain and inflammation due to stress. This often requires practice, familiarity and wrapping specific region on and off during stressful exercises only. Works for me.

My favorite dumbbell movements for biceps include seated alternate curls, low incline (15-20 degree) to 45-degree incline curls, thumbs-up curls… sets of 6 to 10 reps.

Favorite dumbbell triceps moves include one-arm or two-arm overhead tri-extensions or lying tri-extensions. These take practice and finesse to target the muscles, while saving the elbows.

Always warm-up plenty, don’t hyper-extend the elbows in either contraction or extension.

Go for smooth, thoughtful action without pumping aggression… sets of 8 to 12 reps.

Superset any of the choices above to suit your ability and needs and desires. They all work. 2, 3 or 4 supersets X the prescribed reps; applying two supersets every four workouts, depending on recovery and the rest of your workout.

Of course, drink Bomber Blend for strength, health and pleasant dreams.

Godspeed… Dave

What workout routines do you suggest for someone working out in the home with no weights?

The best routines are improvised by the purposeful trainee according to time and place, strength, condition and aptitude and, last and most important, desire. You’ve gotta want it, and you’ve gotta be persistent.

You have crunches, leg raises and high-step running in place; there are push-ups and dips between chairs, and their variations (feet raised, arms close together or wide apart) for core, shoulders, chest and triceps.

Push-ups with body inverted and feet against wall for support… strongman movement.

Chin-ups are superior for bis and back, if an overhead bar is rigged.

Lunges and single-leg squats will develop healthy and functioning hips and thighs. Throw in calf raises off a block between sets to complete the structure development.

You’ll be surprised when you invent your own freehand exercises; there’s dynamic tension and isometric exercise.

These exercises need to be practiced, understood, developed and then arranged in an order that suits the trainee. Three sets of each of max-reps is a practical goal.

Trial routines are profitable and will teach you and strengthen you and lead you to a variety of workable workouts. Don’t doubt their value. They work for everyone and most champs relied on them at one time or another — sooner and later.

Go forward… Godspeed… Dave

I’m going to be traveling a lot this year, and since I live a distance from the nearest gym anyway, I’ve decided to train with resistance cables for awhile. What type of gains can I expect?

Cables or bands are worth the work, providing the work is hard and thoughtful and backed by confidence and passion and regularity. Be creative in developing a routine. There are all sorts of variations to cable work if you allow your mind and muscle to communicate freely. Go beyond conventional moves and invent, pump, burn, rep out, push and pull with intensity and involvement from movement to movement.
They’re nothing like weights, but the cables will condition and build muscle and strength. Usually trainees don’t stick with it. Ugh! Give the cables time to root and blossom. Takes guts and need.
Add freehand exercises to the regimen (pushups, dips, walking, etc.) and support it with sound eating and living.
We’re all different with different capacities to build muscle with the iron or with cables or with magic.
Go… 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