Dave Draper’s Musclebuilding Q&A

My shoulder is wrecked, so I’m doing six Tylenol Extra Strength a day…put on this capsazin stuff…good analgesic…no weights now…90-minute aerobic sessions every day…and eating a lot of protein. I figure a good rest from the iron while maintaining my weight will bring me back stronger when my body has healed.

So sorry to see this.

Do whatever movements you can for whatever muscle tissue you can — in creative positions, mild weight, abbreviated motions, wisely stabilized, much warm-up, extraordinary focus and stimulate with lovable effort. I don’t like stopping the iron action unless I’m unconscious.

Modestly stretch the area and seek healthy shoulder movement. Dumbbells and single pulleys work best for isolation and custom groove-invention; partial curls, partial one-arm rows, mild shrugs, single cable forward-leaning crossovers for pecs and associated tissues, minimal flat dumbbell presses or some bar-only trial lockouts from a flat bench and racks. Work legs on appropriate machines for obvious reasons and to assure systemic growth.

You, the injury, the pain and the iron have got to work it out. Rest and attitude and good eats are invaluable. Don’t overload on the over-the-counter assists. Bad for the tummy. Don’t overload on the aerobics. You’ll disintegrate and dissolve simultaneously. Above all, talk to God, the Great Healer.

The B-69 Bomber, AKA The Irontasauras   (pronounced i-ron-ta-sor’-as)

I am 62, going in for shoulder re-surfacing due to arthritis from heavy training in my younger years. What exercises can I do after the surgery for shoulders, chest, arms ? Any & all help would be greatly appreciated.

You’ll work your way through recovery and it’ll become clear pretty soon. Your  doctor will guide you.

I would be forward looking to the basics, eventually, with those handy dumbbells and not the rigid bar, and much lighter weights with sufficient muscle-exertion and tons of form and focus. Mild pressing will come after healing and shoulder health is certain, and a new training style will emerge.

Here’s how I did it: Return after shoulder surgery.

Be strong internally and courageous, and make this your last major injury and repair.

Go … Godspeed… Dave

In the fall of 2008 I had a titanium cage, plate, two rods and screws placed between L-5 and S-l in my back, and the next spring had a similar surgery at C-5-6-7 to redo a surgery that had not worked. When I do rope tucks, which I enjoy, the lower back hardware presses against the L-4 disc and I have some discomfort. Is there a way of modifying the rope tucks-not going down as far and still keeping them effective ?

I suspect there is and you must discover it through ongoing sensitive searches. I kneel before the cable unit, use a rope mostly, and go at the weight, pace and variety of grooves that feel just right.

I let the reps add up to 40 or 50 per set, three or four sets depending on stretch, burn, energy, mood and remaining workout plan.

Care and attention is the main ingredient here.

dd

I am a female, 49 years old [no spring chicken], and an amateur bodybuilder. I had rotator cuff surgery on a couple of months ago, and it entailed a plastic anchor pin being put at the top, stitches at the front, and a piece snipped from my biceps to take up the slack. Any educated guess on the soonest possible time I could potentially be ready for competition?

Sounds like a lot of delicate repair work. I remember when had my shoulder repaired — it was extensive and the long head of the biceps was involved — I didn’t want to put any resistance on the mess for fear of tearing it apart. Gradually I approached the restoration with slow and deliberate force. To this day — 15 years later — I’m still tentative when applying intensity to biceps training. Perhaps an involuntary reflex prevents me from bearing down with all my might or my mind is protecting me from bodily damage.

What’s this got to do with you? Not sure. In a few months you will have a clearer idea of your recovery, the extent to which you can train (your training input) and the extent of any limitations that cannot be overcome. The biceps part — the thin thread of a tendon that connects the thing and undergoes a heavy and direct load — make me nervous. From there on, as you make your adjustments, you might find strength- and balance- and muscle-recovery significant enough future competition.

On the other hand you might find that competition is no longer your thing and that it interferes with healthy muscular gains and training momentum and training joy.

After a few years of competition, I observed the disadvantages of training for shows: the two to three months in prep for contests — dieting and training to lose fat and gain cuts — cost muscle growth. They can be more of an interruption than a worthy motivator. I believe it was neither desirable, healthy or productive to get lean enough to please a judge.

My motivation became to be conditioned and strong and to appear as good as I could generally all year around, not just for show time. A little in ‘n outta shape here ‘n there through the seasons, but always pushing onward. I think that has been the best now and forever approach to this bodybuilding (I prefer musclebuilding) we love now and forever. I find the approach far more gratifying and fulfilling… and I am more thankful…

Have fun… God’s might… DD

I had knee surgery and now think I may have stenosis. Do you take any medication for the stenosis?  Is this malady typical in men in their 60s like us? 

I suggest you google stenosis and review the links and info. I have/had spinal stenosis and after various tests and an MRI was advised to have a L2, L3, L4, L5 lamenectomy (surgery to drill holes for nerve passage), which I had a couple of years ago. Apparently I tried alternative treatments too long and the nerve damage was severe enough that the surgery did not fix the problem.

What’s sometimes thought to be leg stenosis can be peripheral artery disease (PAD), and can sometimes be treated with stent placement. You might have neither dilemma… just a reaction or healing period post-knee surgery. See your doc if trouble prevails…

Get that blood moving… stay strong… Godspeed… Dave

Two years ago I discovered a small vertical spine injury (C5) due to heavy bench press. Now I have considerably reduced my bench. Can I further proceed this way? I am afraid of further spine injury.

Since this happened a while back, I assume you’ve already seen a doctor and have been cleared for activity. Now is the time to alter your training methods to suit your aging body, to prevent further injury and to cease antagonizing existing injuries, while maintaining health, muscle and mobility. Lighter weights with more personal mind and muscle engagement — focus, form and proper muscle tracking — should become your priority.

Give the heavy bench a rest, broaden your exercise repertoire to avoid redundancy and to stay muscle-fresh. Be prepared to change change course and adapt. The training road ahead, though subject to detours, is interesting and you will proceed at a good clip. Be strong.

Ease into your exercises with curiosity and bold caution… warm up, proceed slowly, don’t go heavy, stimulate, seek healthy range of motion, don’t overtrain and allow time for healing. Lift and learn and grow.

The whole process of musclebuilding and weight training is personal, becomes more and more personal as we proceed and progress, and injury repair, rehab and recovery collectively is the most personal aspect of the iron life.

We press on, eating right and resting well and laughing often…

Godspeed… Dave

I’ve been going to the chiro for a while now given some mid back pain, a result of being overweight a few years ago. She said I should avoid squatting, given the pressure on the discs on the back.  She took away my second favorite exercise after deadlifting.  So I am focusing on the leg press instead.  Have you heard of anyone else having been told the same thing and how they might have dealt with it?  Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Squatting and deadlifting sound like the death sentence to most chiropractors. She might be right-on in your case. Always best to see a professional specializing in sports and athletics when injured.

You can build muscle and might without deads, squats and bench presses.

Add hyperextensions to your midsection and torso workout to strengthen and build muscle in the lower back region. Maybe bring in “sensible, light squats,” if and when back improves. The light weight action goes a long way to fix your head and legs and strengthen the back without dangerous overload.

Leg press can be tough on the back, as well. Be aware. Monitor the movement, warm-up lots, ease into sensible range of motion and, perhaps, support hollow of lower back area with an appropriate thickness of cushion.

You might be able to bring in very light weight deads with a limited range of motion — not too deep, no arching contraction at the top, slow and thoughtful — as your common sense and instinct and pain-signal awareness and lower, yet more muscled body weight permit.

Train consistently and sensibly, and enjoy… Godspeed… DD

What got you through the tough times as well as through hard times in life? I don’t know how to force myself into the gym when I’m down, I go and lift, but nothing clicks like it should. I know doing something is better than nothing.

Yo, faithful friend in iron and steel…

I have never gone to the gym without exiting stronger and happier and more content than when I entered, even if the workout was a flop. The underlying training motivator is found in the answer to the sniveling question, ‘What if I don’t workout today?’

Ugh! Who can bear the guilt, the suspension of discipline and the loss of time and investment. Besides, lest we forget, the act is fun and feels good after the first stiff and bland moments.

We go cuz we have to, we must, we’re destined to, we need to, we’re bound to, we’re obliged to, we owe it to ourselves, deep down we want and wish to. The proof is in the experience. Next time you don’t want to go to the gym, don’t. You’ll see. That which does not click is thunder to the body, mind and soul.

Barbell or hell… your choice… the smiley faced Bomber   <<< Godspeed >>>

I’m coming up on 62 in February. My knees are giving me problems, especially my right knee.  In May I’m having a partial knee replacement on my right knee.  How do I keep my leg strength when I can’t squat anymore?

You’ll be wise to listen to your physical therapist and take your time… walking is a great exercise, inclines and stairs eventually.

Light extensions and curls might be included with leg presses in time. The extent of the injury and the particulars of the repair will certainly determine your course of rehab.

You’ll get a few clues from your PT and previously wounded friends and settle on listening to yourself and your instincts to lead you to recovery. You’re a smart guy…

Oh, and prayer… dd

I’ve had some surgeries and when I ask my doctor about training, he tells me like all bodybuilders I’m a fanatic and should just do cardio. I would like to bulk up some before I become plant food, but can’t seem to move forward without pain.

Fact is, without bearing (experiencing) your limitations myself, I have no credible way to offer a plan to circumvent or fix them. I’d only be guessing. Your doctor’s not too far off in associating bodybuilders with fanatics, however basic exercise modified by you (or a PT) is essential to injury repair, and muscle and structure rehab.

Training in a fundamental home gym does wonders for the healthy and fully functioning lifter, but a professional gym with a variety machines serves him well when struggling with basic disabilities and injuries. You might consider this route; you can then sample the various pieces of equipment like foods at smorgasbord and discover a routine that suits your needs and abilities, likes and dislikes.

Same thing at home; you need to apply trial and error cautiously and, depending on your 10-year past experience, create, devise, invent and improvise exercises and movements that “do the trick.”

Thought Heap:

• Warming up with light weights and reasonably high reps, partial movements and limited range of motion, always concentrating on form and pain, and optional grooves.
• Pushing and pressing as well as pulling and curling… one-arm dumbbell movements (concentration curls, laterals, rows, tri-extensions) allow you to carve out exercise grooves that dodge the painful regions.
• Barbell curls are wearing on the joints as hands are held in an unnatural straight-line forward-grip position ­ stress and strain are born by wrists, elbows and deltoid regions. Beware! Bent bar is good alternative.
• Reps don’t have to be high all the time with all exercises. I often work in the 15, 12, 10, 8, 6 rep-ranges with weight increments between sets, 3 to 5 sets per exercise.

I do this all the time and some of my best workouts and my most informative workouts have come while training under the tutorship of stern injuries. Sensible daring, warming up lots, focus persuaded by pain, groove creativity and finesse rule; light, smart, well paced, with a bite of intensity on a few well-chosen reps for spice.

Pump and burn — no setting records or showing off.

Never quit! (tell that to your doctor)… Godspeed… Dave

I am now 46 and have been weight training since 15. At 42 I was hit with a nasty virus that still plaques me with muscle weakness and insomnia, greatly reducing my post-workout recovery. The past few years the left shoulder started hurting, MRI showed impingement w/ partial thickness tears, then medial epicondylitis. The Ortho doc didn’t push for surgery, but said if I want to resume weight training I would have to limit my overhead movements and give up squats or have arthroscpic surgery. As much as I want to work out, I hold back in fear of wearing out what is left of my aging body. Have you had or know any other bodybuilders who had arthroscopic surgery and resumed their normal workout routines? What do most bodybuilders do about nagging wear and tear injuries?

Forty-six is young from my viewpoint and the lifters I know have had the urge and incentive to push on though their 50s and on into their 60s and 70s. Orthoscopy for shoulders or knees are not uncommon among my buds at the gym and are a dreaded inconvenience, but they have worked wonders — diminishing pain, increasing mobility and capability. With your viral-infection limitations, who knows how repair might be affected… only God or the best and sincerest doctors.

You’re right. We face a critical dilemma as we get older: When is resistance training no longer healthy, and when are we wearing out our bodies as we press on rather than favoring the heaps of flesh?

Be wise and aware. I train on and, with an ear and eye on the signals and the nose of commonsense and instinct, modify wherever I need and must. ‘Wherever’ includes training intensity, duration and frequency — rest and recovery — weights used, sets and reps applied — groove of movement, range of motion and rep-speed and rep-pace and set-pace — cables or machine instead of free-weights — and, of course, nutrition and supplementation. It’s a work in progress…

We’re all different — chemistry, genes, structure, psychology, what makes us tick, what satisfies our needs, what our needs are. The repair procedures take careful consideration, balancing, evaluating, conferring… pros and cons.

You’re in the driver’s seat — floor it or hit the breaks, left at the corner, veer right or go straight ahead with the top down… engage seat belts… potholes ahead.

Go… Godspeed… Dave

I am having biceps surgery on Thursday… Any advice and/or direction you can offer would very much be appreciated. I had my right rotator cuff (with some biceps tearing) repaired about 2.5 years ago; it’s come back really well, good and strong.  I am hoping for the same with this.

Tough one,  and I don’t have any advice that’s worthwhile.

My mumbling mouthful: Biceps repairs are iffy cuz there’s no dense, sinewy tissue to sew together or connect, as I understand it from my biceps surgery and surgeon 10 years ago.

I think injuries, as we muscleheads and strength athletes know them, are in the hands of the injured. Commonsense, mind- and emotion-, as well as, body-control, sensibleness, patience, rest and nutrition, and slow introduction of partial movements associated with the injured area.

Focus and finesse, muscle action without resistance, and, in time, light weight and long warm ups, more focus and finesse and onward in reps and range of motion and another hint of additional weight/resistance.
Time goes by; you live, you learn and grow, you restore, you adapt and compensate. The beat goes on.
Continue to be strong and courageous… God’s mercy and might… Dave

I am 59 years young and still love working out. I have been blessed with good health except my mid back is giving me a lot of problems. I have pain radiating from the left side of my spine and going up to my neck. What do you think about spinal manipulation for this condition?

A good chiropractor could serve you well. Sometimes a simple manipulation can do wonders, especially if we understand the cause of the misplacement and attend its correction.

Laree writes frequently about hip-mobility and Feldenkrais treatment as a healer in the disorder you describe as we get older and subject ourselves to more and more misuse — bad habits of posture or repetitive action.

Check her past missives on joint mobility in the archived blog.

Go… Godspeed… Dave

I am just starting to feel my 47-year-old body before and after workouts and am now struggling with shoulder pain after I do bench presses and some lateral raises. I am now about 2 weeks of not doing anything for my chest to hopefully stave off the pain in my shoulders, and the lateral raises have been stopped as well. When you say you do the raises one at a time, do you still use the same amount of weight on each side?

Drop the bench press for a while (or for good) and try dumbbell presses at various degrees of incline (the lower, the more pec — the higher, the more deltoid). Better muscle engagement, less joint aggravation.

One-arm laterals (sidearm) are done while holding a post for body stability and raising the weight in a groove (sideways to forward) that pleases you, starting with a light weight to warm up and assess the action. With each successive set, increase the weight or the reps per set to suit your preferences (4-5 sets in the 6-to-12 range). As you become familiar with the movement, you can go heavier and use more body thrust, even approaching a one-arm-dumbbell clean-like motion. The exercise can get serious.

Use the same weight on both sides unless you’re involved in an critical rehab program.

Be sensible always.

Godspeed… Dave

If you had it to do all over again, what training would you do differently?  Also, what lower back exercises do you recommend for someone who’s had lower back surgery?

There are one or two (or a thousand) reps I would have withheld that culminated in overload and a bad injury. Our enthusiasm, drive, need and stupidity bring us to the edge and push us over… Oops, torn rotator, strained lower back or overtraining in general.

No routine or particular exercise would I recall. They all had their place in building, teaching and growing. I could go on as I finesse and pick apart the inquiry, but we have muscles to build.

Not long ago I had a quad lamenectomy (L2,3,4,5) and within weeks I was performing rope tucks for health and strength of the midsection and torso, and some version of lat rows and one arm dumbbell rows. When and how you incorporate these movements depends on your surgery and your back’s health, repair and recovery.

Go light (duh!) and higher reps (10+ range) and with great focus on groove-finesse and pain signals. Modify weight and reps as you recover, no more world championships.

Press on with God’s might… Dave

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

What would be the best-fastest-safest way for me to recover and get back to my lifting schedule after a long absence following a successful surgery? I know I can probably work on my lower areas (abs? legs?) Or will I have to possibly start from scratch or square one? It’s hard for me to fathom not being able to workout, and how I’m going to be able to deal with it.  I’m 63 now, going on 29.

We are amid the tough times when injuries and limitations besiege us. No one is immune. It’s — dare I say the words — old age. I didn’t expect the debilitation to be so soon and so quick and so crappy.

You will deal with the repairs according to your own needs and abilities and, finally, determination. Don’t let determination become an enemy; a strong will can push a good man over the edge.

Get to the gym post haste and do what you can in torso and leg work, and sneak in wrist curls and little highly-focused mini-curls with a dumbbells. You are about to learn how to get maximum exertion with minimum weight and abbreviated motion. Soon you’ll branch out as you test your potential. You’ll find a path upon which to trod with sufficient comfort, safety and fulfillment, as you listen and focus and improvise and play.

Light weights, thoughtful reps, certain machines and tiny dumbbells are your temporary tools of choice. They work wonders. Be encouraged.

You know better than I what to do… follow your nose.

Godspeed… Dave

What can I do for weak knees, rather what exercises can I do to strengthen my knees?

Tough to answer the question sensibly without more background data: lifting experience, available equipment, injuries or incapacities, goals…

Here are the basics for weak yet otherwise healthy knees:

• Lunges, partials at first till sufficiently strengthened and prepared. Then, over time go deeper and more aggressively, 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 three times a week
• Walking lunges freehand and walking lunges carrying dumbbells, 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12
• Freehand deep squats (past parallel), progressing in time to squats with barbell on the back or holding dumbbells, 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps twice weekly
• Possibly leg extensions, depending on the knee problem,  2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps every third day

… any commonsense combination of the above exercises as you advance.

dd

I have a big discrepancy in shoulder strength. My question to you is to try to strengthen the weaker shoulder most effectively, do you suggest using dumbbells of different weights [one lighter, one heavier] when doing shoulder presses, using dumbbells of the same weight but just continuing on to failure with the strong side after the weak shoulder has failed, or doing more sets with the weak shoulder than the strong one?

Not an uncommon problem. Our bodies are often out of whack from habits or injuries from years ago. A kid might be shy and minimize his or her stature by slouching or rounding their shoulders. He or she grows up with shortened muscle structure here and lengthened muscle there. A minor injury, badly sprained ankle or such, causes the body to compensate and one develops muscle imbalances. Sit in front of a computer for lengths of time, and, oops, we’ve got a pretzel. Most everyone is a victim.

Treatments of Rolfing and/or Feldenkrais (wonderful stuff) can restore or awaken neural pathways that have lost their way and bring health back to the system… just a thought.

I don’t use different weights or rep patterns to overcome a common or typical muscle imbalance. I have the stronger-left-shoulder, weaker-right-shoulder scenario. I treat both the good and its lagging partner as one. I choose the lighter weight and proceed to train with focus and form. If the matter is severe — arm in cast — I engage in emergency tactics. That’s another story.

If you have a significantly injured left or right region — biceps, knee, shoulder strain or soreness– then the use of dumbbells is wise. The injured area requires its own therapy, with attention to groove, range of motion, hand-position and weight, usually guided by pain and common sense.

That’s all… Go… Godspeed… Dave

I’m about 275 lbs and want to chop 50 off of that by tackling the mid section while strengthening the core muscles while not bothering a recovering herniated L4. Do you have any cable exercises that you can recommend that I can start with?

Glad to hear the recovery progress is going well. I hope to have my back surgery in the next few months, same area involving three discs that need to be relieved of nerve blockage.

I don’t have the weight problem, but assure you you’ll be able to attend to that by increasing your activity (cycle and whatever exercises are possible regularly — daily) to help raise the metabolism and by right eating. You need discipline in eating and the right combination of foods (nutrients) to suit you — we’re all different. I like high protein, medium good fat and medium healthy carbs.

I go to a gym; after surgery I’ll roam the gym floor and select by sampling the various machine exercises that do not adversely load the lower back. There are a bunch: dip machine, pulldowns with a variety of grips, seated back row, certain Hammer Strength back or chest machine, pushdowns. Any of these, if approached carefully (body positioning, improvised body support, light weight, modified range of motion, extreme focus), will serve to build and rebuild the body’s muscular system and structure. They make me happy and keep me strong and sane.

Slowly, surely, playfully and without pressure or doubt or anxiety you will sort out the worthy task before you.

Go… Godspeed… Dave