Dave Draper’s Musclebuilding Q&A

What rep progression to move on to next and what workout do you typically switch to following your all-time favorite? I’m aiming for traditional winter goals - stay at around the same belt size, but aim to gain some strength at the consequence of an extra four or five pounds of bodyweight.

I’m not a personal trainer and I don’t know you — your specifics. What I have done when reaching for your mass-gaining goals is eat more protein.

Routine can remain basically the same with modifications in the basic exercises or their groove and performance. Don’t be afraid of big changes if holidays disrupt your timing and moods and needs.

Try variations of days and combos and sets and reps to relieve pressure or training sameness, and to investigate upclose other systems or formats. As long as you’re positive, confident and leaning forward, it all works.

We press on — loose-handed, steady grip.

Carry on… Godspeed… DD

How late is your last meal of the day? And what food do you suggest?

I worry less about my last meal as gaining weight is difficult and retaining muscularity is not (providing I train and eat smartly, which I do unless I’m in the hospital or doctor’s waiting room — inside joke, ha).

An hour before retiring is good unless it’s a major meal… sleep is delayed and colorful and scary.

I’ll down a Bomber Blend anytime I feel the need for provision, late or early; a can of tuna and a glass of water is another Draper stabilizer. A small omelet works, if you’re less hardcore. We have great thick yogurt in my neighborhood, brand name The Greek Gods, that I like a lot.

If you train or work hard in the AM, a late meal will provide valuable energy and sustenance and not store as fat.

dd

I’m a young guy — 21 — and trying real hard to gain weight. My thoughts were 6000 clean kcals, split 55% carbs, 25% protein, 20%fats. Is that about right?

We’re a crazy bunch we are.

I’d raise the protein considerably.

I never counted anything when your age and training to get big… just pushed forward day by day. Only thing I counted was the weight on the end of the bar.

Go… get huge, don’t burst… Dave

I just turned 27 and I’ve been working out for years. I’ve been trying lately to take more days off and have been more willing to rest. In fact your split of 3 on, 1 off/3 on, 2 off has been so helpful. I am very strong, but the size just won’t come. Any suggestions on how I can increase the muscle volume?

My legs are big, but somewhat undefined. Should I maybe stop training them for a while and just focus on the upper?

No… Robust deadlifts and squats are systemic exercises stimulating whole-body growth.

Your training sounds right on. A four-day-a-week routine can be tried for a month with a variation on reps (4 or 5 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6 reps).

Change-ups are good once you’ve achieved your training level… instincts really kick in if we let them.

Throw in another balanced meal daily; bring on the red meat daily; try Bomber Blend.

You’re young: Lift hard, eat right, rest a lot, think smart (commonsense and intuition), be confident and persist, apply the basics, dismiss the hype, laugh when you get the chance and be good.

Go… Dave

All in all I’m happy where I am, but I would love to gain another ten or twelve pounds of solid muscle. Can you help?

Well, no, not really. It’s up to you to continue a strong and sensible training scheme that keeps you interested and fulfilled. It all works if effort and commonsense and accrued insight are applied. Be confident and enjoy the tough journey.

My findings: After our prime years, muscle size does not come without its share of bulky mass. Accept that and you’ll be strong in your training.

Have fun, grow slowly and be energetic and healthy. Muscle-only comes slowly and can be frustrating, interfering with attitude and maintenance.

You might view our forum… or join in… a smart and friendly bunch.

Train hard and always… God’s Might… Dave

My 18-year-old son is 5′11″ tall and weighs 130 pounds. He is in good health and has good energy, but cannot gain weight. I recently ordered your protein powder as I just found your web site googling around. Is there any advice you can give to get his weight and body fat up? He will be leaving home in the fall for college and I would like for him to have a successful protocol he can follow on his own.

Adding Bomber Blend to your son’s menu is a good start. He can use it for breakfast, midday supplemental feedings, when on the run, before and after exercise — worthy and costly ingredients for musclebuilding and health.

If I were in your boy’s situation, I’d add red meat to my diet regularly, more milk products (cottage cheese, yogurt, 2-percent milk) and other animal proteins. Nuts, fresh fruit, and various fresh cut vegetables every day. More complex carbs of value and good fats (essential fatty acids, olive oil, flax), and avoid sugar and grease. Supplement with a good vitamin-mineral (I like Super Spectrim, have for 35 years) and EFAs (Omega 3 fish oil).

Encourage him to work out with the weights for 30-45 minutes, three or four days a week… sensible pressing, curling, squatting, and deadlifting… chins and dips and push-ups and midsection… 2 or 3 sets of each of the basics… a routine will emerge.

These basics work if applied consistently, persistently and with mission purpose in mind. Not obsession, but determination; not affliction, but discipline. Too many give up too easily. Don’t miss a meal plus don’t miss a workout equals success extraordinaire.

If you haven’t already, please sign up for our free weekly newsletter for valuable tips, hints and encouragement…a non-commercial companion to your or his daily workouts.

Go… Godspeed… Dave

I long ago read Brother Iron, Sister Steel, and have been a fan of Dave’s writings ever since. I have always been a really skinny guy, weighing in at around 130 pounds. I have tried for many years to build muscles and I was flabbergasted when my doctor told me a year ago that I have an under-active thyroid. A friend from the gym recommended I read up on Dr. Mauro Pasquale’s Metabolic Diet plan. Is low carb, high fat the way for me, or do I need those carbs to get some more muscle?

Keep it simple. Go 40, 30, 30 in your food ratios, with protein your golden resource, and nutritious carbs and EFAs your silver and bronze.

The more we read, fuss, balance, wonder, doubt and seek the perfect walk, the more we stumble and mumble. We’re all different (my latest secret), as you have been reminded with notice of your faulty thyroid.

Red meat and milk products are great weight gainers and muscle and power builders.

Menu and training consistency is absolutely critical.

I’m not advertising here; I’m honestly advising. Without Bomber Blend I’d be struggling more than I do to maintain my weight and muscle repair. It’s the perfect food to add here and there at effective times to restore and replenish, energize and build.

Train hard, eat right, relax and rest a lot, be strong and be grateful and happy,

Go… Godspeed… Dave

I’ve been trying to gain weight for a long time. I’m 16 years old and I weight 150. I need to get bigger for football season next year. It would be great if you could give me some advice or tips on how to get a little bigger.

Tough for some guys to gain weight during the teens. You’re often busy and growing in all different directions. Of course, there are a lot of rolly pollies out there these days eating too much of the wrong foods and who are too inactive physically. Bad choice — you’re safe — stay safe.

Certainly incorporate a sound system of weight training three days a week, being careful to exercise the whole body for function, good shape and power. Too much power training can lead to imbalance and injury. Too much aerobic can inhibit weight gain. I suggest a heavy bodybuilding MO.

You need to eat more GOOD food in a protein-high balance (40,30,30–> protein, nutrient-high carbs, non greasy — high EFA fat).

You need to eat regularly from breakfast — all day, every three hours, plus or minus — till bed time and you need a lot of rest. Think of adding more milk products and eggs and red meat to your menu.

I offer you direction through some brief, straight-forward davedraper.com links, a great summary of training advice, specifically this weight gain page and this general nutrition page.

Bomber Blend is the best protein powder for healthy musclebuilding and at the lowest possible price for the quality… just sayin’… perfect meal replacement, breakfast, pre-workout meal or weight gainer when added to regular eating schedule.

Go… Godspeed… Dave

How would one truly recognize the upper limit of muscular weight gain? Suppose you really hit this limit, does the muscle still require as much stimulation just to keep it from fading away?

Good questions. A regimen of thoughtful conditioning should be enough, re-enforced with intensified training as one gets the urge, or suspects the maximum of muscle and endurance acquired needs a boost.

Of course, the devoted bodybuilder (musclehead nutso) will not always settle for an apparent limit of muscular development and will pursue any one of a thousand or a zillion training methods to advance his cause (at least, that’s what I’ve been told).

During these days of training, muscle-size frustration is accompanied by the continued etching of muscle, training creativity, sustenance of a healthy challenge, hopefulness… and occasional overtraining and a touch of dumb. The words persist and persevere come to mind.

Live and learn and grow… Dave

I’m 23 years old and have been lifting for 6 years and I love it. But honestly, I’m a bit confused, I need advice. I’m 6′1″ 200 lbs (lean), and I cannot gain quality mass. I know I should train heavy and basic, but should I not focus on weight and instead decrease my rest periods to 30-45 seconds, or should I focus more on increasing my weights every set therefore resting a bit longer? Or maybe I should do 2-3 heavy sets followed by 2 drop sets or rest-pause sets? What about partial reps, are those any good?

Next my diet. First two meals: six egg whites, oatmeal with fruit (banana, blueberries), a scoop of protein, flaxseed oil and some almonds…then a shake usually before and after workout…then ground turkey with brown rice with olive oil and onions or green peppers…then I try to have a shake or something before bed. Should I add something or take something out? Supplements: protein, glutamine, creatine, flaxseed oil, bcaa’s, and now that the summer’s coming I was thinking of adding L-carnitine, CLA, L-tyrosine to lean out a little more.

Your zeal is there, and your schedule is good for now (till you get the urge and need to alter it) and your diet is close.

Diet:
I’d add lean red meat for aggressive muscle growth, throw in tuna and cottage cheese for your second meal, and add some cut fresh salad vegetables. Stay light on the starchy carbs (as an example, have a salad instead of rice).

Supplements:
I like the protein powder, which I consider a food, the L-Glutamine, creatine, branch chain aminos and EFAs. Skip the special nutritional additions (L-carnitine, CLA, L-tyrosine) and pick up a scuffed copy of “Brother Iron Sister Steel” with the dollars you save. Everything in the way of tips, hints, routines, nutrition and motivation I know to answer questions and keep you going… straight talk — fun reading.

Workout:
Train intensely with a range of reps from 6 to 10-12. Superset 70% of the routine; skip drop sets and partial reps. Train with a pace that suits your nature plus your muscle building goals. Rely on instincts here, what pleases you inside.

Squats, deadlifts and bentover barbell rows and standing barbell curls are important for you… prepare yourself with sound workouts in these and go for singles in squat and deads once a month or so.

Thanks for tuning in.

God’s speed…. Dave

I would like to lower my bodyfat to about 8-10%, and also improve my overall cardiovascular condition, but I am not as big as I would like to be. How can I add cardio to my routine and not sacrifice energy during my lifting?

Every young musclebuilder’s dilemma — to gain muscle mass without bodyfat.

I lift hard and eat wisely to build muscle, and I keep a keen eye on bodyfat margins. Alas, only a few with rare metabolisms can gain muscle weight only.

Expect to hold some extra weight as you pursue muscle power and mass. The extra pounds provide energy and ready essential ingredients for tissue repair and building. It’s an investment. Training to be lean can be costly in the musclebuilding process.

Do a minimum of aerobic (3 or 4 20-minute interval cardio sessions per week) along with a maximum of weight training and smart eating.

Generalities: Superset where you can happily, 4 sets x 6,8,10,12 reps per exercise generally, 2 or 3 exercises per muscle group, each group twice a week, legs once a week, gut and calves every other day. Warm up, Blast it, Be persistent.

If you’re not familiar with supersetting, read this explanation of superset training.

This forum thread on 8×8 and 10×10 workout routines covers another style of fast-paced training that’ll get you in shape pronto.

Carry on,

dd

I’m trying to gain weight for football and I need at least 30 pounds. Could you help me with that?

No big secret here, my friend:

Lift hard and heavy without injuring yourself (any weekly arrangement of presses, deadlifts, squats, barbell curls, cleans + favorites, for example — 3-4 sets x 8, 6, 4 reps).

Eat lots of good food often and regularly (reduced-fat milk products, red meat, as well as eggs, chicken and fish, fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts and legumes and low-sugar, high-value carbs, no grease).

Add essential fatty acids, a vitamin/mineral daily, and a quality milk-based protein powder before and after any workouts.

No pigging out, no junk.

Drink lots of water, rest well, live right, stay healthy and don’t overtrain.

Those are the basics, Rawhide. Triumph is in the performer and his performance. Apply yourself with heart and soul, and with growing discipline, growing enthusiasm and growing understanding. Be consistent, persistent and insistent.

Be, also, realistic. 30 pounds is way out there. You’ll gain mass and strength during your quest, and — beware — you’ll get frustrated, bored, overworked and fat if you don’t watch out.

You’re young and eager and flexible, a wonderful combination. Be encouraged. Be tough.

Go… Godspeed… Dave