Dave Draper’s Musclebuilding Q&A

To get strong and larger, would you rather do, four sets of triceps pulley pressdowns with 75 pounds, 10-12 reps, or four sets of the same exercise with 140 pounds of 4-5 reps?

In the pulley pushdowns, I go for the higher reps… and I vary my body position and groove to engage as much triceps as possible… and then I introduce some body thrusting to enable even a few more reps, often the reps approaching 18 to 20 — Sorta multiple stages of performance within the one set.

I appreciate including more upper body action in the goal to overload the tris. Lots of muscle and energy benefit to increased upper body action.

However, I probably wouldn’t select pushdowns as an exercise for getting stronger.

Go… D

In a recent newsletter, you mention both shoulder and chest incline dumbbell press.  I’m not clear about what the difference might be in those two moves.

The steeper the incline, the greater the load on the shoulder regions. Conversely, the lower the incline the more the pecs are engaged.

As a young lifter, I quickly discovered barbell inclines were murder on my shoulder cage, and dumbbells were just right — powerful muscle engagement in cleaning the weights into position and more control in directing action toward power-groove and away from injury.

The bench press is a universally favorite exercise and hard to resist, but is famous for developing severe and lifelong shoulder problems. Works okay — injury to musclebuilding ratio — if it is executed as a thoughtful exercise and not a blood-spurting-from-the-eyes power movement. Trouble ahead, safety and longevity first.

Blast to last…  Bomber

 I have a very labor intensive job and at 55 years old old I am currently working out 3 days a week, full body workouts 4 sets of 10 with a change in workouts every 30 days. I am tired at the end of my work week as I go to the gym at 5 am. Do you have any hints for this old dungeon gym rat?

A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do: Quit your job.

Or, you might have to alter your workouts to accommodate your weariness, which I suspect is due to the mounting years. 55 is wide open to years of strong training ahead, but recoup time becomes the trick. You might spread the workouts over a four-day period (includes a weekend day, perhaps) or try a new approach… exercise combos, rep scheme 12, 10, 8, 6 or all 6s or 8s, split routines…

Often, when bound by job and schedule and convention, we stick to what we know, what we trust. Be creative, be risky (clue: there’s no risk), have fun, mix it up… just press on, always.

Bomber Blend before and/or after workouts… Go Godspeed… Dave

I have a question about what weight belt you use. I really would like to use one, but don’t know which brand to choose or thickness measurement to get, leather or nylon ply. 

Depends on need… I like a double-thick, 4-inch belt end to end. Use the belt only on heavy lifts or when necessary to protect the area on special occasions… don’t want it to take the load when you should…

EliteFts is where many of the guys are getting them, and looks like they have them on sale right now. Here’s the link to the weight belt sales page, and here’s how to pick the size.

Just for sport, a nylon 4- or 6-inch will do for firming-up the region in testy situations. Kinda girly.

dd

I’ve been spending a lot of time in the gym, and I’ve come across a lot of conflicting information in my research.  Because of the release of cortisol, in order to get the most out of your workout before your body releases an excessive amount of the hormone, it’s said you should keep it at most an hour. Someone once asked Ronnie Coleman the duration he thought and indeed he said around 45 minutes. Generally the more popular view is that two hours or even longer is fine in the gym.  I’m fine with that if that’s what needs be.  I generally enjoy my time in the gym, feeling satisfied and better about myself for having gone. Still, I’m not sure what I should do to get the most out of my workout based on this conflicting information.  Do you have any ideas that could help me?

I have trouble with the science and the iron of musclebuilding. An hour in the gym never did it for me as a young, hardcore muscle-maniac. Sixty minutes? Fine for older folks and fitness-heads, but to arrange and focus and fight and pump and burn and blast the sets and reps and movements, I’m only half way home.

Never know what or who to believe: That’s why I never read any mags or how-to books along my cast-iron journey. We’re all different, with differing advantages and limitations — chemical, metabolic, genetic, structural, aptitude, affinity, attitude. Hence, our needs differ.

What one does in 60 minutes — exercises choices, exercise form, exercise volume, performance intensity, weight used, pace applied, methodology — is not what another might do.

Do what you need and want to do. They’ll probably match. I swap the science for good old instincts and commonsense. Call me dumb. Too much data and research and science and I wanna go home. Let me lift.

It’s complicated. Cortisol is a life-saving hormone created by stress within the body by our own hands (excessive system overloads) or from stressful circumstances surrounding us (war). Too much cortisol can certainly be damaging when produced to alter our cellular chemistry.

I see from your email address your military commitment, and I consider that a number one producer of cortisol. Toughest job in the world, for which we are deeply in debt, thank you.

I’d use the gym to build muscle and might, as best you can, while relieving the multitude of stresses around you. This means enjoy it, trust it and love it, and hate it only slightly. Dig in, but don’t bury yourself.

Rest as much as you can and eat as well as you can, often. Got some dough? Invest in some good supplements to fill the gaps. Protein powder, tuna and such…

Again, thanks for everything… God’s strength… Dave Draper

I was born with thin legs and can’t get them to grow like my upper body. I do back and front squats with leg presses and leg curls. I started a few months ago doing a lot of dumbbell squats. My legs are muscular but not big. My dad has twigs and my friends tell me it’s genetics and I have to live with it.

I’m a 67-year-old bomber who’s been through a few skirmishes in the gym and whose dad had strings transporting him about for 94 years. My advice is carry on with gratitude and appreciation and courage. Genes tend to rule our domain, especially the lower regions.

You’re doing it all and life is good. Be sensible in your training intensity and realistic in your goals. If your legs aren’t thunderous and sweeping by now, give them ample hope and time, but don’t distress your mind, body and life in the pursuit. Injuries are around the corner when we over-overload. Tedium and discouragement lie waiting in the shadows… who needs it? Anxiety? What for…

Smile and be happy: train smart, eat right, be strong, live, learn and grow in all manner and direction.

Squat and deadlift intelligently… Thank God… DD

Given my age, small frame and apparent preponderance of slow twitch muscle, I have no chance of growing a physique. But I still like a good workout, and find it very satisfying whenever  I can add 5# to this exercise or 10# to that one. In order to add weight to my anemic DB bench I had to psych up, intend and will to succeed, focus all my concentration on the movement and really give it Hell. It did work for a while. But the last month, the trend is definitely down, not up. Given the low volume, could I still be over training?

This training and gaining feature can go on for only a limited time, obviously. We hit a plateau; we max out; we adapt to our output; we grow accustomed to our exercises and routine; we beat the horse to near-death.

The body and mind have met their match. You need a change: new approach, plan of attack, exercise combinations.

Replace the worn exercises with different ones, if for no other reason than physical and mental and emotional change of pace and restoration: different grip, different angle, train for sets and rep performance rather than final-rep max; pump and burn with a focus on building muscle from another vantage point.

Step away from routine and mix it up. There’s creativity and play and discovery in that heap of metal. Sameness frustrates.

I submit we need a variety of exercises to grow in strength- and muscle- and structure-health, and if we are to endure. The mind and body loves well-ordered variety — responds to it.

Focus and dedication and determination are important to good training. They are wonderful requirements. But extreme psyching-up can be overwhelming. The do-or-die approach should be reserved for those occasional extreme workouts, or each set of each workout becomes too serious, and critical and too often disappointing, risky, excessive and negative Training becomes grim.

I don’t like grim. I hate grim.

Good considerations. I exercise to exercise, to move, to groove, to feel and notice and note and enjoy.; to live, learn and grow.

Try one-arm overhead cleans, bent-over barbell rows, standing reverse dumbbell curls and dumbbell triceps extensions; sets of 12, 10, 8, 6, simple supersets.

Remember: Ruts ruin rippin’ rascals…

Go… Godspeed… DD

What are dumbbell pullovers? You mention them all the time and I’m not sure if I am envisioning the correct exercise.

You’re lying on a flat bench with a single dumbbell fully extended overhead, hands spread over the inside plate and balancing. With nearly straight arms — allow for elbow joint comfort and safety — thoughtfully lower the dumbbell backward till your arms are parallel to the floor… they are extended as if reaching for the far wall. Reverse the action smoothly and return the load to the overhead starting position.

I love it. Oxygenating feel-good movement, it engages the abdominal muscles, the underside of the arms, rib cage, shoulder rotation, serratus, lats (super good lat move) and minor pec regions.

With lighter dumbbells you can, upon return of the weight to overhead, go forward of the starting position thoughtfully to engage the front delts and pectorals. Experiment, experience, be aware…

Great companion in a variety of supersets, as it’s a relief movement with many facets of interfacing.

Squats and pullovers, various dumbbell presses and pullovers, deadlifts and pullovers, cable crossovers and pullovers. 3 to 5 sets x 15, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps — start light at 12 to 15 reps, go up the rack and lower the reps toward 6 reps.

As always,  focus and form… Godspeed… Dave

How many minutes can you work each muscle a day?

Varies widely with people and conditions…  too many to consider here.

Short and simple answer:

For health, physical conditioning and prowess…Give yourself 75 sensible minutes in the gym three times a week with some aerobic activity on the off days… say 25 minutes a muscle group if you’re counting.

For competition, twice or three times that…

We press on to enjoy our training and to build muscle and might… Discipline and Character travel by our sides.

Go… Godspeed… Dave

I’ve been doing a lot of incline dumbbell presses and flys for upper chest. Seems like the inside of my pecs have developed, but not the connection between shoulder and chest. Should I start with barbells and a wider grip?

This is a common trouble spot and its origin is often the builder’s genetic skeletal-muscular structure, or blueprint. We do our best with what we have.

How about cable crossovers, single- or double-arm, and direct resistance to the area you desire by hand-body position? Perform with a light-to-moderate weight with concentration and isolation in the movement, or with a heavier, more aggressive thrusting action for fuller muscle engagement (3 to 4 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6 reps).

Front lateral raises with similar focusing will throw in a dab of muscular flesh in the wanting area.

Got guts? Military presses or standing presses (bar or dumbbell) build a lot of good stuff in the shoulder-upper pec areas. Cleans and presses go a giant step further. Do them for three weeks on and a week off (substitute with some other fav movement) for a season or two.

Throw in dips on your arm days, for tris and other related muscles, including delt-pec tie-in.

Barbell benches and inclines are my last choice… shoulder danger zone.

Remember: You can’t force muscle growth. Forcing is murder on the overused, highly-unstable shoulder region. Be highly persuasive, but be nice…

Go… Godspeed… Dave

Can you suggest an exercise for my lower biceps? My biceps routine is standing hammer dumbbell curls supersetted with reverse s-bar curls. I cannot do a curl with a barbell or dumbbell where my wrist is flat — there is a spot in my left shoulder that hurts even with 40 pounds on the bar, yet no problem with 70-pound dumbbell hammer curls.

Do all the curl movements you can imagine or invent that don’t hurt. Enjoy, bombing sensibly.

Biceps, as do all the muscles of the body, build according to pre-described plans. If you’re not hooked up for thick lower biceps, they will not be persuaded.

Reverse curls with a bent-bar are nice… go heavy sometimes  –  safely, even belted — with an aggressive, yet thoughtful body thrust.

I like 4-5 sets of anything x 10, 8, 6 reps.

Go… DD

I keep reading about how these trainers these days want all exercises done standing up. They say it strengthens the core and such.  I can understand that but what if you have a back problem and need the support of a bench? How much of a difference does it make doing a exercise standing as  opposed to sitting?  I’m sure that I’m getting some of the benefit of the exercise even though I’m sitting on a bench. What’s your opinion?  Some also do not recommend direct arm work. They say it can lead to injuries and other problems because the biceps and triceps do not use those ranges of motion in anything we do in everyday life.  They say to use pull-ups and dips, those are great, but how about some curls and triceps extensions just to change it up?

Much of today’s personal training instruction is fair and legit. They are aimed at health, fitness, flexible bodies with balance and mobility and sufficient strength.

Bodybuilding and weight training as muscleheads know it and pursue it is not a body-healthy sport. Danger ahead. Hard Hat area. Be Aware — Take Care. High Risk Zone.

First, the trainee has to decide what he wants — big guns, coconut delts or a trim and fit body with balance and mobility — and what he’s willing to sacrifice for it. I chose the former, you can choose a smart blend of the two.

I’m shifting my style as my choices curiously disappear and as I note smart ways to engage my muscle systems and recruit muscles left to flounder by nonuse or misuse.

A little late, but helpful and interesting, healing and focusing. I prefer bombing, but what the heck.

Laree is digging into the mobility training and methods to engage the body healthfully, as she continues her need and desire to lift like an ironhead.

I sit, I stand, I kneel, I hang, I lean and I focus and engage sensibly. I tried bench pressing while standing and fell on my head. Don’t get confused, be alert, listen, learn, apply different yet appealing methodology with commonsense and inner antennae.

Sit when you must… Heck, sit when you feel like it… Godspeed… Dave

Is there a maximum time I should work out?  Up to now my workouts have varied between one and one and a half hours  - about 45 minutes lifting weights and another 45 or so doing stretching and flexibility exercises like Yoga postures.  I’m wondering if this may be too long. Also, for the last few weeks I don’t appear to be losing any weight, despite dropping my calorie intake to around 1800 calories a day.  Am I doing something wrong?

An hour a day, five or six days a week is ideal for most.

You might alternate your two 45-minute programs.

Be consistent, focused, determined, sensibly intense and high-spirited. Life’s great investment.

The first pounds of weight loss are the least difficult. You are now encountering the second pounds, a more stubborn group. Fight the good fight.

Chances are your muscle development is becoming evident at the scale. Muscle is heavier than fat weight. Fat pounds might very well be continuing on the decline as muscle weight is on the rise.

dd

A question to wrap up all my wonders: Is it ok to push the gym time of 30-45 minutes as long as I keep the workout minimal but effective, and no longer than say 90 minutes? Working out smart and not hard — in other words not forcing the reps in the last sets.

Apparently, we’re from different schools of thought. I insist on bombing and blasting, while you prefer friendly persuasion. I suspect it has to do with personality, instinct, trial and experience, education and common sense and urges.

I’m a Bomber, you’re the Captain of the Guard.

Consistency wins the prize… Go… Dave

Is it cheating to use the legs for extra effort in the last few reps or just push from the core (squeezing the stomach), or does it matter? I can
see benefits to both.

Experience both and make the on-the-spot choice according to urge, comfort, aim, ability…

I’m all for a little thrust in an exercise when it’s for the benefit of maximum exertion and muscle engagement and when it’s a natural extension or finessing of the movement. I prefer full range of motion and less isolation.

Thanks for faithfully hanging out… Dave    <<< Godspeed>>>

How effective are dumbbell pullovers for upper chest? What do you advise?

Not very. Each of us responds differently to the various exercises. Bent-arm pullover and press has possibilities, especially the point of transition from pullover to pressing, but it’s for young gorillas.

• Straight-arm pullovers accompany chest workouts very well, my favorite superset being DB incline and straight-arm pullover. Upper pec area is tough to engage unless one has the cool structural mechanics.
• Try steep DB inclines for upper pec and shoulder combination, variations of dips on the dip machine , cable crossovers (one-arm or two-arm) positioning yourself for upper chest engagement — lean forward and dig in with slightly bent arms and a high groove.
• Try grasping a DB with both hands and raising it from the waist forward and up with straight-out arms to a position slightly above parallel, like a forward lateral. Lower sorta slowly, focusing on entire pec region. The crushing effect loads the chest. Start light and go up the rack toward heavy. (4,5 sets X 10, 8, 6 rep range)
•  I don’t like Oly bar pressing, flat or incline. Shoulders beware!

We press on… we never quit… Godspeed… DD

Been lifting weights for 30 years. At 43, is there any reason I couldn’t stop lifting weights and just freehand exercise — chins, dips, handstand pushups, hindu pushups, one-legged squats, muscle-ups, etc?  My goal at this point is to be strong, agile and fit. Other than potential for massive bulk, is there something weights bring to the table that bodyweight exercises don’t?

Yes! Iron.

I think one can achieve or maintain fitness with a good diet and the variety of freehand exercises you list, providing they are well-executed, vigorous, thoughtfully arranged and consistent.

Certain lean, muscley body types (those guys with natural abs and no excess skin, the dirty rats) respond well to bodyweight exercise, significantly better than others.

If muscle mass and power are really important to the trainee, resistance exercise (weights, cables, kettlebells) is the by far leader of the pack.

Injuries lurk in dark corners. Lately, I dare not chin for fear of pulling my biceps… I refuse to freehand dip or perform a pushup because I suspect I’ll shred my rotator cuff. But I lift wisely and safely.

Give me the iron, just enough, and I’ll press on… DD

PS: Did I mention Bomber Blend… it’s the greatest…

I was wondering if you were serious about a second edition to Brother Iron? I am 41 now and have been training since I was 14, so you can understand why I would be most interested in your thoughts towards nutrition and training after forty since the first Brother Iron.

Good Question, and thanks. I think we’ll do some combining of collected material, make a few revisions and add a chapter or two on training after wrinkles replace the cuts. Writing about aging while you’re amid the gnarly process is as much fun as it sounds. I’ll not research deeply, scrutinize my findings nor elaborate on the details. I’ll get to a dull point and leave the rest to our imaginations. The book is a work in progress.

From where I sit, it seems like I’ll do what I’ve always done, except less of everything. Go with the flow, dial in regularly; the weights and the day-by-day workouts are the barometer.

41 is a great time for enjoying, hoping, bombing and growing. The shadows are short, the sun is overhead, the storms are navigable. Do not miss it; it’ll last another 20 years unless you hit a tree.

Go… Godspeed… Dave

I’ve been training with moderate weights for quite some time. I do not take supplements of any sort and am working out with the primary intention of staying healthy, strong and also have an attractive Greek-god physique, but not for being a competitive bodybuilder. Is it really true I’m not going to make any significant progress if I continue my current training?This doubt has made me kinda lose interest in my workouts.

Continue your standardized training, yet sensibly power lift a couple, three days every fourth week… You’ve got to achieve muscle overload to enjoy hypertrophy — muscle growth. The change is good for the head and body. Too much of the same and one becomes dull without even knowing it.

Another approach is choosing one muscle group and blasting it for the month amid your standardized scheme: shoulders, back, arms and so on… fun, novel, interesting plus overloading.

Don’t give up, disappointments are around every corner. The only real answer is not giving in or giving up. Without the training overload the muscles will trickle along, which is not a bad thing: less chance of injury, less stressful, less dominating.

There’s fun in them thar weights, challenge and reward. Rise above discouragement.

Bombs… The Bomber

I am still a little unsatisfied with my triceps. I do the litany of exercises and then some. They grow, but this is the problem area I have. Am I better off doing many more reps vs lifting heavier to make these muscles look more defined or increasing the weight?

I think you’re doing all you can do, having put years of hard work into your training. We have a genetic pattern our bodies follow, and I wonder if what you see is what you’ve got.

When working tris with cables, I prefer higher reps…  4, 5 sets x 12 to 15 to 20 reps.

When doing triceps extensions with bar or dumbbells, lying or overhead, I vary reps — 15, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps — as I increase the weight.

We’re all different… different strokes… experiment… keeps us going and hopeful.

Strive for more without abuse… appreciate what you have…

Godspeed… Dave