The Bomber at 62
An Interview with Dave Draper
by John Koenig
We don't throw around the term "living legend" much around
here because not many people deserve such accolades. But T-Nation recently
sat down with a man who just might fit the bill: Dave Draper.
Known as the Blond Bomber, Dave Draper is an icon from what many consider
the Golden Age of bodybuilding. During his competitive career in the 1960's,
Dave won just about every title there was to win. He acted in movies, appeared
on TV, wrote books and visited dozens of different countries as a good will
ambassador for bodybuilding. But do you know what really separates Dave from
other legendary bodybuilders?
He never quit.
Today, when most men his age are picking out a rocking chair, Dave continues
to preach the gospel of iron. Blissfully unaware of his age and always in ripped
condition, the Bomber continues to write, teach, deadlift, squat and kick serious
butt in the gym.
T-Nation felt it was time to sit down with Dave and absorb some of that hard-earned
wisdom.
T-Nation: How old are you, Dave, and when did you get started in bodybuilding?
d
Dave Draper: I was born in Secaucus, New Jersey
on April 16
th,
1942. I’m 62. For five bucks I purchased my first set of battered weights
at age ten. I messed with them as most kids do with baseballs and footballs
and became seriously consistent at 15 years old. That was 47 years ago!
T-Nation: Has your mindset about weight training
changed over the decades?
Draper: Not exactly. I trust over the years I’ve
grown up somewhat emotionally and psychologically and increased my training
and nutritional understanding. My desire, need and ability to train vigorously
have continued to grow with my appreciation for life. Standing back, nothing’s
new.
T-Nation: In a nutshell, give us your basic philosophy
about training.
Draper: I train knowing I'm aging by the minute. I want to pursue my training
for the health and fun of it, the interest and challenge of it, and to see
how well I can fend off diminishing while adjusting to the inevitable.
I’m curious and it’s my business. As long as I have the spirit,
energy, enthusiasm and time, I’ll use my daily abilities to play the weightlifting
game. It's my hobby, a diversion and an expression. When it becomes one dimensional,
unhealthy in mind and body, unappealing and otherwise negative, I'll adjust
accordingly.
I enjoy training hard, but I'll pull back when the physical
and intuitive signs tell me to. I’m still seeing good things happen
along with the less-than-good things. Some lifts are better than ever and
there's new muscle growth here and there, though this may end tomorrow or
the next day. Until then, I’ll
push that iron with the power of experience and love.
T-Nation: Amen to that! What are your general
thoughts on nutrition?
Draper: I established sound eating habits long ago: regular portions of high
protein foods (meat, fish, poultry, dairy and eggs), lots of salads, sufficient
fruits, grains and herbs, fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants... the
muscle builder's sacred lineup. Eat frequently (every three hours) throughout
the day from body-up to body-down, and get two grams of protein per pound of
bodyweight if you're a hard trainer.
Also, avoid sugars, saturated fats and junk foods. No gorging!
Food is fun and a magnificent source of life and energy; it's not an entertainment
or obsession. I simply don’t desire to eat in ways that aren't healthy
in serving the body. In fact, I repel them.
T-Nation: How does all this compare to when you
were competing in the 1960's?
Draper: Joyful exercise and sound eating have been practiced since my early
training days at the Dungeon, or Muscle Beach Gym, in the 60's. There I discovered
and adopted most of my understanding of exercise and nutrition. Over the years
there have been ebbs and flows, ups and downs. One experiments, one experiences,
one fails and succeeds and carries on.
My eating habits today are as they were in the 60's, only tighter and more
highly appreciated. My workouts are similar to my robust training in the 60's,
only tighter and more highly appreciated. Basically, what was then is now,
with little deviation, improvement or evolvement, despite the so-called superior
technology and hysterical race for more and better.
The answer and the joy are in the iron, sound eating,
hard work, consistency and courage. No secrets, nothing new, just be strong
and do it. It’s you!
T-Nation: How should a middle-aged or older weight
trainer eat compared to his training partner in his 20's?
Draper: The answer depends
on many variables: comparative bodyweight, rate of metabolism, training zeal,
number of training years invested and so on. If the muscle is there, the
physical condition is sound and the training is tight, the middle-aged man
can do as he pleases (or as he knows best) regardless of his partner’s
habits. Train hard and feed the body as described above. Age isn't the single
and exact determining factor.
Given both men are equal, the younger man most likely has advantages in flexibility,
hormonal balance, tissue building and repair, and he can most likely train
harder with less risk of injury. He'll probably grow more quickly and is less
likely to store fat. The older man might require less food intake (despite
high quality nutrition) to avoid adding unwanted body fat while striving to
gain muscle mass.
We also know it's not unusual that many younger men aren't nearly as fit as
their older counterparts in the gym and have years of training and correcting
bad dietary habits ahead to catch up to their senior partner.
T-Nation: That's often true. What are the most
common dietary mistakes older athletes make?
Draper: Generally, the mistakes made by older athletes are the same ones made
by their younger counterparts: not being regular in their dietary disciplines,
not feeding themselves adequately before (fuel) or after (repair) a workout
session, insufficient protein, too many sugars, not enough water, ignoring
the importance of EFA's and not controlling their body fat.
T-Nation: As weight trainers age and their metabolisms change, how should
they deal with it?
Draper: A person's metabolism
is determined in part by muscle mass relative to overall body mass. More
muscle and less fat add up to a keener metabolism. Healthy hormonal activity
accompanies an exercised body with a correct muscle-to-body fat ratio. Further,
the quality of foods ingested affects the body’s chemistry
and the metabolic rate, directly and indirectly.
Gets complicated, but the fix is simple. Regularly consume
wholesome foods offering peak nutrient advantages, don’t eat sugary,
high-glycemic foods which upset the body’s chemistry and don’t
overeat. Exercise vigorously daily to build muscle, assist hormonal balance,
control fat storage and enhance the cardio-respiratory system. These training
precepts fortify the body’s
entire system and reduce the debilitating stresses.
T-Nation: Can any of the "typical" changes associated
with aging be slowed down, stopped or changed?
Draper: Certainly. Body chemistry is complex;
body care is simple. Train hard, eat right, be strong and be happy. You’ll
live longer and better.
T-Nation: Can't argue with that advice! Now, let's
dig deeper into the topic of training. Take us through your basic workout program.
Draper: My training input
in time and in strength has diminished as I’ve
gotten older. No surprise there. The first heavy, formative years were dominated
by six-day-a-week training programs. I’ve never laid off, though sickness
at about age 40 caused me to halt my training for four months.
The past 20 years have been hard and steady, as I built three gyms and established
a lively website. Since I turned 60 I've trained four days a week for two hours
each workout. The workouts are as intense as they were when I was younger,
only modified and limited in poundages to accommodate age and pain factors.
I make up for the limitations with determination, focus and maximum muscle
exertion. Here's what my program looks like:
Day 1) Midsection, chest, back and shoulders. I have a variety of basics I
rely on from dumbbell presses to Smith press-behind-necks, from cable crossovers
to bent-over barbell rows. I do five sets of 12, 10, 8, 6, and 4 reps of each
exercise and superset frequently.
Each workout includes 35 to 40 total sets plus crunches, leg raises, rope
tucks and hanging leg raises for the gut. I currently do no direct aerobics
exercise, accomplishing sufficient cardio work through the 20-minute, non-stop
midsection work and superset training regimen.
Day 2) Midsection and arms, maybe farmers’ walks. I superset
bi's and tri's and perform lots of forearm work. I can pull well — curls and
back work — but pressing and tri's are a drag. Strength’s okay; pain
is the limiting factor.
Day 3) Midsection and legs. Leg press, squats, extensions, curls, calves.
I might squat heavy one day every three weeks: singles, doubles.
Day Off
Day 4) After midsection I practice a mix of favorite movements to cover the
whole body: thick-bar deadlifts for grip strength and back health, heavy bent-over
rows for back density, thigh-glute-ham work supersetted with stiff-arm pullovers,
press-behind-neck and pulldowns to behind-the-neck for additional lat and shoulder-width
work. I might deadlift heavy once every three weeks using singles and doubles.
This four-day treatment hits everything directly or sufficiently twice a week.
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