Brother Iron, Sister Steel: A Bodybuilder's Book

by Dave Draper

Brother Iron, Sister Steel is a private journey into bodybuilding as only Dave Draper, former Mr. America, Mr. Universe and Mr. World, can tell it. Training techniques, exercise descriptions and nutritional strategies form the book's foundation, but what glues this book together are Dave's personal experiences and insights, humor and candidness, all of which speak to the heart and soul. The delight in the iron work, the play of the steel and the redefined...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1931046654
• ISBN13: 9781931046657
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: On Target Publications, LLC
• Length: 194 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Poet of Steel

Fact is, Draper is the best writer on bodybuilding in print. I don't mean he sprays all kinds of technical (sometimes useful) prose around like more research based writers (though he seems to be current in lifting theory); what he does do is write for the soul of the lifter. Weights for weights sake. The simple, tender but direct, conversations one needs to hear to grow as a person on the gym floor, inside and out, are in this book. He's funny, yes, and remarkably charming. But at their core the essays in this book are poetic. They clang with the passion of someone who holds belief in a religion or knows an unknown disease cure; they are deeply personal. There are no references to a study done last year on the T levels of ten football players at some college, just to the experiences of one guy who has lifted for 40 years without stopping, East Coast to Muscle Beach to Mr. A and Mr. U to a gym on the California coast; Draper lifts because he has to, he says so all the time; you know what, me too. And I just started.If you're looking for everything you need to know to begin lifting, you may not find it in this book (Draper writes in more technical depth elsewhere). But you will find a friendly voice every lifter deserves to hear. You will find the heart of lifting, where instead of obsessing over which prohormone stack or what starch has the lowest g.i., you simply stroll your butt to the gym, warm up and find the squat rack and start blasting (or bombing); the sweat stark reality of the squat rack. That's Draper.If anything, his weekly email posts (found via his web site) show his writing maturing. Skillful word choice, eloquent but casual phrasing, the rhythm in the langauge, even its sound... (yeah, I confess now, I teach English for a living). Dave, at his best, belongs in Best American Essays. He has a gift. I have no doubt. The steel community is lucky to have such a mentor/writer; all lifters will benefit from his tone and content.As I've hinted, the book isn't perfect; as others have noted, I'd like to see pictures of the exercises (though it seems this was published locally by Dave et. al. and production cost may have been an issue). If he had instructive photos, he could spend less time writing intricate descriptions of the lifts, and do what he really does best: write sermons on iron for those who love it already and need to love it more. And tell his own story. In some ways perhaps the book is more than one book, or one book trying to know what kind of book it wants to be when it grows up. But have no doubt, it's worthwhile to watch the journey. Those five stars I gave are well-earned.I recommend the book to anyone interested in bodybuilding. You just have to hear Draper write. If nothing else, it's bound to get you into the gym.

THE Book To Read Concerning Weight Training & Fitness!

For those of us who spent our misbegotten adolescences in the dusky YMCAs and Boys' Club gyms chasing the elusive muscles of Steve "Hercules" Reeves and Gordon "Tarzan" Scott, the name of Dave Draper (the blond bomber) strikes a mental chord synonymous with California, alluring sexpots, and gigantic muscles. After all, he gazed out at us from endless Muscle magazine covers, the original beach Adonis, the daunting and awe-inspiring realization of our fondest daydreams. Yet, as our ideal Draper also reminded us all that with progressive weight-training, or working out, we could, with enough time and effort, vastly improve our physical beings and in the process transform our own idea of who we are. Now, thirty-five years later we stumble on this book only to discover what a wonderful writer he happens to be!Here he reminds us of just how good a role model we would-be muscleheads chose so long ago, as he demonstrates his wisdom, good humor, and keen intelligence in explicating with class, verve and thorny personal experiences what it really means to live a life of physical culture, and how attractive that can be in a time of such uncertainty and superficial culture. And he knows of from where he speaks, for Draper, like Reeves and Scott, also appeared in a number of films, most notably with Tony Curtis and the late Sharon Tate in a offbeat Southern California beach comedy called "Don't Make Waves". His huge presence stole the film away from his co-stars. Indeed, his own presence and personality shine through the typical '60s Hollywood treatment of any given bodybuilder as a naïve, self-absorbed, and narcissistic nonentity. Yet, the viewer finds himself gradually coming to empathize with the natural kindness and thoughtfulness of the character, and in this way Draper showed he had the stuff to do much more cinematically. Alas, it was not to, for it was long before the days of Arnold, and Draper eventually fled back into relative obscurity to work-out, build classic driftwood furniture, which incidentally Schwarzenegger used to furnish his own digs, and eventually became a kind of elder spokesman for the life of physical culture. Therefore, no one speaks with more authority of such a life and its benefits, characteristics, and pitfalls than does big Dave. One is surprised by just how well he expounds on various ideas and subjects, and one wishes for a dialogue with the big guy on subjects other than those covered here. This is a book or anyone involved in the now almost universally available lifestyle, waiting for one at the local World or Gold's Gym, and hopes that all those X-generation kids could have a glimpse at what it was like thirty or forty years ago, when such emporiums were the stuff of youthful California dreaming, and all we had to lure into the dingy sweatshops of the local YMCA was the image of the blond bomber staring back at us from the latest issue of Muscle Magazine. Enjoy!

The best bodybuilding book there is.

This is the book I wish I had when I started weighttraining/bodybuilding 16 years ago at the age of 16. It's simply the best book I've read about bodybuilding (and I've read quite a few). In this book, Dave Draper, former Mr. America, Mr. Universe and Mr. World, gives you the straight talk about bodybuilding. There are no hidden agendas. Like Dave says in the book "The secret is there is no secret". Given this, it is Dave's sincere wish to give you, the reader, the best information available about how to build a strong and healthy body.In Dave's unique writing style (he has a great sense of humor) he explains the basics of bodybuilding as it pertains to both the beginner, the intermediate and advanced bodybuilder or the person who simply wants to get in great shape. He presents some very workable and realistic training programs that incorporates the superset training principle, which not only gives you superior muscle development and cardiovascular health, but also saves time in the gym and are a lot more fun.Dave has almost 50 years of bodybuilding experience. In the 60s he build one of the greatest physiques of all time with some of the shabbiest equipment allowable by law. The 60s is considered the golden era of bodybuilding and anyone who like me is a big fan of the golden era bodybuilders will really enjoy reading the section of the book where Dave tells a lot of great stories from those days with insight and humor. Not to mention the great pictures of Dave throughout the book.I've had the pleasure of meeting Dave in person and at age 58 he is still in fantastic shape. Like Bill Pearl, he is one of the few remaining TRUE bodybuilders.So if you want to learn from the best, I highly recommend this book.Henrik NielsenCopenhagen, Denmark

Not for men only!

I could not put down my copy of Brother Iron, Sister Steel. As a female bodybuilder, it is refreshing to find a book that is for "any" one, not just men. Dave Draper takes you inside his world, providing a glimpse into the early days of bodybuilding. This book will be my companion for the great advice and motivation that it contains.

Don't pass this one up!

Dave Draper, bodybuilding's original "Blonde Bomber" and former Mr.America, Mr.Universe and Mr.World has written a fabulous and unique book about not only bodybuilding and creating a healthy life style, but also of his humble beginings and antidotes from his associations with other great bodybuilders from the "Golden Era" of bodybuilding. Dave writes in an easy to understand, down home, everyman style interspearsed with his humor and humility. Beyond sets, reps and diets Dave gets to the heart of taking command of yourself and motivates you from within. I have a small library of books bought over the last 20 years pertaining to workouts, diets, biographies and motivation. Brother Iron and Sister Steel is head and shoulders above them all. It is a must read and I cannot recommend it enough!