Summary:the "I, like everyone else, do not care to be ordinary. Already, a contradiction. I seek to arrange order and logic within my suggestions, both in exercise and menu. I offer you sound facts and establish sturdy landmarks to guide you, affirm you. Mostly, I don't want this to be a textbook but a view of life as seen by me, a person who did, does and will always lift weights as he eats and breathes." (Draper14)
The book Brother Iron Sister Steel is a story by Dave Draper "The Blonde Bomber" and becoming a professional bodybuilder; from his young years, first weight sets and make-shift bench all the way up to his professional career, stating how it felt to train with the idols of the industry (such as Lou Ferrigno and the notorious "Austrian Oak", Arnold Schwarzenegger). Dave Draper covers topics of staying motivated (such as in the chapter "Stoking The Training Fire"), how bodybuilding and weightlifting have changed in a social context, being seen as "meat heads" to now being more accepted in modern society; Mr. Draper even includes old magazine covers he was featured in, showing how bodybuilding was shown visually then. The emphasis of this story is on the change of bodybuilding, Draper displays bodybuilding of the 70's and eighties as rugged, uneducated, aesthetic, and physically debilitating. There was no knowledge of over training or specific hypertrophy or what would happen if the trained too hard, this generation was the generation to learn. Review:I found this book to be fantastic, stating how he feels about training, dieting, competing, and the world as a whole. This book is an amazing read for anyone interested in forms of lifting ranging from cross-fit, through power-lifting and to bodybuilding as Draper displays views and opinions upon training and life non-generalized to a specific dedication of training. I would read this book again to refresh myself of his training and motivation tactics or to "come back to the basics" of what bodybuilding is about instead of the complexity the modern era places upon it. All in all, I would rate this book a five out of five. This book met and surpassed my expectations as a book of knowledge and character portrayal, earning it the final star of "exceeding expectations".
Misc. Questions:If Mr. Draper could restart from the beginning, what would he change?
What kept him on this career for 60 years/ how does he still lift (heavy or light)? If he could recommend a mindset for me to follow, what would it resemble, and why? What does he miss the most about the "Golden Era" of bodybuilding? What would be the most important literal/metaphorical lesson he has to pass on to the future generations of bodybuilding? What direction is bodybuilding going, and why? |
Leroy Colbert (first man to have 21 inch arms): View of Dave DrapperMeta-cognitive Reader:This book hit close to home for me, for others it may be seen as just some book about lifting, but this book, to me displayed the heritage of my trade. As Mr. Draper said, "I can think of a few acts more profitable to growing up and becoming more complete than the honest, hard work of lifting weights and eating right.." There are many professions to which one could place their area of expertise, in doing so through bodybuilding and owning a gym in the future it is evidently comprehensible that monetary value is not found easily this manner. Saying this, Draper speaks of how lifting feels to him, "The first set is a growling dog, biting and snapping at the flesh. I love dogs.", I found this meaningful because, although it may be rough and hurt, lifting and bodybuilding is still the single most lovely thing in my life; although my success in bodybuilding will not be easy, it will still be, just as the dogs to Draper, loved unconditionally by. This book provides wood to the motivational fir, wehether the fire is withering or flourishing, Mr. Draper has an entire chapter dedicated to "Stoking The Training Fire".
This specific portion of the book is to go back to the basics of motivation, back to when the audience loved the sport without question, this connected to me because I've always loved it but as my schedule fills, it becomes neglected, while I'm busy it reminds me to go back when I would do anything for it. Draper reminds us that we must keep a focus, remember the necessity/addiction to training, and finally, that time is on no man's side. As a bodybuilder, the goal is to move as mast as your body can recover, if the individual does not make haste in a timely manner, this is a sport to which they are left behind. This made me remember to continue moving, especially in the position I am in, I was having very little, if any progression and it reminded me that if I slow, my competition will bound ahead of me. Finally, and possibly the most influential to me, is the section "Overcoming". This section is about the bad points of the sport, Negative conditions (depression/injury), over-training, plateaus, and of course, genetics. This subject Draper goes into great detail but the subcategory most influential to me was genetics, and specifically the quote, "We take our limitations...we take our structure, chemistry, brain and soul and continue to manipulate them, pushing and pulling, arranging them into their best possible balance." this was due to the fact that I am not flawless genetically. if I were to live in the era of Schwarzenegger and Draper, my height and physique would be flawless for bodybuilding. Bodybuilding now is no longer consisting of the tall, aesthetic physiques, but the short and massive; this will be my biggest obstacle and Mr. Draper has written a portion saying that i may overcome this through enough effort. |