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Draper
Book Brims with Wit and Wisdom
The
Blond Bomber can write, and well. Dave Draper has a delightful way
with words. He writes prose like no other bodybuilder I've ever
read. To the best to my knowledge, except for his Website, he has
no history as a writer; it must come naturally, from his life experience.
That's probably it, because he has an intriguing story to tell.
For those new to bodybuilding, Draper was a bodybuilding superstar
during the '60s and early '70s. He won the Mr. America, Mr. Universe
and Mr. World, and in addition to being plastered all over the muscle
magazines (he didn't really write all those articles, or did he?),
he was featured in a number of Hollywood movies. After winning the
Mr. World in 1970, he dropped out of the bodybuilding spotlight,
but continued to train hard. He reemerged in late 1989 to open a
World Gym in central California.
"Be
strong and courageous. Be fit. Expand your life through exercise,"
says Draper on the back cover of his book.
BROTHER IRON SISTER STEEL: A Bodybuilder's Book is
ostensibly about muscle building, but it's really about Dave Draper's
50-years-and-counting love affair with the weights. For the most
part, he doesn't tell you what you should do; he tells you in a
most engaging way what has worked for him over the years - and offers
suggested training routines for people of different levels of experience,
from beginner to advanced. In the process, he imparts the wisdom
gained from a half-century of serious training, which began at age
8 in his bedroom, moved to the YMCA in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and
eventually to Muscle Beach, where in the '60s and early '70s, the
"Golden Era of Bodybuilding," he says the tried and true training
principles which stand today were established. He continues to blast
away at the two World Gyms he now operates with his second wife,
Laree, in Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley, California. At age 58, he's
in great shape, weighing 220, with a body fat well under 10 percent.
There
Is No Secret
Dave has checked out all the cutting-age training information on
the Internet and elsewhere, but insists that he's found nothing
to alter the course he mapped out in the early '60s during his Muscle
Beach days. "I've acquired no insight that added an essential drop
to the basics of consistent hard work, heart and common sense."
He's adamant on this point: "Unless you're a student and not a 'muscle
freak,' the minutia of scientific stuff will only slow you down,
confuse you, and distract and distress you."
He
then proceeds for more than 300 witty and thoughtful pages to prove
that he learned quite a lot during the '60s about training - and
life. (My guess is he continued learning after that as well.) "Training
with the weights, given half a chance, will teach you about living
and strengthen you in many ways where you may otherwise stumble."
He should know, because he continued lifting no matter what, through
thick and thin. Says Dave, "I can only guess what a mess I'd be
without it."
I
particularly liked his comments on motivation. He emphasizes the
need to stay positive and enjoy your workouts. "To be consistent,
training must be sweet and desirable; not slavery; not dull, boring
and fruitless." That's easier said than done, of course. Dave has
a lot of good suggestions on how to make your training fun and productive.
He obviously learned some sound psychology while training and observing
in the gym.
If
I've given the impression that Dave is dogmatic about training,
that's wrong. He clearly recognizes that there are many ways to
skin a cat. He says there are many successful training styles and
proceeds to describe divergent techniques employed successfully
by the likes of Arnold, Frank Zane, Franco Columbu, Sergio Oliva,
Leroy Colbert, Mike Mentzer and many other bodybuilding stars that
he trained with or observed in the gym. He explains what has worked
for him and offers many pages of suggestions to help readers develop
their own style. Agree or not, you'll enjoy what he has to say,
and how he says it.
He
gives his take on overload, overtraining, dynamic tension, isometrics,
periodization, volume training vs. high-intensity training, Olympic
lifting, powerlifting etc. and finds value in all of it. His only
caveat is to warn against "the narrow thinker who believes his way
is the only way" and implores you to "beware of adhering to one
principle exclusive of [others]." He adds that he's never been confused
about training - until he began reading background material in preparation
for writing the book. "The confusion," says Dave, "came with the
reading."
Thumbs
Down on Aerobics
Dave
isn't big on aerobics. Physical fitness, he says, is "vitally important"
and admits to engaging in some intense cardio from time to time.
He doesn't necessarily discourage aerobics, but says it is "over-rated,
over-consumed and over-worshiped." His bottom line: "The 'iron'
is better, that's all... honest."
When you consider that he trains hard, two hours a day, five days
a week, it's easy to see where he's coming from. He simply doesn't
have time or energy for aerobics. Judging from his photos, he sure
doesn't need the fat loss benefits of aerobics. I don't know about
his coronary arteries, but someone who can train at a fast pace
for two hours probably has a fairly decent ticker. Plus, he confesses,
"I love barbells." Finally, turning scientific, he says, "Excessive
aerobics causes your body to shift its chemistry, calling on muscle
protein to provide energy."
I
would phrase it differently and get there by a different route,
but I find a lot of truth in what Dave says about aerobics. In short,
don't overdo long slow aerobics -- unless you want to look more
like a marathoner than a bodybuilder. As Dave suggests, it's for
each individual to decide what's best for him or her. It depends
on your unique physiology, your goals and what turns you on. Again,
Dave is not being dogmatic. He's just offering his opinion for your
consideration, and doing it in a classy way. I like that.
Draper
on Diet
"Junk is for jerks," says Dave. "Stay away from nasty fats, excessive
salt and simple sugars." That's Dave's number one nutrition rule.
And who can disagree? Not me.
Dave
offers 12 nutrition rules, all quite sensible, nothing extreme.
The only place we part company is on protein. He buys into the 40-30-30
Zone diet formula. Says Dave, "I have always instinctively leaned
toward a higher intake of protein over carbohydrate to build a lean
body." I'm just the opposite. I function, think and train, better
on a little better than a 2 to 1 ratio of carbs over protein. (We
both agree that the carbs should be complex and clean.) Most nutrition
experts would agree with me, but what do we know. Dave's arms are
bigger than mine and any nutritionists or registered dietitian I
know anything about. Again, he is simply reporting what works best
for him. He leaves the decision to you. And so do I.
He's
up to speed on essential fatty acids. He recommends getting your
quota of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Bet he didn't learn that in
the '60s. Shows that he's open to new ideas.
Right on Dave.
Draper recommends a balanced and complete vitamin and mineral supplement
and a whey protein powder, "forever and with confidence." Again,
nothing extreme. He also takes creatine monohydrate regularly. (Something
else he didn't learn in the '60s.) Here's why: "Having observed
no adverse side effects, I simply enjoy the benefits - maximum muscle
contraction, the strength boost translating into hard, efficient
workouts, and the resulting vitality and muscle pump throughout
the workout." Makes sense to me.
Say "No" To Steroids
"I
offer no advice on the matter as I know very little," says Draper.
"I simply say, 'Don't'."
Dave
was already 235 pounds and Mr. America when steroids came widely
on the scene. He used them "sparingly under a doctor's supervision."
They worked. He "noticed marked improvement in muscularity and separation,"
but he also "noticed a marked loss of improvement" when he stopped
taking them. That, he says, was " the big catch."
His
advice to young bodybuilders is straightforward and clear: "If you're
not taking them, don't. If you do, you'll wish you never did. They'll
eat away at the foundation you're trying to build before you build
it." Pros know the score, according to Dave. They're on their own
Draper offers more detail on the physiological and psychological
down side of steroids, but you get the drift. He's against steroids,
especially for young and inexperienced bodybuilders. I documented
the same roller-coaster effect in Ripped, so I fully agree.
I've only scratched the surface. There's plenty more good stuff,
believe me: plateaus and sticking points, stoking the training fires,
injuries, aging, a wonderful memories chapter, and training, training
and more training. Draper loves to train -- says it makes life livable
- and it comes through loud and clear. I'm sure you get the idea
that I enjoyed Dave's book tremendously and highly recommend it.
It's a must read for anyone seriously interested in building muscle
and keeping it for lifetime.
Many
thanks to Clarence and Carol Bass for permission to use this material
here. Click
here to see the original review from Clarence Bass' website.
Click
here to read the Fearless Book Review of Brother Iron
Click
here to read the Flex Magazine review of Brother Iron
Brother
Iron, Sister Steel sells for $24.95. Dave will be happy
to sign the book to you (or to a friend if it's a gift)—you'll
have a space to request this on the online order form. Click
the order button to order Dave's book.
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