Brothers of Iron Building the Weider Empire
Brothers of Iron Building the Weider Empire
In the depths of the Great Depression a scrawny, dirt-poor Jewish kid with a seventh-grade education picked up a barbell and got hooked on weight training. Building his muscles gave him confidence and hope for a better life. He pledged to make the great, transforming power of strength training available to everyone and to give bodybuilding all the glory it deserved. The kid, Joe Weider, enlisted his younger brother Ben in his quest, and together the Weider brothers accomplished things much bigger than Joe’s boyhood dreams. The little muscle magazine Joe started, working at his family’s dining room table, grew into a publishing empire. From a backyard barbell business, Joe and Ben built equipment and food supplement companies each as big as Weider Publishing. And they transformed bodybuilding into a hugely successful sport, organized under one of the largest and best-run athletic federations in the world. The Weider brothers are heroes to bodybuilders and fans all over the world.
User Ratings and Reviews
3 Stars What else would you expect?
I normally won’t read/purchase autobiographies and the Weider brothers (particularly Joe) only reaffirms this stance. Autobiographies are subject to bias and usually paints the subject in a often times rosier than truth light, with that said here is my review.
The Weider brothers no doubt have paid their dues with tireless effort and an impressive work ethic. If this book was only about Joe Weider and his role in publishing this no doubt would be a stellar book. It is good read only because of the author’s contribution and not necessarily what comes off like bloviating (especially with Joe Weider).
Ben Weider is proud of his IFBB and he should be, for it has allowed him to see the world. He came off actually more interesting than Joe due to his interest in esoteric and historic pursuits. However a piece of advice for Ben Weider: if you want bodybuilding to be admitted into the Olympics start testing for drugs as prescribed the IOC. The constant reference that bodybuilding received IOC consideration nearly 10 years ago is irrelevant. This topic of drug abuse, particularly anabolic steroids, is the dirty not so secret plague that the Weiders have successfully danced around for over 40 years.
Joe Weider comes off as less than honest or incredibly naive. Here is old Joe making money hand over fist (good for him) while body builders such as Schwarzenegger, Columbo and Zane promoted his fitness and supplement products. The truth is that you can take all the Weider products you want, work out hard and still want (unless genetics is on your side) become the size of these competitors. However Joe admits that at first he did not believe they were juicing up, later admits he was naive, then tells you he hates drugs and finally rationalizes it by saying championship atheletes will do anything to win. What he should have said was that the cash flow was too sweet to pass up at whatever or whoever’s expense.
In the world of Weider, in particular Joe, he is never at fault. Bob Hoffman, his York barbell company and the AAU are satan. His ex-wfe is a downfall early in his career. This passage is particularly interesting because Joe Weider mentions a daughter. As a previous reviewer pointed out he devotes maybe two sentences to this daughter and apparently has no contact with her. This is odd considering how Weider often preaches family values in his lifestyle mantra. When Vince MacMahon and his shortlived WBF presents competition, especially after several top IFBB bodybuilders (most notably Gary Strydom) jump ship to compete in the WBF; Joe merely says he welcomes them back to his fold following the WBF’s collapse. What he doesn’t tell the reader is that he “penalized” the bodybuilders 10% of their first year annual wages upon their return to the IFBB.
Joe Weider also fails to tell the reader that he settled with the US Postal Inspectors in the 1970s (Schwarzenegger testified on Weider’s behalf) and later in the 1980s with the FTC for ridiculous claims he made concerning the performance results of his products. Why this “highlight” is omitted this reader has no idea.
Joe and Ben Weider would have been wise but probably not as rich if they had promoted natural bodybuilder, which adheres to IOC drug testing and is now growing in leaps and bounds. This would have worked well with their idea of a clean and fit lifestyle. Additionally Joe Weider himself all but lays claim on jumpstarting the fitness lifestyle, when in fact it was him and others including Jack LaLanne and Charles Atlas.
When Schwarzeneggar has blazed a Hollywood and political trail, ecclipsing the immigrant’s American dream; Joe Weider is sour that he fails to garner some credit. The truth is Schwarzeneggar-Weider relationship was one back scratching the other during the governor’s days as a bodybuilder. Did Weider open the door for Schwarzeneggar to come to America, yes, was the rest of the story due to Austrian’s drive and relentless pursuit, yes. In other words Weider is only due some credit and Schwarzeneggar returned it in spades when he became the face associated with bodybuilding. This reader almost has to wonder if it is Mr. Joe Weider that should express some gratefullness to the determined Schwarzeneggar.
What I liked about this book was some of the early recollections of bodybuilding as told by Joe and Ben Weider, as I weight train regularly. Additionally both Weider brothers prove to me they are marketing geniuses. The author also did a fine job of piecing together this read.
1 Star GUMSHOE HEINIE CASE
ANYONE WHO CALLS DAN LURIE GUM UNDER HIS SHOE SHOULD HAVE THAT SHOE UP HIS HEINIE
THIS IS AN EGOTISTICAL, SELF SERVING WASTE OF TIME. I WAS HOPING TO LEARN WHAT I DIDN’T KNOW BUT ALL I LEARNED IS THAT JOE WEIDER IS FULL OF HIMSELF. IF YOU WANT TO LAUGH AT SOMEONE WHO THINKS HE IS THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE BUT IS REALLY A FALLING METEOR, THIS IS IT.
JOE WEIDER, IF HE IS DOING NOTHING BUT PUTTING DOWN EVERYONE AND GIVING NO CREDIT ANYWHERE, WILL MAKE HIMSELF LOOK BAD IN THE END, THE CONSENSUS WILL BE ALL EGO AND NO FACT, NO HEART, JUST EGO AND MERCHANDIZING. THIS WILL NOT FARE WELL FOR HIM IN A OVERVIEW OF THE SPORT, LOOK….LET US THINK DEEPLY HERE…WHY DEPRIVE PEOPLE OF THEIR JUST RECOGNITION? WHY? IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE. IT TAKES A DECENT PERSON TO GIVE RECOGNITION TO OTHERS, WHY DEPRIVE THEM? IT IS A FORM OF STEALING, STEALING SOMEONE’S NAME, FAME, GLORY, CREDIT, TAKING AWAY FROM THEM WHAT SHOULD BE GIVEN IS A SIN, AND JOE WEIDER, BY WRITING WHAT HE WROTE, SHOWS WHAT HE IS INSIDE, A MAN WITHOUT HEART, EMPATHY OR LOVE….THIS WILL FARE BADLY FOR HIM IN THE END, IN THE HISTORICAL MEMORY.
4 Stars The Brothers of Iron are the Fathers of the Fitness Revolution
As a fat 12 year old, I picked up my first copy of Muscle Builder Magazine and transformed my body and my spirit. Within a year, I had broken the 60 yard dash record at my junior high school. This transformation, largely motivated by the efforts of Joe and Ben Weider, changed the direction of my life and catapulted me into a lifelong mission toward health and fitness.
This book was an inspirational story of commitment, courage, tenacity and guts. The Weider’s ultimate success was the result of overcoming many hurdles and obstacles along the way. In their final chapter, Joe Weider cites his “lessons of bodybuilding: Determination, Persistence, Concentration, Focus and Patience.” I will add one more — Resilience - the ability to bounce back after getting knocked down.
The only reason I didn’t rate this book five stars is that I would like to have liked to have seen more content and photos regarding the early bodybuilders who were foundational to the success of the Weider empire.
5 Stars Hooray to the brothers of Iron!
No doubt about it, Ben & Joe Weider made bodybuilding what it is today. From Ben’s tireless efforts as an ambassador of the sport and brother Joe’s passion with the magazines, Your Physique, Muscle Power, Muscle Builder, Mr. America, All American Athlete and Vigor to the current Muscle & Fitness and other magazines, forming the IFBB, offering bodybuilders a alternative to the joke that the AAU, York Barbell and Bob Hoffman offered and quality nutritional products that actually worked, bodybuilders all over the world owe a huge debt of graditude to the Weider brothers.
My only complaint is that the Weider brothers did not take proactive action against anabolic steriods.
Hooray to the brothers of Iron. Thank you for taking our sport to levels that only you two could have dreamed of. Ben & Joe are like the Walt Disney of bodybuilding.
5 Stars A Dynamic Read
Joe Weider made his name and his fortune promoting the sport he loves and for which he has an astounding amount of passion — bodybuilding. There is no one who even comes close to putting the sport of bodybuilding on a par with other sports. Nor is there anyone who has come close to promoting bodybuilding or resistance training as a way to gain health that can last a lifetime.
This book is extremely well written. I suspect that’s because a professional writer was brought in to make that happen and Mike Steere did a wonderful job. However, one can certainly see the different styles in communication in the chapters written by Joe and by brother Ben.
The really fun reading, the wonderful reading was that in the chapters written by Joe. But one will notice soon into the book that it is a love fest by Joe Weider to Joe Weider.
Weider blames other people for his failures, including a near bankruptcy and a failed first marriage. He also shows an incredible lack of love or human caring for his one and only child by his first wife. He mentions the child in passing and with no emotion. One wonders why he married a woman he didn’t love or resect.
All through the book Joe Weider brags about all he did for the sport of bodybuilding and he takes full credit for it all. He puts down numerous other people in the business.
When Arnold was giving a speech and didn’t give Joe credit for making it all happen for him, Joe was angry and upset. He wanted the credit and he wanted it publically. Well, truth be told, he deserved the credit. Arnold would still be a nobody in Austria without Joe Weider. And one needs to understand that egos are as huge as muscles in bodybuilding.
This book gives us a look at the golden years of bodybuilding. It gives us the history of bodybuilding. It’s an incredibly powerful and exciting book that gives us an insiders view into bodybuilding from the beginning.
There has been a lot said about Joe Weider. Much of it bad. Bodybuilding is perhaps the only sport that has no sanction against the use of anabolic steroids.
The articles we read in Muscle and Fitness, while great reading, offer workouts that the average person can’t do. One has to be juiced to be able to handle all the reps and sets and gym time advocated in the articles. And one certainly has to be juiced to gain the mass of a Ronnie Coleman and the other greats of today. Even Arnold admitted taking steroids in his day and he was nowhere as big as the guys (or some of the gals) today.
Weider comes off as a bit of sexist. He also comes off as very tight with money. Perhaps one can forgive that in a man of his age as long as you don’t have to live with him or be around him.
Anyone who is the least bit interested in bodybuilding, in running a business, in the magazine business or sports business should read this book. It’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.
You can’t help come away with inspiration if you’re a businessperson and a glowing love and respect for bodybuilding if you love the feel of iron working muscle and know the value of regular lifting.
I highly recommend this book. It’s perhaps the best book of the year — at least out of the books I’ve read.
Filed under: Bodybuilding Books
