You remember the hair. You definitely remember the flannels and the boots. In the 1980s, if you walked into Gold's Gym in Venice, you weren't just looking for Arnold; you were looking for the two guys who looked like they’d just stepped out of a prehistoric forest to bench press a literal house. David and Peter Paul, better known as the Barbarian Brothers, weren't just bodybuilders. They were a walking, shouting, egg-cracking phenomenon that shouldn't have worked, yet somehow, they became icons of a very specific, very loud era of pop culture.
Honestly, people today kinda misunderstand what made them special. They weren't trying to be "aesthetic" in the way modern influencers are. They were raw. They were weird. They once claimed to eat 36 eggs a day and would famously vomit over their balcony in Venice just to horrify the neighbors.
The Myth of the Barbarian Brothers
The story didn't start in Hollywood. It started in Rhode Island. David and Peter were born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1957, but they really found their groove when they opened P & D’s House of Iron in Narragansett. This wasn't some fancy health club. The mirrors were reportedly stolen from men's rooms at the University of Rhode Island. They were basically local legends for their driving tickets and their "Lumberjack" style—working out in heavy boots and flannel shirts instead of spandex.
By 1979, they headed to California. Joe Weider, the godfather of bodybuilding, supposedly gave them the "Barbarian" nickname because their training style was so chaotic. They were the guys who didn't care about "lines" or "symmetry." They cared about being the strongest humans on the planet.
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Why They Never Competed
Here is a weird fact: despite being some of the most famous physiques of the 80s, David and Peter Paul never actually competed in a major IFBB bodybuilding show.
Why? Because they didn't want to. They saw themselves as "the world's strongest bodybuilders" and felt that standing on stage in a speedo was beneath the legend they were building. They were more interested in the myth than the trophy. It’s a move that would be unthinkable now, but back then, it made them mysterious. They were like pro wrestlers who didn't actually have a promotion.
Hollywood and the Cannon Films Era
If you were a kid in the 80s or 90s, you probably saw them in The Barbarians (1987). It was a cheap, loud, wonderful Conan knockoff produced by Cannon Films. It featured the brothers in loincloths, swinging swords and screaming at the top of their lungs.
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They weren't "good" actors in the traditional sense. But they had a charisma you couldn't fake. They followed that up with a string of B-movie classics:
- Think Big (1990): A road trip movie involving a truck and a lot of muscle.
- Double Trouble (1992): Where they played a cop and a thief who happened to be twins.
- Twin Sitters (1994): Arguably their most famous role, playing bodyguards for two bratty kids.
They even had a scene in Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers, though it famously ended up on the cutting room floor (you can still find it in the director’s cut). They played two guys in a gym being interviewed by Robert Downey Jr., and it captures their chaotic energy perfectly.
Life After the Spotlight
By the late 90s, the "Muscle Era" was fading. The brothers moved into other things. David became a deeply respected photographer and a furniture maker. If you look at his later work, it’s surprisingly soulful—not at all what you’d expect from a guy who once wore a loincloth for a living. He stayed in Rhode Island, living in an old church he had renovated into a home and studio.
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Tragedy struck in March 2020. David Paul passed away in his sleep, just two days before his 63rd birthday. Peter confirmed the news, and for a segment of the fitness world, it felt like the end of an era. Peter has since dealt with his own health and personal struggles, including mental health challenges that were touched upon in the 2013 video Faith Street Corner Tavern.
Actionable Insights for the Barbarian Legacy
The Barbarian Brothers represent a time when being an individual mattered more than following a "blueprint." If you're looking to take a page out of their book, here's how to apply that "Barbarian" energy today:
- Embrace Unconventional Training: You don't need the perfect gym. The Paul brothers built world-class physiques in a basement with DIY equipment.
- Identity Over Approval: They never needed a bodybuilding judge to tell them they were the best. Define your own metrics for success.
- Creativity Matters: Both brothers were artists, musicians, and creators outside of the gym. Don't let your physical hobby be your only personality trait.
- The Power of Branding: Long before "influencers" existed, they understood that a look (the hair, the flannels) was a brand.
The Barbarian Brothers were the last of a dying breed. They didn't care about "engagement" or "likes." They just wanted to lift heavy things and live loud. Whether you loved their movies or thought they were ridiculous, you have to respect the fact that there will never be another duo quite like David and Peter Paul.
Check out the director's cut of Natural Born Killers to see their lost performance.
Explore David Paul’s photography archives to see his transition from muscle icon to artist.
Revisit The Barbarians (1987) for a masterclass in 80s camp and physical presence.