Getbig Bodybuilding, Figure and Fitness Forums
Getbig Main Boards => Gossip & Opinions => Topic started by: tommywishbone on May 27, 2007, 07:27:57 PM
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The 1977 Teenage Mr. Tarhill was my introduction to bodybuilding. All things considered, I should track down the guy who invited me to that show and kill him.
In the summer of 1982 we made our pilgrimage to Gold’s Gym Venice. Upon walking into the front parking lot, we immediately noticed a black 4x4 upside down, partially blocking the entrance. A strange sight, but no one seemed overly concerned, so we kept walking. As we entered, I saw both Barbarian Brothers arguing with each other about something… turns out, the upside down truck was their's. I went to the pro shop area and they were selling the current Barbarian Brothers poster. I bought the poster and went outside to get a signature. The boys were still arguing over who was at fault for the roll-over, but I stepped in and asked for an autograph. David looked at Peter… Peter looked back at David and then they both looked at me and said “Sure big man, you got a pen?” There we were, David, Peter, me and the upside down truck… I still remember the signature on the poster; "To Tom, The higher you climb, the farther you can see." You should’ve been there.
I made it back to The Mecca a few times during the next few years. Always a great workout. Always a little memory of bodybuilding. The last workout we had, before I went to the Joint for five years, was at Gold’s Gym Venice. Don’t remember what I trained, but I do remember looking at the old style peg board, above the water fountain in the front room. On the board, was a 4 x 6 picture of Peter Paul with the most absurd neck pump I had ever seen... 21” minimum, vascular, awesome. I looked around… the coast was clear… I stole the picture. You should’ve been there.
They had to let me go in 1989, and one of the first things I did, was drive to Venice and train at The Mecca. Soon after that we moved to Santa Monica. My girlfriend was a competitive bodybuilder, and I was racing bicycles, so we were @ Gold’s Venice 25-30 hrs per week…
Don Ross has been my friend since 1981. He had a little office above the posing room, at Gold’s Venice. Great office. One day in 1989, Don, my girlfriend & me, were sitting in the office discussing bodybuilding and it's absurdities. There was a knock on the door… in walks Samir Bannout, 1984 Mr. Olympia (edit 1983 Mr. O). We proceeded to smoke some of Don’s finest northern California sensimilla (seedless & purple). An hour later we came pouring out of Don’s office, smoke billowing, stoned to the hilt.--- A few weeks later, Don and I were out front of Gold's one sunny day and a sand colored Hummer came rolling down Hampton Dr. A big man behind the wheel, smoking a cigar calls out, "Ripper Savage!" Don yells back, "Arnold!!" We keep talking... Don says "Pretty cool huh?" I just smiled. You should’ve been there.
In 1992 my bodybuilding girlfriend was long gone. Too many injuries and lack of talent had ended my racing career. The couch tour was close and my car's back seat was a poor bed... then one day, Gold’s Gym Manager Darin Lannighan walked by me in the gym and asked, “Hey dude, do you still want a job here?” “Absolutely”, I said. Darin says, “Cool, be here tomorrow morning at 4am, I’ll get you a key and you’ll be our opener.” I laughed the rest of my workout. You should've been there.
1992 – 1997. Wow. Sleeping in the back room. Sleeping in the posing room. Having a gang bang in the posing room. Finding an IFBB pro sleeping in the posing room, because he was homeless (that's OK, been there, done that). Watching Brian Regan (A REAL hell raiser) put a .45 in Joe Cosmo’s face at the front desk and watching Joe pee his pants (that happens). Slinging gear over the front counter. Telling Ed Connors that Don Ross was gone Telling Nessler that Kurt Colbain was dead. Working the front desk at 4:20am during the Northridge earthquake, and thinking it was funny that everyone was running out of the gym, and then running right back into the gym. Getting drunk with James Caan. Cigar night at Shatzi's (Arnold's rest. on Main St) Hookers for free. Strippers for free. Getting arrested in the 2nd room at Gold’s Venice by LAPD. Comped at every bar in Hollywood (the doorman & bartenders all trained at Gold's Venice).
Teaching movie stars about Clenbuterol (real Stars, not bodybuilding movie stars). Teaching convicts how to pass their drug test. Making $50,000 a year legit, and having a fucking blast doing it. Every year, after the “O” talking and training with Dorian & Leroy. Listening to Flex, Dillet , and Cormier, talking about Dorian and hearing them say, “Fuck, we’re at least a year, maybe two years behind him.” Changing out the floor in the front room and having LAPD show up at 3am to shut down the loud music and party. Sparing with World Champion Dennis Alexio in the kickboxing class.Trying to convince my friend Danny, who was working the entry gate that day, that the "homeless dude" who just came in actually was Keeanu Reeves. Danny thought it was some bum "who had stolen Keanu's membership". ;D Taking a break in the front parking lot and watching two Border Brothers steal Tom MaGee's (1984 World Strongest Man) Chevy Z28. ;D Tom asked me. "Tom, why didn't you stop them?" I said, "Tommy, I didn't realize it was your Z28 until they were driving away. Sorry."
Doing 15 minutes worth of tire smoking full-power burnouts, in the front lot @2:30am, while LAPD stood by w/15 cars, and watched, and finally an LAPD Sgt. walked over and said, "Look dude, we're trying to plan a raid on the crackhouse down the street, we're staging in your parking lot across the street, would you please stop doing burnouts!!" ;D Taking smack from a biker for membership because he didn’t have any cash, and giving it to a strung out hooker (no payback required). Breaking up a fight between Titus and some other idiot in the front room. Finding David Dearth (Who is a very cool dude, and just had a little too much that night) OD’ed on Nubain, sound asleep on the treadmill Getting called at 3am by numerous bodybuilders, because their girlfriend was OD’ing on GHB and they wanted to know what to do. Having "Candy night" and watching Melissa Coates laugh so hard it made me pee in my pants. Watching a dude (a regular late night lunatic) who left his gym pants at home, try and train in a shirt only, because, "I pulled my shirt down real low and you really couldn't see my sack." ;D You should’ve been there.
1997- 2007 pending…
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is that your story, Tommy?
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Classic, good read. ;D
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is that your story, Tommy?
It's mine SF. Sordid and sad, and I wouldn't trade it for anything... well perhaps a hooker and an 8-ball.
Tom
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It's mine SF. Sordid and sad, and I wouldn't trade it for anything... well perhaps a hooker and an 8-ball.
Tom
good stuff, i wouldn't call it sordid and sad, keep it coming, interesting stuff.
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post that picture with the 21" neck
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The 1977 Teenage Mr. Tarhill was my introduction to bodybuilding. All things considered, I should track down the guy who invited me to that show, and kill him.
In the summer of 1982 we made our pilgrimage to Gold’s Gym Venice. Upon walking into the front parking lot, we immediately noticed a black 4x4 upside down, blocking the entrance. A strange site but no one seemed overly concerned, so we keep walking. As we entered I saw both Barbarian Brothers arguing with each other about something… turns out the upside down truck was theirs. I went into the Pro Shop and they were selling the current Barbarian Brothers poster. I bought the poster and went outside to get a signature. The boys were still arguing over who was at fault for the roll-over, but I stepped in and asked for an autograph. David looked at Peter… Peter looked back at David and then they both looked at me and said “Sure big man, you got a pen?” There we were, David, Peter, me and the upside down truck… You should’ve been there.
I made it back to The Mecca a few times during the next few years. Always a great workout. Always little memory of bodybuilding. The last workout we had, before I went to the joint for 5 years, was at Gold’s Gym Venice. Don’t remember what I trained, but I do remember looking at the old style peg board, above the water fountain in the front room. On the board, was a 4 x 6 picture of Peter Paul with the most absurd neck pump I had ever seen. 21” minimum, vascular, awesome. I looked around… the coast was clear… I stole the picture. You should’ve been there.
They had to let me go in 1989, and one of the first things I did, was drive to Venice and train at The Mecca. Soon after that we moved to Santa Monica. My girlfriend was a competitive bodybuilder, and I was racing bicycles, so we were @ Gold’s Venice 25-30 per week…
Don Ross had been my friend since 1981. He had a little office above the posing room, at Gold’s Venice. Great office. One day in 1989, Don, me & my girlfriend were sitting in the office discussing bodybuilding and its absurdities. There was a knock on the door… in walks Samir Bannout, 1984 Mr. Olympia. We proceeded to smoke some of Don’s finest northern California sensimilla (seedless & purple). An hour later we came pouring out of Don’s office, smoke billowing, stoned to the tilt. You should’ve been there.
In 1992 my bodybuilding girlfriend was long gone. Too many injuries and lack of talent had ended my racing career. The couch tour was close and Gold’s Gym Manager Darin Lannighan walked by me in the gym and asked, “Hey dude, do you still want a job here?” “Absolutely”, I said. Darin says, “Cool, be here tomorrow morning at 4am, I’ll get you a key and you’ll be our opener.” I laughed the rest of my workout. You should've been there.
1992 – 1997. Wow. Sleeping in the back room. Sleeping in the posing room. Having a gang bang in the posing room. Finding IFBB pros sleeping in the posing room, because they were homeless. Watching Brian Regan put a .45 in Joe Cosmo’s face at the front desk and watching Joe pee his pants. Slinging gear over the front counter. Telling Ed Connors that Don Ross was gone. Telling Nessler that Kurt Colbain was dead. Working the front deask at 4:20am during the Northridge earthquake, and thinking it was funny that everyone was running out of the gym and then right back in. Getting drunk with James Caan. Hookers for free. Strippers for free. Getting arrested in the 2nd room at Gold’s Venice by LAPD. Comped at every bar in Hollywood.
Teaching movie stars about Clenbuterol. Teaching convicts how to pass their drug test. Making $50,000 a year legit, and having a fucking blast doing it. Every year, after the “O” talking and traing with Dorian & Leroy. Listening to Flex, Dillet , and Cormier, talking about Dorian and hearing them say, “Fuck, we’re at least a year, maybe two years behind him.” Changing out the floor in the front room and having LAPD show up at 3am to shut down the loud music and party. Sparing with World Champion Dennis Alexio in the kickboxing class. Taking smack from a biker for membership because he didn’t have any cash, and giving it to strung out hooker (no payback required). Breaking up a fight between Titus and some idiot in the front room. Finding David Dearth OD’ed on Nubain, sound asleep on the treadmill. Getting called at 3am by numerous bodybuilders, because their girlfriend was OD’ing on GHB and they wanted to know what to do. Having "Candy night" and watching Melissa Coates laugh so hard it made me pee in my pants. Watching a dude (a regular) who left his gym pants and home, try and train in a shirt only, because, "I pulled it down real low and you really couldn't see my sack." You should’ve been there.
1997- 2007 pending…
haha, ya got some story's Tommy.... yeah that place was a circus. Would you happen to know Mike yablon? I think he was also working there during that time. How about Andy Baum? Both from NY. How about Dudley...real nice older man?
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"...Would you happen to know Mike yablon? I think he was also working there during that time. How about Andy Baum? Both from NY."
I know them both. I've partied with Andy, and I've worked with Yablon. They are both still my friends, although I haven't seen either in years.
"How about Dudley" ;D I always liked Dudley. Sure dude was odd, but he was always courteous & well spoken. I enjoyed talking to old Dudley.
T-
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what ever happened to Darin Lannighan, Tommy, that dude had some huge arms, i remember when he was in all those photos in Power Factor Training.
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what ever happened to Darin Lannighan, Tommy, that dude had some huge arms, i remember when he was in all those photos in Power Factor Training.
Darin could have been a great IFBB pro. Wife, kids, etc... it didn't work out. He was a skilled Union electrician and he is working in that field today. He still has those vascular arms and is still good looking. His brother Mike, is a real cool cat.
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Tommy, I'm a bit older but have met most of the "characters" you spoke about in this interesting post. And hundreds of others too.
I don't think I've ever met ya but I knew Don Ross fairly well many years back when he spent time in Hawaii and I can tell you similar "gym stories" that would make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. Stories like hiding on the gym roof-top smoken a joint of two while a gang of crazed up "muscle fans" ran through the place bearing loaded pictols in search of a couple of the regulars who did them wrong that particular evening in Paradise.
That evening ended up with a bit of violence that ruined a couple of lives forever. And that was really not a rare occurance back in those good old days.
Those were the days when roids were legal and actually "respected" and the users would shoot up in the locker room and use the furthest wall as the designated dart board. The doctors would actually come to the gym to get the "facts" on what worked and what didn't and no one hid their daily dosage.
In fact one competitor decided to become his own personal guini-pig and attempt to load himself up with numerous "cocktails" (roids) in an effort to maintain a "peak" for three consecutive months and then take a seven-day break and get back on his regimented "program". If I recall this right, he was up to 2,100 mg a day and getting spectacular results.... enough so that he won his first contest easily including all bodypart trophies that were common back then and was invited to enter the PRO Show that followed immediately...... And he won that one too plus every other trophy that was available ... best chest, best arms, best poser, etc.
That nite when he got back home he called me to say that, "I think I'm dying! Cathy is on duty at the base! Can you come over and make sure an ambulance gets me if I pass out?" I was on my way but he called to tell me not to make the 45 minute trip as he was walking the aisles of an all night drug store so that someone would call an ambulance if he passed out. He was in the military and didn't want to get medical help unless it was absolutely necessary.
Back then the police were never a problem because there was no "problem" to be concerned about. Everything was legal and just about everyone in the gym took everything they could afford or get their hands on. (But in much more moderate doses.)
I recall explaining to two of the topmost pros about "bitch tits" and what to do to solve the problem. And I learned the "solution" from one of the topnotch pros who had the same problem before them. And everything was outspoke. No need to hide a thing. Cops and soldiers and average guys on the street
I also had the honor of meeting Don on many occasions and enjoyed a few laughs about the "game". And there were so many other characters like Don who told similar stories that would keep us up till sun-rise after many a contest.
Maui Wowwie was popular back then and I kind of recall an interesting story repeated by most of the pros in smokie rooms about someone going in for open heart surgery and getting the shot that would keep him completely stationary but the anastegiologist failed to "put him out" so during the entire operation he was awake and alert but unable to move or inform anyone that he was feeing the incision and the moving of his ribs and the work on his heart until he passed out from the pain. The said he would be in a mental ward until he was far too old to compete again.
Everyone claimed it to be a true story that happened to one of the pros but to this day, I still have my doubts.
Great times, great days! Hopeing to write a book someday, but I've been told that I'd be long gone before it got published. And if it was published, no one would ever believe it anyway.
Thanks for the memories, TW.
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Nice SM, real nice :)
I'm sure we've crossed paths somewhere in the last 20 years. Damn 1987 - 2007... we must have met. I'll be in Vegas in a few months for the Olympia, to watch the show and collect or pay off some bets. ;D Make sure we talk before then, and we'll hook up for a drink, or a hooker or both. Keith will be there, and several other old and busted dudes as well.
Stronger than all,
Tommy
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NICE. I'm still waiting for somebody to step in from somewhere and stop whatever's going on in there the last couple of days...the resounding sentiment had by most I've talked to in there seems to be, "Why isn't anyone doing anything?!?" Arnold? Ed? Joe? Where are you? Every day you go in there, a little bit more is gone and it's like, "Whoa! Let's stop and think about this for a minute!" :-\
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1992 – 1997. Wow. Sleeping in the back room. Sleeping in the posing room. Having a gang bang in the posing room ;D . Finding IFBB pros sleeping in the posing room, because they were homeless. Watching Brian Regan put a .45 in Joe Cosmo’s face at the front desk and watching Joe pee his pants. Slinging gear over the front counter. Telling Ed Connors that Don Ross was gone. Telling Nessler that Kurt Colbain was dead. Working the front deask at 4:20am during the Northridge earthquake, and thinking it was funny that everyone was running out of the gym and then right back in. Getting drunk with James Caan. Hookers for free. Strippers for free. Getting arrested in the 2nd room at Gold’s Venice by LAPD. Comped at every bar in Hollywood (the doorman & bartenders all trained at Gold's Venice).
???
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Yea, Tommy, I got a hundred on the line with ya, and I believe that Keith does too.
Refresh my memory and tell me the year that Pete and the guys closed up on 2nd in SM and moved to Hampton in Venice. Those were the years when I was there most. We put a couple of Smorgasboard buffet places out of business because we ate too much.
Were you around when Sprague promoted the Mr. America? That was an unreal event at the height of the sport. No recorded music.... just a symphony orchestra! A live symphony orchestra and Mae West gave out the overall with Bert Goodrich escorting her to the stage.
After parties at the gym were phenominal later on in the everning when some of the "important people" had departed and only topped by the best party I've even been to in Las Vegas following the national championships the year after Gary Strydom won it. The only occasion I've ever been thrown out of a casino for having too much of a good time - they said. (And I was even staying there!)
Took a short cut with some of the contestants, jumped a wall and ended up in the Caesars fountain out front.
Do you remember Ernie Santiago?
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Not everyone was in the in-group in those days. The insiders shared information but it was a closed group. They even has a special language, etc.
I have owned gyms since 1971 and I am sure someone was always pushing steroids. I seldom knew who was involved but occasionally some musclehead from another gym would show up and I always knew why he joined. They always did their business in the parking lot and never in the gym.
It sounds like a lot of guys barely made ends meet. That is probably true today. Most of the guys who lifted were a bit scared of taking too many drugs. Those who weren't are probably some of the guys we know and read about. Zabo said there was no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and he told the truth. Joe even opened Worlds to give Zabo and a few old mates a job. One day when I visited World Gym in 1991 I wanted to say hello to Zabo. I was told he was asleep in the cupboard below the shelves! Apparently he did that so that if Joe called someone would wake him up!
I vividly remember the day that a very curvaceous former girlfriend of Zabo's stole the show at Santa Monica Beach. That was way back in 1968 in October. Arnold was sunning there and when he got up to go for a swim no one paid the slightest attention. When Zabo's girlfriend got up for a walk to the surf EVERYONE looked! Beauty beats brawn any day. I should have done medicine instead of wanting to open a gym and make gym equipment like Joe did.
I had to laugh when I found out what the lads called Joe Gold. He was known as the dog catcher because he didn't mind plain women he met on the beach! Ah, guys can be cruel.
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your an old fart buddy!!!!!!!
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Yea, Tommy, I got a hundred on the line with ya, and I believe that Keith does too.
Refresh my memory and tell me the year that Pete and the guys closed up on 2nd in SM and moved to Hampton in Venice. Those were the years when I was there most. We put a couple of Smorgasboard buffet places out of business because we ate too much.
Were you around when Sprague promoted the Mr. America? That was an unreal event at the height of the sport. No recorded music.... just a symphony orchestra! A live symphony orchestra and Mae West gave out the overall with Bert Goodrich escorting her to the stage.
After parties at the gym were phenominal later on in the everning when some of the "important people" had departed and only topped by the best party I've even been to in Las Vegas following the national championships the year after Gary Strydom won it. The only occasion I've ever been thrown out of a casino for having too much of a good time - they said. (And I was even staying there!)
Took a short cut with some of the contestants, jumped a wall and ended up in the Caesars fountain out front.
Do you remember Ernie Santiago?
;D ;D
Gold's opened @ 360 Hampton Dr in Feb, 1980... I think. Remember... just the 1st room, old torn up carpet, etc. I think Platz or Belknap or Alzado, or Grymkowski punched a hole in the wall and they expanded after that.... I think. ;D
Ken Spragues shows were classic. He was certainly part of the Gold's Gym story. I had drinks with Ken, Kent Kuehn and Ken Waller, but I really don't have any memories of the night. Sorry.
I remember Ernie 'bow legged' Santiago. Dude came out of nowhere and won the America. We met a few times, but I don't have any stories.
T-
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Nope, I was at the Santa Monica Golds in August 1980 before the Olympia and met Dennis Tinerino, Samir and the Barbarian Brothers. They didn't move to Hampton Drive until after the Olympia.
That day I talked to one of the brothers who was wearing that lumberjack outfit complete with rope around the waist. We all knew who they were because they were in the mags. I asked the bigger one what he was trying to achieve and he said he was going to be both the biggest and best built guy in the universe. I told him he would never achieve that. Why not, he wanted to know? I told him he didn't have the vocabulary! He insisted he did. I told him Reg Park said one can be either strongest or best built but not both at the same time. I then asked him who Steve Merjanian was. He called out to guys who were training there if anyone knew this Steve guy. At about that time Samir came out and 'rescued' me. He said the Barbarians had hit people for saying less than that. I wasn't afraid of those guys because I have been around gyms for a long time. Neither twin did achieve what they said they would. They were big guys and very strong, too. No doubt about that at all. I was just having some fun and wasn't trying to put them down.
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Nope, I was at the Santa Monica Golds in August 1980 before the Olympia and met Dennis Tinerino, Samir and the Barbarian Brothers. They didn't move to Hampton Drive until after the Olympia.
That day I talked to one of the brothers who was wearing that lumberjack outfit complete with rope around the waist. We all knew who they were because they were in the mags. I asked the bigger one what he was trying to achieve and he said he was going to be both the biggest and best built guy in the universe. I told him he would never achieve that. Why not, he wanted to know? I told him he didn't have the vocabulary! He insisted he did. I told him Reg Park said one can be either strongest or best built but not both at the same time. I then asked him who Steve Merjanian was. He called out to guys who were training there if anyone knew this Steve guy. At about that time Samir came out and 'rescued' me. He said the Barbarians had hit people for saying less than that. I wasn't afraid of those guys because I have been around gyms for a long time. Neither twin did achieve what they said they would. They were big guys and very strong, too. No doubt about that at all. I was just having some fun and wasn't trying to put them down.
I'll go with that Vince.
Asking for help!! When did Gold's at 360 Hampton open? Anybody? Anybody? Bueller.
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Ya, Ernie and I were in the Corps together and he asked me to train him after I had so much success with training friends who went on and won the state titles about five years in a row (or was it 7?).
I worked with Ernie for a few years and he won the Jr Nationals and Jr USA the same year, I think that Tony Pearson was the only other person to accomplish that back then.
Ernie would train at Gold's whenever he had reason to compete in Cal and he trained damn hard, sometimes with Platz.
I remember spending time talking to Pete in the office and seeing Ernie just about passed out on the floor with his back to the wall. I walked over and asked him what the hell he was doing, and he said, "I'm getting ready to train."
And Platz walked over and said, "Get him out of here, Stunt! He's delerious! He's been finished for the past ten minutes!"
So after convincing Ernie that he was finished for the day, I pulled him to his feet and with help from Pete, we got him in the car and drtove him on his way.
Pete told me that more than one of the members walked out of the gym in a stupor after a grueling workout and got hit by a car while walking across the street.
Later on that same day, he just wanted to know if he kept up with Platz on the squat rack. I told him that he did well enough.
Ernie was a madman when it came to training hard. Back then the judges could not believe how ripped he got, but that was simply a matter of eating raw fish for the 8 to 10 weeks before the contest. Once a staple diet in Hawaii.
Spent some time with Ernie at the Orange County contest last week and he's contemplating a comeback.
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Nope, I was at the Santa Monica Golds in August 1980 before the Olympia and met Dennis Tinerino, Samir and the Barbarian Brothers. They didn't move to Hampton Drive until after the Olympia.
That day I talked to one of the brothers who was wearing that lumberjack outfit complete with rope around the waist. We all knew who they were because they were in the mags. I asked the bigger one what he was trying to achieve and he said he was going to be both the biggest and best built guy in the universe. I told him he would never achieve that. Why not, he wanted to know? I told him he didn't have the vocabulary! He insisted he did. I told him Reg Park said one can be either strongest or best built but not both at the same time. I then asked him who Steve Merjanian was. He called out to guys who were training there if anyone knew this Steve guy. At about that time Samir came out and 'rescued' me. He said the Barbarians had hit people for saying less than that. I wasn't afraid of those guys because I have been around gyms for a long time. Neither twin did achieve what they said they would. They were big guys and very strong, too. No doubt about that at all. I was just having some fun and wasn't trying to put them down.
Amazing...even then you were sticking your nose where it didn't belong....guess some things never change.
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Bob you are a lame dude. Did you know that? I thought you had to be a model citizen because you reflect on the IFBB with what you say? Guess you are sore I called you a certified stooge. Please don't tell me they issued you with an official blazer to wear at events? Gosh, you are due to receive some plaque for services to bodybuilding.
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The 1977 Teenage Mr. Tarhill was my introduction to bodybuilding. All things considered, I should track down the guy who invited me to that show, and kill him.
In the summer of 1982 we made our pilgrimage to Gold’s Gym Venice. Upon walking into the front parking lot, we immediately noticed a black 4x4 upside down, blocking the entrance. A strange site but no one seemed overly concerned, so we keep walking. As we entered, I saw both Barbarian Brothers arguing with each other about something… turns out the upside down truck was theirs. I went into the pro shop and they were selling the current Barbarian Brothers poster. I bought the poster and went outside to get a signature. The boys were still arguing over who was at fault for the roll-over, but I stepped in and asked for an autograph. David looked at Peter… Peter looked back at David and then they both looked at me and said “Sure big man, you got a pen?” There we were, David, Peter, me and the upside down truck… You should’ve been there.
I made it back to The Mecca a few times during the next few years. Always a great workout. Always a little memory of bodybuilding. The last workout we had, before I went to the joint for 5 years, was at Gold’s Gym Venice. Don’t remember what I trained, but I do remember looking at the old style peg board, above the water fountain in the front room. On the board, was a 4 x 6 picture of Peter Paul with the most absurd neck pump I had ever seen. 21” minimum, vascular, awesome. I looked around… the coast was clear… I stole the picture. You should’ve been there.
They had to let me go in 1989, and one of the first things I did, was drive to Venice and train at The Mecca. Soon after that we moved to Santa Monica. My girlfriend was a competitive bodybuilder, and I was racing bicycles, so we were @ Gold’s Venice 25-30 per week…
Don Ross had been my friend since 1981. He had a little office above the posing room, at Gold’s Venice. Great office. One day in 1989, Don, me & my girlfriend were sitting in the office discussing bodybuilding and its absurdities. There was a knock on the door… in walks Samir Bannout, 1984 Mr. Olympia. We proceeded to smoke some of Don’s finest northern California sensimilla (seedless & purple). An hour later we came pouring out of Don’s office, smoke billowing, stoned to the tilt ;D . You should’ve been there.
In 1992 my bodybuilding girlfriend was long gone. Too many injuries and lack of talent had ended my racing career. The couch tour was close and my cars back seat was a poor bed... then Gold’s Gym Manager Darin Lannighan walked by me in the gym and asked, “Hey dude, do you still want a job here?” “Absolutely”, I said. Darin says, “Cool, be here tomorrow morning at 4am, I’ll get you a key and you’ll be our opener.” I laughed the rest of my workout. You should've been there.
1992 – 1997. Wow. Sleeping in the back room. Sleeping in the posing room. Having a gang bang in the posing room ;D . Finding IFBB pros sleeping in the posing room, because they were homeless. Watching Brian Regan put a .45 in Joe Cosmo’s face at the front desk and watching Joe pee his pants. Slinging gear over the front counter. Telling Ed Connors that Don Ross was gone. Telling Nessler that Kurt Colbain was dead. Working the front deask at 4:20am during the Northridge earthquake, and thinking it was funny that everyone was running out of the gym and then right back in. Getting drunk with James Caan. Hookers for free. Strippers for free. Getting arrested in the 2nd room at Gold’s Venice by LAPD. Comped at every bar in Hollywood (the doorman & bartenders all trained at Gold's Venice).
Teaching movie stars about Clenbuterol. Teaching convicts how to pass their drug test. Making $50,000 a year legit, and having a fucking blast doing it. Every year, after the “O” talking and traing with Dorian & Leroy. Listening to Flex, Dillet , and Cormier, talking about Dorian and hearing them say, “Fuck, we’re at least a year, maybe two years behind him.” Changing out the floor in the front room and having LAPD show up at 3am to shut down the loud music and party. Sparing with World Champion Dennis Alexio in the kickboxing class.Trying to convince my friend Danny, that the homeless dude who just came in was Keeanu Reeves. ;D Taking a break in the front parking lot and watching two Border Brothers steal Tom MaGee's (1984 World Strongest Man) Chevy Z28. ;D
Doing 5 minutes worth of tire smoking burnouts in the front lot @2:30am, while LAPD stood by w/15 cars and watched, and finally a Sgt. walked over and said, "Look dude, we're trying to plan a raid from your parking lot across the treet, would you please stop doing burnouts." ;D Taking smack from a biker for membership because he didn’t have any cash, and giving it to strung out hooker (no payback required). Breaking up a fight between Titus and some idiot in the front room. Finding David Dearth OD’ed on Nubain, sound asleep on the treadmill ;D. Getting called at 3am by numerous bodybuilders, because their girlfriend was OD’ing on GHB and they wanted to know what to do. Having "Candy night" and watching Melissa Coates laugh so hard it made me pee in my pants. Watching a dude (a regular) who left his gym pants and home, try and train in a shirt only, because, "I pulled my shirt down real low and you really couldn't see my sack." ;D You should’ve been there.
1997- 2007 pending…
This is the best/most interesting post I have come across yet, though I am shocked you got 50k to open the gym :P
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Hey, TW, do you remember a guy who used to eat nothing but tuna fish that he would squeeze through a nylon stocking. The end result would be something similar to sawdust with a smelly odor. That was his entire diet except for an occasional spoonful of honey. I saw him compete in the mid to late 60's and he was ultra shreaded and I have heard that he was still around the LA area in the mid to late 70's still eating strained tuna and honey and still ripped.
Do you recall that character?
BTW, I ran into Kent Kehn at the Cal this past weekend but didn't get a chance to talk with him.
You recall Joe Nazzario? And where the hell is Bill Grant these days?
Bob, you competed with Ernie a few times? Right?
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Hey, TW, do you remember a guy who used to eat nothing but tuna fish that he would squeeze through a nylon stocking. The end result would be something similar to sawdust with a smelly odor. That was his entire diet except for an occasional spoonful of honey. I saw him compete in the mid to late 60's and he was ultra shreaded and I have heard that he was still around the LA area in the mid to late 70's still eating strained tuna and honey and still ripped.
Do you recall that character?
BTW, I ran into Kent Kehn at the Cal this past weekend but didn't get a chance to talk with him.
You recall Joe Nazzario? And where the hell is Bill Grant these days?
Bob, you competed with Ernie a few times? Right?
LOL...No Bill...Ernie was YEARS before I came along. I was still in H.S. when he was competing as a pro.
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"This is the best/most interesting post I have come across yet, though I am shocked you got 50k to open the gym "
Perhaps I mis-spoke. The $50K didn't happen until 4 or 5 years later. I think my 1st years pay was $15,000ish. At the end, all the front desk guys did $35 - $50k per year. Those days are long gone.
Edit: I remember a meeting we had at work one day, in that great room, upstairs, where all the old mags were , 10's-of-thousands of old BB mags... one of the new bean counters in accounting, stood up and said, "There's no way the guys at the front desk should be making more money than management!" Dude was all mad and condescending. We stole his car. ;D
Thanks for the nice words.
Tom
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Tommy not sure if I told you but Pete called yesterday for 2 hours and it was great. We'll both see you at the Olympia. I never hung out at Venice Gold's. I was a World Gym guy. And i didn't hang out with any of the guys except for Ron Depolito, Tony Pearson and Ken Waller. We went to lunch quite a few times. I was just a kid and felt out of place even if Joe tried to get me involved with BB and PL. I was just there to lift then go off and paint houses. Ron knew everyone, he seemed to be the pimp for all the bodybuilders and provide them with entertainment. He drove a pink corvette if I remember right. Manny Perry made side money "chopping" Cadillac's into two-doors. He had a nice Mercedes 450 SLC with an AMG package. Tony got me eating lettuce and tuna only diet. We would eat at some health food place in Marina Del Rey and all I could eat was plain lettuce with my tuna. I met Don Ross around 1987 or so when we did the Gillette commercial together. We talked about a year or so before he died and he wanted to see me and write a small bit on me, but I guess I was to late. I went up to his little office when I was in town. I'm pretty sure the 4x4 of the twins was the same one they drove of the side of the 405 in and then got out and pushed it up the enbankment. It is probably also the one they had when someone parked in front of their condo and they got out and picked up the car and put it on the sidewalk so they could park in their normal spot. The girl came out and saw them and she ended up taking them to court which was the People's Court with Judge Wapner. Man I love old stories like you got so tell them. And believe me Stunt has a million of them too.
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"This is the best/most interesting post I have come across yet, though I am shocked you got 50k to open the gym "
Perhaps I mis-spoke. The $50K didn't happen until 4 or 5 years later. I think my 1st years pay was $15,000ish. At the end, all the front desk guys did $35 - $50k per year. Those days are long gone.
Edit: I remember a meeting we had at work one day, and one of the new bean counters in accounting, stood up and said, "There's no way the guys at the front desk should be making more than management!" Dude was all mad and condescending. We stole his car. ;D
Thanks for the nice words.
Tom
Thats classic.
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What the accountant ignored was the front end guys sold memberships so were salesmen, too, and earned their money. Did Golds charge the stars to train there? I remember in 1991 that Ray Mentzer got me a free 2 week pass for Golds.
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"This is the best/most interesting post I have come across yet, though I am shocked you got 50k to open the gym "
Perhaps I mis-spoke. The $50K didn't happen until 4 or 5 years later. I think my 1st years pay was $15,000ish. At the end, all the front desk guys did $35 - $50k per year. Those days are long gone.
Edit: I remember a meeting we had at work one day, in that great room all the old mags were in, 10's-of-thousands of old BB mags... one of the new bean counters in accounting, stood up and said, "There's no way the guys at the front desk should be making more than management!" Dude was all mad and condescending. We stole his car. ;D
Thanks for the nice words.
Tom
Perhaps I misread :D
No need to thank me, people like yourself make this site worth reading :)
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I don't think stars worked out for free. Dorian told me about a recent visit to Gold's when the front desk girl asked him for $20 to train. He told her that he had a lifetime membership (which I guess is given to Mr. Olympia's). He told her this and she said "how do I know you are who you say you are". He then pointed up to the wall to show her his picture. Then one of the guys saw him and let him in. I'll never forget the old World Gym had a chalkboard behind the front counter and Joe or Eddie or whoever would put your name up on it when your dues were up or late. I will never forget seeing in big letters "Arnold your dues are late" I thought that was cool.
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What the accountant ignored was the front end guys sold memberships so were salesmen, too, and earned their money. Did Golds charge the stars to train there? I remember in 1991 that Ray Mentzer got me a free 2 week pass for Golds.
No Sir. Derek Barton made sure that anyone in the business (TV & film) was comped. It worked out perfectly. They got a freebie, and Gold's Venice got a good reputation in the entertainment industry.
T-
Note... I can only speak with certainty, for the years 1991 - 1998. Before and after that... sorry.
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No Sir. Derek Barton made sure that anyone in the business (TV & film) was comped. It worked out perfectly. They got a freebie, and Gold's Venice got a good reputation in the entertainment industry.
T-
Note... I can only speak with certainty, for the years 1991 - 1998. Before and after that... sorry.
Still the same...or at least, it HAS been the same till now.
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Chick is right. All Pro Bodybuilders were always, instantly comped (and it sounds like they still are... GOOD), as they should have been. Those cats deserved at least that.
Tom
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Keith; Shoot me your number via pm, and we'll make sure to hook up at the Olympia. I'll call in some old school cats & youngsters and we'll make it real party. Vegas is just right for old timers like you and me, and the young pimps will have fun as well. ;D
We still have 100 days +/-, but let's not miss the chance to get all the boys together.
Tommy
PS. All freaks are invited.
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Hey, TW, do you remember a guy who used to eat nothing but tuna fish that he would squeeze through a nylon stocking. The end result would be something similar to sawdust with a smelly odor. That was his entire diet except for an occasional spoonful of honey. I saw him compete in the mid to late 60's and he was ultra shreaded and I have heard that he was still around the LA area in the mid to late 70's still eating strained tuna and honey and still ripped.
Do you recall that character?
BTW, I ran into Kent Kehn at the Cal this past weekend but didn't get a chance to talk with him.
You recall Joe Nazzario? And where the hell is Bill Grant these days?
A: Man SM, I don't recall the tuna & honey dude. Kent and I were good friends. He is a perfect example of what happened to most pro bb's. To Kent's credit, he never let that hold him back and he always has good words to say about the business.
I remember Joe Nazzario, but I don't have any updates. Bill Grant is doing well, and still in good shape... for one of the Gold's Gym OG's ;D
T-
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I was up cause my back was killing me, took 30mg of Oxy, and found this thread. Good read bro. I love hearing about the crazy inside shit. I worked the front desk of a gym for a while. What a circus. It's like your a bartender, everyone tells you there life story. It's a great cross roads though, you get to meet a lot of different people. Good stuff Tommy.
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Samir was the 1983 Mr. Olympia NOT 1984.
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I was up cause my back was killing me, took 30mg of Oxy, and found this thread. Good read bro. I love hearing about the crazy inside shit. I worked the front desk of a gym for a while. What a circus. It's like your a bartender, everyone tells you there life story. It's a great cross roads though, you get to meet a lot of different people. Good stuff Tommy.
First off you aren't taking enough. I sometimes take 12 vicodan a day. DOn't believe me?, ask my friends who keep taking them from me. But right now I have been off of them for awhile since my back or leg doesn't hurt. I sprained my ankle moving a hide a bed and was taking some oxy but its fine now.
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Samir was the 1983 Mr. Olympia NOT 1984.
Damn you Max Rep! Good catch ;D Don't make me tell my Lee Haney v. Iron Sheik v. Tommywishbone story, or my "Hey you stole my T-shirts." - C. Dickerson story.
T-
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Great stories guys, keep them coming!
Vince, whilst Tommy, Stunt, Keith and Max Rep were having the time of their lives, you were obviously the disgusting little nerd that nobody could stand. I'm not hating, thats the impression i get from your posts. Why didn't you live it up more?
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OMFG I just peed my pants :D :D HAHAHAHHA FUNNIEST THING I HAVE READ IN A LONG TIME
1992 – 1997. Wow. Sleeping in the back room. Sleeping in the posing room. Having a gang bang in the posing room Grin . Finding IFBB pros sleeping in the posing room, because they were homeless. Watching Brian Regan put a .45 in Joe Cosmo’s face at the front desk and watching Joe pee his pants. Slinging gear over the front counter. Telling Ed Connors that Don Ross was gone. Telling Nessler that Kurt Colbain was dead. Working the front deask at 4:20am during the Northridge earthquake, and thinking it was funny that everyone was running out of the gym and then right back in. Getting drunk with James Caan. Hookers for free. Strippers for free. Getting arrested in the 2nd room at Gold’s Venice by LAPD. Comped at every bar in Hollywood (the doorman & bartenders all trained at Gold's Venice).
Lol I can picture that so well ;D
Tommy you are a god, Special Ed take note now that was funny :D
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This one should be pinned.
More stories please. :)
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First off you aren't taking enough. I sometimes take 12 vicodan a day. DOn't believe me?, ask my friends who keep taking them from me. But right now I have been off of them for awhile since my back or leg doesn't hurt. I sprained my ankle moving a hide a bed and was taking some oxy but its fine now.
I believe you, I take the equivalent now have been for a while. Most Vic's are 10mg(I haven't had any stronger). 12 would make 120mg. I take 30mg oxy 4 x a day. Damn my doctor for getting me back on this shit. I wasn't nearly as messed up the results on Hydrocodone (Vics) but she said it was time to up the dose, she's the pain management specialist.
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I don't think stars worked out for free. Dorian told me about a recent visit to Gold's when the front desk girl asked him for $20 to train. He told her that he had a lifetime membership (which I guess is given to Mr. Olympia's). He told her this and she said "how do I know you are who you say you are". He then pointed up to the wall to show her his picture. Then one of the guys saw him and let him in. I'll never forget the old World Gym had a chalkboard behind the front counter and Joe or Eddie or whoever would put your name up on it when your dues were up or late. I will never forget seeing in big letters "Arnold your dues are late" I thought that was cool.
Man If i would be you I would kick myself for not taking a picture of that!!!!
Bob seriously you were the only one who had to make this personal again, until you posted this post was only memories and laughs... Why?
This thread is exactly what separates us from the MD board.
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Somebody sticky this bitch... What a laugh :D
-Trallala-
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Awesome thread!!
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Not everyone was in the in-group in those days. The insiders shared information but it was a closed group. They even has a special language, etc.
I have owned gyms since 1971 and I am sure someone was always pushing steroids. I seldom knew who was involved but occasionally some musclehead from another gym would show up and I always knew why he joined. They always did their business in the parking lot and never in the gym.
It sounds like a lot of guys barely made ends meet. That is probably true today. Most of the guys who lifted were a bit scared of taking too many drugs. Those who weren't are probably some of the guys we know and read about. Zabo said there was no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and he told the truth. Joe even opened Worlds to give Zabo and a few old mates a job. One day when I visited World Gym in 1991 I wanted to say hello to Zabo. I was told he was asleep in the cupboard below the shelves! Apparently he did that so that if Joe called someone would wake him up!
I vividly remember the day that a very curvaceous former girlfriend of Zabo's stole the show at Santa Monica Beach. That was way back in 1968 in October. Arnold was sunning there and when he got up to go for a swim no one paid the slightest attention. When Zabo's girlfriend got up for a walk to the surf EVERYONE looked! Beauty beats brawn any day. I should have done medicine instead of wanting to open a gym and make gym equipment like Joe did.
I had to laugh when I found out what the lads called Joe Gold. He was known as the dog catcher because he didn't mind plain women he met on the beach! Ah, guys can be cruel.
LOL, you didn't know who was pushing drugs in YOUR gym. You weren't in the in-group at your own place and guys were using your gym to sling gear. Priceless!
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Awesome stories, guys! Thanks for starting the thread, TW!
Any stories about Denny Gable or Bob Birdsong? In the original Pumping Iron book, they looked like they were regulars at Golds,but you really don't hear much about them.
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I ran into Kent Kehn at the Cal this past weekend but didn't get a chance to talk with him.
Kent Kuehn, always there in the middle of it. Ubiquitous, in the Eddie G mold. ;D
Those scenes in Stay Hungry filmed around the same time with guys on the buses wasn't that far from reality LOL
Bill Grant info:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson59.htm
Site:
http://www.billgrant.net/index.html
There was this one dude with huge arms Bill Pettis who worked out there in the 70s, still does I think. Mainly arm work. Something like huge Larry Samuels who worked out here at Tom Minichiello's Mid-City NYC around the same time.
Pettis shots:
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Amazing...even then you were sticking your nose where it didn't belong....guess some things never change.
hahahahahahahahahaha, classic. ;D
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this is a genuinely great thread
thanks Tommy
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I ain't no big star or anything like that but I never hesitate from talking to people under any and all circumstances, and my first visit to Gold's was way back in the early 60's with Sgt. Sam Griffith, an old time USMC character and noteable.
We stopped in to see Joe and shoot the shit one weekend morning. The place was empty so we looked around and eventually ended up in the back seeing Joe welding some equipment together. When he realized we were there he gave us a tour of the place, mostly showing off the unique equipment that he had built or was in the process of building.
I think that the yearly membership fee was less than $36 back then and a good number of the members were the athletes from USC and UCLA. Competitive bodybuilders were relatively small in number back then (and small in size too), and I don't recall seeing anyone that weekend who was overly impressive.
I don't think any of your guys are old enough to recall a 1950's gym that was in operation on one of the side streets leading up to the Pacific Coast Highway from the old Muscle Beach location in Santa Monica. It was a small place located in one of the old hotel's side entrance and for some reason I think it belonged to Joe or maybe he only worked there or only built the equipment. Or better yet - could this have been the first Gold's Gym in Southern California?
I lost contact with Gold's due to haveing to sail off and fight a war someplace, but managed to return in one piece when Ken Sprague was in the process of buying Joe out..... That was an interesting story in itself and I'll pass it on if I can remember it correctly. Correcft me here if I F.U. I'll start this one off and let someone more knowledgeable finish it up.
Ken was one of the Board members in the original NPC and had money and lived in So Cal so he bought Gold's from Joe for an unknown amount. I assume that Joe didn't realize that the sale had included the name "Gold's Gym" which he wanted to use in one form or another when he decided to open his next business wich eventually turned out to be "World Gym" which was located just a couple of miles south of Ken's 2nd Street location.
Ken ran the gym for a "couple of years" and promoted the best nationals of all time but eventually sold out to Pete G and his three partners. Here's my major sticking point...... business suffered but someone designed a T-shirt with "Guido" on the front and the T-shirt sales were instrumental in initially saving the business.
Back then and at that precise moment in time there were only two or three notable musclehead gyms in existance in So Cal.... Gold's in Santa Monica and Vince Gironda's in the Valley (over by Universal Studios). I think Pearl's was open in Pasadena too but I'm not positive about that. (And Dale Adrian trained at one of the Y's someplace.) And Joe was still doing his best to use his own name once again for his new place down the road.
Pete or one of his partners set up a bench by the front door so that people could come off the street to sit and watch the "animal's train". There were no "anamalettes" yet.) And T-shirt sales were doing well.
Heading down to Venice... More later if there is any interest in my half assed attempt to recall history and possibly mutilate in the process.
Hey! Thanks for the Bill Grant info, Pump. I'll contact him ASAP.
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I don't think any of your guys are old enough to recall a 1950's gym that was in operation on one of the side streets leading up to the Pacific Coast Highway from the old Muscle Beach location in Santa Monica. It was a small place located in one of the old hotel's side entrance and for some reason I think it belonged to Joe or maybe he only worked there or only built the equipment. Or better yet - could this have been the first Gold's Gym in Southern California?
The old Muscle Beach from the 1930s onwards and gyms seemed to have been in the Santa Monica area, including the Dungeon where Draper trained. Santa Monica was also a little closer to Studio City where Vince's was.
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good stuff
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Yea, way before your time, Tommy, but I forgot about the Dungeon. Thanks, Pump. I went down there one sunny afternoon and pumped my nose against the wall. It was a hellofa dark basement. Draper trained there initially when he arrived while working at Weider's first Cal office across from Bodybuilder Famous Zucky's.
Who owned the Dungeon? If I recall, it was located one block south from where the SM Gold's would be many years later.
I'll do my best to get a picture of Pettis today.
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Damn you Max Rep! Good catch ;D Don't make me tell my Lee Haney v. Iron Sheik v. Tommywishbone story, or my "Hey you stole my T-shirts." - C. Dickerson story.
T-
And to think I was the only one who caught it! ;)
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Tommy, Stunt and Keith thanks for taking the time to write these stories :)
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Stunt, Ric Draisin created the original Gold's Gym logo.
I remember Bill Pettis. He was very quiet and had a lazy eye. His arms were HUGE.
My stories are on the history board but since we have this one going I guess I can input a little, but I think most of them are already up over there. SInce mine are allot fewer than Tommy's, Max's or Stunt's I can only tell one a day.
I first joined the Original World Gym in 1979 or 80. I was lifting weights at that time in a small gym i Hawthorne called Docs and a place called Renaissance Health Spa. That is where I met Gene Mozee as he helped the owner. One of my friends parents were into health and lifting and were originals fro the old Muscle Beach when they did those posing and acrobatic things down there. They were in great shape (the mom was HOT). Well one day they itroduced me to their friend Ron Depolito who was built really good. He trained at Gold's and World's. They ask him to take me to World Gym and see if I liked it. I was around 20. Well hell yes I liked it. He sked me if I wanted to join and train with him. I said great but no money. So he paid the first years dues which was $150 if I remember. Back then memberships were easy. Just a little index card in a box. No fancy shit and paperwork like today.
Back then the gym was upstairs with parking at street level and a outside patio with equipment. Only one locker room with a gang shower which was coed. Not intentional I think just that if you are a girl be prepared. Which I really liked. Anyway, Ron liked to train early. I mean 8am. I am not used to that, I like it in the afternoon. Now I lived in Manhattan Beach and had to drive to Santa Monica and be there at 8am. I hated it. I remember seeing this guy and he was huge and loud. He turned around and it was John Matuszak of the Raiders. Man he was one of my heroes. I went back to my friends and told them all that John Matuszak trained at the gym I was at.He was really loud all the time and seemed to know everyone. I noticed he was really close to Joe (Gold). There were signs around the gym that said "No Cameras, No Pictures Aloud". Eddie (Guiliani) worked the front desk with "Chief" (forgot his name, has "ski" on the end).
I remember one day a couple guys came up the stairs and ad cameras. They stood at the top of the stairs and started taking pics. I saw John Matuszak saw it and immediately went over and started yelling at them very loud. I think they were foreign and didn't understand him because they kind of just looked at him. Well John literally lost it and threw them down the stairs. I mean pushed them so they fell down the stairs. I couldn't believe it. And whats funny is hardly anyone in the gym flinched.
Now, the funny thing about this is I went on for about a month watching John. Finally I was introduced to him. His name was Tony. I was thinking why Tony. I then asked Ron and he told me his name was Tony Nowak. MAN I told Ron all this time I thought it was John Matuszak. He laughed and I was embarrassed. I had to go home and tell all my friends it wasn't John but just some guy named Tony. I was so disappointed.
I have a few about Tony and who he was. For the guys who have seen Pumping Iron, Tony is the guy Arnold says hi to when he first gets to the gym and is peeling the orange at the front desk. He also (I think) makes the leather jackets and stuff for World Gym. I saw him at a few shows in the 90's
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Great stories guys,keep them coming.Keith,i think "Chief" would be Zabo Koszewski.Any of you guys train at Zuvers gym when it was open.
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I trained at Zuver's once, Shep. Wasn't much of a place to rave about but Larry Scott trained everything but legs there. Vince was adament about leg training and felt that squatting thickened the waist so most of the competitors who ever trained at Vince's were lacking in the leg department.
Many years later I got to be a friend of Vince's and while sitting beside him as contests he would always comment on his leg training theory. At one time there was a list of everything that Vince thought was important for training and dieting and it was pretty unique and radical for its time. Anyone got a copy?
In many ways Vince was years ahead of anyone else when it came to training and diet and bodybuilding in general.
Oh yea, I understand that Larry trained at another gym on leg days.
Here is a photo of Pettis and Howard taken this afternoon at the Venice Beach Contet ...
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Sorry, here's the photo ...
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Sorry again! Here is the Pettis and Howard photo I meant to send above......
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bill pettis is at the beach everyday, sad to say he is not in the shape he use to be, but he is still big in heart and spirit. HE use to be huge, but has had some bad years........I remember back in the mid 90's he was about
280 lbs., a huge old fella........you can see him everyday, he was the first at muscle beach to ever lift 200 lbs doing behind head db tricep extension............He often gazes as I train, which reminds him of the old days, I see it in his eyes.............this guy had the best arms of the time.....for real.
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Hey guys!
Nice additions to the thread. I realize some of this stuff is History Board material, but I just thought it would get a little more action on the main board.
Tom
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"Chief" (forgot his name, has "ski" on the end).
Keith,are you talking about "Zabo" Kosewski ?
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bill pettis is at the beach everyday, sad to say he is not in the shape he use to be, but he is still big in heart and spirit. HE use to be huge, but has had some bad years........I remember back in the mid 90's he was about
280 lbs., a huge old fella........you can see him everyday, he was the first at muscle beach to ever lift 200 lbs doing behind head db tricep extension............He often gazes as I train, which reminds him of the old days, I see it in his eyes.............this guy had the best arms of the time.....for real.
The "return" of Noli..... :D
The one and (thank fuckin' God) only.....
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Yes Zabo, thanks Wes and Crown. Can't believe I couldn't remember him.
Hey guys!
Nice additions to the thread. I realize some of this stuff is History Board material, but I just thought it would get a little more action on the main board.
Tom
Thats great Tommy. Does anyone know the story of Gold's Gym when Pete had it and they almost didn't pay rent and get evicted and how they got the money together. Okay here is another one. I don't remember his name but he was the muscle man guy who played in the movies and the one I can think of is "The Deep" but he played in allot (Longest Yard too, the old one). He was the big white guy. Anyway, I liked training outside at the old World Gym. We would always stand up there and watch the cars go by and girls and such between sets. Plus you got a nice tan. One day I see this big white guy staring out and he was looking through his fist. You know like a telescope. I asked what he was doing and he said it made it look easier at things far away. He said it acted like a telescope. I got all excited cause I used to do the same thing and my friends always said bullshit. They would try it and nothing different. Now I find a guy who did the same thing and got the same results as me. That made me really happy back then cause I thought I was wrong and was just imagining it. Not a lifting story but kind of neat from the gym.
A short one where I was at the front counter wanting something and the guy behind the counter had his back to me and I kept saying excuse me so I could ask him a question or whatever. I thought he was ignoring me and I said it a few times. Just before I was going to yell it he turned around and it was Ferrigno. I didn't realize it was him. I guess I didn't look close enough and then felt bad since I knew he couldn't hear very well.
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FWIW on the Gold's topic:
Everyone enjoys talking smack about Louie, and from what I've heard about their experiences, I don't blame them, not at all. Lou and I were always real cool. He was always courteous and respectful when he spoke to me, and we had a lot of laughs. Louie was a very strong dude, but I was always stronger, and he knew it.
It's funny... a lot, a whole lot, of older girls thought Louie was attractive & sexy (weird, I know) and I would always go out of my way and make sure that Lou signed an autograph for them, and talked to them.
Somewhere, I have some real cool pics of me and Lou and TR training for Louie's combackback @the 1994 Master Olympia. Most likely those pics are gone, but I'll try to find them.
Tommy
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Hey, Keith, they say you can knock on the door of the deaf man forever!
Had to laugh about the hand telescope. As if finding another dude like you validates that claim. Funny to read, anyway. Lots of bodybuilders tales floating around for sure.
Someone bagged me for not knowing who was selling steroids at my gym. Well, my ex and I owned our gym and we didn't tolerate anyone conducting any business on the premises. Naturally, those who did kept their mouths shut. Not many over the years have fessed up about using gear. Those who made enquires were already using and just testing the water. I sent guys to a sports doctor because I didn't trust some of those blokes. I heard some guy with a lot of tattoos was pushing drugs. Someone told me he was offered a big box of bottles. Turned out they might have been sugar pills or something! Maybe that guy was an ethical crook if there is such a thing. Naw, he got the fake Dianabol cheap and made a big profit. The heads would have sworn the drugs worked!
I smiled when I found out that some little guys were using steroids. They made no marked gains at all. Quite sad for them in a way. Shows that plenty of guys need a boost and not only the champs.
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Stunt Movie or anyone at he show today, how did it go? Did they get the support they normally do?
What is pettis' age?
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Stunt Movie or anyone at he show today, how did it go? Did they get the support they normally do?
What is pettis' age?
Stunt called me several times from there and said the show was great. ALLOT of people and allot more booths. Chic was there and doing his thing he said. He saw Pettis and said he was walking around handing out his picture. I need to go to that show next year. It was always fun in Venice.
P.S. Talked to Grymko for about an hour today another 2 hours a few days ago. It seems like when we talk we mostly talk about things we did together and I forget some stuff I am supposed to ask him. He is about as far away from being computer savy as you can get. But I told him I type very fast so when we see each next month maybe we are coming on here to tell some good old Gold's stories. I did learn the first meeting where they decided to start the NPC was in 1978. Manion was not in attendance but the people who were there decided to make Manion the President cause several others who they were going to appoint all had occupation they felt were a conflict so they had to pass up the nomination.
The guys who bought Gold's originally from Ken Sprague were Pete, Ed, and Denny Doyle (33.3333% each). Denny was bought out by Tim Kimber and Pete. Pete ended up with 56% of the original ownership. Gold's Gym does not own the building but they do own the parking lot in the back.
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Thanks for that info, Keith. When will we be able to get together with Pete for a good long talk? How bout I meet ya at the LAX and we stop by by his place on the way to LV? Make those arrangements for your next trip over.
Hey, LEGBREAKER, the Venice event was AWESOME! I have to admit that I've promoted/officiated more shows than the majority of you guys and gals have ever seen (or deven thought of) and this past Venice event was one of the most memorable of them all.
For obvious reasons I'm partial to the military and this was one event where the military presence was most notable. The Marines, the Air Force, the Army were all in attendance and the AF Band made the hair on my neck stand at full attention.
And while the contestants stood beside the Colors during the National Anthym with the patriotic audiance of at least a couple of thousand joined in and the C-17 flyover in salute ... it was something most Americans never get to experience in a lifetime.
And that was only the beginning.......
Joe did a great job and should be officially commended by someone. In his case I believe that would be the Department of Parks and Recreation, CC of LA.
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Hey, LEGBREAKER, the Venice event was AWESOME! I have to admit that I've promoted/officiated more shows than the majority of you guys and gals have ever seen (or deven thought of) and this past Venice event was one of the most memorable of them all.
Joe did a great job and should be officially commended by someone. In his case I believe that would be the Department of Parks and Recreation, CC of LA.
Something to do with this..
Famed weightlifter is muscled out. Bill Howard, a longtime promoter at Venice's Muscle Beach, has been banned from this season's contests.
May 15, 2007
Bill Howard says he's no 98-pound weakling sitting on the beach, waiting for a he-man to kick sand in his face.
Joe Wheatley says he's no biceps-bulging bully trying to muscle in on someone else's place in the sun.
That's the short version of the ego flexing taking place between a veteran weightlifting champion and a younger promoter as this year's bodybuilding season approaches at Venice's Muscle Beach.
After more than four decades of staging summertime muscleman contests at the famed tourist attraction, the 73-year-old Howard has been banned from the weightlifting platform that stands beneath Muscle Beach's symbolic oversized concrete barbells.
Los Angeles parks officials advised Howard that the city "has decided to change direction with regard to future bodybuilding events" at the Venice Beach boardwalk.
"You will no longer be asked to narrate the History of Muscle Beach at the show. The Bill Howard Award will no longer be given at the shows. The Medallion Ceremony will be completed by a representative from Recreation and Parks" and not by Howard, parks authorities advised him in writing in mid-March.
Howard was told he could attend the show "as a member of the public" but would no longer be allowed backstage or in participants' or VIP areas.
His sudden ouster has roiled Muscle Beach, where Howard began pumping iron in the 1950s. He is credited with helping revive the beachside bodybuilding scene after lifters were kicked off Santa Monica's original Muscle Beach.
"I've given my entire life to Muscle Beach Venice, and they're kicking me out the door," said Howard, a Costa Mesa resident who still works as a personal trainer. He vows he is not about to go down without a fight.
"I'm in competition shape," he said. "I'm going to be 74 and I'm damned proud of how I look. I live the Muscle Beach philosophy. The sanctions against me are vindictiveness."
Starting in 1963, Howard — without pay — organized and emceed shows at Muscle Beach each Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day.
He saw the beach through its toughest time in the early 1980s, as facilities crumbled and interest faded. Howard recalled that one year, there wasn't any money for trophies, so he asked Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbo to go home and "get some of their own trophies to donate. They did, and we had a show."
He led a campaign to get Los Angeles officials to designate the weightlifting area "Muscle Beach Venice" and in 1991 helped secure $500,000 in funding to construct a training area and stage.
Howard stepped aside as the shows' promoter and master of ceremonies in 2003 while recovering from throat cancer. That's when Wheatley, 20 years his junior, took over promotional duties.
Since then, Wheatley's backers say, he has expanded the shows' scope, drawing more sponsors and participants. Wheatley created an award in Howard's name to give to the shows' top male and female competitors and oversaw Howard's induction into the Muscle Beach Hall of Fame in 2005.
Wheatley, 52, of Glendale, said that as Venice's Muscle Beach grew, Howard simply wouldn't change with the times.
"I've said over and over that without Bill Howard, we wouldn't be here today," Wheatley said. "But it comes a time for everyone to step aside. The program is bigger than Bill. It's evolved."
But Wheatley also blamed "ego and narcissism" on Howard's part. "We couldn't get the microphone out of his hands," he said. "The last thing he said to the audience was, 'I'm not in this for the money; I'm in this for the sport.' That was a personal attack on me. I do this for a living. Joe Wheatley Productions. I do bring in money."
City officials have sided with Wheatley.
Lydia Ritzman, the city's principal recreation supervisor, who ordered Howard's removal, said there was a personality clash between Howard and Wheatley.
"It got to the point [where] Bill would come in at the 11th hour and undo things Joe had done. These events don't need that kind of drama," Ritzman said.
"Joe asked for some cooperation from Bill. For some reason Bill couldn't do that."
Devotees of Muscle Beach and bodybuilding said they are caught in the middle.
"Without his enthusiasm, it would have died out. Bill did an excellent job," said Gene Mozee, a Culver City powerlifter who has written about the sport and edited bodybuilding magazines.
But Mozee also had praise for Wheatley. "He's really revved up the participation and enthusiasm. True, Joe makes a living at this. But he pays the city a fee and pays his own people to do work."
Schwarzenegger, who in his early days pumped iron in Venice, issued a statement in 2004 from the governor's office praising Howard for his dedication to the bodybuilding community as he was battling cancer. "There is no obstacle you can't overcome," the governor wrote. On Monday, his spokesman said Schwarzenegger was busy in meetings and unavailable to comment on Howard's ouster.
Meanwhile, the Muscle Beach battle is heating up.
Wheatley said Howard threatened to picket the approaching Memorial Day holiday show. The Muscle Beach International Classic is scheduled for May 27-28. Officials want to eventually build a Wall of Fame saluting the greats of Muscle Beach, with Howard likely to be among the first honorees.
But "if he causes a big ruckus on May 28, then that plaque is going to go," Wheatley warned. "He should tread very lightly."
As for Howard, he says he has spent a lifetime of heavy lifting for a sport that has had more than its share of ups and downs. In his view, only dumbbells would bar him now from Muscle Beach.
"It's like telling Babe Ruth he can't go to Yankee Stadium."
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Thanks for that info, Keith. When will we be able to get together with Pete for a good long talk? How bout I meet ya at the LAX and we stop by by his ploace on the way to LV? Make those arrangements for your next trip over.
Hey, LEGBREAKER, the Venice event was AWESOME! I have to admit that I've promoted/officiated more shows than the majority of you guys and gals have ever seen (or deven thought of) and this past Venice event was one of the most memorable of them all.
For obvious reason I'm partial to the military and this was one even where the military presence was most notable. The Marines, the Air Force, the Army were all in attendance and the AF Band was made the hair on my neck stand at full attention.
And while the contestants stood beside the Colors during the National Anthym with the patriotic audiance of at least a couple of thousand joined in and the C-17 flyover in salute ... it was something most Americans never get to experience in a lifetime.
And that was only the beginning.......
Joe did a great job and should be officially commended by someone. In his case I believe that would be the Department of Parks and Recreation, CC of LA.
Stunt,
Why you feel extremely Patriotic is because you yourself was one of the few, the proud.
It's sad because I feel the average joe today is not as patriotic as those who serve/served. I remember growing up knowing a lot of the elders in the community were extremely patriotic w/o even putting on a uniform or serving in the military. It was because they were immigrants to the United States, the land of opportunity. Now a days, here in California we have a lot of Mexican immigrants that raise the Mexican National Flag on their porch, but not the stars & stripes. Granted, knowing alot of Polish/German/Irish/Italian Americans growing up, they had their flag up too, but next to, along side or below the stars & stripes.
It's a weird time in the United States, especially from what I see here in California.
Semper Fi Marine
btw....last week I had the honor to meet a Marine that was at the Chosin with 1/5. Here he was happy to know about my piddly experience in Somalia & Kuwait with the whole time I just looked at him in admiration & said "you were at the Chosin?"
His company went over with 223 Marines...came back with 12.
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Stunt,
Why you feel extremely Patriotic is because you yourself was one of the few, the proud.
It's sad because I feel the average joe today is not as patriotic as those who serve/served. I remember growing up knowing a lot of the elders in the community were extremely patriotic w/o even putting on a uniform or serving in the military. It was because they were immigrants to the United States, the land of opportunity. Now a days, here in California we have a lot of Mexican immigrants that raise the Mexican National Flag on their porch, but not the stars & stripes. Granted, knowing alot of Polish/German/Irish/Italian Americans growing up, they had their flag up too, but next to, along side or below the stars & stripes.
It's a weird time in the United States, especially from what I see here in California.
Semper Fi Marine
btw....last week I had the honor to meet a Marine that was at the Chosin with 1/5. Here he was happy to know about my piddly experience in Somalia & Kuwait with the whole time I just looked at him in admiration & said "you were at the Chosin?"
His company went over with 223 Marines...came back with 12.
I have known Stunt for about 18 years now. He is 100% Marine and a very decorated one at that. I love his war stories. He had done quite a few very heroic feats while in Vietnam. He is very well know here in Hawaii. He is very very patriotic and put his life on the line to prove it. He has been involved in BB since the 50's. He has been involved with BB way more than most of you know. Some guys on here know who he is and knows his background in this industry. His one fault though is he won't tell stories (even if true) that would put someone down. He has many many stories about thigs that have happened in the NPC and IFBB but just won't tell them.
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I don't remember his name but he was the muscle man guy who played in the movies and the one I can think of is "The Deep" but he played in allot (Longest Yard too, the old one). He was the big white guy.
Robert Tessier he also trained at Vince’s Gym in Studio City. The big black bodybuilder in the deep was Earl Maynard.
How about the first week Gold’s moved to it’s current location in Venice from the 2nd Street location? The move was part of a deal they struck with the studio’s because Tim Kimber and Frank Zane hard parts in Hart-to-Hart which was filmed at the Gym. Many of us got extra work on that episode.
Then there was the day in 1981 that Pete stood in the front of the Gym and told us he was making a comeback and was going to have the top of his head cut off and have a micro-chip installed in his pituitary gland so it would release Growth Hormone unlimitedly. He said he was going to weigh 300 ripped. He was dead serious. Yes as usual he had just smoked a few bowls.
Oh and we can’t forget the time Pete had Rick Wayne in his office. That was the first and only time I ever saw Pete mad and he was beating on his desk ready to kill Rick for writing something derogatory about the gym in Muscle (the predecessor) to Muscle and Fitness). Rick turned three shades of white that day. I never saw Pete that angry before.
And there was the time Pete was with some girl who had also dated Ken Waller. (Her pic is in that group photo in from of the 2nd Street Gym. Pete, the girl, Joe Fustor and I went out for lunch. After lunch we were in Pete’s Rolls Royce and he stops at the park. The girl sees this big dog and starts getting all excited trying to get him to come over and lick her pussy. She starts calling the dog and lifting up her skirt. Pete starts egging her on and doing the famous Peter laugh. The dog wouldn’t come over though so we missed out on the show.
The World of bodybuilding you don’t hear about in the magazines.
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Robert Tessier he also trained at Vince’s Gym in Studio City. The big black bodybuilder in the deep was Earl Maynard.
How about the first week Gold’s moved to it’s current location in Venice from the 2nd Street location? The move was part of a deal they struck with the studio’s because Tim Kimber and Frank Zane hard parts in Hart-to-Hart which was filmed at the Gym. Many of us got extra work on that episode.
Then there was the day in 1981 that Pete stood in the front of the Gym and told us he was making a comeback and was going to have the top of his head cut off and have a micro-chip installed in his pituitary gland so it would release Growth Hormone unlimitedly. He said he was going to weigh 300 ripped. He was dead serious. Yes as usual he had just smoked a few bowls.
Oh and we can’t forget the time Pete had Rick Wayne in his office. That was the first and only time I ever saw Pete mad and he was beating on his desk ready to kill Rick for writing something derogatory about the gym in Muscle (the predecessor) to Muscle and Fitness). Rick turned three shades of white that day. I never saw Pete that angry before.
And there was the time Pete was with some girl who had also dated Ken Waller. (Her pic is in that group photo in from of the 2nd Street Gym. Pete, the girl, Joe Fustor and I went out for lunch. After lunch we were in Pete’s Rolls Royce and he stops at the park. The girl sees this big dog and starts getting all excited trying to get him to come over and lick her pussy. She starts calling the dog and lifting up her skirt. Pete starts egging her on and doing the famous Peter laugh. The dog wouldn’t come over though so we missed out on the show.
The World of bodybuilding you don’t hear about in the magazines.
Dave do you know the story about Robert Blake. And yes that was his name Robert. He was a cool guy.
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Cant you guys try and get some tv station to cover a piece on this matter?In it raise the issue of the place being the hub that started the fitness and bodybuilding movement and needs to be restored/saved for its contribution/ ???historical values.
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Dave do you know the story about Robert Blake. And yes that was his name Robert. He was a cool guy.
Well I know at one time Robert Blake was also training at Vince's Gym. But no I don't know any other story.
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Im glad this is on the main board........now i may become a fan of the history board.
This is our history....you guys are the only ones who can tell it.......Thanks.
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FWIW on the Gold's topic:
Everyone enjoys talking smack about Louie, and from what I've heard about their experiences, I don't blame them, not at all. Lou and I were always real cool. He was always courteous and respectful when he spoke to me, and we had a lot of laughs. Louie was a very strong dude, but I was always stronger, and he knew it.
It's funny... a lot, a whole lot, of older girls thought Louie was attractive & sexy (weird, I know) and I would always go out of my way and make sure that Lou signed an autograph for them, and talked to them.
Somewhere, I have some real cool pics of me and Lou and TR training for Louie's combackback @the 1994 Master Olympia. Most likely those pics are gone, but I'll try to find them.
Tommy
Hey, Tommy, were you featured in that Ferrigno documentary STAND TALL, about his comeback to competition, mainly the 1994 Masters?
And what about IRA BANKOFSKI? What happened to him??
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Thanks for that info, Keith. When will we be able to get together with Pete for a good long talk? How bout I meet ya at the LAX and we stop by by his place on the way to LV? Make those arrangements for your next trip over.
Stuntmovie... my business partner and I went out to Pete's and had dinner with him and his wife in December. What a great time. As you know, Pete's a riot to hang out with. Man the guy has some stories, cars and great idea's. I think his wife was pleased to learn about some of Pete's earlier days. I've never seen anyone eat as much food as Pete. I mean fish and veggies rice. We were long done and he kept filling his plate and eating every bit of it. And the guy is lean. It's not like a 300 pounder who you expect to eat a lot. He's about 170 now. 61 years old, 25 year old hot wife and a 1 year old baby... Pete knows how to live.
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Stuntmovie... my business partner and I went out to Pete's and had dinner with him and his wife in December. What a great time. As you know, Pete's a riot to hang out with. Man the guy has some stories, cars and great idea's. I think his wife was pleased to learn about some of Pete's earlier days. I've never seen anyone eat as much food as Pete. I mean fish and veggies rice. We were long done and he kept filling his plate and eating every bit of it. And the guy is lean. It's not like a 300 pounder who you expect to eat a lot. He's about 170 now. 61 years old, 25 year old hot wife and a 1 year old baby... Pete knows how to live.
Just off to the other side of the island but wanted to post. Yes NO ONE eats more than Pete. I told the story about us in Hilo with the Barbarian Brothers at a buffet and me and twins can eat and we were so full we unbuttoned our pants and just sat back. Pete cleaned off our plates and ate a couple more times. When me and Pete would eat at Roys on Oahu our bill was typically $500 or more for food just the two of us. He definitely likes to make sure you are full whe you eat with him. How did you like the red 961 Porsche in his garage. He almost sold that to me but decided to keep it. That car dyno tested at about 210 mph. He spends allot time in Mexico where his place is just beautiful he had built.
I helped him get his wife. He wanted to take her out but her mom wanted to be with them. So he asked me to go out with her mom ad keep her busy. So I did. He still owes me for that one
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Great wife considering the dumps Pete must be taking. :-X
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Stuntmovie... my business partner and I went out to Pete's and had dinner with him and his wife in December. What a great time. As you know, Pete's a riot to hang out with. Man the guy has some stories, cars and great idea's. I think his wife was pleased to learn about some of Pete's earlier days. I've never seen anyone eat as much food as Pete. I mean fish and veggies rice. We were long done and he kept filling his plate and eating every bit of it. And the guy is lean. It's not like a 300 pounder who you expect to eat a lot. He's about 170 now. 61 years old, 25 year old hot wife and a 1 year old baby... Pete knows how to live.
Good action ;D. I'd bet there's only one former top-ranked pro bodybuilder, in the entire world, that has a better life than Pete.
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Yea, Pete and dining well. And he wants you to enjoy your meal and eat much as you can handle.
When I go out to eat, I am always satisfied with one entre off the menu, but when you go out with Pete, one entre is just the start. He always wants you to order another full meal off the menu if you enjoyed the first one. And he always picks up the tab.
I was there with you and Pete at Roy's in Hawaii once, Keith. We dined well and ate lots that nite.
And speaking of "dining", how many of your guys remember the favorite dining spots of the old Gold's Gym members (and World Gym too)?
Here's my attempt to refresh your memory .....
The Swedish Smorgasboard around the cornor from the 2nd Street location in Santa Monica? This was within a two block walking distance of Gold's and was no bigger than 600 square feet and offered a great (but relatively small) Swedish buffet for lunch and dinner got less than $10 each. Back then all the gym rats had to eat huge portions and that habit eventully put that great place and the nice elderly Swedish couple out of business.
Zucky's? One great Kosher coffee shop a couple of blocks north and about three streets east of the 2nd street location. It's still there but closed and boarded up. The standard place for most of the guys to have a great lunch and dinner. Great sandwiches and phenominal Jewish Chicken Soup that was guaranteed to knock any sickness out of your system. Arnold always seemed to have a table in the back.
The German's? This place was on the main road (Pacific) in Venice and was run by some religious group of former hippies or something like that. Their specialty was the Dozen Eggs Omlete for about $3 and a huge bowl of strawberrys for even less. Always full of bodybuilders. My last meal there was with Eddie Corney when he discussed the possibility of retirement from the sport.
Tony Roma's in Santa Monica? Just up the street from the 2nd street location. Joe Nazzario worked the front door and this could just possibly have been the first Tony Roma location. (Not sure about that though.) Joe invited us there for dinner and it was impressive with white table cloths and a live piano player playing dinner tunes. Great ribs and if I recall right, it was less than $5. Anyone still in contact with Joe?
And today we have the Firehouse where you can meet more bodybuilders than a week of visits to Gold's on Hampton.
Am I overlooking any?
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Tommy, Keith, Max Rep, if Pete gives me the approval I think I would like to have; I'll tell you the story how and why Pete headed west from Rochester. Pete told it to me personally and some of you may already know it, but I think it is one of the highlights in "historical bodybuilding tales" and would make one hell of a great episode in the Gold's Gym movie which should be made someday.
Only problem being that you would never be able to find the stars that would be capable of playing these principal characters on the silver screen.
It all started with a bar called "Elliot's Nest" ......
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Tommy, Keith, if Pete gives me the approval I think I would like to have; I'll tell you the story how and why Pete headed west from Rochester. Pete told it to me personally and some of you may already know it, but I think it is one of the highlights in "historical bodybuilding tales" and would make one hell of a great episode in the Gold's Gym movie which should be made someday.
Only problem being that you would never be able to find the stars that would be capable of playing these principal characters on the silver screen.
It all started with a bar called "Elliot's Nest" ......
I want to know now!!! ;D Im checking this thread every hour..... ;D
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Oh, man that red 961 is sweet. The guys got a million dollars worth of cars sitting in his driveway.
How about the Swedish Inn Smorgisboard that was on Lincoln Ave up the hill in Westchester. Waller and Tony got banned for eating to much. And Monday night all you can eat chicket at Dinah's on Sepeulveda. Everyone would be there. I remember Roger Collard used to love the place.
I used to go hang out at Elliot's Nest in Rochester with Pete. One time it was a week-night not to many people around. There was a Rock band and the music was really loud. Pete has this guy (I mentioned this story and he remembered the guy's name) working with Pete who looked like Luca Brazzi from the Godfather. Pete goes... David come on outside and let us show you something. We go out to Pete's Lincoln, he opens the trunk and pulls out two Tommy Guns. The guy and his shart shooting into the Gennesee River... Pete's laughing like crazy the music is drowning out the noise. Crazy Pete. Ya gotta love the guy.
I wasn't actually at Elliot's Nest when the famous "incident" happened though.
What about Pete's high school friend "the Moran"?
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Hey, Keith, what happened on your 'date' with the mother of Pete's wife? Nothing wrong with older women.
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Oh, man that red 961 is sweet. The guys got a million dollars worth of cars sitting in his driveway.
How about the Swedish Inn Smorgisboard that was on Lincoln Ave up the hill in Westchester. Waller and Tony got banned for eating to much. And Monday night all you can eat chicket at Dinah's on Sepeulveda. Everyone would be there. I remember Roger Collard used to love the place.
I used to go hang out at Elliot's Nest in Rochester with Pete. One time it was a week-night not to many people around. There was a Rock band and the music was really loud. Pete has this guy (I mentioned this story and he remembered the guy's name) working with Pete who looked like Luca Brazzi from the Godfather. Pete goes... David come on outside and let us show you something. We go out to Pete's Lincoln, he opens the trunk and pulls out two Tommy Guns. The guy and his shart shooting into the Gennesee River... Pete's laughing like crazy the music is drowning out the noise. Crazy Pete. Ya gotta love the guy.
I wasn't actually at Elliot's Nest when the famous "incident" happened though.
What about Pete's high school friend "the Moran"?
GOD The Moron. That guy is absolutely NUTS. He lives in Vegas in an apartment that Petes has been paying for 20 years or so. At least I still think so. He went out to dinner with us to a fancy Italian restaurant in Vegas. He kept acting so weird and making the weirdest noises. We were laughing so hard at this guy. Pete always told me stories about him and no way did I believe him. Then I met the guy and I am pretty sure every story was true. Joe Magione was with us and he seemed calm compared to The Moron, and Joe was really nuts. One day when me and Pete owned the Hawaiian Hardbodies we were doing a photo shoot with about 20 bikini models at Diamond Head along the drive. The girls were in thongs playing in the trees and acting like monkeys. So many cars would pass by and hold up traffic. Joe would go out there and try to charge them $20 to watch. Or he'd say "Get the Fuck Along" The cops came by and then another cop and then another cop and we ended up with about 8 or so cops watching up shoot and directing traffic. Imagine me, Pete ad Joe together with 20 bikini models all the time. It was great. Me and Pete were talking about it just a couple days ago how much money we could have made with the Hawaiian Hardbodies. But, Pete was spending too much with me and them and Ed got a little pissed and said that was enough, Gold's Gym in the priority and we had to stop everything.
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This pic may be to small........ Look at pete in the blue tank....MONSTER.
I can name all but 5 of the guys to the extreme right......who do you see.
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Sorry i meant to the left...not right... ;D
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Sorry i meant to the left...not right... ;D
Mike Mentzer is making Tom Platz look bad at the right.
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Real cool old school postcard/poster. I love that my friend Kent Kuehn, is looking real big (standing, blue Golds tank top, hands clasp in front).
Pete G also looks huge, kneeing in front, and Danny Padilla's arms look monsterous.
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Real cool old school postcard/poster. I love that my friend Kent Kuehn, is looking real big (standing, blue Golds tank top, hands clasp in front).
Pete G also looks huge, kneeing in front, and Danny Padilla's arms look monsterous.
I just scanned that from one of my old mags. I was amazed at kents size also...dude is bringing it. 8)
I may start a pic thread on history board and scan in old pics and articles from the late 70s early 80s....what you think, should i??
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I just scanned that from one of my old mags. I was amazed at kents size also...dude is bringing it. 8)
I may start a pic thread on history board and scan in old pics and articles from the late 70s early 80s....what you think, should i??
8) cool idea. Over the years I gave all my mags to Gold's Venice, for the upstairs library. I still never figured out what happened to all those mags & books.
T-
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man, i wish i was there living that life, old school baby..... not like today, b.s... it's going underground now
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Is this the red porsche?Notice ,look at how Big DAVID PAUL is.Anyone got photos of Barbarian David Paul in the last few years? 8)
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Is this the red porsche?Notice ,look at how Big DAVID PAUL is.Anyone got photos of Barbarian David Paul in the last few years? 8)
Ooops,sorry,my mistake the photo is in there twice.
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Name Them:
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1
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Name Them:
I'll be your huckleberry, Tom. Me love you long time...
1
2 Pete Grymkowski
3 Danny Padilla
4 Ray Mentzer (?)
5 - 8
9 Andreas Cahling ("Mr. International")
10 - 14
15 Bill Grant
16 Kent Kuehn
17 Ken Waller (?)
18 Tom Platz
19 Mike Mentzer
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I'll be your huckleberry, Tom. Me love you long time...
1
2 Pete Grymkowski
3 Danny Padilla
4 Ray Mentzer (?)
5 - 8
9 Andreas Cahling ("Mr. International")
10 - 14
15 Bill Grant
16 Kent Kuehn
17 Ken Waller (?)
18 Tom Platz
19 Mike Mentzer
#4 Ed Corney
#10 Tim Kimber
#12 Joesph Wilcox (sp)
#13 Steve Davis
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Im missing #1, 6, 7, 8, 10.
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Im missing #1, 6, 7, 8, 10.
#10 is definetly Tim Kimber (one of the Gold's owners, a few years after this pic was taken)
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8 might me Tony Nowak...maybe onlyme can verify
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8 might me Tony Nowak...maybe onlyme can verify
Looks like Tony to me, too. I never saw that gym, and never knew Tim
was a BB! He showed me his monkey once, in his new office in Venice. He
kept it in his pocket. I didn't believe him, and he pulled it out. It was a real
(and very little) monkey. He loved animals, see. He loved US!
-
8 might me Tony Nowak...maybe onlyme can verify
I don't know, that doesn't look like Tony. I will email it to Pete and see if he knows. He will. Also, that is the red Porsche and also thats one of his Rolls Royce's too. I almost got that thing, but he decided to keep it. That car is unreal. His yellow one has a 900hp blown V8 in the rear with no body mods. It is so fast he can't even drive it one the streets. He had 12 porsches at one time. I bought the 935 slant nose he brought to Hawaii. It too was nice
-
Old School and still very cool.
-
Tommy now that I see your pic I do recognize you. Cool man
-
Ya, Keith... you and I must have crossed paths/trained at the same time, etc. But man, I look at that cool pic of you and Don Ross and I just can't place that big smile. Perhaps when I hear your voice or see you in person, I'll know where we've met and/or trained together.
T-
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Ya, Keith... you and I must have crossed paths/trained at the same time, etc. But man, I look at that cool pic of you and Don Ross and I just can't place that big smile. Perhaps when I hear your voice or see you in person, I'll know where we've met and/or trained together.
T-
Yep somewhere sometime. Hey is #1 Dave Young (MaxRep). Kind of looks like him
-
I could probably call my old Gold's girlfriend Kim, she banged half the gym, back in the day. ;D
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Yep somewhere sometime. Hey is #1 Dave Young (MaxRep). Kind of looks like him
That would be cool. we need him to confirm.......only a few left in the pic. 8)
-
I could probably call my old Gold's girlfriend Kim, she banged half the gym, back in the day. ;D
Sorry Tom, she never said anything. ;D
-
11 looks like Samir
Where is tommywishbone?
-
14 is Eddie Murphy as Buckwheat
-
5 is Larry Jackson.
-
11 looks like Samir
Where is tommywishbone?
I'm not in that pic Vince, I think I was only 15 or 16 when that picture was taken. ;)
There is pic or 2 of me in the recent "Guess who @ 210 lbs & 245 lbs", it's further down the page in Gossip & Opinions.
-
Sorry Tom, she never said anything. ;D
;D You probably did hit that... she trained at Gold's in the mid & late 80's ;D
-
4 looks more like Denny Gable than Ray Mentzer. I don't remember Ray having a tatoo.
-
#1 is not me. I’m better looking than that. ;D I think the guys name was Pat and he was an FBI agent or something like that. #7 is a Guy named Dave who worked at the front Desk… had a smoking hot Indonesian Dutch girlfriend.
-
4 looks more like Denny Gable than Ray Mentzer. I don't remember Ray having a tatoo.
#4 is Ed Corney
-
Are you sure 4 is Corney?
-
Definately Corney no mistake.
-
#1 is not me. I’m better looking than that. ;D I think the guys name was Pat and he was an FBI agent or something like that. #7 is a Guy named Dave who worked at the front Desk… had a smoking hot Indonesian Dutch girlfriend.
Hey Max,is it Pat Stewart you were thinking of.I remember Mike Torchia being in one of the golds group pics,so number 6 might be him.
-
When I looked at the large size image it is Ed.
Who is the girl looking out the window?
-
I don't think stars worked out for free. Dorian told me about a recent visit to Gold's when the front desk girl asked him for $20 to train. He told her that he had a lifetime membership (which I guess is given to Mr. Olympia's). He told her this and she said "how do I know you are who you say you are". He then pointed up to the wall to show her his picture. Then one of the guys saw him and let him in. I'll never forget the old World Gym had a chalkboard behind the front counter and Joe or Eddie or whoever would put your name up on it when your dues were up or late. I will never forget seeing in big letters "Arnold your dues are late" I thought that was cool.
Classic. You guys have some amazing stories.
-
Which Gold's was this?
-
Which Gold's was this?
THats the pic i was thinking of that had Mike Torchia in it,next to Ron Teuful.
-
THats the pic i was thinking of that had Mike Torchia in it,next to Ron Teuful.
Who`s next to Dave Mastorakis,who`s next to Chris Dickerson,who`s next to......... :)
-
Is that Bill Reynolds in the back row? Guy with the beard.
-
It's clear Mentzer's breath smells like pee. Pictures don't lie.
-
Who`s next to Dave Mastorakis,who`s next to Chris Dickerson,who`s next to......... :)
Don`t know who he`s next to,but he`s behind Andreas Cahling. ;D
-
This is what we have so far:
(http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=151268.0;attach=169609;image)
1 Pat Stewart ? (FBI agent)
2 Pete Grymkowski
3 Danny Padilla
4 Ed Corney
5 Larry Jackson
6 Mike Torchia (?)
7 Dave ? (worked at front desk)
8 Tony Nowak (?)
9 Andreas Cahling ("Mr. International")
10 Tim Kimber
11 Samir Bannout
12 Joseph Wilcox
13 Steve Davis
14
15 Bill Grant
16 Kent Kuehn
17 Ken Waller
18 Tom Platz
19 Mike Mentzer
-
Manny Perry behind Platz. The twins are on his right
-
Any takers:
-
13 is Bob Jodewicwz(sp. ?)
-
1.-
2.-
3.-
4.-Ken Waller
5.-
6.-Andreas Cahling
7.-
8.-Lisa Lyons
9.-Ferrigno
10.-
11.-Mike Mentzer
12.-Ray Mentzer
13.-Bob Jodkeweicz
14.-Bill Grant
15.-
16.-
17.-
18.-
19.-Platz
20.-
21.-Dickerson
22.-Dave Mastorakis
23.-Ron Tueful
24.-Mike Torchia
25.-
26.-
27.-
28.-
29.-
30.-Manny Perry
31.-Bill Reynolds
32.-
33.-Kent Kuhen
34.-
35.-
36.-
37.-
38.-
39.-
40.-
41.-
42.-
43.-Pete Grymkowski
-
1.-
2.-
3.-
4.-Ken Waller
5.-
6.-Andreas Cahling
7.-
8.-Lisa Lyons
9.-Ferrigno
10.-
11.-Mike Mentzer
12.-Ray Mentzer
13.-Bob Jodkeweicz
14.-Bill Grant
15.-David Paul
16.-
17.-
18.-
19.-Platz
20.-
21.-Dickerson
22.-Dave Mastorakis
23.-Ron Tueful
24.-Mike Torchia
25.-
26.-
27.-
28.-Peter Paul
29.-
30.-Manny Perry
31.-Bill Reynolds
32.-
33.-Kent Kuhen
34.-
35.-
36.-
37.-
38.-
39.-
40.-
41.-
42.-
43.-Pete Grymkowski
-
If you scroll down Max Rep has named quite a few of them.
http://ironage.us/yabbse/index.php?topic=3960.0
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I added more from Max Rep's post...but maybe he can clarify this or anyone else:
(http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=151268.0;attach=169798;image)
1
2
3 Gym Groupie Girl
4 Ken Waller
5 Andrea’s Girlfriend
6 Andreas Cahling
7 Rita Brown (who later married Don Ross)
8 Lisa Lyons
9 Lou Ferrigno
10
11 Mike Mentzer
12 Ray Mentzer
13 Bob Jodeweicz
14 Bill Grant
15 David Paul
16 Eric Stienlick
17
18 Tom Platz’s ex fiancé
19 Tom Platz
20 Stacy Bently
21 Chris Dickerson
22 Dave Mastorakis
23 Ron Tuefel
24 Mike Torchia
25
26 Dave – worked at front counter
27 Mike Clancy
28 Peter Paul
29
30 Manny Perry
31 Bill Reynolds
32 Denny Malloy
33 Kent Kuhen
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42 Blonde Freak - girl old gf of Pete G.
43 Pete Grymkowski
44
45
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Is that Bill Reynolds in the back row? Guy with the beard.
Yes.
-
1.-
2.-
3.-
4.-Ken Waller
5.-
6.-Andreas Cahling
7.-
8.-Lisa Lyons
9.-Ferrigno
10.-
11.-Mike Mentzer
12.-Ray Mentzer
13.-Bob Jodkeweicz
14.-Bill Grant
15.-
16.-
17.-
18.-
19.-Platz
20.-
21.-Dickerson
22.-Dave Mastorakis
23.-Ron Tueful
24.-Mike Torchia
25.-
26.-
27.-
28.-
29.-
30.-Manny Perry
31.-Bill Reynolds
32.-
33.-Kent Kuhen
34.-
35.-
36.-
37.-
38.-
39.-
40.-
41.-
42.-
43.-Pete Grymkowski
#7 is Rita Ross (Don's wife... not "Ross" at the time of the pic, but later)...
...I see Knny 187 beat me to it... nevermind.
#41 is Ed Connors ;D
#34 is Jon Loyd (an excellent BB and owner of Gold's Northridge)
-
I added more from Max Rep's post...but maybe he can clarify this or anyone else:
(http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=151268.0;attach=169798;image)
1
2
3 Gym Groupie Girl
4 Ken Waller
5 Andrea’s Girlfriend
6 Andreas Cahling
7 Rita Brown (who later married Don Ross)
8 Lisa Lyons
9 Lou Ferrigno
10
11 Mike Mentzer
12 Ray Mentzer
13 Bob Jodeweicz
14 Bill Grant
15 David Paul
16 Eric Stienlick
17
18 Tom Platz’s ex fiancé
19 Tom Platz
20 Stacy Bently
21 Chris Dickerson
22 Dave Mastorakis
23 Ron Tuefel
24 Mike Torchia
25
26 Dave – worked at front counter
27 Mike Clancy
28 Peter Paul
29
30 Manny Perry
31 Bill Reynolds
32 Denny Malloy
33 Kent Kuhen
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42 Blonde Freak - girl old gf of Pete G.
43 Pete Grymkowski
44
45
With a few of the stories...
1
2
3 This girl was a gym groupie. Went out with Waller and a few others.
4 Ken Waller
5
6 Andreas Cahling
7 Rita Brown (Who later married Don Ross)
8 Lisa Lyons
9 Lou Ferrigno
10
11 Mike Mentzer
12 Ray Mentzer
13 Bob Jakowitz
14
15 David Paul
16 Eric Stienlick
17
18 She was Tom’s fiancé but was having a fling with Eric S. (everyone was afraid to tell Tom) and I think they ended up getting married. Eric was a writer for Ironman and Weider and Tom’s training partner.
19 Tom Platz
20 Stacey Bentley
21 Chris Dickerson
22 Dave Mastorakis, personal; who was personal training Jane Fonda at the time of this pic.
23 Ron Tuefel
24 Mike Torcia
25
26 Dave (worked at the front desk)
27 Mike Clancy
28 Peter Paul
29
30 Manual Perry
31 Bill Reynolds (deceased)
32 Denny Malloy (Mike and Ray’s training partner now deceased)
33 Kent Kuhen
34 Jon Loyd (an excellent BB and owner of Gold's Northridge)
35
36
37 Bob Greeney
39
40
41 Ed Connors
42 Blonde girl with the headband was of fling of Peter G’s and was a freak. A friend of mine and I were with Pete and her when she tried to get a German Shepard in the park to perform oral on her!!!
43 Pete Grymkowski
44 Tim Kimber
-
mini bump
-
Is number 17 Georgia Miller,i think that was her name,or something like it.
-
It could be Dave,but I don`t think it`s her.
-
Tom Platz what a midget! I didnt realize that Mentzer was such a short ass as well!
in fact that is a photo full of really short men who take steroids.
Nothing has changed in all these years!
This so-called sport was a joke back then, and even a bigger joke now!
-
Tom Platz what a midget! I didnt realize that Mentzer was such a short ass as well!
in fact that is a photo full of really short men who take steroids.
Your ability to perceive reality is really in question, given that some of those guys like Platz or Mentzer were 5'7"-5'8". Then you've got a bunch of guys there who are 5'9"-5'11" or so like Waller, Grant, Steve Davis and others, and some around 6' like Grymko. WTF are you talking about?
-
It could be Dave,but I don`t think it`s her.
No it's not her Tim. At that time there were a lot of people from Sweden who would come in for several months. They were relatively unknown except for Andreas Cahling and Ulf Bengston but they were in great shape… especially the girls. I think she was one of them.
By the way... I'm not certain about Patrick Stewart. I know we've had this discussion before. I'm pretty sure the larger pick was taken some time in 1980 and I got there in June of 1980.
Number 39 was one of 3 guys who regularly trained with the Barbarians (so 5 in total) for several years. They wouldn't all train together at once but go through their workouts in groups of 2 to 3 guys. We would always talk and be friendly but I don't remember their names. They were from Northern Cal as was Denny Malloy, Jerry McCall (who trained with the Mentzer’s after Denny left) and Steve White (not pictured but trained with Samir and I the following year). I guess they all trained at the same gym in Northern CA.
Oh… I’m pretty sure #36 is Robert Reis who trained at Dan Mackey’s “The GYM” in Ventura but came up for a week or two at a time.
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"Oh… I’m pretty sure #36 is Robert Reis who trained at Dan Mackey’s “The GYM” in Ventura but came up for a week or two at a time"
I'll agree w/that also. I thought Bob Reis was a little taller, but other than that, he is a spot on match for Reis.
In conclusion.... #36 Robert Reis
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"Oh… I’m pretty sure #36 is Robert Reis who trained at Dan Mackey’s “The GYM” in Ventura but came up for a week or two at a time"
I'll agree w/that also. I thought Bob Reis was a little taller, but other than that, he is a spot on match for Reis.
In conclusion.... #36 Robert Reis
All of Bob's AAU competitions were in the "Medium" height class. I don't remember were the cutoffs were.
-
# 14 Lorenzo Belzer ? a teen ager
-
17 is claudia wilbourn.
-
Is number 17 Georgia Miller,i think that was her name,or something like it.
Negative Sir. That's not a bad guess but I think War-Horse's "Claudia Wilburn" is correct. I think.
-
All of Bob's AAU competitions were in the "Medium" height class. I don't remember were the cutoffs were.
Good point MR.... Reis was very strong as well.
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Good point MR.... Reis was very strong as well.
Shit yeah he was... VERY strong.
-
Number 15 is davidpaul.
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Number 15 is davidpaul.
Already been named.
-
You really have to understand the significance of when these pictures were taken and what was happening at that time in Gold’s gym history.
First go back several years earlier Peter Grymko was the “Supplement Guru” for just about everyone on the East Cost and placed 2nd in 1971, 1972 and 1973 in the AAU Mr. America. In 1970 Casey won without question, 1971 was a bit controversial since Pete had beaten Steve Michalik two weeks earlier in the Junior Mr. USA and in 1973 Pete outweighed Jim Morris by almost 40 pounds. Jim had the aesthetics and Pete at 255 and 5’11” was the mass monster of that show. Now Pete NEVER cried sour grapes but you know placing 2nd three years in a row fueled him (by the way I just completed an interview with Jim Morris for Ironman and hope to do one with Pete when I can get him to sit down).
In 1978 Tim Kimber had RIGHTFULLY won the Mr. Empire State (New York State) (I placed 5th in that show) but two weeks earlier he had won an impromptu “hot body” contest at a Rochester night club and won $50. Tim was one of few competitors who could post his saritorias muscle like Mentzer used to do.
The third place guy in the Empire State issued a formal complaint to the AAU because he claimed that Tim had given up his amateur status by winning the $50 night club contest so Tim was stripped of the title and his trophies were taken away (they told him they would hold his trophies until a final decision was made so he relinquished them thinking that showing good faith would work in his favor…). He NEVER got the trophies back.
The first picture was taken in 1979 shortly after Pete, Tim and Ed Connors purchased Gold’s from Ken Sprague. The second picture was taken sometime in 1980. The Gold’s Gym licensee program had not yet begun. It was only an idea at that point. I remember when I arrived from Rochester in June of 1980 they were still working out all the legal details of how the licensee program would work.
Pete, Tim and Ed were not only launching Gold’s into the stratosphere but they were also significant cogs in the inception of the NPC around that time. I’m certain that Pete and Tim’s experience with the AAU had a part in that.
So there is more going on behind the scenes in these pictures. Shortly after this the producers of Hart to Hart came in and struck a deal to help in the move of the Gym to its current location. Frank Zane and Tim Kimber had speaking parts and several of us including Robert Reis, Mike Clancy and about 20 others including myself were used as extra’s.
-
You really have to understand the significance of when these pictures were taken and what was happening at that time in Gold’s gym history.
First go back several years earlier Peter Grymko was the “Supplement Guru” for just about everyone on the East Cost and placed 2nd in 1971, 1972 and 1973 in the AAU Mr. America. In 1970 Casey won without question, 1971 was a bit controversial since Pete had beaten Steve Michalik two weeks earlier in the Junior Mr. USA and in 1973 Pete outweighed Jim Morris by almost 40 pounds. Jim had the aesthetics and Pete at 255 and 5’11” was the mass monster of that show. Now Pete NEVER cried sour grapes but you know placing 2nd three years in a row fueled him (by the way I just completed an interview with Jim Morris for Ironman and hope to do one with Pete when I can get him to sit down).
In 1978 Tim Kimber had RIGHTFULLY won the Mr. Empire State (New York State) (I placed 5th in that show) but two weeks earlier he had won an impromptu “hot body” contest at a Rochester night club and won $50. Tim was one of few competitors who could post his saritorias muscle like Mentzer used to do.
The third place guy in the Empire State issued a formal complaint to the AAU because he claimed that Tim had given up his amateur status by winning the $50 night club contest so Tim was stripped of the title and his trophies were taken away (they told him they would hold his trophies until a final decision was made so he relinquished them thinking that showing good faith would work in his favor…). He NEVER got the trophies back.
The first picture was taken in 1979 shortly after Pete, Tim and Ed Connors purchased Gold’s from Ken Sprague. The second picture was taken sometime in 1980. The Gold’s Gym licensee program had not yet begun. It was only an idea at that point. I remember when I arrived from Rochester in June of 1980 they were still working out all the legal details of how the licensee program would work.
Pete, Tim and Ed were not only launching Gold’s into the stratosphere but they were also significant cogs in the inception of the NPC around that time. I’m certain that Pete and Tim’s experience with the AAU had a part in that.
So there is more going on behind the scenes in these pictures. Shortly after this the producers of Hart to Hart came in and struck a deal to help in the move of the Gym to its current location. Frank Zane and Tim Kimber had speaking parts and several of us including Robert Reis, Mike Clancy and about 20 others including myself were used as extra’s.
I remember seeing it when I was about 10.
Zane was a weight lifter whose barbell plates were really gold who some bad dudes had switched on him and wanted back.
Interesting how gold had the same density as cast iron... not!
-
I remember seeing it when I was about 10.
Zane was a weight lifter whose barbell plates were really gold who some bad dudes had switched on him and wanted back.
Interesting how gold had the same density as cast iron... not!
I remember watching that episode also. It was neat to see all the bb in thse days they were all over T.V. Roger collard on Wonder woman......Bill grant lifting a toyota car...hulk.............. ...so many shows.
Now we can barely get a taco bell spot.... ;D
-
You really have to understand the significance of when these pictures were taken and what was happening at that time in Gold’s gym history.
First go back several years earlier Peter Grymko was the “Supplement Guru” for just about everyone on the East Cost and placed 2nd in 1971, 1972 and 1973 in the AAU Mr. America. In 1970 Casey won without question, 1971 was a bit controversial since Pete had beaten Steve Michalik two weeks earlier in the Junior Mr. USA and in 1973 Pete outweighed Jim Morris by almost 40 pounds. Jim had the aesthetics and Pete at 255 and 5’11” was the mass monster of that show. Now Pete NEVER cried sour grapes but you know placing 2nd three years in a row fueled him (by the way I just completed an interview with Jim Morris for Ironman and hope to do one with Pete when I can get him to sit down).
In 1978 Tim Kimber had RIGHTFULLY won the Mr. Empire State (New York State) (I placed 5th in that show) but two weeks earlier he had won an impromptu “hot body” contest at a Rochester night club and won $50. Tim was one of few competitors who could post his saritorias muscle like Mentzer used to do.
The third place guy in the Empire State issued a formal complaint to the AAU because he claimed that Tim had given up his amateur status by winning the $50 night club contest so Tim was stripped of the title and his trophies were taken away (they told him they would hold his trophies until a final decision was made so he relinquished them thinking that showing good faith would work in his favor…). He NEVER got the trophies back.
The first picture was taken in 1979 shortly after Pete, Tim and Ed Connors purchased Gold’s from Ken Sprague. The second picture was taken sometime in 1980. The Gold’s Gym licensee program had not yet begun. It was only an idea at that point. I remember when I arrived from Rochester in June of 1980 they were still working out all the legal details of how the licensee program would work.
Pete, Tim and Ed were not only launching Gold’s into the stratosphere but they were also significant cogs in the inception of the NPC around that time. I’m certain that Pete and Tim’s experience with the AAU had a part in that.
So there is more going on behind the scenes in these pictures. Shortly after this the producers of Hart to Hart came in and struck a deal to help in the move of the Gym to its current location. Frank Zane and Tim Kimber had speaking parts and several of us including Robert Reis, Mike Clancy and about 20 others including myself were used as extra’s.
Dave, it was Pete, Ed and Denny Doyle who originally bought Gold's. Pete then want Denny out because of some things that happened so he bought out Denny shares along with Tim. At that point Pete owned 56% of Gold's. And yes Pete was a major player in creating the NPC. In fact the majority of the players wanted Pete to run it. But, he felt a very big conflict of interest because he was buying Gold's now and allot of the competitors trained at Gold's and felt that if they won shows people would think its because Pete is the NPC Pres. and owner of Gold's. There were a few other candidates they were looking at and decided on Manion. They had a meeting where about 40 people were in attendance then held a meeting in Atlanta to vote Manion in. Pete flew my good friend to Atlanta to put the vote in for Manion. The first meeting was in 79 or so I think.
-
Dave I'll be there with Pete at the Olympia and maybe sometime in the next month or so. I know we are going to try ad get together with everyone. Maybe we can all meet up in Vegas when i get there and have some dinner and talk. Would be fun. I know Tommy is going. My old friend Dmarko Blewett is coming in also. EVeryone wants to see how fat I am.
-
Dave, it was Pete, Ed and Denny Doyle who originally bought Gold's. Pete then want Denny out because of some things that happened so he bought out Denny shares along with Tim. At that point Pete owned 56% of Gold's. And yes Pete was a major player in creating the NPC. In fact the majority of the players wanted Pete to run it. But, he felt a very big conflict of interest because he was buying Gold's now and allot of the competitors trained at Gold's and felt that if they won shows people would think its because Pete is the NPC Pres. and owner of Gold's. There were a few other candidates they were looking at and decided on Manion. They had a meeting where about 40 people were in attendance then held a meeting in Atlanta to vote Manion in. Pete flew my good friend to Atlanta to put the vote in for Manion. The first meeting was in 79 or so I think.
Correction noted but don't loose the significance of the history and that it was all happening behind the scenes when these pictures were taken.
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Tommy, you certainly are the keeper (and spiller) of Gold's secrets and history.
But you forgot the story about Mentzer running into Gold's and yelling "Arthur Jones is GOD!"
And the splendor of 5 jacket Mike, and Danny Hester always running out on his guest checks at the Firehouse.
Whatever happened to that guy?
What happened to Darren Lanaghan? I know where Mike is, but what about Darren?
-
UPDATE STRAIGHT FROM GRYMKO
1 Charlie Leek (went to jail for cocaine)
2 Bill Grants girlfriend
3 This girl was a gym groupie. Went out with Waller and a few others.
4 Ken Waller
5
6 Andreas Cahling
7 Rita Brown (Who later married Don Ross)
8 Lisa Lyons
9 Lou Ferrigno
10 Dan Franklin (trained with Ferrigno)
11 Mike Mentzer
12 Ray Mentzer
13 Bob Jakowitz
14 Bill Grant
15 David Paul
16 Eric Stienlick
17 Claudia Wilborn
18 She was Tom’s fiancé but was having a fling with Eric S. (everyone was afraid to tell Tom) and I think they ended up getting married. Eric was a writer for Ironman and Weider and Tom’s training partner.
19 Tom Platz
20 Stacey Bentley
21 Chris Dickerson
22 Dave Mastorakis, personal; who was personal training Jane Fonda at the time of this pic.
23 Ron Tuefel
24 Mike Torcia
25
26 Dave Billows (worked at the front desk)
27 Mike Clancy
28 Peter Paul
29 Nick Martino (owned Gold's with Pete later died just before they moved to the Hampton site and then Tim got involved)
30 Manual Perry
31 Bill Reynolds (deceased)
32 Denny Malloy (Mike and Ray’s training partner now deceased)
33 Kent Kuhen
34 Jon Loyd (an excellent BB and owner of Gold's Northridge)
35 Jim Usach
36
37 Bob Greeney
38 Joe Nasario
39 Bob Brooley
40
41 Ed Connors
42 Renee Haxby
43 Pete Grymkowski
44 Tim Kimber
-
Thats great Keith
(http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=151268.0;attach=169798;image)
UPDATE STRAIGHT FROM GRYMKO
1 Charlie Leek (went to jail for cocaine)
2 Bill Grants girlfriend
3 This girl was a gym groupie. Went out with Waller and a few others.
4 Ken Waller
5
6 Andreas Cahling
7 Rita Brown (Who later married Don Ross)
8 Lisa Lyons
9 Lou Ferrigno
10 Dan Franklin (trained with Ferrigno)
11 Mike Mentzer
12 Ray Mentzer
13 Bob Jakowitz
14 Bill Grant
15 David Paul
16 Eric Stienlick
17 Claudia Wilborn
18 She was Tom’s fiancé but was having a fling with Eric S. (everyone was afraid to tell Tom) and I think they ended up getting married. Eric was a writer for Ironman and Weider and Tom’s training partner.
19 Tom Platz
20 Stacey Bentley
21 Chris Dickerson
22 Dave Mastorakis, personal; who was personal training Jane Fonda at the time of this pic.
23 Ron Tuefel
24 Mike Torcia
25
26 Dave Billows (worked at the front desk)
27 Mike Clancy
28 Peter Paul
29 Nick Martino (owned Gold's with Pete later died just before they moved to the Hampton site and then Tim got involved)
30 Manual Perry
31 Bill Reynolds (deceased)
32 Denny Malloy (Mike and Ray’s training partner now deceased)
33 Kent Kuhen
34 Jon Loyd (an excellent BB and owner of Gold's Northridge)
35 Jim Usach
36
37 Bob Greeney
38 Joe Nasario
39 Bob Brooley
40
41 Ed Connors
42 Renee Haxby
43 Pete Grymkowski
44 Tim Kimber
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A COUPLE CHANGES ON THE FIRST PIC FROM GRYMKO
1 Not Pat Stewart
2 Pete Grymkowski
3 Danny Padilla
4 Ed Corney
5 Larry Jackson
6 Mike Torchia (?)
7 Dave ? (worked at front desk)
8 Sam Coupe not Tony Nowak
9 Andreas Cahling ("Mr. International")
10 Tim Kimber
11 Samir Bannout
12 Joseph Wilcox
13 Steve Davis
14
15 Bill Grant
16 Kent Kuehn
17 Ken Waller
18 Tom Platz
19 Mike Mentzer
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Dave I'll be there with Pete at the Olympia and maybe sometime in the next month or so. I know we are going to try ad get together with everyone. Maybe we can all meet up in Vegas when i get there and have some dinner and talk. Would be fun. I know Tommy is going. My old friend Dmarko Blewett is coming in also. EVeryone wants to see how fat I am.
I cant believe you know dmarko!!! When i first started lifting in 1979 my friend and i went to a little hole in the ground in SLC (Where i was raised) called deseret gym, because we heard Larry Scott trained there.
Well we go down stairs and this huge tan guy is doing chins with no shirt on...ripped and vascular.......Thats when i knew i wanted to be muscular. He talked to us and gave us some tips. Being 14yrs old and skinny as rails we needed mass big time. ;D
I talk to him sometimes still and we talk about mark kerh and other older bbs in this area. I wass suprised to see dmarkos pic in golds venice, that was cool.
He recently sold off "Custom fit" training to raise his kids and be with the family.
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Thanks guys, this is the best thread I have ever seen on getbig.
I made my pilgrimage to Golds Venice in around 1989 with Sonny Schmidt. We stayed for weeks and loved it. My idea of setting up a gym was and still is influenced by Golds Venice in those years. I still remember the thrill seeing CC, Flex and Rico training, Dillet and Baker were there every day. The first guy in the gym to talk to us and intro to all the dudes was Frank Vasill who was Mr California at the time. We got to meet Pete G, Tim, Ed and Rich Minzer, they looked after us very well. We did a couple of gym openings for them, I was the MC and Sonny posed, I think Yonkers 1990 and another which I cant remember.
I returned many times over the years and never forgot the awesome feeling of that first day in Gold's Venice. Thanks for the memories and for sharing your experiences.
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Great story Dave,thanks for sharing.........I had no clue that Kimber was from Rochester.
What was the movie he was in..........the title was something about "Muscle Beach or what not?
Danny Hester is back competing and won or placed well in a few recent California contests....saw it on GraphicMuscle.com
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is that the hampton location or some place else?
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Name of Tim's TV show was The Hustler of Muscle Beach.
Tim did a great acting job in it.
Plot summary for The Hustler of Muscle Beach (1980) (TV):
A slick promoter in the bodybuilding subculture of Venice Beach, California, finds what he considers a diamond in the rough: a dedicated but somewhat mentally challenged young man who wants to win bodybuilding championships, but needs some help and direction--and the promoter thinks he's just the one to do it.
Zane and Columbo were also in it.
Tim also appeared in Heart Like a Wheel and The Family Nobody Wanted.
For full details go to IMDB.com
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Name of Tim's TV show was Hustle of Muscle Beach or Hustle at Muscle Beach.
Tim did a great acting job in it.
Im suprised working out in overalls never caught on... 8)
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is that the hampton location or some place else?
i asked because it doesn't look like the current location (I'm talking about that picture in which people are trying to name the people)
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i asked because it doesn't look like the current location (I'm talking about that picture in which people are trying to name the people)
no thats the golds 2 in santa monica i think...
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That photo was taken outside of Gold's on 2nd in Santa Monica. A couple of us were a few minutes late and therefore unable to get in that picture. It is a great moment of GG history captured on film.
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This is what we have so far:
(http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=151268.0;attach=169609;image)
1 Pat Stewart ? (FBI agent)
2 Pete Grymkowski
3 Danny Padilla
4 Ed Corney
5 Larry Jackson
6 Mike Torchia (?)
7 Dave ? (worked at front desk)
8 Tony Nowak (?)
9 Andreas Cahling ("Mr. International")
10 Tim Kimber
11 Samir Bannout
12 Joseph Wilcox
13 Steve Davis
14
15 Bill Grant
16 Kent Kuehn
17 Ken Waller
18 Tom Platz
19 Mike Mentzer
I think #14 may be Lamar Gant...
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26 Dave Billows that's it!
Now that you say it... 38 does look like Joe Nasario.
Dan Franklin looked like a monster.
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I think #14 may be Lamar Gant...
Lamar Gant was the deadlifting king. He had a severe curvature of the spine and when he dealifted he compressed and became shorter. If this si the same guy.
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I cant believe you know dmarko!!! When i first started lifting in 1979 my friend and i went to a little hole in the ground in SLC (Where i was raised) called deseret gym, because we heard Larry Scott trained there.
Well we go down stairs and this huge tan guy is doing chins with no shirt on...ripped and vascular.......Thats when i knew i wanted to be muscular. He talked to us and gave us some tips. Being 14yrs old and skinny as rails we needed mass big time. ;D
I talk to him sometimes still and we talk about mark kerh and other older bbs in this area. I wass suprised to see dmarkos pic in golds venice, that was cool.
He recently sold off "Custom fit" training to raise his kids and be with the family.
Yes he is big time into Isagenix. I talk to him all the time. Ask him how we met
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I went to Gold's Venice for the first time ever, last week. I worked out about 10-11 and I was the biggest guy there! It was me some skinny guys and a lot of really hot older women. As I was leaving, some pro started working out, a black guy with a Spanish name, I've never heard of him before. He looked great though.
In the locker room there was some guy beating off in the shower, then he was standing in front of the mirror admiring his hard on. That was the single most gayest thing I've ever seen in any gym anywhere.
I asked a guy working there, before I left, if any pros were there and he said Lou Feringo, but I didn't recognize him.
Over-all it was pretty fucking disappointing.
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wow golds gym will kick people out of the gym for working out hard, using discipline, dedication, and hard work, but allow punks to jack-off and screw each other in the showers, parading around naked staring in the mirror gazing at their hard-on..........what a great place......Im glad I dont train there anymore.
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wow golds gym will kick people out of the gym for working out hard, using discipline, dedication, and hard work, but allow punks to jack-off and screw each other in the showers, parading around naked staring in the mirror gazing at their hard-on..........what a great place......Im glad I dont train there anymore.
I thought it was common knowledge to NEVER use the locker rooms at golds venice but to use the unisex cubicles on the gym floor to piss and take a shower at home...
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I thought it was common knowledge to NEVER use the locker rooms at golds venice but to use the unisex cubicles on the gym floor to piss and take a shower at home...
They never tell the new guys
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yeah the whole 8 years I trained there, I went upstairs maybe 3 times, the times I regret not going up there was when members were putting a duffle bag of roids and gh in a locker, waiting for another member to come get the bag.........thats when I wish I would have gone up there, and took the fuckn bag, that place is full of scumbags..........bottom line, there are some good people who go there, but on the real..........the gym has become nothing but wasted space for people who have no passion for real training.
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yeah the whole 8 years I trained there, I went upstairs maybe 3 times, the times I regret not going up there was when members were putting a duffle bag of roids and gh in a locker, waiting for another member to come get the bag.........thats when I wish I would have gone up there, and took the fuckn bag, that place is full of scumbags..........bottom line, there are some good people who go there, but on the real..........the gym has become nothing but wasted space for people who have no passion for real training.
Your feelings will change when The Mecca is gone. Like World Gym (in MDR) will be doing in a couple of months, Gold's in Venice will probably be forced to either relocate or close entirely due to lease expiration issues. No, the ole gray mare ain't what she used to be, it she's still the only place where you can blast your body and in the company of some very colorful fantastic characters. Enjoy her
while you can, and stay the heck away from my locker.
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Your feelings will change when The Mecca is gone. Like World Gym (in MDR) will be doing in a couple of months, Gold's in Venice will probably be forced to either relocate or close entirely due to lease expiration issues. No, the ole gray mare ain't what she used to be, it she's still the only place where you can blast your body and in the company of some very colorful fantastic characters. Enjoy her
while you can, and stay the heck away from my locker.
Yes and raising the rent doesn't help. It is probably close to $100,000 a month there. It was close to $70,000 when Pete had it last in 1999. I find it interesting that the CEO is a Harvard grad in Business. Has NO experience in the industry. It to bad that people that have NO experience in this industry by a gym chain and try to change it. What kind of Board of Directors made that decision.
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good let the damn place disappear, then someone like me open a real gym over here on the westcoast, a new mecca, a real bbing pit, a real gym, no skinny people allowed, no women, nothing but hardcore big dudes.
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Dave, it was Pete, Ed and Denny Doyle who originally bought Gold's. Pete then want Denny out because of some things that happened so he bought out Denny shares along with Tim. At that point Pete owned 56% of Gold's. And yes Pete was a major player in creating the NPC. In fact the majority of the players wanted Pete to run it. But, he felt a very big conflict of interest because he was buying Gold's now and allot of the competitors trained at Gold's and felt that if they won shows people would think its because Pete is the NPC Pres. and owner of Gold's. There were a few other candidates they were looking at and decided on Manion. They had a meeting where about 40 people were in attendance then held a meeting in Atlanta to vote Manion in. Pete flew my good friend to Atlanta to put the vote in for Manion. The first meeting was in 79 or so I think.
Fascinating, Only. So this is how the West was won! For the sake of true history, DAVID SAXE was the first to buy Gold's from Joe Gold. Saxe, a bodybuilder, sold it to pursue a career in jewelry. You can see the beauty of his work on Arnold; Saxe made his wedding ring. It's so big, it makes him look like a pimp.
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Fascinating, Only. So this is how the West was won! For the sake of true history, DAVID SAXE was the first to buy Gold's from Joe Gold. Saxe, a bodybuilder, sold it to pursue a career in jewelry. You can see the beauty of his work on Arnold; Saxe made his wedding ring. It's so big, it makes him look like a pimp.
Is he the one who sold it to Ken Sprague
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Is he the one who sold it to Ken Sprague
Correct. Did you know Mr. Saxe? He's close with Steve Strong and Zabo.
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Your feelings will change when The Mecca is gone. Like World Gym (in MDR) will be doing in a couple of months, Gold's in Venice will probably be forced to either relocate or close entirely due to lease expiration issues. No, the ole gray mare ain't what she used to be, it she's still the only place where you can blast your body and in the company of some very colorful fantastic characters. Enjoy her
while you can, and stay the heck away from my locker.
Teagan do you know what year Joe sold Gold's and what he he opened World.
Also how did some of the equipment from the original Gold's Gym on Pacific end up making the rounds through to 2nd Street Santa Monica, then Hampton Drive while some of the equipment went to World Gym?
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Correct. Did you know Mr. Saxe? He's close with Steve Strong and Zabo.
No but I know Steve Strong. He came to Hawai back in the early 90's and we and some other guys got a VIP tour of the Polynesian Culture Center In fact I have a picture of me and Steve and Tony Halme in Tutu's doing Hula in front of about 3000 people. I will have to find that.
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Teagan do you know what year Joe sold Gold's and what he he opened World.
Also how did some of the equipment from the original Gold's Gym on Pacific end up making the rounds through to 2nd Street Santa Monica, then Hampton Drive while some of the equipment went to World Gym?
Pete told me something about Denny Doyle selling equipment out the back door I think and some other stuff. Pete told him he didn't want him involved anymore and thats how he got bought out.
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#14 (smaller pic) is not Lamar Gant. I saw Lamar compete a few times in the mid 80's, and would know him. #36 (big pic) is Bob Reis... :)
T-
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Teagan do you know what year Joe sold Gold's and what he he opened World.
Also how did some of the equipment from the original Gold's Gym on Pacific end up making the rounds through to 2nd Street Santa Monica, then Hampton Drive while some of the equipment went to World Gym?
Pretty sure no equipment from golds 1 ever went to world 1 max.
from pics all the golds 1 stuff went to golds 2 and most of that went to golds 3 at least for a few years.
in fact, in education of a bodybuilder, the exercise pics that aren't shot outside are in fact shot at both golds 1 and golds 2 (but on the same equipment) so it must have happened around late 76, early 77 by my guess.
all the stuff for world 1 was made by either joe gold or dan howard as far as i've been told.
lots of world 1 equipment had similar designs to the golds 1 stuff though...
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RAMAZON, interesting to learn about Saxe buying Gold's from Joe. All these years I thought that Sprague bought it directly from Joe.
I do kind of remember that Joe Gold intended to use his name (Gold's) once again when he was in the process of opeing his new place in Venice, but Ken informed him through a lawyer that he had given up the right to use his own name (Joe Gold) for any other business he might chose to open.
I understand that Joe was irrate that he couldn't use his own name but ultimately opened under the name of World Gym in order to avoid legal expenses.
Any other details on this?
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#14 (smaller pic) is not Lamar Gant. I saw Lamar compete a few times in the mid 80's, and would know him. #36 (big pic) is Bob Reis... :)
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Tommy are you sure. I forgot to put it down but I think Pete said that was Jim Tarleton.
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Yes. :)
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We got to meet Pete G, Tim, Ed and Rich Minzer, they looked after us very well.
I think this statement sums up Pete Grymko very well. Pete always had this uncanny ability to make people feel important. When you’re with Pete, you always feel as though you’re some sort of VIP. Even though you know he does that with everyone. He does it sincerely, it’s not phony or a put on. I’ve always felt like it was a major factor in Pete’s success.
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Teagan do you know what year Joe sold Gold's and what he he opened World.
Also how did some of the equipment from the original Gold's Gym on Pacific end up making the rounds through to 2nd Street Santa Monica, then Hampton Drive while some of the equipment went to World Gym?
I can't answer your first question, Max. I only know that Joe regretted selling
and approached Mike Uretz, who was then a patent attorney, to assist him
with opening another gym nearby -- World. Most all of the equipment was
hand forged by Joe using unforgettable cable designs. Today, I've been told,
the equipment from World all belongs to Jerome Ferguson, who's eager to
continue Joe's legacy, albeit with music.
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I can't answer your first question, Max. I only know that Joe regretted selling
and approached Mike Uretz, who was then a patent attorney, to assist him
with opening another gym nearby -- World. Most all of the equipment was
hand forged by Joe using unforgettable cable designs. Today, I've been told,
the equipment from World all belongs to Jerome Ferguson, who's eager to
continue Joe's legacy, albeit with music.
Ken Sprague has stated online that no equipment from golds1 ever went to any world gym.
In fact, if you have any flex or M&F from the early 80's you can clearly see much of the original equipment still in use at the hampton golds when they first moved across and some of it even survived into the 1990's.
When joe gold went to open world gym he and Dan Howard got together and made the equipment for it much to the same specs as the golds1 stuff.
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no offense guys, but I feel like some people enjoy walking down memory lane a bit too much :-\
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no offense guys, but I feel like some people enjoy walking down memory lane a bit too much :-\
I think people are getting that way this week because world gym closed down this week...
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I can't answer your first question, Max. I only know that Joe regretted selling
and approached Mike Uretz, who was then a patent attorney, to assist him
with opening another gym nearby -- World. Most all of the equipment was
hand forged by Joe using unforgettable cable designs. Today, I've been told,
the equipment from World all belongs to Jerome Ferguson, who's eager to
continue Joe's legacy, albeit with music.
Yes Joe made allot of the equipment. I have told this before on here. Kal Sklyak(?) used to have a small notepad and woudl go around drawing sketches of the equipment. I think he was going to try and make his own. It was funny one day when he was sketching and Joe came in and he hide the notepad in his shorts.
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no offense guys, but I feel like some people enjoy walking down memory lane a bit too much :-\
WM... let us old folk enjoy our memories... while we still have any. ;). If not, I'll come to your town and kill everybody (by trying to stop my car and accidental hitting the gas pedal)
T-
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WM... let us old folk enjoy our memories... while we still have any. ;). If not, I'll come to your town and kill everybody (by trying to stop my car and accidental hitting the gas pedal)
T-
funny you say that, considering I live just one block from Santa Monica- I'm just inside the border of LA
I can't believe that old geezer mowed them down at the farmer's market a few yrs ago
i, too, hope that venice gold's history is maintained to some degree- it would be a shame if it weren't. I like training there. yeah, some of the people are a bit too much to take, but i just ignore them
anyway, don't want to ruin some sentimental rehashing- I'll stay out of the thread now
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WM... let us old folk enjoy our memories... while we still have any. ;). If not, I'll come to your town and kill everybody (by trying to stop my car and accidental hitting the gas pedal)
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Tommy I'll go with you to add more weight to your car. ;D
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Tommy I'll go with you to add more weight to your car. ;D
;D ;D
Real good talking to you yesterday Keith. We're dark tomorrow... I'll give you a call.
Let's make sure that Las Vegas happens for the Olympia; hookers on me (literally & figuratively).
T-
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funny you say that, considering I live just one block from Santa Monica- I'm just inside the border of LA
I can't believe that old geezer mowed them down at the farmer's market a few yrs ago
i, too, hope that venice gold's history is maintained to some degree- it would be a shame if it weren't. I like training there. yeah, some of the people are a bit too much to take, but i just ignore them
anyway, don't want to ruin some sentimental rehashing- I'll stay out of the thread now
WM... I live in Brentwood. I remember the incident quite well. What a mess.
PS Don't stay out of the thread. Your contributions on Getbig are excellent, IMO. Hey... Vegas for the "O"? We'll all be there. I'm driving, and I just got a new Cadillac. ;D
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RAMAZON, interesting to learn about Saxe buying Gold's from Joe. All these years I thought that Sprague bought it directly from Joe.
I do kind of remember that Joe Gold intended to use his name (Gold's) once again when he was in the process of opeing his new place in Venice, but Ken informed him through a lawyer that he had given up the right to use his own name (Joe Gold) for any other business he might chose to open.
I understand that Joe was irrate that he couldn't use his own name but ultimately opened under the name of World Gym in order to avoid legal expenses.
Any other details on this?
As I understand it, after all the work he went through to reestablish another gym, and then a whole chain of them, Joe, who had endured a total of 13 "failed back surgeries" conducted business from a wheelchair, addicted to painkillers. One day, he became convinced that he was dying. So he gave World Gym in Venice away--lock-stock-and-barrel and free of charge--to Arnold. Then he got better. Realizing that he wasn't going to die soon, he asked Arnold to give the gym and the building back. Arnold refused. A bitter battle ensued, and a once symbiotic relationship ruptured. In the end, as I understand it, Joe gave Arnold something to regain posession of the gym, with Arnold keeping possession of building and charging Joe rent. The indignity of the deal was a hard blow for the old man to take. In no time, he was forced to move the gym to cheaper digs. When Joe's best friend suddenly died, it was the knock-out punch. Joe simply refused the pain killers, stopped eating, and died. God bless his great soul.
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As I understand it, after all the work he went through to reestablish another gym, and then a whole chain of them, Joe, who had endured a total of 13 "failed back surgeries" conducted business from a wheelchair, addicted to painkillers. One day, he became convinced that he was dying. So he gave World Gym in Venice away--lock-stock-and-barrel and free of charge--to Arnold. Then he got better. Realizing that he wasn't going to die soon, he asked Arnold to give the gym and the building back. Arnold refused. A bitter battle ensued, and a once symbiotic relationship ruptured. In the end, as I understand it, Joe gave Arnold something to regain posession of the gym, with Arnold keeping possession of building and charging Joe rent. The indignity of the deal was a hard blow for the old man to take. In no time, he was forced to move the gym to cheaper digs. When Joe's best friend suddenly died, it was the knock-out punch. Joe simply refused the pain killers, stopped eating, and died. God bless his great soul.
yes that is pretty much what i heard. I think Arnold raised the rent.
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This story sounds kinda weird.
Joe owns the building and the gym and gives it to arnold as a gift because he thinks he is dying then he makes a recovery and arnold makes him buy back the gym but doesn't sell him the land but charges him rent on it?
Then joe moves the gym yet it is still full of arnold pictures and arnold even trains there in prep for T3?
Then arnold speaks at the guy's funeral?
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This story sounds kinda weird.
Joe owns the building and the gym and gives it to arnold as a gift because he thinks he is dying then he makes a recovery and arnold makes him buy back the gym but doesn't sell him the land but charges him rent on it?
Then joe moves the gym yet it is still full of arnold pictures and arnold even trains there in prep for T3?
Then arnold speaks at the guy's funeral?
Well I'll find out but I am pretty sure Arnold owned the building and raised the rent and that was why Joe left that building. I heard Joe made Arnold a major partner to help business. Not sure.
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Well I'll find out but I am pretty sure Arnold owned the building and raised the rent and that was why Joe left that building. I heard Joe made Arnold a major partner to help business. Not sure.
as in arnold always owned the building in venice or joe owned it, thought he was dying and gave it to arnold, then arnold refused to give it back?
2 very different things.
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Joe Gold let me take photos of some of his equipment. That was in 1980. Too bad I didn't take more photos of everything. I do have a shot taken from the balcony in the original gym on Pacific Avenue. I took a few photos in Golds and World Gym in 1991 and wasn't thrown out of either place.
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Joe Gold let me take photos of some of his equipment. That was in 1980. Too bad I didn't take more photos of everything. I do have a shot taken from the balcony in the original gym on Pacific Avenue. I took a few photos in Golds and World Gym in 1991 and wasn't thrown out of either place.
what was the atmosphere like in the orignal world gym in 1980 vince?
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The Original Golds was there in 1980 because by then the gym moved to Santa Monica on 2nd Avenue, I think. I was with two of my young children so didn't hang around Golds but said hello to Dennis Tinerino, David Paul and Samir Bannout.
I did train at the original Golds in October 1968. Dave Draper was there in the mornings and I talked to him a bit. I used to pump my calves up to over 18 when he was around. He used to do sort of cheating heel raises with that standing calf machine with the chain. I remember he used much more weight than I did but his calves never impressed me. He did remember me in Honolulu in Jan 69 whereas Arnold didn't remember my name. My ex was impressed with Dave but the guys thought Arnold was a hero. Looking back I would have to say that Dave was quite the gentleman.
Golds didn't have many members in those days so you could train just about at any time and get a good workout in. I could write more but the guys here object to my long posts.
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Its sad to hear of arnold pressuring old joe like that. Ive walked away from many lucrative things to save a freindship. Money comes and goes. :-\
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this still sounds like BS to me.
arnold supposedly totally rips joe off yet arnold still trained at the new world gym and the place was basically a shrine to him?
talk about joe not holding a grudge!
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as in arnold always owned the building in venice or joe owned it, thought he was dying and gave it to arnold, then arnold refused to give it back?
2 very different things.
Joe never owned the building. Arnold raised the rent after Joe got bck the gym. I will make a call and get the right story.
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well either way, I went by golds gym venice to pick up some protein from my boy, and looked in, it is the most saddening sight to see, how could anyone even want to train there, with all the memoirs gone, it looked like a corporate employee gym, just a sad sight to see.
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Joe never owned the building. Arnold raised the rent after Joe got bck the gym. I will make a call and get the right story.
My source insists he owned it. Nor did Arnold "rip" Joe off if indeed Joe GAVE him the building. A gift is a gift. You can't fault Arnold for NOT doing what YOU want him to do. He's his own man, responsible for his actions, however cruel some might appear. Anyway, I think the building is now going to become a HOTEL. I sure appreciate your fact-finding help, Only, because the impact of this particular transaction appears to have mobilized World Gym's downfall. I sense Gold's Venice is next. The motive that makes the most sense to me is this: When the promotional engine of a chain of companies is destroyed, the value of the company diminishes, making it vulnerable to a bargain buy-out. As you probably know, "hardcore competitivie" BUSINESS people do NOT take any of these manuvers, personally. For them, it's sport.
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My source insists he owned it. Nor did Arnold "rip" Joe off if indeed Joe GAVE him the building. A gift is a gift. You can't fault Arnold for NOT doing what YOU want him to do. He's his own man, responsible for his actions, however cruel some might appear. Anyway, I think the building is now going to become a HOTEL. I sure appreciate your fact-finding help, Only, because the impact of this particular transaction appears to have mobilized World Gym's downfall. I sense Gold's Venice is next. The motive that makes the most sense to me is this: When the promotional engine of a chain of companies is destroyed, the value of the company diminishes, making it vulnerable to a bargain buy-out. As you probably know, "hardcore competitivie" BUSINESS people do NOT take any of these manuvers, personally. For them, it's sport.
still if arnold took the building because joe thought he was dying then didn't give it back once he recovered it doesn't say much about arnold does it?
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still if arnold took the building because joe thought he was dying then didn't give it back once he recovered it doesn't say much about arnold does it?
Au contraire, jwb, it says quite a lot about him. It probably wasn't
an easy decision for him to make, either. No doubt, he suffered some conflict. At the time, however, what was probably most important to him was the pursuit of
power and property. Not demonstrating sentiment for those who think they're going to die.
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Yes, Joe absolutely owned the building. In fact, he would tell everyone that there was no point in having a gym if you didn't own the building it was in.
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Au contraire, jwb, it says quite a lot about him. It probably wasn't
an easy decision for him to make, either. No doubt, he suffered some conflict. At the time, however, what was probably most important to him was the pursuit of
power and property. Not demonstrating sentiment for those who think they're going to die.
well I hope he has a fine time in the afterlife is all I've got to say...
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Yes, Joe absolutely owned the building. In fact, he would tell everyone that there was no point in having a gym if you didn't own the building it was in.
Actually it doesn't mean a thing unless you own the land. The land owner is the big honcho. Cause when that lease runs out and the land owner wants it back then all that investment in the building was for nothing unless you sign a long enough lease to recoup the building cost and everything in it. Was it the land or building Arnold owned.
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Actually it doesn't mean a thing unless you own the land. The land owner is the big honcho. Cause when that lease runs out and the land owner wants it back then all that investment in the building was for nothing unless you sign a long enough lease to recoup the building cost and everything in it. Was it the land or building Arnold owned.
Actually the county tax assessor bitches the landowner.
Anyone remember Arlin Marshall traing at Gold's in the early 80's or crazy "Dr." Winn Paris and their connection to each other?
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Actually the county tax assessor bitches the landowner.
Anyone remember Arlin Marshall traing at Gold's in the early 80's or crazy "Dr." Winn Paris and their connection to each other?
;D Who?
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Actually the county tax assessor bitches the landowner.
Anyone remember Arlin Marshall traing at Gold's in the early 80's or crazy "Dr." Winn Paris and their connection to each other?
Well if you want to go that far the US Government "bitches" anyone with the eminent domain. Doesn't matter who owns what then. Never heard of Arlin. But have had my dealings with Win (one "N") He likes it that way. One crazy guy. He wents nuts here when he came to my show. Very incontrollable.
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Yes, Joe absolutely owned the building. In fact, he would tell everyone that there was no point in having a gym if you didn't own the building it was in.
Thanks for the assist, Shawn. Obviously, you knew the man, and learned
his business principles. He was firm and decisive.
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Actually it doesn't mean a thing unless you own the land. The land owner is the big honcho. Cause when that lease runs out and the land owner wants it back then all that investment in the building was for nothing unless you sign a long enough lease to recoup the building cost and everything in it. Was it the land or building Arnold owned.
Very good point, Only. I was told that "the building", including its name
and contents, were given to Arnold. Don't know about the earth below.
I'm EAGER to know, of course, because it's my belief that economics
rule the world. And they're often out of our control. Surely, Arnold
wishes Joe hadn't asked for his gym back. He had put a lot of work into
unifying the chain, in an attempt to franchise the whole op.
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Very good point, Only. I was told that "the building", including its name
and contents, were given to Arnold. Don't know about the earth below.
I'm EAGER to know, of course, because it's my belief that economics
rule the world. And they're often out of our control. Surely, Arnold
wishes Joe hadn't asked for his gym back. He had put a lot of work into
unifying the chain, in an attempt to franchise the whole op.
Well whatever the story I feel Joe got shafted by Arnold. I really feel there should have been a strong enough bond between those two and given the fact that Arnold had so much more than Joe in finances and everything else and Joe was sick that Arnold should have just given Joe back everything. WHat does Arnold lose. Guaranteed it hurt Joe more than it hurt Arnold.
Oh Keith, you are all knowing! So very wise! Anymore stories of Government?
You remind me of Milos trying to make an honest buck!
Keith, you are as trustworthy as Lee Priest and as aesthetically pleasing as Luke!
Sean or whoever is using this account this time, don't fuck every thread with your shit. And Pleeeeeeeeeease don't talk about making an honest buck. You are entering into a territory you have no idea about. You are great at losing sponsor money though. Keep it up
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Well whatever the story I feel Joe got shafted by Arnold. I really feel there should have been a strong enough bond between those two and given the fact that Arnold had so much more than Joe in finances and everything else and Joe was sick that Arnold should have just given Joe back everything. WHat does Arnold lose. Guaranteed it hurt Joe more than it hurt Arnold.
Hindsight is 20/20, right? At the time, Arnold wasn't going for the governorship,
and his box office--and his own health--was in decline. God knows what needs
he was serving when he refused to hand it all back to Joe. Something was going on in his head. Hopefully not "If I can't have it, nobody can.
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Hindsight is 20/20, right? At the time, Arnold wasn't going for the governorship,
and his box office--and his own health--was in decline. God knows what needs
he was serving when he refused to hand it all back to Joe. Something was going on in his head. Hopefully not "If I can't have it, nobody can." [/endquote]
Sean or whoever is using this account this time, don't fuck every thread with your shit. And Pleeeeeeeeeease don't talk about making an honest buck. You are entering into a territory you have no idea about. You are great at losing sponsor money though. Keep it up
Darnnit, I still don't know how to inject a comment between paragraphs.
Sorry if I caused any confusion here.
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Arlin (don’t know about the spelling) Marshall was a top executive with Jack La Lanne European Health Spas before they sold out to Executive Health Clubs International which operated 500 health clubs worldwide. Bob Delmonteque was part of this group as was Ray Wilson (who invented the Lifecycle and later started Family Fitness centers before selling out to 24 Hour Fitness). As you can see this was a group of people with a long history of success in the club industry.
Arlin trained at Gold’s every morning during the first few years on Hampton Drive. I can’t tell you that Pete, Tim, Ed directly consulted with Arlin but I know they talked on a regular basis and I’m sure they picked his brain even though it was a different business model.
My point is that the success of Gold’s was the result of a lot of factors coming together at the right time.
“Dr.” Win Paris was a really eccentric guy who ran the Protein and Juice bar concessions for Jack La Lanne European Health Spas. It was a separate entity and they eventually had to push him out because of his bizarre antics. I remember hearing from someone who was at a managers meeting how he showed up wearing only a bathrobe and pool sandals. He still shows up at trade shows and events.
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Joe gave World Gym to Arnold because Arnold owned the building (not sure if it included the franchising division or not), but Arnold began to throw out some of the bodybuilders which included some of Joe's old time friends and was giving membership to his friends in the movie industry namely producers, directors, etc. He was throwing out some old time BB's too who had free memberships. This caused a disagreement between Joe and Arnold and subsequently Arnold gave the gym back to Joe, not sure if at that point Arnold raised the rent or decided to sell the building or both, but Joe decided to move to Marina Del Rey.
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Joe gave World Gym to Arnold because Arnold owned the building (not sure if it included the franchising division or not), but Arnold began to throw out some of the bodybuilders which included some of Joe's old time friends and was giving membership to his friends in the movie industry namely producers, directors, etc. He was throwing out some old time BB's too who had free memberships. This caused a disagreement between Joe and Arnold and subsequently Arnold gave the gym back to Joe, not sure if at that point Arnold raised the rent or decided to sell the building or both, but Joe decided to move to Marina Del Rey.
I figured arnold always own that land and building... That corner spot was prime real estate and the building was no tin shed
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I figured arnold always own that land and building... That corner spot was prime real estate and the building was no tin shed
Here in Hawaii having leasehold land is very popular. Fee simple is very expensive but ideal.
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This photo might be helpful to further the discussion of this subject ........
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This photo might be helpful to further the discussion of this subject ........
at least Eddie didn't jump up on him
;D
http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=153967.msg2151397#msg2151397
Vote for Goatboy's Cat
Getbig's Cat of the Month!
Visit Getbig's PetBoard today
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It is really cool to hear these various stories on Gold's Venice - even 10 years ago, many pros trained there, and it was the place to be. Now, the pros are fragmented in various gyms. However, it is stll nice to go to the Firehouse, and eat, as many people still come to eat there, and now, you can get the famous 'Bob' bowl.
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It is really cool to hear these various stories on Gold's Venice - even 10 years ago, many pros trained there, and it was the place to be. Now, the pros are fragmented in various gyms. However, it is stll nice to go to the Firehouse, and eat, as many people still come to eat there, and now, you can get the famous 'Bob' bowl.
Before the Firehouse was around a lot of the bodybuilders used to go to the Omlette Parlor down main Street Santa Monica a little ways. That had an Omlette called "Arnold's Favorite". I haven't been there in years but I ate there one time with Peter Grymko and Dennis Tinnerino. It was right after the 1981 Olympia. Dennis was raving about how good a cutting drug Wydase was.
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It is really cool to hear these various stories on Gold's Venice - even 10 years ago, many pros trained there, and it was the place to be. Now, the pros are fragmented in various gyms. However, it is stll nice to go to the Firehouse, and eat, as many people still come to eat there, and now, you can get the famous 'Bob' bowl.
You want food stories? I'll give you some Van Gough's Ear ( ;D ;D ;D) menu items that you'll love.
T-
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September 27-30th, Las Vegas. I'll be there. I hope everybody who posted on this thread, is there as well. :)
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Before the Firehouse was around a lot of the bodybuilders used to go to the Omlette Parlor down main Street Santa Monica a little ways. That had an Omlette called "Arnold's Favorite". I haven't been there in years but I ate there one time with Peter Grymko and Dennis Tinnerino. It was right after the 1981 Olympia. Dennis was raving about how good a cutting drug Wydase was.
Max, did dennis ever give in to the steroids?? he claimed to be natural??
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Before the Firehouse was around a lot of the bodybuilders used to go to the Omlette Parlor down main Street Santa Monica a little ways. That had an Omlette called "Arnold's Favorite". I haven't been there in years but I ate there one time with Peter Grymko and Dennis Tinnerino. It was right after the 1981 Olympia. Dennis was raving about how good a cutting drug Wydase was.
the omlette parlor is still around. it is a good place to eat breakfast/lunch, but it is always very crowded on the weekends
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Max, did dennis ever give in to the steroids?? he claimed to be natural??
Well he didn't mention steroids in the conversation just Wydase. Natural... right! I have some swamp land in East L. A. it will be a great investment for you.
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Well he didn't mention steroids in the conversation just Wydase. Natural... right! I have some swamp land in East L. A. it will be a great investment for you.
;D
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van goghs ear closed years ago, the best breakfast in venice is at thommy's on lincoln and rose, the firehouse has jacked up their prices so high now.............
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Well he didn't mention steroids in the conversation just Wydase. Natural... right! I have some swamp land in East L. A. it will be a great investment for you.
Thats good to hear theres a swamp now in east L.A........I was afraid theyd have a drought..
;D
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With a few of the stories...
1
2
3 This girl was a gym groupie. Went out with Waller and a few others.
4 Ken Waller
5
6 Andreas Cahling
7 Rita Brown (Who later married Don Ross)
8 Lisa Lyons
9 Lou Ferrigno
10
11 Mike Mentzer
12 Ray Mentzer
13 Bob Jakowitz
14
15 David Paul
16 Eric Stienlick
17
18 She was Tom’s fiancé but was having a fling with Eric S. (everyone was afraid to tell Tom) and I think they ended up getting married. Eric was a writer for Ironman and Weider and Tom’s training partner.
19 Tom Platz
20 Stacey Bentley
21 Chris Dickerson
22 Dave Mastorakis, personal; who was personal training Jane Fonda at the time of this pic.
23 Ron Tuefel
24 Mike Torcia
25
26 Dave (worked at the front desk)
27 Mike Clancy
28 Peter Paul
29
30 Manual Perry
31 Bill Reynolds (deceased)
32 Denny Malloy (Mike and Ray’s training partner now deceased)
33 Kent Kuhen
34 Jon Loyd (an excellent BB and owner of Gold's Northridge)
35
36
37 Bob Greeney
39
40
41 Ed Connors
42 Blonde girl with the headband was of fling of Peter G’s and was a freak. A friend of mine and I were with Pete and her when she tried to get a German Shepard in the park to perform oral on her!!!
43 Pete Grymkowski
44 Tim Kimber
Wow... I just got a moderators e-mail from the the person claining to be the girl in the picture.... #42. She had this to say...
"actually, the girl with the headband was the only one in the photo to make the cover of The London Daily telegragh. You people are so sick. She never had sex with animals, but she did have a lot of sex with pathetic limp dicks like you. I know, because I'm Renee Hax"
Now we know her name... Renee Hax.
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:D #42 is a mystery no more.
I don't remember starting this thread, it must have been during my OxycontinVicodinwine days
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Cool thread nonetheless.
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TTT
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:D #42 is a mystery no more. I don't remember starting this thread, it must have been during my OxycontonVicodinwine days
tommy what's the 1998-2009 assessment of golds?
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Really cool stories.
Bodybuilding was cool back then........ :(
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Tommy,
How old are you?
When was the last time you were at Golds Venice?
I might PM you to see if you know someone.
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The 1977 Teenage Mr. Tarhill was my introduction to bodybuilding. All things considered, I should track down the guy who invited me to that show, and kill him.
In the summer of 1982 we made our pilgrimage to Gold’s Gym Venice. Upon walking into the front parking lot, we immediately noticed a black 4x4 upside down, partially blocking the entrance. A strange sight, but no one seemed overly concerned, so we kept walking. As we entered, I saw both Barbarian Brothers arguing with each other about something… turns out, the upside down truck was theirs. I went to the pro shop area and they were selling the current Barbarian Brothers poster. I bought the poster and went outside to get a signature. The boys were still arguing over who was at fault for the roll-over, but I stepped in and asked for an autograph. David looked at Peter… Peter looked back at David and then they both looked at me and said “Sure big man, you got a pen?” There we were, David, Peter, me and the upside down truck… I still remember the signature on the poster; "To Tom, The higher climb, the farther you can see." You should’ve been there.
I made it back to The Mecca a few times during the next few years. Always a great workout. Always a little memory of bodybuilding. The last workout we had, before I went to the Joint for five years, was at Gold’s Gym Venice. Don’t remember what I trained, but I do remember looking at the old style peg board, above the water fountain in the front room. On the board, was a 4 x 6 picture of Peter Paul with the most absurd neck pump I had ever seen... 21” minimum, vascular, awesome. I looked around… the coast was clear… I stole the picture. You should’ve been there.
They had to let me go in 1989, and one of the first things I did, was drive to Venice and train at The Mecca. Soon after that we moved to Santa Monica. My girlfriend was a competitive bodybuilder, and I was racing bicycles, so we were @ Gold’s Venice 25-30 hrs per week…
Don Ross has been my friend since 1981. He had a little office above the posing room, at Gold’s Venice. Great office. One day in 1989, Don, my girlfriend & me, were sitting in the office discussing bodybuilding and its absurdities. There was a knock on the door… in walks Samir Bannout, 1984 Mr. Olympia (edit 1983 Mr. O). We proceeded to smoke some of Don’s finest northern California sensimilla (seedless & purple). An hour later we came pouring out of Don’s office, smoke billowing, stoned to the tilt ;D .--- A few weeks later, Don and I were out front of Gold's one sunny day and a sand colored Hummer came rolling down Hampton Dr. A big man behind the wheel, smoking a cigar calls out, "Ripper Savage!" Don yells back, "Arnold!!" We keep talking... Don says "Pretty cool huh?" I just smiled. You should’ve been there.
In 1992 my bodybuilding girlfriend was long gone. Too many injuries and lack of talent had ended my racing career. The couch tour was close and my car's back seat was a poor bed... then one day, Gold’s Gym Manager Darin Lannighan walked by me in the gym and asked, “Hey dude, do you still want a job here?” “Absolutely”, I said. Darin says, “Cool, be here tomorrow morning at 4am, I’ll get you a key and you’ll be our opener.” I laughed the rest of my workout. You should've been there.
1992 – 1997. Wow. Sleeping in the back room. Sleeping in the posing room. Having a gang bang in the posing room ;D . Finding an IFBB pro sleeping in the posing room, because he was homeless (that's OK, been there, done that). Watching Brian Regan (A real hellraier) put a .45 in Joe Cosmo’s face at the front desk and watching Joe pee his pants (that happens). Slinging gear over the front counter. Telling Ed Connors that Don Ross was gone :(. Telling Nessler that Kurt Colbain was dead. Working the front desk at 4:20am during the Northridge earthquake, and thinking it was funny that everyone was running out of the gym, and then running right back into the gym. Getting drunk with James Caan. Cigar night at Shatzi's (Arnold's rest. on Main St) Hookers for free. Strippers for free. Getting arrested in the 2nd room at Gold’s Venice by LAPD. Comped at every bar in Hollywood (the doorman & bartenders all trained at Gold's Venice).
Teaching movie stars about Clenbuterol (real Stars, not bodybuilding movie stars). Teaching convicts how to pass their drug test. Making $50,000 a year legit, and having a fucking blast doing it. Every year, after the “O” talking and training with Dorian & Leroy. Listening to Flex, Dillet , and Cormier, talking about Dorian and hearing them say, “Fuck, we’re at least a year, maybe two years behind him.” Changing out the floor in the front room and having LAPD show up at 3am to shut down the loud music and party. Sparing with World Champion Dennis Alexio in the kickboxing class.Trying to convince my friend Danny, that the "homeless dude" who just came in was Keeanu Reeves. ;D Taking a break in the front parking lot and watching two Border Brothers steal Tom MaGee's (1984 World Strongest Man) Chevy Z28. ;D Tom asked me. "Tom, why didn't you stop them?" I said, "Tommy, I didn't realize it was your Z28 until they were driving away. Sorry."
Doing 15 minutes worth of tire smoking full-power burnouts, in the front lot @2:30am, while LAPD stood by w/15 cars, and watched, and finally an LAPD Sgt. walked over and said, "Look dude, we're trying to plan a raid on the crackhouse down the street, we're staging in your parking lot across the street, would you please stop doing burnouts!!" ;D Taking smack from a biker for membership because he didn’t have any cash, and giving it to strung out hooker (no payback required). Breaking up a fight between Titus and some other idiot in the front room. Finding David Dearth (Who is a very cool dude, and just had a little too much that night) OD’ed on Nubain, sound asleep on the treadmill ;D. Getting called at 3am by numerous bodybuilders, because their girlfriend was OD’ing on GHB and they wanted to know what to do. Having "Candy night" and watching Melissa Coates laugh so hard it made me pee in my pants. Watching a dude (a regular late night lunatic) who left his gym pants at home, try and train in a shirt only, because, "I pulled my shirt down real low and you really couldn't see my sack." ;D You should’ve been there.
1997- 2007 pending…
People in bumbfuck Kansas can't imagine, but I've seen it. Charles Glass sleepin in his Expidition till opening to train these guys.
True dedication.
Just like us Rock and Rollers, or Heavy Metals in the late 80's...
There are no shortcuts.
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great thread
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tommy what's the 1998-2009 assessment of golds?
My man, I'm really out of the "in crowd" loop these days. It's still an excellent gym, but the vibe is long gone. Maybe some current and frequent Gold's Venice guys will speak on this.
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Tommy,
How old are you?
When was the last time you were at Golds Venice?
I might PM you to see if you know someone.
D97, I'm 46 years old. Please remember to use large font if you pm me. :D
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I'll go with that Vince.
Asking for help!! When did Gold's at 360 Hampton open? Anybody? Anybody? Bueller.
1979? Maybe?
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This thread is cool. Back then it really was fun and most everyone got along in the gym. Regular people could workout with a big name bodybuilder with no problem or intimidation. The younger guys on here who rag me about talking about the past so much will realize when they get older that most of the time the past is just a better place and sometimes the best thing to talk about. I can still remember watching Arnold while I was waiting my turn to bench press looking out the window at World's him walking across the street and watching people stop and point and stare and some taking pictures. Or the first time seeing Bertil Fox or Sergio Oliva and Lou Ferrigno. No matter how fat or out of shape I am now, my brain is just fine. Go to the History Board and you guys will really read alot of great stories. And remember without these past stories I don't think bodybuilding or this industry would be as colorful as it is today. It definitely isn't as fun today as yesterday though.
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I re-read this whole thread early this morning...........good shit!
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Tommy Wishbone,
Any good stories regarding Andreas Cahling????? He always seemed like a character (in a good way)!
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How bout the bodybuilder crossing sign?
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How bout the bodybuilder crossing sign?
:D I don't know who came up with that sign. I always thought about stealing it, but never did.
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Tommy Wishbone,
Any good stories regarding Andreas Cahling????? He always seemed like a character (in a good way)!
AC was kind of a weird/unique dude. I knew him casually pre-stroke, and when he returned after being sick, it's funny, but I was never really positive that he was the same guy. He had some facial paralysis and his speech was much different. He did sell a shit load of posing trunks back in the day. Not used ones... ;D new ones in the pro shop.
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:D I don't know who came up with that sign. I always thought about stealing it, but never did.
Fantastic thread, my man. Tell me, of all the bodybuilders you've seen in person, who was the most impressive physically? Not based on their height or the way they carried themselves, but just based on their muscularity alone?
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Fantastic thread, my man. Tell me, of all the bodybuilders you've seen in person, who was the most impressive physically? Not based on their height or the way they carried themselves, but just based on their muscularity alone?
Tough question to answer with just a single name... perhaps...
Rory........... in the early 80's
Dorian........ every year post Olympia, when he was spilling over. Absolutely crazy.
$20 Lou......... during his 1993 comeback
Jim Quinn....... preping for the WWF shows in the early 90's
Gary Strydom....... at the Weider Muscle camps in the late 80's
Dillet......... on shoulder & arm day, wearing a sleeveless, not a tank top. Just rude.
Michael Francois...... 95' I think. Doing DL rack partials with 800, and he was tight. Nuts.
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Fantastic Historical Thread for the Archives!
Tommy,
Who were the movies stars whom you met and worked out with? Any stories on them? Which ones were interested in buying and using gear?
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Fantastic Historical Thread for the Archives!
Tommy,
Who were the movies stars whom you met and worked out with? Any stories on them? Which ones were interested in buying and using gear?
Ones I knew, and they knew me by name, any place we would see each other.. usually a bar somewhere.
James Caan
Dennis Hopper
Mickey Rourke
Geena Davis
Jean Claude Van Dame
Catherine Bell
Dolph Lungren
Keanu Reeves
Ralph Mueller
Bolo
Tommy 'Tiny' Lister
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Ones I knew, and they knew me by name, any place we would see each other.. usually a bar somewhere.
James Caan
Dennis Hopper
These two are no strangers to bars. Any good stories, tommy? :)
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Tommy wishbone,
2 questions, sir........ aside from Rachel McLish, who was the most sensational woman, that worked out @ Gold's Venice? Also, aside from Paul Dillet, which bodybuilder trained with lightest but looked amazing beyond belief????
Thanks!
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My man, I'm really out of the "in crowd" loop these days. It's still an excellent gym, but the vibe is long gone. Maybe some current and frequent Gold's Venice guys will speak on this.
Man you got that right. I’ve trained there a few times in the past year and the vibe is gone. True I’m not a regular like I was in the early to mid 80’s but the gym itself just is not the same. I’m not even sure if the people who work there even know the history… or care.
By the way in terms of impressive muscularity of guys who trained there, I’ll go with Aaron Baker, Vic Richards, Rory, Gary Strydom, when he came to town… Lee Haney, Samir, Mike and Ray Mentzer.
Women… of course Rachel was hot… but there was one unknown Latina who used to walk around with this help me come do me look on her face. I can’t remember her name. She was probably the best Teagan used to give my ex-wife a hard time because she was hot as well. I also liked Annie Rice’s training partner… she’s a trainer there now but I can’t remember her name. Tommywishbone do you know who I’m talking about?
In terms of known woman at Gold’s Venice It’s hard to get beyond Rachel.
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Tommy wishbone,
2 questions, sir........ aside from Rachel McLish, who was the most sensational woman, that worked out @ Gold's Venice? Also, aside from Paul Dillet, which bodybuilder trained with lightest but looked amazing beyond belief????
Thanks!
Funny... the answer is easy, it was Mike Christian. Dude went from a soft 185 to a vascular rude 235, in TWO months, lifting weights so light, you would have been positive he was joking. Terrible form. No control. Talking during his sets. And dude just got huge.
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These two are no strangers to bars. Any good stories, tommy? :)
I have a somewhat recent James Caan tale...
I was in Las Vegas and was hanging out & playing some poker at the 2006 World Series of Poker. Well, I was walking with several friends, past the "interview living room" that was set up on a stage in the Poker Expo hall. Someone called out, "Hey Tommy!!" I turned around and it was James Caan. He was being interviewed at the time, and just shouted out that greeting to me. I walked over, gave him a hug, we had not seen each other in at least 5 years.
I asked the TV interviewer why they were interviewing James Caan at a Poker tournament, and I said, "He's an actor not a poker player. He may act like a poker player, but he's only acting." Caan started cracking up and said, "Get the fuck outta here." ;D ;D
My friends stopped, their jaws dropped, and they said, "Dude!! You know James Caan??" I smiled, just nodded my head and kept walking. You should have been there.
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I have a somewhat recent James Caan tale...
I was in Las Vegas and was hanging out & playing some poker at the 2006 World Series of Poker. Well, I was walking with several friends, past the "interview living room" that was set up on a stage in the Poker Expo hall. Someone called out, "Hey Tommy!!" I turned around and it was James Caan. He was being interviewed at the time, and just shouted out that greeting to me. I walked over, gave him a hug, we had not seen each other in at least 5 years.
I asked the TV interviewer why they were interviewing James Caan at a Poker tournament, and I said, "He's an actor not a poker player. He may act like a poker player, but he's only acting." Caan started cracking up and said, "Get the fuck outta here." ;D ;D
My friends stopped, their jaws dropped, and they said, "Dude!! You know James Caan??" I smiled, just nodded my head and kept walking. You should have been there.
Cool story, tommy. Caan ever invite you back to the Playboy mansion, he asked with great interest? 8)
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This thread is cool. Back then it really was fun and most everyone got along in the gym. Regular people could workout with a big name bodybuilder with no problem or intimidation. The younger guys on here who rag me about talking about the past so much will realize when they get older that most of the time the past is just a better place and sometimes the best thing to talk about. I can still remember watching Arnold while I was waiting my turn to bench press looking out the window at World's him walking across the street and watching people stop and point and stare and some taking pictures. Or the first time seeing Bertil Fox or Sergio Oliva and Lou Ferrigno. No matter how fat or out of shape I am now, my brain is just fine. Go to the History Board and you guys will really read alot of great stories. And remember without these past stories I don't think bodybuilding or this industry would be as colorful as it is today. It definitely isn't as fun today as yesterday though.
So very true. Dude I love your stories and when you rag on Goodrum
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tommy,
any good robby robinson stories???
how about denise rutkowski tales???
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Tommy. I thought that this thread died years ago. Give me some time to re-read it and try to come up with some new stories of historical/hysterical significance. So far I have just re-read up to the page with the picture taken of all the old 2nd Street Gold's Gym members.
In an attempt to keep my memory alive, I'll write some notes for myself here and then do my best to tell their tales when I finish re-reading this entire thread. I'd hate to repeat myself which is usually a sign of old age and failing memory....
Notes for myself:
Training on the base, training with chainsaws, training at Leo Sterns in San Diego, Pat Casey benching 600 and the lions roar, training at Zuvers, blackness in the Dungeon, meeting the young Joe Gold, meeting Bill Pearl and Judy and Harold and Wayne Bouvier and the Pasadena crew, Elliot's Nest, John Corvello, Dale Adrian, stealing cars, stealing food, free memberships, old time Santa Monica, old time Venice Beach, 2,100 mg a day for 90 days, a guy named Reeves, Arnold, Franco, Nuckles, Zane, Oliva, Nubret, Birdsong, Kuhn, Stonewall, Nazzario, joe and Ben, Jeff and Cory, Ken Sprague, Teufel, Platz, Ray and Mike, Peter and Paul, Ernie, doctors and lawyers, murder in the gym and down the block, MLO, Maui Wowie, Blair, Wynn Paris, Lalanne, George Eifferman and the misses, making movies, etc......
Gotta go back and check to make sure I haven't already told these old stories and I hope to pass them on way before my mind goes completely blank.
To be completely honest with ya all, I have never met an UN-interesting competitive bodybuilder. They all have interesting lives or great stories to tell.
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bump for a good thread. 8)
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bump for a good thread. 8)
QFT
bump,
tommywishbone has the best stories...
you always have a captive audience here tommy
;D
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great Getbig thread right here
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great Getbig thread right here
"now that's what I call "GetBig""
8)
if theres any justice, this thread stays alive on the daily.
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Tommy Wish, what do you think happened to Mickey Rourkes face...I think it is more than a face lift, looks like a chemical peel gone arwry...what is your take on it?
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Hello NYCBull. How have you been?
Mick's face? Well that's a tough one. Mickey and I were sort of friends for several years- I hadn't seen him in a few years, but at a big Strikeforce MMA event in San Jose in August 2009, I was the cageside 1st AD ( first assistant director) for Showtime Sports and Mickey walked up to me and gave me a big hug. My friends were all watching and they all said, "Dude!! You know Mickey Rourke??" Anyhoo. . .
I can only guess, that when he had the work (cosmetic surgery) done, he thought it was a good idea. He's had a hell of a life and maybe he was just trying to freshen up his look. I think it was a mistake, but who cares what I think. It's funny, he's so strong on screen, that when I watched "The Wrestler" I almost instantly forgot about the facial changes and just watched him work.
He's always been a cool cat with me- and besides, I don't think I'd want Mickey to do things the way everyone expects.
Stay cool NYCB.
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Just re-read this thread........great stuff guys!!
Thanks for the awesome stories Tommy. :)
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Great, great stuff Tommy. Thanks, any Bob Birdsong stories. I know he's out in the desert area, Rancho Mirage and did some training out there. I saw him once and my buddy was talking to him and he was talkin' a bit slow. Kinda, mulling over his words. Still ripped and he said he hasn't worked out in years. Thanks
Jooze
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Great thread!!!
I just moved out of LA and trained a few times at Gold's, it certainly wasn't what
I had expected. The biggest guy at the gym on the few occasions when I'd make a trip out to Venice from Hollywood, was Bob Chick.
I did see Carl Weathers, he seemed kind of full of himself, but he's Apollo Creed for Christ sakes! :)
If you really want to be horrified I suggest checking out the one in
Hollywood! LOL Really whacked out cast of characters! LOL Fabio was a regular as well as Duff McKagen.
Lot's of GH, but not much lifting.
Thanks for the cool stories!
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Hello NYCBull. How have you been?
Mick's face? Well that's a tough one. Mickey and I were sort of friends for several years- I hadn't seen him in a few years, but at a big Strikeforce MMA event in San Jose in August 2009, I was the cageside 1st AD ( first assistant director) for Showtime Sports and Mickey walked up to me and gave me a big hug. My friends were all watching and they all said, "Dude!! You know Mickey Rourke??" Anyhoo. . .
I can only guess, that when he had the work (cosmetic surgery) done, he thought it was a good idea. He's had a hell of a life and maybe he was just trying to freshen up his look. I think it was a mistake, but who cares what I think. It's funny, he's so strong on screen, that when I watched "The Wrestler" I almost instantly forgot about the facial changes and just watched him work.
He's always been a cool cat with me- and besides, I don't think I'd want Mickey to do things the way everyone expects.
Stay cool NYCB.
Hey Wish, yea I agree when I saw "Wrestler" he just transcended the way he looked. The surgery or whatever didnt matter. He did a great job in that movie. Very talented actor for sure. Cool that you know him. 8)
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Tommy, Keith, Stunt, Chick, Max-Rep,
Thanks for the memories!!!! Sad to think that golden era is gone. I arrived from Zimbabwe in 1995 and trained at Golds from the day I arrived. I remember so clearly seeing the big names every day I trained.... Me feeling like a little kid.... Watching Flex, Cormier, Rico and Dillet train and giggle. Lee Priest was in there too. And Aaron Baker. You are right about big Louie ... he was always nice to me. Memories pop into my head.... like Titus doing a photo-shoot and Delo Halo was his GF and he kept grabbing her ass during the shoot and she'd giggle and tell him to "stop being such a slut!" I remember Rich Minzer inviting me to sushi in Venice and Pete Grymkoski came in his new Mercedes. Kent Kuhn, Ed Connors and Lena Johanesson were at the table too. A lot to take in for a boy from Zimbabwe.
Jeep Svenson was there every day too (RIP). Tommy Wishbone really was the main man in that gym (he knew everyone) .... and had the thickest neck of anyone by far... and he was super strong! Boxing class with James Finnerty and Craig Love was good memories (both guys were bad ass yet real gentlemen). Ed Connors let me stay at his place for a few months and (new Pro by one week) Paul deMayo and Mike Mattarazzo were staying too ....just really huge guys! We all sat in Ed's kitchen eating steaks and mashed potatoes and watching the George Forman vs, Michael Moorer fight live. Ah, those were the days!!!!!
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Tommy, Keith, Stunt, Chick, Max-Rep,
Thanks for the memories!!!! Sad to think that golden era is gone. I arrived from Zimbabwe in 1995 and trained at Golds from the day I arrived. I remember so clearly seeing the big names every day I trained.... Me feeling like a little kid.... Watching Flex, Cormier, Rico and Dillet train and giggle. Lee Priest was in there too. And Aaron Baker. You are right about big Louie ... he was always nice to me. Memories pop into my head.... like Titus doing a photo-shoot and Delo Halo was his GF and he kept grabbing her ass during the shoot and she'd giggle and tell him to "stop being such a slut!" I remember Rich Minzer inviting me to sushi in Venice and Pete Grymkoski came in his new Mercedes. Kent Kuhn, Ed Connors and Lena Johanesson were at the table too. A lot to take in for a boy from Zimbabwe.
Jeep Svenson was there every day too (RIP). Tommy Wishbone really was the main man in that gym (he knew everyone) .... and had the thickest neck of anyone by far... and he was super strong! Boxing class with James Finnerty and Craig Love was good memories (both guys were bad ass yet real gentlemen). Ed Connors let me stay at his place for a few months and (new Pro by one week) Paul deMayo and Mike Mattarazzo were staying too ....just really huge guys! We all sat in Ed's kitchen eating steaks and mashed potatoes and watching the George Forman vs, Michael Moorer fight live. Ah, those were the days!!!!!
My stories are nothing compared to Tommy's or Max's or even yours when it comes to the gym. In fact other than Pete being one of my closet friends and my daughters god father I never trained at the old Gold's Gym back in the 70's or 80's. I trained at World Gym (original). It was in Santa Monica and I lived in Manhattan Beach so it was a drive to get there at 8am nearly everyday. So when I was done except when I went to lunch with Ken Waller or Tony Pearson who whomever, I would get back home or get to work (I had a house painting business). Gold's definitely had some great stories and Tommys will be very hard to beat. He was right there in the middle of it. Max Reps stories are vast too.
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world gym would have been cool to train at...
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Grant, great to see you mentioned Ed's helpfulness. He certainly deserves a lot of thanks.
Tommy, Grant, Keith or anyone ..... I lifted and coached a bit at Gold's when ken bought the name "Gold's Gym" from Joe but I'm forgetting some of those details.
Maybe one of you guys can clarify this for me cause I sure as hell forget...
Didn't Sprague own and operate Gold's Gym when it was located on 2nd in Santa Monica?
But at that time,did he actually own the name "Gold's Gym".
I kind of recall that after Ken bought the business from Joe Gold, Joe Gold was under the impression that he could open another gym business of his own and call it Gold's Gym even though he had sold the business to Ken. I don't think he realized that he sold the name "Gold's Gym" when he sold the business and Ken had to take him to court to protect it.
Joe lost and shortly thereafter opened World Gym down the road a bit.
Is anyone familiar with those details?
Someone should write a historical novel about Gold's Gym. Keith, let's talk to Pete about that. We should contact them all before we all start heading out to Greener Pastures.
Tommy, I think you owe me $100 for the bet you and I made regarding the outcome of Craig's trial. If you forgot, don't worry about it. I'll just send Keith down to tip ya over a bit.
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world gym would have been cool to train at...
Agree,
pic show me with Lee Priest at Joe Gold's World Gym in 90'
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Agree,
pic show me with Lee Priest at Joe Gold's World Gym in 90'
lee priest wasn't that big in 1990...
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Grant, great to see you mentioned Ed's helpfulness. He certainly deserves a lot of thanks.
Tommy, Grant, Keith or anyone ..... I lifted and coached a bit at Gold's when ken bought the name "Gold's Gym" from Joe but I'm forgetting some of those details.
Maybe one of you guys can clarify this for me cause I sure as hell forget...
Didn't Sprague own and operate Gold's Gym when it was located on 2nd in Santa Monica?
But at that time,did he actually own the name "Gold's Gym".
I kind of recall that after Ken bought the business from Joe Gold, Joe Gold was under the impression that he could open another gym business of his own and call it Gold's Gym even though he had sold the business to Ken. I don't think he realized that he sold the name "Gold's Gym" when he sold the business and Ken had to take him to court to protect it.
Joe lost and shortly thereafter opened World Gym down the road a bit.
Is anyone familiar with those details?
Someone should write a historical novel about Gold's Gym. Keith, let's talk to Pete about that. We should contact them all before we all start heading out to Greener Pastures.
Tommy, I think you owe me $100 for the bet you and I made regarding the outcome of Craig's trial. If you forgot, don't worry about it. I'll just send Keith down to tip ya over a bit.
Ken wanted to convert the original golds into a house (which he did) so he did move it to 2nd street... he sold it before it moved to hampton.
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world gym would have been cool to train at...
Back then it was.
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Back then it was.
is it true all the equipment was silky smooth?
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is it true all the equipment was silky smooth?
Not sure what that means. If you mean the movement I guess it was. All vinyl wrapped cables that would fray every once in awhile.
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Keith bump.
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The 1977 Teenage Mr. Tarhill was my introduction to bodybuilding. All things considered, I should track down the guy who invited me to that show and kill him.
In the summer of 1982 we made our pilgrimage to Gold’s Gym Venice. Upon walking into the front parking lot, we immediately noticed a black 4x4 upside down, partially blocking the entrance. A strange sight, but no one seemed overly concerned, so we kept walking. As we entered, I saw both Barbarian Brothers arguing with each other about something… turns out, the upside down truck was their's. I went to the pro shop area and they were selling the current Barbarian Brothers poster. I bought the poster and went outside to get a signature. The boys were still arguing over who was at fault for the roll-over, but I stepped in and asked for an autograph. David looked at Peter… Peter looked back at David and then they both looked at me and said “Sure big man, you got a pen?” There we were, David, Peter, me and the upside down truck… I still remember the signature on the poster; "To Tom, The higher climb, the farther you can see." You should’ve been there.
I made it back to The Mecca a few times during the next few years. Always a great workout. Always a little memory of bodybuilding. The last workout we had, before I went to the Joint for five years, was at Gold’s Gym Venice. Don’t remember what I trained, but I do remember looking at the old style peg board, above the water fountain in the front room. On the board, was a 4 x 6 picture of Peter Paul with the most absurd neck pump I had ever seen... 21” minimum, vascular, awesome. I looked around… the coast was clear… I stole the picture. You should’ve been there.
They had to let me go in 1989, and one of the first things I did, was drive to Venice and train at The Mecca. Soon after that we moved to Santa Monica. My girlfriend was a competitive bodybuilder, and I was racing bicycles, so we were @ Gold’s Venice 25-30 hrs per week…
Don Ross has been my friend since 1981. He had a little office above the posing room, at Gold’s Venice. Great office. One day in 1989, Don, my girlfriend & me, were sitting in the office discussing bodybuilding and it's absurdities. There was a knock on the door… in walks Samir Bannout, 1984 Mr. Olympia (edit 1983 Mr. O). We proceeded to smoke some of Don’s finest northern California sensimilla (seedless & purple). An hour later we came pouring out of Don’s office, smoke billowing, stoned to the tiltD .--- A few weeks later, Don and I were out front of Gold's one sunny day and a sand colored Hummer came rolling down Hampton Dr. A big man behind the wheel, smoking a cigar calls out, "Ripper Savage!" Don yells back, "Arnold!!" We keep talking... Don says "Pretty cool huh?" I just smiled. You should’ve been there.
In 1992 my bodybuilding girlfriend was long gone. Too many injuries and lack of talent had ended my racing career. The couch tour was close and my car's back seat was a poor bed... then one day, Gold’s Gym Manager Darin Lannighan walked by me in the gym and asked, “Hey dude, do you still want a job here?” “Absolutely”, I said. Darin says, “Cool, be here tomorrow morning at 4am, I’ll get you a key and you’ll be our opener.” I laughed the rest of my workout. You should've been there.
1992 – 1997. Wow. Sleeping in the back room. Sleeping in the posing room. Having a gang bang in the posing room. Finding an IFBB pro sleeping in the posing room, because he was homeless (that's OK, been there, done that). Watching Brian Regan (A REAL hell raiser) put a .45 in Joe Cosmo’s face at the front desk and watching Joe pee his pants (that happens). Slinging gear over the front counter. Telling Ed Connors that Don Ross was gone Telling Nessler that Kurt Colbain was dead. Working the front desk at 4:20am during the Northridge earthquake, and thinking it was funny that everyone was running out of the gym, and then running right back into the gym. Getting drunk with James Caan. Cigar night at Shatzi's (Arnold's rest. on Main St) Hookers for free. Strippers for free. Getting arrested in the 2nd room at Gold’s Venice by LAPD. Comped at every bar in Hollywood (the doorman & bartenders all trained at Gold's Venice).
Teaching movie stars about Clenbuterol (real Stars, not bodybuilding movie stars). Teaching convicts how to pass their drug test. Making $50,000 a year legit, and having a fucking blast doing it. Every year, after the “O” talking and training with Dorian & Leroy. Listening to Flex, Dillet , and Cormier, talking about Dorian and hearing them say, “Fuck, we’re at least a year, maybe two years behind him.” Changing out the floor in the front room and having LAPD show up at 3am to shut down the loud music and party. Sparing with World Champion Dennis Alexio in the kickboxing class.Trying to convince my friend Danny, that the "homeless dude" who just came in was Keeanu Reeves. ;D Taking a break in the front parking lot and watching two Border Brothers steal Tom MaGee's (1984 World Strongest Man) Chevy Z28. ;D Tom asked me. "Tom, why didn't you stop them?" I said, "Tommy, I didn't realize it was your Z28 until they were driving away. Sorry."
Doing 15 minutes worth of tire smoking full-power burnouts, in the front lot @2:30am, while LAPD stood by w/15 cars, and watched, and finally an LAPD Sgt. walked over and said, "Look dude, we're trying to plan a raid on the crackhouse down the street, we're staging in your parking lot across the street, would you please stop doing burnouts!!" ;D Taking smack from a biker for membership because he didn’t have any cash, and giving it to a strung out hooker (no payback required). Breaking up a fight between Titus and some other idiot in the front room. Finding David Dearth (Who is a very cool dude, and just had a little too much that night) OD’ed on Nubain, sound asleep on the treadmill Getting called at 3am by numerous bodybuilders, because their girlfriend was OD’ing on GHB and they wanted to know what to do. Having "Candy night" and watching Melissa Coates laugh so hard it made me pee in my pants. Watching a dude (a regular late night lunatic) who left his gym pants at home, try and train in a shirt only, because, "I pulled my shirt down real low and you really couldn't see my sack." ;D You should’ve been there.
1997- 2007 pending…
Very cool Tommy. I never competed, but I've always lifted and been a fan. I was lucky enough to live in LA and train at Gold's from time to time, and World quite often (Thanks to my good friend Eddie Giuliani, who let me train for free). I used to come in on my lunch break and train and bullshit with Eddie and Zabo. Eddie gave me lots of free tank tops ant tee shirts. Eddie would say "Just make sure Joe doesn't see you. He knows every member, and if he sees you, he'll ask me who the fuck you are." That's why I never got to know Joe Gold, because I was always avoiding him! ;D
I became friends with Don and his wife Rita back then, and met and trained alongside many of my bodybuilding idols, including Samir. Samir did a great Joe Weider impression, lol. I was around when Don passed, as well as Art Zeller and Ira Bankowski, all whom I had the pleasure to know. Times I'll never forget!
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lee priest wasn't that big in 1990...
priest was huge at 21, that pic may be 93 or 94 though
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Fucking awesome story Tom................I`m a jealous motherf ucker! :(
;D
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priest was huge at 21, that pic may be 93 or 94 though
Pretty sure he never went to America until 1993. Plus he was competing as a lightweight in 1990 I saw him win the Aussie nationals that October and lee labrada guest posed.
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Yep, 93 or 94 around 21yrs old
MC is advancing in years ;D
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Very cool Tommy. I never competed, but I've always lifted and been a fan. I was lucky enough to live in LA and train at Gold's from time to time, and World quite often (Thanks to my good friend Eddie Giuliani, who let me train for free). I used to come in on my lunch break and train and bullshit with Eddie and Zabo. Eddie gave me lots of free tank tops ant tee shirts. Eddie would say "Just make sure Joe doesn't see you. He knows every member, and if he sees you, he'll ask me who the fuck you are." That's why I never got to know Joe Gold, because I was always avoiding him! ;D
I became friends with Don and his wife Rita back then, and met and trained alongside many of my bodybuilding idols, including Samir. Samir did a great Joe Weider impression, lol. I was around when Don passed, as well as Art Zeller and Ira Bankowski, all whom I had the pleasure to know. Times I'll never forget!
Also extremely jealous of you Cableguy! :(
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some funny stories on here..i made my first trip to golds in the early 90s..first day there was entertaining before i even walked in the gym... ..mike quinn was screaming at some guy in the parking lot when i was aproaching the gym..and mike christain was laughing his ass of..i thought mike quinn was going to crack the guy in the head..and this was before i even stepped inside the gym..flex wheeler wasnt a pro yet i believe just won ths cal state was out front in a string tank and hot skin shorts talking with shawn ray and troy zuchalotto...once inside i was in complete heaven..hot girls dressed in little clothing and tights all over..i did probably 15 sets on the one leg hamstring curl machine because it was in perfect veiw of this hot looking older lady doing a glute exercise but everytime she open her legs u could see her pussy because she had a big tear in her tights..she caught me looking and just smiled so i smiled back ofcourse :-*..i was like damn iam gonna love this place..it was a good first wk experience lol.
i made many more trips and have a few good stories.best from 2000-2005 -when flex-chris-melvin-paul dillett-tom prince-bob chic-chris cook and many other pros were still training there everyday...
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Good stuff
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some funny stories on here..i made my first trip to golds in the early 90s..first day there was entertaining before i even walked in the gym... ..mike quinn was screaming at some guy in the parking lot when i was aproaching the gym..and mike christain was laughing his ass of..i thought mike quinn was going to crack the guy in the head..and this was before i even stepped inside the gym..flex wheeler wasnt a pro yet i believe just won ths cal state was out front in a string tank and hot skin shorts talking with shawn ray and troy zuchalotto...once inside i was in complete heaven..hot girls dressed in little clothing and tights all over..i did probably 15 sets on the one leg hamstring curl machine because it was in perfect veiw of this hot looking older lady doing a glute exercise but everytime she open her legs u could see her pussy because she had a big tear in her tights..she caught me looking and just smiled so i smiled back ofcourse :-*..i was like damn iam gonna love this place..it was a good first wk experience lol.
i made many more trips and have a few good stories.best from 2000-2005 -when flex-chris-melvin-paul dillett-tom prince-bob chic-chris cook and many other pros were still training there everyday...
Cool stuff !!
Where you been bro....haven`t seen you online in ages?
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Bob you are a lame dude. Did you know that? I thought you had to be a model citizen because you reflect on the IFBB with what you say? Guess you are sore I called you a certified stooge. Please don't tell me they issued you with an official blazer to wear at events? Gosh, you are due to receive some plaque for services to bodybuilding.
do u live in vancouver?
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Cool stuff !!
Where you been bro....haven`t seen you online in ages?
.i come on and still see whats going on at the thunderdome from time to time---Ive been super busy with my supplement store -and training buisness and life..
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do u live in vancouver?
Someone hasn't been paying attention for the last 5 years.
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do u live in vancouver?
he resides in a parallel dimension
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Someone hasn't been paying attention for the last 5 years.
:-X
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:-X
Vince is from Canada,but has lived in Australia for years now.
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Also extremely jealous of you Cableguy! :(
Haha, nothing to be jealous of me about Wes...
I was lucky to be around at that time. Being the cable guy, I also met a lot of people on trouble calls. That's how I met Leroy Colbert, Manny Perry, Laura Creavalle and Chris Aceto, Chris Cormier, and Joe and Betty Weider, among others.
I also became friends with John Balik. The Iron Man offices were right down the block from our office on Beach Ave. They later moved right across the street to a bigger location with a big warehouse where they kept their inventory. I used to go over and talk to John and Steve Holman frequently. I just used to walk right in. He used to give me the new issue every month before it hit the news stands. He also reserved 5th row tickets for the Iron Man show. I went to the 90, 91, and 92 shows. John is a really great, down to earth guy. Miss those days!
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Agree,
pic show me with Lee Priest at Joe Gold's World Gym in 90'
Haha, I remember seeing Lee waddling aroud World Gym at 270 pounds...talk about "off season"... ;D
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Take it from someone who was there: a lot of these guys on getbig are lying through their teeth about Venice and Santa Monica. No one ever heard of these clowns.
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Haha, nothing to be jealous of me about Wes...
I was lucky to be around at that time. Being the cable guy, I also met a lot of people on trouble calls. That's how I met Leroy Colbert, Manny Perry, Laura Creavalle and Chris Aceto, Chris Cormier, and Joe and Betty Weider, among others.
I also became friends with John Balik. The Iron Man offices were right down the block from our office on Beach Ave. They later moved right across the street to a bigger location with a big warehouse where they kept their inventory. I used to go over and talk to John and Steve Holman frequently. I just used to walk right in. He used to give me the new issue every month before it hit the news stands. He also reserved 5th row tickets for the Iron Man show. I went to the 90, 91, and 92 shows. John is a really great, down to earth guy. Miss those days!
....and I shouldn`t be jealous ? LOL ;D
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Take it from someone who was there: a lot of these guys on getbig are lying through their teeth about Venice and Santa Monica. No one ever heard of these clowns.
Are you on the too cool for school committee in Venice?
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CABLE, To the best of my knowledge, John is still there and the IronMan crew are a great bunch of guys.
I spent about 9 hours at the place you called the warehouse which is actually the photo studio where Mike shoots most of the indoor cover shots. I introduced Tony Breznik to an old time friend (Gene Mozee) who set up an appointment with John and Mike to meet Tony the following day and they were impressed and asked Tony if he could return in ten days time which would allow him to be in top condition.
Ten days later we were scheduled to shoot some sunrise shots on the beach directly below the LAX take off runway, but the sun failed to come up for the shoot so we packed it up and drove over to the studio .... and that shoot went on until about 4 PM.
But Tony got the cover shot and great inside photos.
The IronMan crew are a great bunch of people and it was interesting to watch Mike shoot the photos and then see how the magazine is put together.
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Anybody have any good Bob Birdsong stories. He was always one of my favorites?
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;D ;D
Gold's opened @ 360 Hampton Dr in Feb, 1980... I think. Remember... just the 1st room, old torn up carpet, etc. I think Platz or Belknap or Alzado, or Grymkowski punched a hole in the wall and they expanded after that.... I think. ;D
Ken Spragues shows were classic. He was certainly part of the Gold's Gym story. I had drinks with Ken, Kent Kuehn and Ken Waller, but I really don't have any memories of the night. Sorry.
I remember Ernie 'bow legged' Santiago. Dude came out of nowhere and won the America. We met a few times, but I don't have any stories.
T-
I know Ken Sprague Sr quite well. We got him to come out a judge the NPC ga 4 yrs ago. Great guy and tells some funny stuff about how girls on acid would dance naked off the beach right into Golds' when they were training.
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Went to a great 1990 Bodybuilding Awards dinner at the Holiday Inn on Pico Blvd (top floor banquet room). Joe & Betty Weider, The Ripper, All Golds Venice owners, Dave Draper, Leroy Colbert, pics coming- I hope.
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DOOZIE, Bob B. invited us to dinner after one of the contests that was held in one of the Disneyland hotels during the Christmas season way back when he was a solid competitor and it was one of those crazy SoCal restaurants where a turkey sandwich on the menu meant half a turkey and a loaf of bread plus all the typical turkey extras.
COACH may recall this place better than myself as it was always full of weight trained folks who liked huge meals. It was located just a bit south of Disneyland.
We all were invited to a huge party that was thrown in Bob's honor the afternoon before Bob won the IFBB International title down in Tiajuana and it was evident that no one would beat him in that event as he had an unbeatable solid physique.
I seem to recall that CF SMITH at his best was built similar to BOB but I am unaware if they ever competed within the same contest.
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Vince is from Canada,but has lived in Australia for years now.
I respect Basile has been there and done that, but can he keep his posts to half a page... Things are mini-novels sometimes
Plus, for us "challenged" folk, maybe simpler stuff, that you don't need a dictionary and the Dalei Lama to help you interpret..
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Good lookin out Stunt and thanx. If u remember any more please share. Thanks again
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DOOZIE, Bob B. invited us to dinner after one of the contests that was held in one of the Disneyland hotels during the Christmas season way back when he was a solid competitor and it was one of those crazy SoCal restaurants where a turkey sandwich on the menu meant half a turkey and a loaf of bread plus all the typical turkey extras.
COACH may recall this place better than myself as it was always full of weight trained folks who liked huge meals. It was located just a bit south of Disneyland.
We all were invited to a huge party that was thrown in Bob's honor the afternoon before Bob won the IFBB International title down in Tiajuana and it was evident that no one would beat him in that event as he had an unbeatable solid physique.
I seem to recall that CF SMITH at his best was built similar to BOB but I am unaware if they ever competed within the same contest.
I think you're thinking of Blocks (owned by Dan Block) in Garden Grove.
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COACH, I believe you're correct?]]\ Is it still there?
DOOZIE, I knew Bob back then, but only saw him on a few occasions. That time we had dinner at BLOCK's (Thanks. COACH) he was with his wife and young daughter. We had mutual friends so our conversation centered around "How is so and so and what's he doing?"
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I know Ken Sprague Sr quite well. We got him to come out a judge the NPC ga 4 yrs ago. Great guy and tells some funny stuff about how girls on acid would dance naked off the beach right into Golds' when they were training.
Did Sprague ever mention his depraved years in the Gay porn industry? That's your idea of a great guy?
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ROIDZ, I gotta back up Howard when he mentioned Sprague as being a great guy.
Back in the day when he owned Gold's in Santa Monica he actually was a "great guy" who never mentioned his gay porn past.
I would tend to agree with you if all I knew about Ken was that he was a gay porn star...
but that was overlooked because once you met him you tended to overlook the video work that he had done. He had a pretty dynamic and friendly personality.
It's difficult to explain but I think that most anyone who met him during his Gold Gym days would agree with me entirely.
I guess what I'm trying to say is something like ... "You can respect the man but not his past actions!"
I'll simply add, "He was a great guy who did some un-great things."
The last time I spoke to him he was shooting photos in the gym for a Gold's Gym workout book and was soon to be heading up north to Seattle where he and his wife had purchased a new home on one of the islands up that way.
I assume you realize that he was a member of the NPC COmmittee and removed himself from office once the subject of his video past arose.
He also promoted some of the best bodybuilding contests ever seen.
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CABLE, To the best of my knowledge, John is still there and the IronMan crew are a great bunch of guys.
I spent about 9 hours at the place you called the warehouse which is actually the photo studio where Mike shoots most of the indoor cover shots. I introduced Tony Breznik to an old time friend (Gene Mozee) who set up an appointment with John and Mike to meet Tony the following day and they were impressed and asked Tony if he could return in ten days time which would allow him to be in top condition.
Ten days later we were scheduled to shoot some sunrise shots on the beach directly below the LAX take off runway, but the sun failed to come up for the shoot so we packed it up and drove over to the studio .... and that shoot went on until about 4 PM.
But Tony got the cover shot and great inside photos.
The IronMan crew are a great bunch of people and it was interesting to watch Mike shoot the photos and then see how the magazine is put together.
You are correct Stunt, Mike's studio was there I believe. I think I only met Neveaux once briefly, he was never there when I went over to visit. I used to talk to Faith and Leon Bachman frequntly, and Bullshitted with Lonnie a few times. I remember seeing Lonnie at Gold's in '88 (the day I was lucky enough to meet Lee Haney doing a photo shoot 2 days after the Olympia. Strydom was also doing a shoot that day. I was really impressed with Gary until I saw Lee!) and he says to me "Looking pretty thick Joe!" Now I wonder what he meant by that!
Anyway, I don't think Iron Man is in Venice anymore, I believe they moved their location to Oxnard some years ago.
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CABLE , I'm not familiar with the neighborhoods in the LA area but less than two years ago when I paid a visit to the IronMan office it was located east of the LA airport off that freeway that starts near Marina Del Rey.
Once again I gotta say that I really enjoyed meeting the IronMan staff. They were more than courtious in every respect.
I honestly hate to be a name dropper once again but I knew Lee and Phyllis (?) way back then and made a couple of comments to Lee regarding how to be more impressive while in the line-up and a year or so later he thanked me personally by saying that that simple recommendation was a critical factor in his win that year.
Needless to say, that comment made me feel pretty damn good.
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Hmm, interesting Stunt. I did some research and found an LA Times article talking about them moving from MDR to a much bigger facility in Oxnard in 1993. I guess maybe they moved back?
And cool that Lee thanked you for the advice you gave him. I'm not surprised though. When I met him, I found him to be a genuinely down to earth, humble guy. A class act all the way! Not to mention being blown away by his physique in person. As I've said in the past, much more impressive than in pictures!
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CABLE, To the best of my knowledge IronMan is still located at 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard CA 93033,,, the address to which you have been referring to.
I don't recall IronMan ever being located in Venice though. Or MDR.
Regarding Lee and my recommendation ....
Lee was guest posing at one of our contests and when he was hitting his bicep shots they were 'addressed' to the back of the house (so to speak) so that the officials could only see the lower regions of his arms and not the peak of the biceps (difficult to explain correctly but if you even sat low in the judges position, you have a good idea of what I am trying to describe).
So the next day Lee asked me what one thing he could do to be more notieable in the forthcoming Olympia (Universe?) contest that would be held within the next couple of months.f
I simply recommended that he twist his arms so that the peaks of his biceps could be more easily seen by the judges who were seated at a lower elevation.
He stated that that advice was enough to get him into the winner's circle.
I really apprecaited it when he said that.
Lee has always been the epitome of a very good person.
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Iron Man was located Marina Del Rey from 1987 to 1993, at which time they moved to their present location on Ives Ave. in Oxnard. They were originally on the corner of Beach Ave. and Glencoe Ave., down the block from our office. They then moved across the street from us to the bigger facility about a year later.
Very cool Haney story. Definitely must feel good to have played even a small part in Lee's success! And yes, he's the epitome of a good person. When I told him that pictures don't do him justice and that I thought he was much more impressive in person, he was genuinely appreciative and thanked me for the compliment. And then he signed my weight belt! Very cool.
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Didn't know about Sprague's past
He has a family though, hasn't he
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Didn't know about Sprague's past
He has a family though, hasn't he
Been married more than once and has several children.
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Bump for Ganero76
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Anybody have any good Bob Birdsong stories. He was always one of my favorites?
well, these days he's a complete mess. can't hold a conversation... his mind is just a complete mess.
he used to be our sign-guy... the guy who holds the sign for the gym out by the side of the road. paid him $8/hr to stand out in 120degree weather 8hrs a day.
now he's about 160lbs with a long greesy ponytail and stocks shelves at a healthfood/gocery store (sorta like a Whole Foods).
dude fell Waaaaay off.
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Anybody have any good Bob Birdsong stories. He was always one of my favorites?
I saw him once at Jack LaLanne's in West Covina, probably the late '80s. He was the biggest guy I'd ever seen in person.
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Thanks, Doozie for bringing this topic back to life.
I was not aware that Birdsong was having some bad times as he was doing exceptionally well as a family man the last time I saw him at the dinner gathering south of Disneyland as mentioned earlier.
I'm going to do my best in an attempt to reach him on a cell phone and will have to ask around to see if I can get his contact number.
Speaking of which .... I recently had a very brief phone conversation with my old friend BILL GRANT but that conversation was too damn short due to driving conditions, so I'll be calling Bill again this week in an effort to bring those who may be interested ... up tp date on some of these old timeBB originators.
Will also do my best to re-contact Dennis Newman and numerous other well-known individuals within the game to see just what one and all are presently involved with. I'm sure that there are some damn interesting stories that have occured since they were on numerous magazine covers.
Other old time friends whom I will attempt to contact ... Joe Nazzario, Phil Hernon, Lee Haney, Gene Mozee, Dale Adriane, yada, yada, yada, and yada .....
Damn!!! I just managed to recall a good number of individuals have departed this planet for better (or is it "worser" ?) places.
One good friend who has been in the BB business since the mid 1950's and who has stayed in contact with just about every other individual in the BB business might be convinced to publish a book about just about everything and everyone in the business.
Any book publishers among you GetBiggers??
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damn, I think of all the stuff I missed living up here in Canada, and sometimes I regret not moving down there, and other times i'm damn glad I didn't. ;D
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Thanks, Doozie for bringing this topic back to life.
I was not aware that Birdsong was having some bad times as he was doing exceptionally well as a family man the last time I saw him at the dinner gathering south of Disneyland as mentioned earlier.
I'm going to do my best in an attempt to reach him on a cell phone and will have to ask around to see if I can get his contact number.
Speaking of which .... I recently had a very brief phone conversation with my old friend BILL GRANT but that conversation was too damn short due to driving conditions, so I'll be calling Bill again this week in an effort to bring those who may be interested ... up tp date on some of these old timeBB originators.
Will also do my best to re-contact Dennis Newman and numerous other well-known individuals within the game to see just what one and all are presently involved with. I'm sure that there are some damn interesting stories that have occured since they were on numerous magazine covers.
Other old time friends whom I will attempt to contact ... Joe Nazzario, Phil Hernon, Lee Haney, Gene Mozee, Dale Adriane, yada, yada, yada, and yada .....
Damn!!! I just managed to recall a good number of individuals have departed this planet for better (or is it "worser" ?) places.
One good friend who has been in the BB business since the mid 1950's and who has stayed in contact with just about every other individual in the BB business might be convinced to publish a book about just about everything and everyone in the business.
Any book publishers among you GetBiggers??
Dennis is easy to get a hold of.
Phil is as well.... but why on earth would anybody want to talk to that piece of shit? dude's a know-it-all smug scamming piece of shit thief. disrespectfull coward these days. you'd think his time in prison would've taught him a little respect. at least CT would back up his tuff guy words, phils a coward and a piece of garbage.... not that CT isn't/wasn't. Phil reminds me of Tom Prince actually... know it all, smug, arrogant, thinks he's smarter than everybody else... except Tom was too much of a junkie loser to think far ahead enough to sell fake shit (or real shit).
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Great thread, so I'm bumping it.
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Classic shit right here!!
GOLD STANDARD STUFF!
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Oh fuck I just saw this thread and got a boner. Think I missed it the first time around. Thanks for bumping it.
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Best thread on a bodybuilding forum ever.
What happened to onlyme (pip)?
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Best thread on a bodybuilding forum ever.
What happened to onlyme (pip)?
He's in that big spider web in the sky
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;D bumped..
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Three year bump.
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The 1977 Teenage Mr. Tarhill was my introduction to bodybuilding. All things considered, I should track down the guy who invited me to that show and kill him.
In the summer of 1982 we made our pilgrimage to Gold’s Gym Venice. Upon walking into the front parking lot, we immediately noticed a black 4x4 upside down, partially blocking the entrance. A strange sight, but no one seemed overly concerned, so we kept walking. As we entered, I saw both Barbarian Brothers arguing with each other about something… turns out, the upside down truck was their's. I went to the pro shop area and they were selling the current Barbarian Brothers poster. I bought the poster and went outside to get a signature. The boys were still arguing over who was at fault for the roll-over, but I stepped in and asked for an autograph. David looked at Peter… Peter looked back at David and then they both looked at me and said “Sure big man, you got a pen?” There we were, David, Peter, me and the upside down truck… I still remember the signature on the poster; "To Tom, The higher you climb, the farther you can see." You should’ve been there.
I made it back to The Mecca a few times during the next few years. Always a great workout. Always a little memory of bodybuilding. The last workout we had, before I went to the Joint for five years, was at Gold’s Gym Venice. Don’t remember what I trained, but I do remember looking at the old style peg board, above the water fountain in the front room. On the board, was a 4 x 6 picture of Peter Paul with the most absurd neck pump I had ever seen... 21” minimum, vascular, awesome. I looked around… the coast was clear… I stole the picture. You should’ve been there.
They had to let me go in 1989, and one of the first things I did, was drive to Venice and train at The Mecca. Soon after that we moved to Santa Monica. My girlfriend was a competitive bodybuilder, and I was racing bicycles, so we were @ Gold’s Venice 25-30 hrs per week…
Don Ross has been my friend since 1981. He had a little office above the posing room, at Gold’s Venice. Great office. One day in 1989, Don, my girlfriend & me, were sitting in the office discussing bodybuilding and it's absurdities. There was a knock on the door… in walks Samir Bannout, 1984 Mr. Olympia (edit 1983 Mr. O). We proceeded to smoke some of Don’s finest northern California sensimilla (seedless & purple). An hour later we came pouring out of Don’s office, smoke billowing, stoned to the hilt.--- A few weeks later, Don and I were out front of Gold's one sunny day and a sand colored Hummer came rolling down Hampton Dr. A big man behind the wheel, smoking a cigar calls out, "Ripper Savage!" Don yells back, "Arnold!!" We keep talking... Don says "Pretty cool huh?" I just smiled. You should’ve been there.
In 1992 my bodybuilding girlfriend was long gone. Too many injuries and lack of talent had ended my racing career. The couch tour was close and my car's back seat was a poor bed... then one day, Gold’s Gym Manager Darin Lannighan walked by me in the gym and asked, “Hey dude, do you still want a job here?” “Absolutely”, I said. Darin says, “Cool, be here tomorrow morning at 4am, I’ll get you a key and you’ll be our opener.” I laughed the rest of my workout. You should've been there.
1992 – 1997. Wow. Sleeping in the back room. Sleeping in the posing room. Having a gang bang in the posing room. Finding an IFBB pro sleeping in the posing room, because he was homeless (that's OK, been there, done that). Watching Brian Regan (A REAL hell raiser) put a .45 in Joe Cosmo’s face at the front desk and watching Joe pee his pants (that happens). Slinging gear over the front counter. Telling Ed Connors that Don Ross was gone Telling Nessler that Kurt Colbain was dead. Working the front desk at 4:20am during the Northridge earthquake, and thinking it was funny that everyone was running out of the gym, and then running right back into the gym. Getting drunk with James Caan. Cigar night at Shatzi's (Arnold's rest. on Main St) Hookers for free. Strippers for free. Getting arrested in the 2nd room at Gold’s Venice by LAPD. Comped at every bar in Hollywood (the doorman & bartenders all trained at Gold's Venice).
Teaching movie stars about Clenbuterol (real Stars, not bodybuilding movie stars). Teaching convicts how to pass their drug test. Making $50,000 a year legit, and having a fucking blast doing it. Every year, after the “O” talking and training with Dorian & Leroy. Listening to Flex, Dillet , and Cormier, talking about Dorian and hearing them say, “Fuck, we’re at least a year, maybe two years behind him.” Changing out the floor in the front room and having LAPD show up at 3am to shut down the loud music and party. Sparing with World Champion Dennis Alexio in the kickboxing class.Trying to convince my friend Danny, who was working the entry gate that day, that the "homeless dude" who just came in actually was Keeanu Reeves. Danny thought it was some bum "who had stolen Keanu's membership". ;D Taking a break in the front parking lot and watching two Border Brothers steal Tom MaGee's (1984 World Strongest Man) Chevy Z28. ;D Tom asked me. "Tom, why didn't you stop them?" I said, "Tommy, I didn't realize it was your Z28 until they were driving away. Sorry."
Doing 15 minutes worth of tire smoking full-power burnouts, in the front lot @2:30am, while LAPD stood by w/15 cars, and watched, and finally an LAPD Sgt. walked over and said, "Look dude, we're trying to plan a raid on the crackhouse down the street, we're staging in your parking lot across the street, would you please stop doing burnouts!!" ;D Taking smack from a biker for membership because he didn’t have any cash, and giving it to a strung out hooker (no payback required). Breaking up a fight between Titus and some other idiot in the front room. Finding David Dearth (Who is a very cool dude, and just had a little too much that night) OD’ed on Nubain, sound asleep on the treadmill Getting called at 3am by numerous bodybuilders, because their girlfriend was OD’ing on GHB and they wanted to know what to do. Having "Candy night" and watching Melissa Coates laugh so hard it made me pee in my pants. Watching a dude (a regular late night lunatic) who left his gym pants at home, try and train in a shirt only, because, "I pulled my shirt down real low and you really couldn't see my sack." ;D You should’ve been there.
1997- 2007 pending…
Sordid and sad is right.....Bodybuilding is a bastion of lowlifes and losers....
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Nah, they ain't all a bunch of losers. Its just that those kind of guys (and gals too) are most interesting to read about on this here GetBig Board.
I've had the honor of meeting some damn fine, world-widw 'gym members' during my life-time whom never do anything that would be of interest to most GetBiggers.
I forgot all about this thread and with Tommy's consent if I get the time, I'll try to update it a bit.
I do now realize that I made a mistake on the first page saying that Gary Strydom won the America, but I meant to say ...Gary Leonard.
I don't think anyone caught that error!
You still aound, Tommy?
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The 1977 Teenage Mr. Tarhill was my introduction to bodybuilding. All things considered, I should track down the guy who invited me to that show and kill him.
In the summer of 1982 we made our pilgrimage to Gold’s Gym Venice. Upon walking into the front parking lot, we immediately noticed a black 4x4 upside down, partially blocking the entrance. A strange sight, but no one seemed overly concerned, so we kept walking. As we entered, I saw both Barbarian Brothers arguing with each other about something… turns out, the upside down truck was their's. I went to the pro shop area and they were selling the current Barbarian Brothers poster. I bought the poster and went outside to get a signature. The boys were still arguing over who was at fault for the roll-over, but I stepped in and asked for an autograph. David looked at Peter… Peter looked back at David and then they both looked at me and said “Sure big man, you got a pen?” There we were, David, Peter, me and the upside down truck… I still remember the signature on the poster; "To Tom, The higher you climb, the farther you can see." You should’ve been there.
I made it back to The Mecca a few times during the next few years. Always a great workout. Always a little memory of bodybuilding. The last workout we had, before I went to the Joint for five years, was at Gold’s Gym Venice. Don’t remember what I trained, but I do remember looking at the old style peg board, above the water fountain in the front room. On the board, was a 4 x 6 picture of Peter Paul with the most absurd neck pump I had ever seen... 21” minimum, vascular, awesome. I looked around… the coast was clear… I stole the picture. You should’ve been there.
They had to let me go in 1989, and one of the first things I did, was drive to Venice and train at The Mecca. Soon after that we moved to Santa Monica. My girlfriend was a competitive bodybuilder, and I was racing bicycles, so we were @ Gold’s Venice 25-30 hrs per week…
Don Ross has been my friend since 1981. He had a little office above the posing room, at Gold’s Venice. Great office. One day in 1989, Don, my girlfriend & me, were sitting in the office discussing bodybuilding and it's absurdities. There was a knock on the door… in walks Samir Bannout, 1984 Mr. Olympia (edit 1983 Mr. O). We proceeded to smoke some of Don’s finest northern California sensimilla (seedless & purple). An hour later we came pouring out of Don’s office, smoke billowing, stoned to the hilt.--- A few weeks later, Don and I were out front of Gold's one sunny day and a sand colored Hummer came rolling down Hampton Dr. A big man behind the wheel, smoking a cigar calls out, "Ripper Savage!" Don yells back, "Arnold!!" We keep talking... Don says "Pretty cool huh?" I just smiled. You should’ve been there.
In 1992 my bodybuilding girlfriend was long gone. Too many injuries and lack of talent had ended my racing career. The couch tour was close and my car's back seat was a poor bed... then one day, Gold’s Gym Manager Darin Lannighan walked by me in the gym and asked, “Hey dude, do you still want a job here?” “Absolutely”, I said. Darin says, “Cool, be here tomorrow morning at 4am, I’ll get you a key and you’ll be our opener.” I laughed the rest of my workout. You should've been there.
1992 – 1997. Wow. Sleeping in the back room. Sleeping in the posing room. Having a gang bang in the posing room. Finding an IFBB pro sleeping in the posing room, because he was homeless (that's OK, been there, done that). Watching Brian Regan (A REAL hell raiser) put a .45 in Joe Cosmo’s face at the front desk and watching Joe pee his pants (that happens). Slinging gear over the front counter. Telling Ed Connors that Don Ross was gone Telling Nessler that Kurt Colbain was dead. Working the front desk at 4:20am during the Northridge earthquake, and thinking it was funny that everyone was running out of the gym, and then running right back into the gym. Getting drunk with James Caan. Cigar night at Shatzi's (Arnold's rest. on Main St) Hookers for free. Strippers for free. Getting arrested in the 2nd room at Gold’s Venice by LAPD. Comped at every bar in Hollywood (the doorman & bartenders all trained at Gold's Venice).
Teaching movie stars about Clenbuterol (real Stars, not bodybuilding movie stars). Teaching convicts how to pass their drug test. Making $50,000 a year legit, and having a fucking blast doing it. Every year, after the “O” talking and training with Dorian & Leroy. Listening to Flex, Dillet , and Cormier, talking about Dorian and hearing them say, “Fuck, we’re at least a year, maybe two years behind him.” Changing out the floor in the front room and having LAPD show up at 3am to shut down the loud music and party. Sparing with World Champion Dennis Alexio in the kickboxing class.Trying to convince my friend Danny, who was working the entry gate that day, that the "homeless dude" who just came in actually was Keeanu Reeves. Danny thought it was some bum "who had stolen Keanu's membership". ;D Taking a break in the front parking lot and watching two Border Brothers steal Tom MaGee's (1984 World Strongest Man) Chevy Z28. ;D Tom asked me. "Tom, why didn't you stop them?" I said, "Tommy, I didn't realize it was your Z28 until they were driving away. Sorry."
Doing 15 minutes worth of tire smoking full-power burnouts, in the front lot @2:30am, while LAPD stood by w/15 cars, and watched, and finally an LAPD Sgt. walked over and said, "Look dude, we're trying to plan a raid on the crackhouse down the street, we're staging in your parking lot across the street, would you please stop doing burnouts!!" ;D Taking smack from a biker for membership because he didn’t have any cash, and giving it to a strung out hooker (no payback required). Breaking up a fight between Titus and some other idiot in the front room. Finding David Dearth (Who is a very cool dude, and just had a little too much that night) OD’ed on Nubain, sound asleep on the treadmill Getting called at 3am by numerous bodybuilders, because their girlfriend was OD’ing on GHB and they wanted to know what to do. Having "Candy night" and watching Melissa Coates laugh so hard it made me pee in my pants. Watching a dude (a regular late night lunatic) who left his gym pants at home, try and train in a shirt only, because, "I pulled my shirt down real low and you really couldn't see my sack." ;D You should’ve been there.
1997- 2007 pending…
this is one of the best posts I've ever read on this site. thanks for telling.
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Happy to share iron brother.
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I am so glad ive got some gold's gym stories (2012 to current) for me - nothing like tommy lol
i got lucky as can be - my co-worker/partner relocated to Marina Del Rey (she lived right across the cheesecake factory if you know the area) and i could walk to golds. that became my second home and then i got licensed in CA (broker) so i had a reason to go back all the time
my personal best moments for me:
i caught mike o hearn double take when i was training super hard - he trains at 4am - too damn early
did some posing with world will harris (we both went to ASU) this was right before the culver city show
seeing arnold 2 feet away (he used to go early sunday AM) no one else was there but you can bump into him on sundays
I love golds venice
so lucky my best friend lived walking distance to that place - i got lucky lol
google owns the building i was told?
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Sordid and sad is right.....Bodybuilding is a bastion of lowlifes and losers....
its a beauty contest - not a group full of Mensa members and Rhodes scholars
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its a beauty contest - not a group full of Mensa members and Rhodes scholars
What about the "house guests"?? Who were they and how many were there? Did they submit?
Lol.
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I don’t know how I missed all this juicy shit. I’ve been there forever but not a social bee. Keep to myself and workout and leave. It is cool being recognized by the old pros etc when I head back in to town. Still the best gym in the world. Second best is the brickyard 😉
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I don’t know how I missed all this juicy shit. I’ve been there forever but not a social bee. Keep to myself and workout and leave. It is cool being recognized by the old pros etc when I head back in to town. Still the best gym in the world. Second best is the brickyard 😉
by far the best gym in the world
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Wow this was such a great thread to read I loved reading the old stories! :)
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The 1977 Teenage Mr. Tarhill was my introduction to bodybuilding. All things considered, I should track down the guy who invited me to that show and kill him.
In the summer of 1982 we made our pilgrimage to Gold’s Gym Venice. Upon walking into the front parking lot, we immediately noticed a black 4x4 upside down, partially blocking the entrance. A strange sight, but no one seemed overly concerned, so we kept walking. As we entered, I saw both Barbarian Brothers arguing with each other about something… turns out, the upside down truck was their's. I went to the pro shop area and they were selling the current Barbarian Brothers poster. I bought the poster and went outside to get a signature. The boys were still arguing over who was at fault for the roll-over, but I stepped in and asked for an autograph. David looked at Peter… Peter looked back at David and then they both looked at me and said “Sure big man, you got a pen?” There we were, David, Peter, me and the upside down truck… I still remember the signature on the poster; "To Tom, The higher you climb, the farther you can see." You should’ve been there.
I made it back to The Mecca a few times during the next few years. Always a great workout. Always a little memory of bodybuilding. The last workout we had, before I went to the Joint for five years, was at Gold’s Gym Venice. Don’t remember what I trained, but I do remember looking at the old style peg board, above the water fountain in the front room. On the board, was a 4 x 6 picture of Peter Paul with the most absurd neck pump I had ever seen... 21” minimum, vascular, awesome. I looked around… the coast was clear… I stole the picture. You should’ve been there.
They had to let me go in 1989, and one of the first things I did, was drive to Venice and train at The Mecca. Soon after that we moved to Santa Monica. My girlfriend was a competitive bodybuilder, and I was racing bicycles, so we were @ Gold’s Venice 25-30 hrs per week…
Don Ross has been my friend since 1981. He had a little office above the posing room, at Gold’s Venice. Great office. One day in 1989, Don, my girlfriend & me, were sitting in the office discussing bodybuilding and it's absurdities. There was a knock on the door… in walks Samir Bannout, 1984 Mr. Olympia (edit 1983 Mr. O). We proceeded to smoke some of Don’s finest northern California sensimilla (seedless & purple). An hour later we came pouring out of Don’s office, smoke billowing, stoned to the hilt.--- A few weeks later, Don and I were out front of Gold's one sunny day and a sand colored Hummer came rolling down Hampton Dr. A big man behind the wheel, smoking a cigar calls out, "Ripper Savage!" Don yells back, "Arnold!!" We keep talking... Don says "Pretty cool huh?" I just smiled. You should’ve been there.
In 1992 my bodybuilding girlfriend was long gone. Too many injuries and lack of talent had ended my racing career. The couch tour was close and my car's back seat was a poor bed... then one day, Gold’s Gym Manager Darin Lannighan walked by me in the gym and asked, “Hey dude, do you still want a job here?” “Absolutely”, I said. Darin says, “Cool, be here tomorrow morning at 4am, I’ll get you a key and you’ll be our opener.” I laughed the rest of my workout. You should've been there.
1992 – 1997. Wow. Sleeping in the back room. Sleeping in the posing room. Having a gang bang in the posing room. Finding an IFBB pro sleeping in the posing room, because he was homeless (that's OK, been there, done that). Watching Brian Regan (A REAL hell raiser) put a .45 in Joe Cosmo’s face at the front desk and watching Joe pee his pants (that happens). Slinging gear over the front counter. Telling Ed Connors that Don Ross was gone Telling Nessler that Kurt Colbain was dead. Working the front desk at 4:20am during the Northridge earthquake, and thinking it was funny that everyone was running out of the gym, and then running right back into the gym. Getting drunk with James Caan. Cigar night at Shatzi's (Arnold's rest. on Main St) Hookers for free. Strippers for free. Getting arrested in the 2nd room at Gold’s Venice by LAPD. Comped at every bar in Hollywood (the doorman & bartenders all trained at Gold's Venice).
Teaching movie stars about Clenbuterol (real Stars, not bodybuilding movie stars). Teaching convicts how to pass their drug test. Making $50,000 a year legit, and having a fucking blast doing it. Every year, after the “O” talking and training with Dorian & Leroy. Listening to Flex, Dillet , and Cormier, talking about Dorian and hearing them say, “Fuck, we’re at least a year, maybe two years behind him.” Changing out the floor in the front room and having LAPD show up at 3am to shut down the loud music and party. Sparing with World Champion Dennis Alexio in the kickboxing class.Trying to convince my friend Danny, who was working the entry gate that day, that the "homeless dude" who just came in actually was Keeanu Reeves. Danny thought it was some bum "who had stolen Keanu's membership". ;D Taking a break in the front parking lot and watching two Border Brothers steal Tom MaGee's (1984 World Strongest Man) Chevy Z28. ;D Tom asked me. "Tom, why didn't you stop them?" I said, "Tommy, I didn't realize it was your Z28 until they were driving away. Sorry."
Doing 15 minutes worth of tire smoking full-power burnouts, in the front lot @2:30am, while LAPD stood by w/15 cars, and watched, and finally an LAPD Sgt. walked over and said, "Look dude, we're trying to plan a raid on the crackhouse down the street, we're staging in your parking lot across the street, would you please stop doing burnouts!!" ;D Taking smack from a biker for membership because he didn’t have any cash, and giving it to a strung out hooker (no payback required). Breaking up a fight between Titus and some other idiot in the front room. Finding David Dearth (Who is a very cool dude, and just had a little too much that night) OD’ed on Nubain, sound asleep on the treadmill Getting called at 3am by numerous bodybuilders, because their girlfriend was OD’ing on GHB and they wanted to know what to do. Having "Candy night" and watching Melissa Coates laugh so hard it made me pee in my pants. Watching a dude (a regular late night lunatic) who left his gym pants at home, try and train in a shirt only, because, "I pulled my shirt down real low and you really couldn't see my sack." ;D You should’ve been there.
1997- 2007 pending…
Just read your story. What kind of bikes did you race in the early 90s?
I might know you if it was BMX. I raced in that area at that time. At Orange Y
I rode for Subway and then Vans on the National circuit at that time.
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Gold's Gym Venice today - boarded up, worried about the riots and looting...
Hopefully, things will be better when the gyms can open back up
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Gold's Gym Venice today - boarded up, worried about the riots and looting...
Hopefully, things will be better when the gyms can open back up
They should send all the bbers there, standing in the front, guarding it
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Gold's Gym Venice today - boarded up, worried about the riots and looting...
Hopefully, things will be better when the gyms can open back up
I got word today of a couple of things. The first, and I know it’s just a rumor, that Ed Conner is thinking about purchasing Golds 🤷♂️
And the other was Dave Fishers Powerhouse gym will be reopening on Monday.
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RX Muscle Ed Connor interview.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojGDtrTK6RM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojGDtrTK6RM)
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The name change doesn't give me confidence in their reopening.
(https://i.postimg.cc/1z92ykXy/covid.jpg)
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I got word today of a couple of things. The first, and I know it’s just a rumor, that Ed Conner is thinking about purchasing Golds 🤷♂️
And the other was Dave Fishers Powerhouse gym will be reopening on Monday.
No gyms are open in CA yet? Here in TX we’ve been open since May 18th
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No gyms are open in CA yet? Here in TX we’ve been open since May 18th
The smaller gyms here in HB have opened because our PD refuses to enforce the still gym lockdowns. The box gyms probably won’t reopen (here) for about another week or so. UFC here in HB are supposed to open next week along with the YMCA
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Man this thread went from ;D to :'(.