Getbig Bodybuilding Boards > History - Stories - and Memories
Gyms - Old-Skool & Hardcore & Historical
pumpster:
Old-skool gyms. Add yours. Incomplete obviously, just wanted to get it started. Can also include hardcore recent gyms.
NYC:
Strictly old-skool:
-Mid-City Gym, 244 W 49th Street at 8th Ave. Draper used to sometimes visit there from New Jersey across the river, before relocating to the West Coast with Weider in the 1960s:
http://www.midcitygym.com/main/gateway/gateway.asp?GID=502&CID=203&URL=http%3A%2F%2Flocator%3A80%2FCustomPages%2Fpage%2Easp%3FlocID%3D100889%26cpid%3D1
Gladiators Gym, lower east side NYC October 2008. Much of the equipment is from the 1960s and 70s, some of it custom-made before such machines were commercially available. For anyone in or visiting NYC..Gladiator Gym used to be on E. 6th in the East Village, now has reappeared in the same general neighborhood now below Houston on the lower east side. 69 Columbia at Rivington, in the basement of a multi-building apartment complex about a block off Columbia. $150/year, good old-skool flavor and equipment some of which is decades old. Just about ideal training temperatures slightly warmish with lots of fans, old-daze BB pics galore along the walls, and nice cold water cooler.
http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z136/analogbass/IMG_2767.jpg
http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z136/analogbass/IMG_2768.jpg
http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z136/analogbass/IMG_2770.jpg
Cardio-one elliptical and a few stairmasters. Actually very nice-a view and fresh air in your face.
http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z136/analogbass/IMG_2776.jpg
Custom made bicep curl machine with a better/different design than most of the commercial ones that are so-so
http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z136/analogbass/IMG_2781.jpg
http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z136/analogbass/IMG_2778.jpg
Various cable attachments
http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z136/analogbass/IMG_2765.jpg
Hard-core contemporary gyms:
-19th St. Gym
http://www.19thstreetgym.com/
-Chelsea Piers
23rd St. & West Side Hwy
http://www.chelseapiers.com/sc/index.htm
-David Barton Gym
23rd & 7th
List of gyms:
http://ironage.us/gyms/index.html#nebraska
What makes a good gym - Dave Draper:
http://www.davedraper.com/article-292-how-to-find-a-good-gym.html
http://www.davedraper.com/article20-muscle-beach.html
Tampa, Florida
Inside the Smith Health Club, a short man with broad shoulders and gray hair sits in a little office littered with papers.
He watches his customers work out, taking mental notes of their form. Walls of photographs of muscled people in Mr. America poses smile down at him. This is his life, and he couldn't be happier.
Harry Smith runs the Smith Health Club, which he says is the oldest independently owned fitness club in the country.
Six days a week, you can find Smith inside his gym at 3415 Horatio St., near Henderson Boulevard, providing personalized instruction to hundreds of fitness buffs, athletes and people who just want to get in shape.
At a time when large gyms are trying to lure customers with fancy marketing campaigns and special offers, Smith, 81, runs his gym the way he did when he opened almost 50 years ago. It's simple, with a focus on fitness.
"He's one of the pioneers," said friend and fitness instructor Aida Perez. "He's definitely the personification of training. He's the real deal."
Smith's passion for weightlifting began during World War II. He was in the Navy, stationed in San Diego. On weekends, he'd drive to Santa Monica, where he trained at Vic Tanny's Gym. He pumped iron alongside Joe Gold, of Gold's Gym fame.
He returned home to Atlanta, where he flexed his ripped muscles at competitions. Weightlifting and bench press titles followed.
In 1964, at age 38, he became the oldest contestant ever to win the Mr. Florida title. He had moved to Florida after stints in the Sunshine State as a pro wrestler. He always loved the water.
Smith, who at 5 foot 8 benched 435 pounds at his peak, opened the Harry Smith Health Club in 1956, charging high school students $20 for three months.
Today, there are still no annual contracts and enrollment fees. It's a flat $30 a month, with a promise from Smith that he will personally oversee your workout and get you in shape.
It's the individual attention that has kept Irene Papachristou of Beach Park coming back for 15 years.
"Working out at Harry's is like being amongst family," Papachristou said. "If you're not doing something right here, Harry will certainly let you know."
There's no computer to track a client's body fat index. It's all written on cards and filed alphabetically in a metal tin. Often, he stores it in his head.
He has trained famous body builders, such as three-time Mr. Olympia Frank Zane and Craig Whitehead, as well as generations of families. One man brought his son, who later brought his sons.
"These people here, they're my family," Smith said, looking through the window of his office. "This is all I need."
Smith doesn't just run a gym; he lives it. He has more than 30 weightlifting titles and was once crowned Junior Mr. America. In addition to Mr. Florida, he has earned the titles of Mr. Dixie, Mr. Georgia and Mr. All South.
To his more than 250 clients, he's just Harry.
"He is a great example of somebody totally dedicated," said Perez, one of the club's five personal trainers. "We all have a purpose in life. This is what he eats, breathes and sleeps."
Smith works out every day but doesn't watch the clock. His body tells him when to quit.
He skips breakfast and eats out most of the time. He watches his carbohydrate intake and packs the protein. He's a regular at Outback Steakhouse, Malio's, Bern's and Lauro's.
Twice divorced, Smith is known for being a flirt. He calls his female customers "baby" and "sugar" and will grasp your elbow as he ushers you through his gym for a tour.
His fitness center is divided into three sections: a room for hard-core weightlifters, one for those just looking for a good workout, and one just for women.
"I like to give personalized attention," Smith said. "I want to be there, to know what's going on. Here, I can watch what goes on and be there, one on one."
"I am busy, but I like it," he said. "This is my life, baby."
-
Harry Smith
OCCUPATION: Owner of Smith Health Club
AGE: 81
FAMILY: His clients
STATUS: Twice divorced
TO STAY FIT: Lifts weights, plays golf
TO STAY YOUNG: Exercises and eats halfway right. "There's no secret there. It's just dedication."
EATING HABITS: Usually skips breakfast and eats out two, sometimes three, times a day. Eats lots of protein, avoids carbs. "I don't fool around with junk," he says.
BRUSH WITH FAME? Smith used to work out with Joe Gold at a gym at Santa Monica's Muscle Beach. Gold went on to open the famous Gold's Gym.
SECOND PASSION: Golf
Gladiators Gym:
onlyme:
Ah I miss the good ol days. I wish I had pictures of the first gym I went to. In Hawthorne, CA called "Docs". It was a garage that was modified. It had a boxing ring and the equipment was made from bicycle rims, chains, large gears for plates. The Chest press was two pieces of angle iron with bolts going through them into the rafters with cables. Very hardcore but got the job done. The owner of the house and gym was an old olympic athlete in the shot putt.
pumpster:
by Justin Leonard
YOUR GYM MIGHT BE HARDCORE IF....
#16 - at least 60% of the gym members bring gallon jugs of water to drink while working out.
And what's funny about this one is that the jugs are only about a third full. I've seen several gallon jugs, but I've never seen someone finish a full one during the course of a workout.
#15 - there's chalk on all of the equipment (including machine weights).
Hardcore gyms don't care about being clean while you workout. You're in there to sweat and look ugly.
#14 - there are no disinfectant wipes or spray bottles in the workout area.
Hardcore gyms may not have sanitary stations posted throughout the gym. Instead, you're encouraged to bring your own towel or check one out at the counter when you enter the gym.
#13 - in the main area of the gym, it's perfectly acceptable to pose in front of the mirror with your shirt off or pants down.
Health clubs are really modest, and the general population doesn't understand the bodybuilding community. If someone begins to pose in front of the mirror and people [who actually care] begin to gather around in awe... you definitely workout in a hardcore gym.
#12 - there are less than five cardiovascular machines.
This is true especially for old school gyms. If the gym you train at has less than five cardiovascular machines, it might be hardcore.
#11 - there is a deadlifting platform in the gym.
They protrude from the ground and are usually made out of wood and covered with carpet. They are topped with a rubber coating and are always infested with chalk. Usually, only someone interested in Olympic style powerlifting or hardcore bodybuilding will use this area of the gym. Most health clubs wouldn't want a deadlifting platform in their gym because 1) no one would ever use it, and 2) anyone who uses it seriously will usually require chalk for gripping and control purposes, which could ultimately migrate onto other machines.
#10 - there are digitally signed 8 x 10 photo reprints and full-sized posters of bodybuilders posted throughout the gym.
Generally speaking, commercial health clubs don't want their guests to get the wrong impression when they walk into their gyms. On the other hand, athletes who have either visited the gym or have achieved athletic success at the gym are encouraged to submit a photo to grace the halls and walls of the gym.
#9 - the bathrooms have no showers.
The concept is simple: Come in, do what you have to do, and get out!
#8 - it's perfectly normal to yell or grunt aloud while working out.
You can't really do this at a "health club" or "fitness center" without everyone staring at you. Most people just don't see the need to yell. The health club/fitness center mentality is, "If you have to make all that noise, then the weight is too heavy." The hardcore gym mentality is, "If you're not making noise, you're not pushing yourself hard enough."
#7 - the area around the customer service desk is encrusted with trophies from gym members.
Health clubs usually don't want to create an elite athlete gym atmosphere. Whereas hardcore gyms take pride in knowing that their gym is home to the nation's/world's top athletes.
#6 - the gym temperature feels like it's 90 degrees with the A/C on.
I never understood this one. I suppose the hotter it is, the tougher you become. Fitness centers and health clubs always maintain ideal workout temperatures.
#5 - the gym doesn't offer personal training services.
I guess the mentality at a hardcore gym is, "Why hire a personal trainer when you can recruit a hardcore training partner?" Or, "Personal trainers are for those who don't know what they are doing." No one is too good for a personal trainer. All elite athletes (e.g. Olympic) have them.
#4 - there is no aerobics room.
Many hardcore gyms don't have aerobics rooms. If they do, it's used for bodybuilding posing practice more than it is for aerobics.
#3 - there is a dedicated "neck" machine.
You'll rarely see a dedicated neck machine in a health club.
#2 - the water comes out of the water fountain at room temperature.
I never quite understood why this was... and what makes it even worse is that when water is dispensed at room temperature, it tastes salty for some reason.
#1 - the weights are always left on the machines and never put back on the racks, even though there's a big sign that says, "PLEASE RETURN WEIGHTS TO RACK!"
chaos:
--- Quote from: pumpster on June 21, 2007, 08:12:19 AM ---by Justin Leonard
YOUR GYM MIGHT BE HARDCORE IF....
#16 - at least 60% of the gym members bring gallon jugs of water to drink while working out.
And what's funny about this one is that the jugs are only about a third full. I've seen several gallon jugs, but I've never seen someone finish a full one during the course of a workout.
#15 - there's chalk on all of the equipment (including machine weights).
Hardcore gyms don't care about being clean while you workout. You're in there to sweat and look ugly.
#14 - there are no disinfectant wipes or spray bottles in the workout area.
Hardcore gyms may not have sanitary stations posted throughout the gym. Instead, you're encouraged to bring your own towel or check one out at the counter when you enter the gym.
#13 - in the main area of the gym, it's perfectly acceptable to pose in front of the mirror with your shirt off or pants down.
Health clubs are really modest, and the general population doesn't understand the bodybuilding community. If someone begins to pose in front of the mirror and people [who actually care] begin to gather around in awe... you definitely workout in a hardcore gym.
#12 - there are less than five cardiovascular machines.
This is true especially for old school gyms. If the gym you train at has less than five cardiovascular machines, it might be hardcore.
#11 - there is a deadlifting platform in the gym.
They protrude from the ground and are usually made out of wood and covered with carpet. They are topped with a rubber coating and are always infested with chalk. Usually, only someone interested in Olympic style powerlifting or hardcore bodybuilding will use this area of the gym. Most health clubs wouldn't want a deadlifting platform in their gym because 1) no one would ever use it, and 2) anyone who uses it seriously will usually require chalk for gripping and control purposes, which could ultimately migrate onto other machines.
#10 - there are digitally signed 8 x 10 photo reprints and full-sized posters of bodybuilders posted throughout the gym.
Generally speaking, commercial health clubs don't want their guests to get the wrong impression when they walk into their gyms. On the other hand, athletes who have either visited the gym or have achieved athletic success at the gym are encouraged to submit a photo to grace the halls and walls of the gym.
#9 - the bathrooms have no showers.
The concept is simple: Come in, do what you have to do, and get out!
#8 - it's perfectly normal to yell or grunt aloud while working out.
You can't really do this at a "health club" or "fitness center" without everyone staring at you. Most people just don't see the need to yell. The health club/fitness center mentality is, "If you have to make all that noise, then the weight is too heavy." The hardcore gym mentality is, "If you're not making noise, you're not pushing yourself hard enough."
#7 - the area around the customer service desk is encrusted with trophies from gym members.
Health clubs usually don't want to create an elite athlete gym atmosphere. Whereas hardcore gyms take pride in knowing that their gym is home to the nation's/world's top athletes.
#6 - the gym temperature feels like it's 90 degrees with the A/C on.
I never understood this one. I suppose the hotter it is, the tougher you become. Fitness centers and health clubs always maintain ideal workout temperatures.
#5 - the gym doesn't offer personal training services.
I guess the mentality at a hardcore gym is, "Why hire a personal trainer when you can recruit a hardcore training partner?" Or, "Personal trainers are for those who don't know what they are doing." No one is too good for a personal trainer. All elite athletes (e.g. Olympic) have them.
#4 - there is no aerobics room.
Many hardcore gyms don't have aerobics rooms. If they do, it's used for bodybuilding posing practice more than it is for aerobics.
#3 - there is a dedicated "neck" machine.
You'll rarely see a dedicated neck machine in a health club.
#2 - the water comes out of the water fountain at room temperature.
I never quite understood why this was... and what makes it even worse is that when water is dispensed at room temperature, it tastes salty for some reason.
#1 - the weights are always left on the machines and never put back on the racks, even though there's a big sign that says, "PLEASE RETURN WEIGHTS TO RACK!"
--- End quote ---
these all apply to my gym, is it hardcore? ???
trab:
The little hole in the wall gems ya bump into are my Fav.
I'll settle for minimal equip in trade for a good feel to a place.
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