Getbig.com: American Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure
Getbig Main Boards => Gossip & Opinions => Topic started by: Weightpit on December 12, 2006, 05:14:46 AM
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Not sure who reads "Flex" these days, but in the last issue, Flex had a great story covering the best "old School" hardcore gyms through bodybuilding history. They covered Vince's (Gironda) Gym, a YMCA Gym in Chicago where Sergio trained for his Olympia run, Dorian Yates Temple in Birmingham, Lee Haney training at some gym call the "Wild Kingdom", Coleman's MetroFlex Gym and finally the Golds Gym and World Gym....
At the end of the Golds Gym story, it said that it is now vacant and boarded up....but the "Golds" lettering is still visable......here is my question:
If I'm Arnold Schwarzenegger with all my millions, why not resurrect the building in it's past glory and make it some kind of centerpiece for bodybuilding?? That place was THE PLACE for every bodybuilding champion and aspiring champion.....
I find it incredible that it's now just an empty place.........
Just my .02!!
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Hmmmm....interesting. Sorry for the confusion but which Golds?
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that would be a good idea. money shoudlnt be a problem
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Hmmmm....interesting. Sorry for the confusion but which Golds?
Venice
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I wonder if anything was left in it, I would be tempted to break in and take some memorabilia if I was out there. It would be nice to have it restored to it's old glory and made into a museum of classic BBing.
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Venice
Venice Golds boarded up? Since when? Yesterday?
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Venice Golds boarded up? Since when? Yesterday?
Not the newer one but the original one.
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that would be a good idea. money shoudlnt be a problem
I was shocked to read that it was empty....or that ALL those bodybuilders that owed they're career to the place (and Joe Gold) let it happen.........
Am I way off base??
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I was shocked to read that it was empty....or that ALL those bodybuilders that owed they're career to the place (and Joe Gold) let it happen.........
Am I way off base??
Well after Joe sold it he took like 5 years off from the gym business and later opened World Gym where all the old regulars began to train, there loyalty was to Joe not his old gym.
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Hmmmm....interesting. Sorry for the confusion but which Golds?
The original Gold's in Venice on Pacific Avenue. I think Getbig member, Hurricane Beef, went out there and took pics and shared them with us. Are you listening, Beef? Post 'em again! 8)
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Not sure who reads "Flex" these days, but in the last issue, Flex had a great story covering the best "old School" hardcore gyms through bodybuilding history. They covered Vince's (Gironda) Gym, a YMCA Gym in Chicago where Sergio trained for his Olympia run, Dorian Yates Temple in Birmingham, Lee Haney training at some gym call the "Wild Kingdom", Coleman's MetroFlex Gym and finally the Golds Gym and World Gym....
At the end of the Golds Gym story, it said that it is now vacant and boarded up....but the "Golds" lettering is still visable......here is my question:
If I'm Arnold Schwarzenegger with all my millions, why not resurrect the building in it's past glory and make it some kind of centerpiece for bodybuilding?? That place was THE PLACE for every bodybuilding champion and aspiring champion.....
I find it incredible that it's now just an empty place.........
Just my .02!!
NO ITS ACTUALLY QUITE NICE INSIDE ..IT'S LIKE A STUDIO APT I SAW IT IN A BOOK FOR SALE..VERY NICE AND MODERN INSIDE.
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NO ITS ACTUALLY QUITE NICE INSIDE ..IT'S LIKE A STUDIO APT I SAW IT IN A BOOK FOR SALE..VERY NICE AND MODERN INSIDE.
Really?? THen why would Flex say that it's boarded up?? Either way, that building should have been a BB shrine already........
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How long has the original been closed? Why did they move anyway?
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If I'm Arnold Schwarzenegger with all my millions, why not resurrect the building in it's past glory and make it some kind of centerpiece for bodybuilding?? That place was THE PLACE for every bodybuilding champion and aspiring champion.....
Thought same: make it into a BB museum and/or theme restaurant. Much the same concept as his involvement with Planet Hollywood.
Last i'd heard, it was lived in by a gym owner maybe that's changed.
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How long has the original been closed? Why did they move anyway?
Hmmm....here is a recent pic that I just foung...."recent" meaning the in the last 3 years...
here is a write up too...
"The original Gold's Gym where Arnold used to be pumping iron has been closed for many years, but the building still remains and can be seen on the east side of Pacific, south of Rose, north of Westminster"
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maybe they used the Vic M membership plan?
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Looks hardcore like Metroflex, bet they didn't scream at you in there for dropping weights.
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I heard Joe didn't like it when people left weight lying on the floor and at World Gym would yell over an intercom at people to pick up weights.
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To answer you're question:
In Santa Monica and Venice, when something "a building" is labeled a historic place or building, the permits and trouble to resurect it gets a little hairy. Not saying it can't or won't be done. That is a PRIME piece of property, even if it wasn't the original Golds. Its 2 blocks from the beach.
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I heard Joe didn't like it when people left weight lying on the floor and at World Gym would yell over an intercom at people to pick up weights.
So are you implying that the original Gold's gym had the first ever "LUNK ALARM"?
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Hmmm....here is a recent pic that I just foung...."recent" meaning the in the last 3 years...
here is a write up too...
"The original Gold's Gym where Arnold used to be pumping iron has been closed for many years, but the building still remains and can be seen on the east side of Pacific, south of Rose, north of Westminster"
Isn's the area rather dodgy ? if I remember the area is run down...
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It's being used as a meth lab.
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Ken Sprague made the original Gold's into his private residence and as far as I know, closed it up when he moved up north.
And if you gotta ask who Ken Sprague was, you're not old enough for the rest of the story.
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It's really a shame to see the original Gold's Gym look like that. :'(
(http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=112295.0;attach=126563;image)
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It's really a shame to see the original Gold's Gym look like that. :'(
it's looked like that for at least 20 years. it's been used as a residence for most of that time. zillow.com lists it as a 2 bedroom 3 bath house valued at $2 million.
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it's looked like that for at least 20 years. it's been used as a residence for most of that time. zillow.com lists it as a 2 bedroom 3 bath house valued at $2 million.
It would be awesome to live there, I would def live there if I had the money.
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So are you implying that the original Gold's gym had the first ever "LUNK ALARM"?
Nah he just didn't like assholes leaving weights all over the floor which is very understandable as i work in a gym and hate picking up after dicks when they are lifting weights they can barely handle. I also heard he would use rather profane language to get his point across, Keith (onlyme) should know more about this.
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it's looked like that for at least 20 years. it's been used as a residence for most of that time. zillow.com lists it as a 2 bedroom 3 bath house valued at $2 million.
I was going to say that before I read your post, but I didn't know it was used as a residence. I was there once when I was a kid and it tiny inside, no more than 12-1500 sqft from what I remember!
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Intense, I'm not sure about this but I think it was linked to one of the ajoining homes and served as a living room area. Wasn't in there since the gym closed and can only repeat what I have been told.
Only, ask Pete about that the next time ya talk to him. (I have not heard from him yet!)
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It's really a shame to see the original Gold's Gym look like that. :'(
Actually it's great that it's still there looking much the same other than some wear.
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Nah he just didn't like assholes leaving weights all over the floor which is very understandable as i work in a gym and hate picking up after dicks when they are lifting weights they can barely handle. I also heard he would use rather profane language to get his point across, Keith (onlyme) should know more about this.
Joe had Tony Nowak as the "Enforcer" Tony made sure no one caused problems there. The gym was always kept clean and orderly. But I remember that many people left their weights on the bars. Like the bench press. But I am sure there were no weights on the floor. And I never heard say anything nasty or yell. Maybe he did when I wasn't there. I trained usually around 8am or so. Thats when my training partner Ron Depolito would train. Ron was the local pimp. He was a white guy who had a pink corvette. Very nutty. He got me into lifting at Worlds.
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Actually it's great that it's still there looking much the same other than some wear.
I meant the way they paved over the front windows and put a board up over the front door. It sucks that one can't walk by and look inside through the windows.
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Joe had Tony Nowak as the "Enforcer" Tony made sure no one caused problems there. The gym was always kept clean and orderly. But I remember that many people left their weights on the bars. Like the bench press. But I am sure there were no weights on the floor. And I never heard say anything nasty or yell. Maybe he did when I wasn't there. I trained usually around 8am or so. Thats when my training partner Ron Depolito would train. Ron was the local pimp. He was a white guy who had a pink corvette. Very nutty. He got me into lifting at Worlds.
Keith...........are you familiar with who really owns this property, area around it and recent history. You know where im going with this.
Beks
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The new Golds down the street is just as much fun to look at and train at. You all can still go down to the weight pit in venice.
I miss Golds in Venice. No Golds in America is like it. When I played Metal in the 80's, I did a tour where I hit all the Golds gyms I could in the USA with my tour manager in every city we played in. There is only 1 gym that compared. Cory Eversons in Clearwater Florida. That was Beautiful
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I meant the way they paved over the front windows and put a board up over the front door. It sucks that one can't walk by and look inside through the windows.
Windows were blocked over even before Pumping Iron the movie was made, check the first interior Gold's shot.
The book PI that came out the previous year has many photos of the windows in place.
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It's really a shame to see the original Gold's Gym look like that. :'(
(http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=112295.0;attach=126563;image)
no one gives a shit about it but bodybuilders. I wish someone would buy the building and open up a new gym there or a little museum of some sort.