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Getbig Main Boards => Gossip & Opinions => Topic started by: funk51 on September 18, 2020, 10:20:59 AM
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The Birth Of World Gym
07/26/2016 03:01 pm ET Updated Dec 06, 2017
Joe Gold, the owner and developer of Gold’s Gym had visions way back in the 60’s of having his own gym and in 1965 he built his dream gym, which became the Mecca Of Bodybuilding, we know it and we know it as Gold’s Gym. 1006 Pacific Street, Venice, CA.
2016-07-24-1469388986-2091389-frontofgoldsgym.jpg
In 1973 the gym was sold. Joe was a merchant marine and wanted to go back out to sea. At that time he not only sold the gym but the rights to his name as well. Sometimes we do things in life without realizing the big picture. In this case, once the name is sold, you can’t get it back.
Well as we know, Gold’s began to grow and within a couple of years it was becoming the gym to train in. Gold’s was in all the magazines and sponsoring bodybuilding shows. The gym’s popularity was huge and moving up the ranks fast. Joe Weider owner of Muscle & Fitness Magazine shot a lot of photos there for his magazine which increased the popularity a lot!
2016-07-24-1469389397-9619629-ricarnoldken.jpg
Then the owners sold it again and those owners sold it again and it was moved to 2nd street in Santa Monica. The building it was in was owned by actor Robert Blake. They only stayed in that location a few years and then moved to Hampton Street in Venice where it is now.
2nd street
2016-07-24-1469390065-7310810-secondgoldsgroup595.jpg
Today’s Gold’s Venice on Hampton
2016-07-24-1469390239-8828433-santamonica220120383.jpg
Joe Gold returned from sea in 1976 and saw the popularity of his former gym and wanted back into the business. Here’s where the problem came in. He sold his name so therefore legally was not able to open another gym with the name Gold in it. This frustrated him because it’s his name! I think any of us would feel that way, but legally there were no rights. So, he decided to open a bigger and better gym and call it World Gym - Owner Joe Gold. This actually sufficed and the gym opened up on Main Street in Santa Monica
2016-07-24-1469390462-268446-maxresdefault.jpg
Almost immediately all the die-hard bodybuilders came running back to support Joe and joined his club. Arnold, Franco, Waller, Zabo,Giuliani, Zane, Platz, etc. You name it, they were there. The support was unbelievable.
Everyone liked Joe and they were thrilled to be back in one of his gyms. Now many of you don’t know but Joe made ALL his equipment by hand, including even the dumbbells. This was what made his gym so unique. Everything was well thought out with angles and pulleys that made the greatest bodies in the world.
He still had the same rules, and that was if you drop the weights you’re kicked out and absolutely no music in the gym. He just thought it was distracting.
I was fortunate to have an apartment right across the street on one side and on the other side I had the ocean. This was the way to live. I could walk over and train and then walk to the beach to get some sun. Everything was within three blocks. Boy, those were the days.
2016-07-24-1469390576-9412527-JoeGoldMe.jpg
2016-07-24-1469390762-3800669-worldgymbuddies.jpg
After a few years, I bought a house in Sherman Oaks, which is considered the valley and about 17 miles from the beach. I drove to the gym everyday back and forth to train because that was home to me. But, one day Joe told me that he was building another world gym out by me so I wouldn’t have to drive as far.
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This is the World Gym that not too many people know of. It was built in Panorama City and was twice the size of his other gym. The weights and machines were all custom built by Joe as well, and the workouts there were some of the best. Joe didn’t believe in having heat or A/C in any of his gyms mainly because they were at the beach and it wasn’t needed but in the valley it was different. 112 in the summer was normal and 30 at night in the winter wasn’t unusual but still no heat and AC.
2016-07-24-1469390820-9504607-worldgymvalley.jpg
Never the less we all trained through it and had magnificent workouts. Some of the better bodybuilders there were Dave Johns, Mike Sable, and Rufus Howard at the time.
2016-07-24-1469390871-2649226-ricWorldValley1.jpg
Joe held onto this gym for a few years but quickly tired of the drive back and forth from the beach to the Valley.
Joe then sold the gym to bodybuilder Steve Davis. All of us still trained there and new members would come from time to time but the gym was off the main path and hard to find. It wasn’t drawing the people like we did at the beach and the Valley crowd was much different. I never trained at night there but was told it became a pretty rough crowd of gang bangers.
Steve held on to the gym for a few years and tried to make a go of it, but then decided to sell it and sold it cheap for $25,000. Had I known at the time, I would have bought it up but it happened so fast no one knew it.
A couple of men from Sunland bought and one day we arrived and the gates were chained up. This is a similar story for many gyms across the world when they lose money. These people moved the gym to Sunland, which was quite a distance from where it was so none of the members went along.
From what I’m told the gym went out of business and no one knows whatever happened to the equipment. To me, this is very sad because as I said, it was hand made equipment by Joe Gold himself and has a certain value to it if nothing else than for historical reasons.
Joe moved the gym in Santa Monica over to Venice in another huge building that he made by hand and it was tri-level. It was a very unusual shape but lacked the charisma of his other gyms. Arnold gave a hand in some of the financing and it stayed there for a few years. Then Joe moved it again to an old Sizzler Steak House in Marina Del Rey. I don’t think it drew the membership to keep it going by then. It had been moved too many times and people lost track of it. Joe passed away in 2004, the gym closed down and then the members all moved back to Gold’s gym to train again. It’s like everything went full circle.
World Gym Franchise is owned today by the Cammilleri family and re-growing fast.
2016-07-24-1469399528-6962723-ComingSoon.jpg
Gold’s Gym today has the same face but is a modern house inside.
2016-07-24-1469391040-1232486-boysoldgolds2.jpg
Inside today
2016-07-24-1469397580-8358130-IMG_2010.JPG
But the memories remain and some of the guys are still around to talk about it. Let’s hope it never fades.
ricdrasin.com
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https://deadspin.com/sex-steroids-and-arnold-the-gym-that-shaped-america-1828228786
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This is the World Gym that not too many people know of. It was built in Panorama City and was twice the size of his other gym. The weights and machines were all custom built by Joe as well, and the workouts there were some of the best. Joe didn’t believe in having heat or A/C in any of his gyms mainly because they were at the beach and it wasn’t needed but in the valley it was different. 112 in the summer was normal and 30 at night in the winter wasn’t unusual but still no heat and AC.
Never the less we all trained through it and had magnificent workouts. Some of the better bodybuilders there were Dave Johns, Mike Sable, and Rufus Howard at the time.
2016-07-24-1469390871-2649226-ricWorldValley1.jpg
Joe held onto this gym for a few years but quickly tired of the drive back and forth from the beach to the Valley.
Joe then sold the gym to bodybuilder Steve Davis. All of us still trained there and new members would come from time to time but the gym was off the main path and hard to find. It wasn’t drawing the people like we did at the beach and the Valley crowd was much different. I never trained at night there but was told it became a pretty rough crowd of gang bangers.
Steve held on to the gym for a few years and tried to make a go of it, but then decided to sell it and sold it cheap for $25,000. Had I known at the time, I would have bought it up but it happened so fast no one knew it.
A couple of men from Sunland bought and one day we arrived and the gates were chained up. This is a similar story for many gyms across the world when they lose money. These people moved the gym to Sunland, which was quite a distance from where it was so none of the members went along.
From what I’m told the gym went out of business and no one knows whatever happened to the equipment. To me, this is very sad because as I said, it was hand made equipment by Joe Gold himself and has a certain value to it if nothing else than for historical reasons.
Gym
The 2nd Joe Gold World gym most people don't know about and the mystery of the lost hand made Joe Gold equipment.
This is the Panorama City Gym?
(https://i.postimg.cc/RFFb0c3h/the-birth-of-world-gym-bsm.jpg)
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Funk,
Do you think Drasin had the facts straight about Joe Gold and World Gym?
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Funk,
Do you think Drasin had the facts straight about Joe Gold and World Gym?
I first met Joe Gold at the gym on Main St. We were never really friends but he said hello to me by name any time I went there. He was just a regular guy that enjoyed training and had a great sense of humor. His World Gym was great!
The original Gold's was pretty damn cool too.
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Funk,
Do you think Drasin had the facts straight about Joe Gold and World Gym?
i can't really say for sure but i just realized that today is robert blake's birthday 87 years old. he's part of the story.
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i can't really say for sure but i just realized that today is robert blake's birthday 87 years old. he's part of the story.
Is that the guy who shot his wife?
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Is that the guy who shot his wife?
yes Did actor Robert Blake murder his wife?
In 1967, Robert Blake, who worked as an actor on and off for years, starred in the adaptation of Truman Capote’s 1966 true crime novel, In Cold Blood. Blake played Perry Smith in the film, who murdered the four members of the Clutter family in 1959 with Richard Hickcock. Blake, apparently, had a “chilling” resemblance to Smith.
Either way, it makes for an ironic coincidence when, years later, Blake would be the prime suspect in the murder of his second wife, Bonnie Lee Bakley. While a jury found Blake not guilty, there are still doubts. Did Robert Blake kill his wife? Or he is as innocent as the jury believed him to be?
Obsession
Bonnie Lee Bakley was a woman obsessed with celebrity and wanted to be with someone famous. She didn’t really care who, saying “Being around celebrities, it makes you feel better than other people.” Bakley was a woman determined, pursuing relationships with Jerry Lee Lewis, Dean Martin, Frankie Valli, Gary Busey.
When she married Robert Blake in 2000, this was Bakley’s tenth marriage. It also had some stipulations attached to it. When Blake and Bakley met in 1999, Bakley was in a relationship with Christian Brando, the eldest son of actor Marlon Brando who was also in prison for voluntary manslaughter.
In June 200, Bakley would give birth to a daughter, Christian Shannon Brando. While she initially believed Brando was the father, she thought there was a chance that Blake could be her daughter’s father. Blake took a paternity test, which confirmed he was the father.
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With paternity established, the baby’s name was changed from Christian Shannon Brando to Rose Lenore Sophia Blake. With this news, Blake agreed to marry Bakley on the condition that she sign a temporary custody agreement. Given Bakley’s past marriages and her career running lonely heart ads scams, it makes sense that there would be some kind of agreement in place.
The agreement went like this, Bakley agrees to supervised visits with Rose, if her family/friends want to visit the property she needs to get permission from Blake, and if either party decides to end the marriage then the other would get custody of Rose. Bakley ignored an attorney’s advice about the agreement being “lopsided” and signed, wanting to marry Blake, which she did in Nov. 2000.
About seven mothers later, on May 4, 2001, Bakley would be dead.
May 4, 2001
Blake took Bakley out for dinner at Vitello’s Restaurant on May 4, 2001. After the meal, Blake and Bakley headed out to the car. Blake, however, forgot his gun inside of the restaurant. So he left Bakley to wait in the car and headed back to pick his gun. While Bakley sat in Blake’s vehicle, she was shot in the head.
Bakley’s window was open when she was shot, which police believed meant she was familiar with her attacker. The murder a Walther P38 pistol was found in a dumpster near the crime scene.
Blake definitely was in the restaurant when Bakley was shot. Police analyzed his hands for gun residue: nothing. The gun Blake forgot in the restaurant was not the murder weapon.
Despite this, however, police felt Blake had a strong motive to murder Bakley. Their marriage was not a happy one. The couple never lived together with Bakley and Rose living in a guest house. Blake didn’t trust Bakley, who was continuing to run her lonely heart scams.
Murder for Hire
Nearly a year later on April 18, 2002, Blake was arrested for Bakley’s murder. His bodyguard Earle Caldwell was arrested on conspiracy charges. So what brought on the charges? Two people came forward and said that Blake tried to hire them to kill Bakley, Ronald “Duffy” Hambleton, and Gary McLarty.
Blake and Caldwell entered pleas of Not Guilty. Blake even posted Caldwell’s $1 million USD bail. Blake, however, was denied bail. After nearly a year in jail in March 2003, he was allowed to post a $1.5 million USD bail for himself and was under house arrest until his trial.
During this time, the conspiracy charges against Blake and Caldwell were dismissed by a judge. A junior prosecutor admitted to 48 Hours Investigates that the case was very thin.
That’s what pretty much proved to be the prosecution’s undoing. The defense was brutal in their cross-examinations of Hambleton and McLarty, brought witnesses to contradict the prosecution’s case, and just wrecked it. Blake was found Not Guilty on March 16, 2005.
Reactions to the verdict were mixed. Some felt that Blake was guilty, but others felt that the defense did its job to prove his innocence. After his acquittal, Blake celebrated at the scene of the crime, Vitello’s.
But, as the O.J. Simpson case taught us, just because you’re found Not Guilty in criminal court, doesn’t mean civil court will be as kind.
Civil Suit
Bakley’s three older children from previous relationships filed a civil suit against Blake and Caldwell for the wrongful death of Bakley. This was a wild trial too. See the defense attorney, Eric Dubin, called Caldwell’s girlfriend to the stand and asked if she thought Blake and Caldwell did it.
Dubin recalled, “Tears filled her eyes as she paused for what seemed like a decade, then leaned into the microphone and said that yes, she did believe that they were involved.”
In Nov. 2005, months after his acquittal, Blake was found liable in his wife’s death and was ordered to pay $30 million USD to Bakley’s family. In 2006, Blake filed for bankruptcy.
Attempts to give the verdict for the civil suit overturned failed, though the price was cut in half from $30 mil to $15 mil. In 2010 the state of California put on a tax lien on Blake for $1,110,878 in unpaid back taxes. Blake has since, largely, faded from the public consciousness with his last role being in 1997.
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Wild story.
How do you leave a gun in a restaurant? Do people just lay them on the table like in the movies or what?
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Wild story.
How do you leave a gun in a restaurant? Do people just lay them on the table like in the movies or what?
Probably had it in a waistband holster. It's uncomfortable to wear seated so you lay it on the chair next to you or om the cushion next to you if you are sitting in a booth. You forget and leave.
People a few times a year leave their little kid in a closed car in the heat of the summer. They forget they have the kid in the car.
Bakley was trash. He shouldn't have married her.
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I never realised there were so many versions of the World Gym
So does anyone know which one featured in that famous advert where Rolf Moeller, Ferrigno, Schwarzenegger, etc. were arranged in height order on some sort of external staircase..?
I tried to Google the pic with no success but I'm certain you'll all know what I'm on about
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I never realised there were so many versions of the World Gym
So does anyone know which one featured in that famous advert where Rolf Moeller, Ferrigno, Schwarzenegger, etc. were arranged in height order on some sort of external staircase..?
I tried to Google the pic with no success but I'm certain you'll all know what I'm on about
That was the Venice World Gym which would be the 3rd Gold-owned World Gym according to Ric Drasin.
It was the 2nd Joe Gold-owned World gym near the beach.
There was only one Joe Gold World near the ocean at any one time as the gym's location migrated southward. Santa Monica to Venice to Marina Del Rey.
(https://i.postimg.cc/K8Nj6vjG/cbbf6a681b1f025d83b0c926d370a0c4.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Z5hJKk2W/98344773-1134769033556317-2656683984087416832-n.jpg)
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WARNING: Boring historical stuff follows .....,
Open for argument here but I seem to recall that Joe Gold's first and original gym location was situated on the ground floor of a Santa Monica high rise building which is now the Sand Castle beachfront condominium.
But I believe that only WES would be able to agree or disagree with the following 'expose'.....
I was a very young kid in the 1950's-early 1960's who would run along the shore-line from the Santa Monica Pier past POP and down to Venice Beach .... and then ride back to Santa Monica Beach on the 10 cent trolly car.
I ran along this beach pretty consistently for about 15 years and knew it well.
At the Santa Monica end there was an 8 foot concrete wall that ran along the front of what is now The Sand Castle which was a different name back then and was some sort of a private club and eventually became some type of recovery business for drug addicts.
Now it's a very expensive beachfront condo/apartment complex.
The best place to sit on the beach back then was directly in front of that concrete wall because it offered protection from the wind and the blowing sand.
Larry Scott was a gymnast back then (early 60's if I recall right) and a good number of those early day gym members including Doug Strohl took advantage of that windless location to soak up some winter or some summer sun once it came out about 11 AM.
Those windless, beach-spot regulars would use the bathroom if they could sneak into the indoor pool area of what is now called The Sand Castle. (Current day photo below)
On one such occasion I took a look around and found a room full of good looking gym equipment and since I showed an interest, I was told by one individual that every piece of this gym equipment was made by one individual named "JOE".
It's possible that that individual was Joe Gold himself and it's also possible that that was Joe's first gym location which gym historians fail to mention.
That incident occurred prior to 1961 but I have long forgotten the precise year.
WES!!??? How's you memory these here days?
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Thanks Megalodon - this place is like some sort of bodybuilding hive-mind - what was that? Less than 5 minutes from query to answer? Very much appreciated 8)
I probably haven't seen this picture for 25-30 years - it makes me remember just how much I was into the whole thing... :) :) :)
That was the Venice World Gym which would be the 3rd Gold-owned World Gym according to Ric Drasin.
It was the 2nd Joe Gold-owned World gym near the beach.
There was only one Joe Gold World near the ocean at any one time as the gym's location migrated southward. Santa Monica to Venice to Marina Del Rey.
(https://i.postimg.cc/K8Nj6vjG/cbbf6a681b1f025d83b0c926d370a0c4.jpg)
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Probably had it in a waistband holster. It's uncomfortable to wear seated so you lay it on the chair next to you or om the cushion next to you if you are sitting in a booth. You forget and leave.
People a few times a year leave their little kid in a closed car in the heat of the summer. They forget they have the kid in the car.
Bakley was trash. He shouldn't have married her.
He agreed with you.
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;D
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Thanks Megalodon - this place is like some sort of bodybuilding hive-mind - what was that? Less than 5 minutes from query to answer? Very much appreciated 8)
I probably haven't seen this picture for 25-30 years - it makes me remember just how much I was into the whole thing... :) :) :)
You are very much welcome.
WARNING: Boring historical stuff follows .....,
Open for argument here but I seem to recall that Joe Gold's first and original gym location was situated on the ground floor of a Santa Monica high rise building which is now the Sand Castle beachfront condominium.
But I believe that only WES would be able to agree or disagree with the following 'expose'.....
I was a very young kid in the 1950's-early 1960's who would run along the shore-line from the Santa Monica Pier past POP and down to Venice Beach .... and then ride back to Santa Monica Beach on the 10 cent trolly car.
I ran along this beach pretty consistently for about 15 years and knew it well.
At the Santa Monica end there was an 8 foot concrete wall that ran along the front of what is now The Sand Castle which was a different name back then and was some sort of a private club and eventually became some type of recovery business for drug addicts.
Now it's a very expensive beachfront condo/apartment complex.
The best place to sit on the beach back then was directly in front of that concrete wall because it offered protection from the wind and the blowing sand.
Larry Scott was a gymnast back then (early 60's if I recall right) and a good number of those early day gym members including Doug Strohl took advantage of that windless location to soak up some winter or some summer sun once it came out about 11 AM.
Those windless, beach-spot regulars would use the bathroom if they could sneak into the indoor pool area of what is now called The Sand Castle. (Current day photo below)
On one such occasion I took a look around and found a room full of good looking gym equipment and since I showed an interest, I was told by one individual that every piece of this gym equipment was made by one individual named "JOE".
It's possible that that individual was Joe Gold himself and it's also possible that that was Joe's first gym location which gym historians fail to mention.
That incident occurred prior to 1961 but I have long forgotten the precise year.
WES!!??? How's you memory these here days?
(http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=668480.0;attach=1273725;image)
Apparently it became the Sandcastle in the early 1960s. Could it have been called the Monica hotel or the Chase when you saw the possible Joe Gold gym? The whole building or part of it was a rehab center a few years before it became the Sandcastle?
Link below: They seem to say somewhere in the link below(last 3 links on that linked page) that there was separate building called the Chase Hotel but elsewhere they say that the Sandcastle was called the Chase at some point. See 4th(last photo) and description at bottom of this post.
Here's links to more info on the blgd. and several photos:
https://santamonica.pastperfectonline.com/bysearchterm?keyword=Sea+Castle+Apartments
(https://santamonica.pastperfectonline.com/bysearchterm?keyword=Sea+Castle+Apartments)
https://santamonica.pastperfectonline.com/bysearchterm?keyword=Sea+Castle+Apartments&page=2
(https://santamonica.pastperfectonline.com/bysearchterm?keyword=Sea+Castle+Apartments&page=2)
Quote: "The Sea Castle was originally called the Breakers Beach Club, built in 1926. It then became the Grand Hotel, the Chase, the Monica Hotel, and then finally, the Sea Castle Apartments in the early 1960s."
The date this photo was taken is uncertain:
(https://i.postimg.cc/wvvQxnXC/32905.jpg)
This may show the concrete slab. I think this one is from 1980:
(https://i.postimg.cc/0jKGDmHZ/199811096.jpg)
Undated:
(https://i.postimg.cc/TYwjrzBh/19981912.jpg)
Quote for below photo seems to say the Chase Hotel is a separate building. Maybe Chase Hotel changed locations to the Sandcastle building for a little while?
"They say Beachgoers at Santa Monica Beach. Along the shoreline are the Sea Castle Apartments, Chase Hotel, Edgewater Club and the Casa Del Mar Club."
(https://i.postimg.cc/2jMWp1VF/32912.jpg)
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MEGA, Thanks!
I have not had a chance to look into the info that you provided above, but I intend to do so ASAP.
Here is part of what I definitely remember about Santa Monica Muscle Beach and the building which is now called the San Castle and the 'possibility' that most are incorrect about Joe Gold's original gym location.
Way back then .... I had a habit of running along the shoreline from the Santa Monica Pier down to the main part of Venice Beach. The only real bodybuilder I met at that time was Doug Strohl as the vast majority of the Santa Monica Muscle Beach 'occupants' were gymnasts and acrobat enthusiasts.
Back then I/We would catch a return Venice to Santa Monica ride on the beach-front trolly car and upon our return to Muscle Beach we'd stop for a cheap lunch at the Muscle Beach bar/grill .... the name of which I have forgotten .... but I believe that it's still there today and may still have the original old Muscle Beach photos on the wall that were taken during the 1940's/1950"s.
It wasn't until many years later that I'd meet Reeves, Scott. Corvello, and 90% the original, Golden-Age weight trained enthusiasts.
When I first became familiar with that Sand Castle building as a young kid, a part of that building on the lower floors was some sort of beach club ..... and there were about two other similar beach club buildings which were located a few yards south of what is now called the Sand Castle.
Beach clubs are very popular back then.
These two 'clubs' extended onto the beach which could only be accessed by the beach club members ... but the Sand Castle beach site was open to the public and that's where we'd all gather when the wind came up.
Since then the Sand Castle went through a number of changes.
I do recall that we were surprised when it became a drug rehabilitation facility under the supervision of a well known and very popular 'drug cure guy' at that time whose name I have forgotten.
But in order to get back to the subject at hand .... I feel that I am 90% correct that Joe Gold's first gym location was within the building that is now called The Sand Castle for a short period of time.
But ... It could be possible that he simply made that 'gear' on behalf of whatever that building was called back then.
But I'm betting that that was Joe's first location.
I'd ask Dave but he didn't show up until many years later.
Long ago memories! Thanks again, Mega!
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Thanks, Stunt. I appreciate it. I have a few questions if you don't mind. I want to make sure I'm understanding certain aspects.
First, you called it the Sand Castle in your posts. Isn't it called the Sea Castle now if were talking about the same blgd? It was supposed to have been named the Sea Castle in the early 60s according to my previous link. This is the same blgd that you posted but from a different angle: https://www.theseacastle.com/ (https://www.theseacastle.com/)
Also, Roughly when was Doug Strohl there?
And what year roughly did Reeves, Scott, Corvello, etc... arrive at Muscle Beach?
Could the famous Drug rehab guy be Charles E. "Chuck" Dederich Sr and associated with "Synanon"? His HQ was in Santa Monica but this particular rehab place was at the Club Casa Del Mar. Photo and info in link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synanon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synanon) Could the Club Casa Del Mar have been the rehab place and not the Sea Castle, they're only about 600 feet apart?
Are any of the photos of the cafes below the Muscle Beach bar/grill? Click on pics to enlarge photos.
Do you know what that is in the foggy distance of the third from bottom photo? It's not the pier?
Finally, second from bottom photo with Dave Draper on left(behind guy doing pullups). Would you know roughly what year that was? The mid 1960s?
Maybe some of these photos bring back some additional memories:
(https://i.postimg.cc/5jN7t7bH/1329-001.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/5jN7t7bH)
(https://i.postimg.cc/xkvxXBXm/1775f5a97f9ec61e736baff83e0783b4.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/xkvxXBXm)
(https://i.postimg.cc/qNCZTN0j/206435b14f168fa23344e598ace443e7.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/qNCZTN0j)
(https://i.postimg.cc/YGtXY8Fs/37784b81d529e8f661c8105e68224129.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/YGtXY8Fs)
(https://i.postimg.cc/gX4gDRqk/64f7f2ceede29e64af77064c526b5855.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/gX4gDRqk)
(https://i.postimg.cc/7C8tYqZD/article-0-1-ACCE9-C5000005-DC-771-634x508.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/7C8tYqZD)
(https://i.postimg.cc/qzN1sNt4/Dave-Draper-Hugo-Labra-Mike-Bondiore-1963.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/qzN1sNt4)
(https://i.postimg.cc/rRmQYmQG/gettyimages-589154066-612x612.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/rRmQYmQG)
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Robert Blake lifting. (https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse4.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.neaG4OHdwMrBQ6qeo6qdewHaFK%26pid%3DApi&f=1)
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Thanks, Stunt. I appreciate it. I have a few questions if you don't mind. I want to make sure I'm understanding certain aspects.
First, you called it the Sand Castle in your posts. Isn't it called the Sea Castle now if were talking about the same blgd? It was supposed to have been named the Sea Castle in the early 60s according to my previous link. This is the same blgd that you posted but from a different angle: https://www.theseacastle.com/ (https://www.theseacastle.com/)
Also, Roughly when was Doug Strohl there?
And what year roughly did Reeves, Scott, Corvello, etc... arrive at Muscle Beach?
Could the famous Drug rehab guy be Charles E. "Chuck" Dederich Sr and associated with "Synanon"? His HQ was in Santa Monica but this particular rehab place was at the Club Casa Del Mar. Photo and info in link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synanon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synanon) Could the Club Casa Del Mar have been the rehab place and not the Sea Castle, they're only about 600 feet apart?
Are any of the photos of the cafes below the Muscle Beach bar/grill? Click on pics to enlarge photos.
Do you know what that is in the foggy distance of the third from bottom photo? It's not the pier?
Finally, second from bottom photo with Dave Draper on left(behind guy doing pullups). Would you know roughly what year that was? The mid 1960s?
Maybe some of these photos bring back some additional memories:
(https://i.postimg.cc/5jN7t7bH/1329-001.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/5jN7t7bH)
(https://i.postimg.cc/xkvxXBXm/1775f5a97f9ec61e736baff83e0783b4.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/xkvxXBXm)
(https://i.postimg.cc/qNCZTN0j/206435b14f168fa23344e598ace443e7.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/qNCZTN0j)
(https://i.postimg.cc/YGtXY8Fs/37784b81d529e8f661c8105e68224129.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/YGtXY8Fs)
(https://i.postimg.cc/gX4gDRqk/64f7f2ceede29e64af77064c526b5855.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/gX4gDRqk)
(https://i.postimg.cc/7C8tYqZD/article-0-1-ACCE9-C5000005-DC-771-634x508.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/7C8tYqZD)
(https://i.postimg.cc/qzN1sNt4/Dave-Draper-Hugo-Labra-Mike-Bondiore-1963.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/qzN1sNt4)
(https://i.postimg.cc/rRmQYmQG/gettyimages-589154066-612x612.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/rRmQYmQG)
the draper pic says 1963, that's about right. this is when he first started working for the weider warehouses when they moved from jersey to ca.
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the draper pic says 1963, that's about right. this is when he first started working for the weider warehouses when they moved from jersey to ca.
It makes sense that it could be '63 when he arrived in CA. Draper still worked at Weider Warehouses in Union City, NJ for at least part of 1963. In California, it must have been a hassle driving 35 minutes from Santa Monica whenever he needed to go to Weider HQ.
The whole bb or bb-ish beach scene apparently used to center around the Pier(for at least a little while) which is about a mile north of where it ended up in Venice. Muscle Beach(read several articles saying it was originally called Mussel Beach pre-acrobats, etc...) was just south of the pier and Vic Tanny's 2 gyms were just north of the pier. Tanny's 2nd Santa Monica gym was "The Dungeon" that Dave Draper raves about. I'm unclear on whether bodybuilders used Tanny's Santa Monica Gym location even after Tanny's gym closed.
Also, Muscle Beach had apparently already moved to Venice by 1951 or '52 according to some articles but I've also read 1958. Was there was some overlapping of the 2 outdoor Muscle Beach gyms? I've got to study up on the whole 40's, 50's, 60's bb scene timeline. :P
Eiferman and Draper in NJ in 1963.
(https://i.postimg.cc/pX7QrK81/s-l160ggg0.jpg)
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yes Did actor Robert Blake murder his wife?
In 1967, Robert Blake, who worked as an actor on and off for years, starred in the adaptation of Truman Capote’s 1966 true crime novel, In Cold Blood. Blake played Perry Smith in the film, who murdered the four members of the Clutter family in 1959 with Richard Hickcock. Blake, apparently, had a “chilling” resemblance to Smith.
Either way, it makes for an ironic coincidence when, years later, Blake would be the prime suspect in the murder of his second wife, Bonnie Lee Bakley. While a jury found Blake not guilty, there are still doubts. Did Robert Blake kill his wife? Or he is as innocent as the jury believed him to be?
Obsession
Bonnie Lee Bakley was a woman obsessed with celebrity and wanted to be with someone famous. She didn’t really care who, saying “Being around celebrities, it makes you feel better than other people.” Bakley was a woman determined, pursuing relationships with Jerry Lee Lewis, Dean Martin, Frankie Valli, Gary Busey.
When she married Robert Blake in 2000, this was Bakley’s tenth marriage. It also had some stipulations attached to it. When Blake and Bakley met in 1999, Bakley was in a relationship with Christian Brando, the eldest son of actor Marlon Brando who was also in prison for voluntary manslaughter.
In June 200, Bakley would give birth to a daughter, Christian Shannon Brando. While she initially believed Brando was the father, she thought there was a chance that Blake could be her daughter’s father. Blake took a paternity test, which confirmed he was the father.
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With paternity established, the baby’s name was changed from Christian Shannon Brando to Rose Lenore Sophia Blake. With this news, Blake agreed to marry Bakley on the condition that she sign a temporary custody agreement. Given Bakley’s past marriages and her career running lonely heart ads scams, it makes sense that there would be some kind of agreement in place.
The agreement went like this, Bakley agrees to supervised visits with Rose, if her family/friends want to visit the property she needs to get permission from Blake, and if either party decides to end the marriage then the other would get custody of Rose. Bakley ignored an attorney’s advice about the agreement being “lopsided” and signed, wanting to marry Blake, which she did in Nov. 2000.
About seven mothers later, on May 4, 2001, Bakley would be dead.
May 4, 2001
Blake took Bakley out for dinner at Vitello’s Restaurant on May 4, 2001. After the meal, Blake and Bakley headed out to the car. Blake, however, forgot his gun inside of the restaurant. So he left Bakley to wait in the car and headed back to pick his gun. While Bakley sat in Blake’s vehicle, she was shot in the head.
Bakley’s window was open when she was shot, which police believed meant she was familiar with her attacker. The murder a Walther P38 pistol was found in a dumpster near the crime scene.
Blake definitely was in the restaurant when Bakley was shot. Police analyzed his hands for gun residue: nothing. The gun Blake forgot in the restaurant was not the murder weapon.
Despite this, however, police felt Blake had a strong motive to murder Bakley. Their marriage was not a happy one. The couple never lived together with Bakley and Rose living in a guest house. Blake didn’t trust Bakley, who was continuing to run her lonely heart scams.
Murder for Hire
Nearly a year later on April 18, 2002, Blake was arrested for Bakley’s murder. His bodyguard Earle Caldwell was arrested on conspiracy charges. So what brought on the charges? Two people came forward and said that Blake tried to hire them to kill Bakley, Ronald “Duffy” Hambleton, and Gary McLarty.
Blake and Caldwell entered pleas of Not Guilty. Blake even posted Caldwell’s $1 million USD bail. Blake, however, was denied bail. After nearly a year in jail in March 2003, he was allowed to post a $1.5 million USD bail for himself and was under house arrest until his trial.
During this time, the conspiracy charges against Blake and Caldwell were dismissed by a judge. A junior prosecutor admitted to 48 Hours Investigates that the case was very thin.
That’s what pretty much proved to be the prosecution’s undoing. The defense was brutal in their cross-examinations of Hambleton and McLarty, brought witnesses to contradict the prosecution’s case, and just wrecked it. Blake was found Not Guilty on March 16, 2005.
Reactions to the verdict were mixed. Some felt that Blake was guilty, but others felt that the defense did its job to prove his innocence. After his acquittal, Blake celebrated at the scene of the crime, Vitello’s.
But, as the O.J. Simpson case taught us, just because you’re found Not Guilty in criminal court, doesn’t mean civil court will be as kind.
Civil Suit
Bakley’s three older children from previous relationships filed a civil suit against Blake and Caldwell for the wrongful death of Bakley. This was a wild trial too. See the defense attorney, Eric Dubin, called Caldwell’s girlfriend to the stand and asked if she thought Blake and Caldwell did it.
Dubin recalled, “Tears filled her eyes as she paused for what seemed like a decade, then leaned into the microphone and said that yes, she did believe that they were involved.”
In Nov. 2005, months after his acquittal, Blake was found liable in his wife’s death and was ordered to pay $30 million USD to Bakley’s family. In 2006, Blake filed for bankruptcy.
Attempts to give the verdict for the civil suit overturned failed, though the price was cut in half from $30 mil to $15 mil. In 2010 the state of California put on a tax lien on Blake for $1,110,878 in unpaid back taxes. Blake has since, largely, faded from the public consciousness with his last role being in 1997.
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The Birth Of World Gym
07/26/2016 03:01 pm ET Updated Dec 06, 2017
Joe Gold, the owner and developer of Gold’s Gym had visions way back in the 60’s of having his own gym and in 1965 he built his dream gym, which became the Mecca Of Bodybuilding, we know it and we know it as Gold’s Gym. 1006 Pacific Street, Venice, CA.
2016-07-24-1469388986-2091389-frontofgoldsgym.jpg
In 1973 the gym was sold. Joe was a merchant marine and wanted to go back out to sea. At that time he not only sold the gym but the rights to his name as well. Sometimes we do things in life without realizing the big picture. In this case, once the name is sold, you can’t get it back.
Well as we know, Gold’s began to grow and within a couple of years it was becoming the gym to train in. Gold’s was in all the magazines and sponsoring bodybuilding shows. The gym’s popularity was huge and moving up the ranks fast. Joe Weider owner of Muscle & Fitness Magazine shot a lot of photos there for his magazine which increased the popularity a lot!
2016-07-24-1469389397-9619629-ricarnoldken.jpg
Then the owners sold it again and those owners sold it again and it was moved to 2nd street in Santa Monica. The building it was in was owned by actor Robert Blake. They only stayed in that location a few years and then moved to Hampton Street in Venice where it is now.
2nd street
2016-07-24-1469390065-7310810-secondgoldsgroup595.jpg
Today’s Gold’s Venice on Hampton
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Joe Gold returned from sea in 1976 and saw the popularity of his former gym and wanted back into the business. Here’s where the problem came in. He sold his name so therefore legally was not able to open another gym with the name Gold in it. This frustrated him because it’s his name! I think any of us would feel that way, but legally there were no rights. So, he decided to open a bigger and better gym and call it World Gym - Owner Joe Gold. This actually sufficed and the gym opened up on Main Street in Santa Monica
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Almost immediately all the die-hard bodybuilders came running back to support Joe and joined his club. Arnold, Franco, Waller, Zabo,Giuliani, Zane, Platz, etc. You name it, they were there. The support was unbelievable.
Everyone liked Joe and they were thrilled to be back in one of his gyms. Now many of you don’t know but Joe made ALL his equipment by hand, including even the dumbbells. This was what made his gym so unique. Everything was well thought out with angles and pulleys that made the greatest bodies in the world.
He still had the same rules, and that was if you drop the weights you’re kicked out and absolutely no music in the gym. He just thought it was distracting.
I was fortunate to have an apartment right across the street on one side and on the other side I had the ocean. This was the way to live. I could walk over and train and then walk to the beach to get some sun. Everything was within three blocks. Boy, those were the days.
2016-07-24-1469390576-9412527-JoeGoldMe.jpg
2016-07-24-1469390762-3800669-worldgymbuddies.jpg
After a few years, I bought a house in Sherman Oaks, which is considered the valley and about 17 miles from the beach. I drove to the gym everyday back and forth to train because that was home to me. But, one day Joe told me that he was building another world gym out by me so I wouldn’t have to drive as far.
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This is the World Gym that not too many people know of. It was built in Panorama City and was twice the size of his other gym. The weights and machines were all custom built by Joe as well, and the workouts there were some of the best. Joe didn’t believe in having heat or A/C in any of his gyms mainly because they were at the beach and it wasn’t needed but in the valley it was different. 112 in the summer was normal and 30 at night in the winter wasn’t unusual but still no heat and AC.
2016-07-24-1469390820-9504607-worldgymvalley.jpg
Never the less we all trained through it and had magnificent workouts. Some of the better bodybuilders there were Dave Johns, Mike Sable, and Rufus Howard at the time.
2016-07-24-1469390871-2649226-ricWorldValley1.jpg
Joe held onto this gym for a few years but quickly tired of the drive back and forth from the beach to the Valley.
Joe then sold the gym to bodybuilder Steve Davis. All of us still trained there and new members would come from time to time but the gym was off the main path and hard to find. It wasn’t drawing the people like we did at the beach and the Valley crowd was much different. I never trained at night there but was told it became a pretty rough crowd of gang bangers.
Steve held on to the gym for a few years and tried to make a go of it, but then decided to sell it and sold it cheap for $25,000. Had I known at the time, I would have bought it up but it happened so fast no one knew it.
A couple of men from Sunland bought and one day we arrived and the gates were chained up. This is a similar story for many gyms across the world when they lose money. These people moved the gym to Sunland, which was quite a distance from where it was so none of the members went along.
From what I’m told the gym went out of business and no one knows whatever happened to the equipment. To me, this is very sad because as I said, it was hand made equipment by Joe Gold himself and has a certain value to it if nothing else than for historical reasons.
Joe moved the gym in Santa Monica over to Venice in another huge building that he made by hand and it was tri-level. It was a very unusual shape but lacked the charisma of his other gyms. Arnold gave a hand in some of the financing and it stayed there for a few years. Then Joe moved it again to an old Sizzler Steak House in Marina Del Rey. I don’t think it drew the membership to keep it going by then. It had been moved too many times and people lost track of it. Joe passed away in 2004, the gym closed down and then the members all moved back to Gold’s gym to train again. It’s like everything went full circle.
World Gym Franchise is owned today by the Cammilleri family and re-growing fast.
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Gold’s Gym today has the same face but is a modern house inside.
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Inside today
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But the memories remain and some of the guys are still around to talk about it. Let’s hope it never fades.
ricdrasin.com
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MEGA! MEGA, You are absolutely correct about my Sand Castle error.
The building in question is THE SEA CASTLE.
My error! Thanks for the correction.
Regarding the year in which I first met DOUG STROHL … I gotta think hard here but that same week we were invited to see the opening of WAR AND PEACE at the Egyptian Theater and we met Jeff Hunter (now deceased) and Phyllis Thaxter who was in a wheelchair, and we were kind of special guests at the Art Linkletter TV show, followed by Bob Crosby, and some famous character by the name of Muzzy something, and Marlon Brando bought us beers because we were too damn young (I had just gotten my driver’s license) in a run down bar called THE LAMPLIGHTER (probably still there), and then got in a short auto race with Eddie Fisher (we lost that one).
Having said all of that…. it must have been 1956 because that was the year of the War and Peace premier.
Regarding REEVES, John Corvello, and Larry Scott ….
Reeves was a friend of my dad’s and visited Muscle Beach way before I started my Santa Monica Beach runs …. but somewhere on this Board there is a photo of Steve taken with my good friend Timmy Leong (now both deceased).
I’m guessing …. but I think that photo was shot in the late 40’s or early 50’s.
And Steve once briefly mentioned that he once stayed at Pudgy’s Beach House which was close to Muscle Beach, but I have no idea what year that was but much later (mid 1950's) we were present when Steve got sucker punched and knocked on his ass at a summer resort called Rio Nido on the Russian River ... Northern Cal.
That guy hit and ran pretty damn swiftly.
More on Pudgy later if there is any interest.
To the best of my knowledge … John Corvello was only in Los Angeles when he won the Cal contest in the early 60’s … but years later to the best of my knowledge he managed a major health club in the L .A. Basin.
Larry Scott was more of a gymnast when I first met him in the early 60’s.
Larry was one of many who took advantage of getting a tan in front of that windless Sea Castle sea wall.
I had the opportunity to work with Larry many years later.
And also with Reever a couple of years prior to his passing.
I’m not familiar with the Charles E. "Chuck" Dederich Sr. name but I am 98% positive that the present day Sea Castle was a drug rehab facility way back when and I’m sure I could recall the name of the individual involved if someone was to mention it.
You mentioned the Club Casa Del Mar which I kind of recall had a very nice restaurant on the second floor directly above the walkway that runs down to Venice. I believe that this was the building which had a private club area directly on the beach itself.
More to follow if interested and after I take a close look at te photos you attached.
Thanks again for you help... And I still believe that was Joe's first gym.
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MEGA,FUNK, and IRON,
If you guys don't mind ... I'd like to add more history stuff to this topic and answer some questions that you put forth.
I'll continue this conversation tomorrow but before I forget ... let me mention the following ....
MEGA, Regarding the '3rd from the bottom' photo: That pier in the background may possibly be POP(Pacific Ocean Park) off of Rose Avenue I think or else the long gone pier off Venice Beach where Lawrence Welk and his band played for dancing couples ... which all occurred before my time.
You may be aware that one of the Barbarian Bros gathered up a lot of that POP Pier after it was destroyed by a fire and made some decent household furniture.
I could be wrong but I believe he made a bedroom set for Arlold and Maria.
FUNK, Dave showed up in the Santa Monica area around ___?___ . He was working on or had just finished DON'T MAKE WAVES when I first met him while he was working in Joe Weider's little store across the street from Zucky's where every bodybuilder inSo. Cal. would eventually have a meal or two.
Joe had yet to movie his publishing business form back east so I believe that Dave was his first west coast employee.
And the photo of Dave and George Eifferman also brings back lots of old memories as George was a good find of mine for too short a time , but his best friend was Reeves for many years.
More on that if there is any interest.
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Stunt, I want to discuss more of this and please keep the stories coming but in looking into some of these things and I'm kind of stuck on "The Dungeon".
From what I understand, it was located on Broadway and 4th and was Vic Tanny's 2nd Santa Monica gym. Vic Tanny himself called it "the dungeon".
Then, from this article:
https://theironwitness.com/muscle-beach-history-part-1/ (https://theironwitness.com/muscle-beach-history-part-1/)
It says
Into the basement they went, down the familiar creaky steps four blocks from The Beach Formerly Known As Muscle. In their desperation, the Muscle Beach Boys retreated to Vic Tanny’s old place. Unfortunately, the place wasn’t Vic’s no more. Vic had packed up and moved to brighter pastures years ago.
That's the part that doesn't make sense and this:
Whether Santa Monica liked it or not (and it seems it really, really didn’t), the Iron had come to California, and it wasn’t going anywhere that easy. From the rubble of Muscle Beach, the muscle men gathered what weights and bars and racks that they could and headed underground(to the Dungeon).
If Vic Tanny no longer owned "The Dungeon"(packed up and moved) and bodybuilders were grabbing equipment from the shut-down SM outdoor Muscle Beach and bringing it to "The Dungeon".... how were they gaining access to the 4th and Broadway building and putting their own equipment inside?
And was the Dungeon was also called "The Muscle Beach Weightlifting Club"?
Thanks, Stunt.
(https://i.postimg.cc/PJZW6k4n/dungeon.jpg)
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Robert Blake lifting. (https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse4.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.neaG4OHdwMrBQ6qeo6qdewHaFK%26pid%3DApi&f=1)
Looks like Vinces gym, or the NY gym Louie trained in, in PI movie "I wanna beat 'em"!!! "Arnolds got spaghetti arms Louie"!!
Could be any gym I guess, wood paneling was the thing in those days!
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MEGA,FUNK, and IRON,
If you guys don't mind ... I'd like to add more history stuff to this topic and answer some questions that you put forth.
I'll continue this conversation tomorrow but before I forget ... let me mention the following ....
MEGA, Regarding the '3rd from the bottom' photo: That pier in the background may possibly be POP(Pacific Ocean Park) off of Rose Avenue I think or else the long gone pier off Venice Beach where Lawrence Welk and his band played for dancing couples ... which all occurred before my time.
You may be aware that one of the Barbarian Bros gathered up a lot of that POP Pier after it was destroyed by a fire and made some decent household furniture.
I could be wrong but I believe he made a bedroom set for Arlold and Maria.
FUNK, Dave showed up in the Santa Monica area around ___?___ . He was working on or had just finished DON'T MAKE WAVES when I first met him while he was working in Joe Weider's little store across the street from Zucky's where every bodybuilder inSo. Cal. would eventually have a meal or two.
Joe had yet to movie his publishing business form back east so I believe that Dave was his first west coast employee.
And the photo of Dave and George Eifferman also brings back lots of old memories as George was a good find of mine for too short a time , but his best friend was Reeves for many years.
More on that if there is any interest.
your input is always welcomed.
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MEGA,FUNK, and IRON,
If you guys don't mind ... I'd like to add more history stuff to this topic and answer some questions that you put forth.
I'll continue this conversation tomorrow but before I forget ... let me mention the following ....
MEGA, Regarding the '3rd from the bottom' photo: That pier in the background may possibly be POP(Pacific Ocean Park) off of Rose Avenue I think or else the long gone pier off Venice Beach where Lawrence Welk and his band played for dancing couples ... which all occurred before my time.
You may be aware that one of the Barbarian Bros gathered up a lot of that POP Pier after it was destroyed by a fire and made some decent household furniture.
I could be wrong but I believe he made a bedroom set for Arlold and Maria.
FUNK, Dave showed up in the Santa Monica area around ___?___ . He was working on or had just finished DON'T MAKE WAVES when I first met him while he was working in Joe Weider's little store across the street from Zucky's where every bodybuilder inSo. Cal. would eventually have a meal or two.
Joe had yet to movie his publishing business form back east so I believe that Dave was his first west coast employee.
And the photo of Dave and George Eifferman also brings back lots of old memories as George was a good find of mine for too short a time , but his best friend was Reeves for many years.
More on that if there is any interest.
Stunt, that was Dave Draper who collected the wood from the old pier and made furniture, including the monstrous bedroom set for Arnold.
(http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=545886.0;attach=576012;image)
Draper the furniture maker.
(http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?PHPSESSID=2e17db59b647e5026aa1a96c5891cd88&action=dlattach;topic=545886.0;attach=576011;image)
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IRON, Thanks! Once again for your Draper correction!
I stand corrected ....and I appreciate it.
But, but, but ..... I could be wrong once again ..... I kinda/sorta recall that one of the brothers had something to do with that old pier and made some huge furniture for the house one of them owned near or at the top of Topanga Canyon
I usually check this old history stuff out before I post it, but the individuals with whom I check historical stuff out ... have slowly passed away or fallen off my radar ... such as Ed Corney, Wayne Anderson, Gene Mozee, Joe Valdez, Arty Zeller, etc.
But there is still one individual among the living who may be able to clarify my mind regarding the possibility that one of the bros built something of importance from the charred remains of the POP Pier.
Other than that ... All is well!
Thanks again ..... I'll be sending you some inteesting shit that is somewhat associated with the above and the subject at hand.
PS ...Regardless of my apparent stupidity ... I still believe that Joe's first gym was located within the Sea Castle.
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Thanks, FUNK!
Believe me when I say that I always appreciate corrections.
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MEGA, Sorry to say but my Dungeon recollection is extremely limited and I was only down there once.
But here is what I can recall about that 3 minute visit.
I'm bad at dating stuff such as this so you'll have to allow me the opportunity to make updates after I get a chance to read the links you provided above.
To the best of my recollection the Dungeon was one or two blocks south of the former Santa Monica Gold's gym, but it was sometime in the late to mid 50's .... so Gold's gym wasn't even situated in Santa Monica back then.
The entrance was located in the middle of an old building near the center of whatever the street address was.
Back in them old days some buildings within major cities had freight elevators in front and I sorta do recall such a freight elevator present.
In fact there most likely had to be a freight elevator because the old wooden steps leading down into the Dungeon appeared to be too dam 'weak' to carry a heavy load and gym stuffs are considered to be heavy loads.
Once down those old stairs, it appeared to be lit by a 30 watt light bulb which gave a bit of light to see scattered weight equipment on the floor.
It was dead silent so no one was there, so after a short look around, I return back up into the sunlight where someone asked me if I locked up.
So I assume that back then the Dungeon members had key access.
MEGA, Now I will will read the link you provided to see if any of the above makes sense .... And I'm sure that Dave D. has had a lot to say about the Dungeon someplace on this internet thing.
I sorta recall that Dave arrived in California in the early 60's to work at what I believe was Weider's first store across from Zucky's.
At present I can't recall the names of any others except Dave who ever trained or visited the Dungeon, but some of the guys in that photo do look familiar especially the shorter uy. Any ID help would be appreciate.
(Kind of like checking to see if my old-day memory banks are still functional.)
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Looks like Vinces gym, or the NY gym Louie trained in, in PI movie "I wanna beat 'em"!!! "Arnolds got spaghetti arms Louie"!!
Could be any gym I guess, wood paneling was the thing in those days!
That wood paneling was popular in the 60s/early 70s. People were even putting it in their living rooms. Seemed a good idea at the time.
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That wood paneling was popular in the 60s/early 70s. People were even putting it in their living rooms. Seemed a good idea at the time.
my current home gym has that wood paneling . i bought the house in late 70's.
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Stunt, these appear to be some of the names based on other photos in the article.
If I'm not mistaken Santa Monica Vic Tanny 1 was on 2nd and Santa Monica blvd and Santa Monica Vic Tanny 2 (Dungeon) was on 4th and Broadway.
Thanks for your recollections on the dungeon.
(https://i.postimg.cc/1X0hfHDN/Muscle-Beach-Dungeon.jpg)
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MEGA, Thanks again. I sent that photo to some of the old timers but no one we able to ID anyone except for DRAPER and Eifferman.
Chuck Collras is the one individual whom I can recall from those good old days .... but I could not recall his name. I think it was Chuck who held a record for competing in more contests the anyone else.
I knew Dave before he got famous and he had a weekly TV job introducing gladiator movies for some local TV station. I believe that was around the same time that he worked in Weider's first Cal store ensuring that the mail orders were sent out in time.
And he also had a decent role in Don't Make Waves with Sharon Tate and Tony Curtis.
Regarding Vic Tanny. I had no idea about his Gym involvement in So Cal back then but but I find it interesting that he had a gym for a short time in Santa Monica before his chrome plated enterprises .... one of which was a Vic Tanny gym on Market St in the City of San Francisco .... all chrome and glass.
I believe it was Armand mostly who hung around the beach in Waikiki with a good number of apparently out of shape pro Hawaii wrestlers ... Lord Blears, the Rock's dad, the two young brothers who passed away way too young, and others whom I have since forgotten. (Armand - Vic's brother.)
We all lifted heavy things at Dean's Gym while a very young Rock(2,3, or 4) ran around getting in everyone's way (kinda).
And .... Eifferman was like a short term dad to me. He and Reeves were very close and long term best friends ... and Reeves died while George was recovering from some illness.
We were heading down to pay him a visit and met someone outside of his hospital room who begged us to not tell George about Reeve's passing as it would possibly hinder his recovery.
That was pretty damn awkward.
Sorry, MEGA, this is probably more info than you requested
Anyone here recall American Health Studios? That one is an interesting story in itself.
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Thanks, Stunt. No info is ever too much.
The Stark Center would be interested in your Sea Castle Gold's info or maybe they know about it:
https://starkcenter.org/
(https://starkcenter.org/)
Here's an Iron Game History pdf article with a lot of history on Tanny Gyms. I can imagine reading Iron Game History on a regular basis would make anyone in the top .001% :D of bodybuilding historians. A lot of detail.
https://www.starkcenter.org/igh/igh-v13-v14/igh-v13-n4-v14-n1/igh1304-1401p17.pdf (https://www.starkcenter.org/igh/igh-v13-v14/igh-v13-n4-v14-n1/igh1304-1401p17.pdf)
Images and info on 4th and Broadway Vic Tanny "Dungeon":
(https://i.postimg.cc/JhswBjLh/dungeon-tfffft.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/NF7Zw41d/dungeon-tt.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/JhDghmND/dungeon.jpg)
What info can you share on American Health Studios, Stunt?
I found a tiny bit:
American Health Studios Incorporated in 1957
https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_fl/812045
(https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_fl/812045)
(https://i.postimg.cc/L41f2sJK/55.jpg)
Post Card:
What a sparse gym, at least for the building size. They were practicing social distancing decades ago. :D
(https://i.postimg.cc/pTBwFvT2/51-Zg-Iig-IRi-L-AC.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/m2PnbCQZ/41-FW-Kga8-OL-AC.jpg)
Reeves connection:
(https://i.postimg.cc/pXNqf7w8/52436966-2695906233782938-752906396894232576-o.jpg)
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Good Evening Stunt,
From what I remember hearing and reading, Mr. Eifferman had very serious heart problems toward the end of his life. Mr. Stern and George Coates both made the decision not to let Mr. Reeves, who had just had stomach cancer surgery know what was going on with Mr. Eifferman. If I remember correctly, Mr. Coates was visiting with Steve the at the time he died from complications of the surgery. I think that Mr. Coates is still alive and living here in the San Diego area.
If you get a chance, please pick up Harold Zinkin's book, "Remembering Muscle Beach". It's a fascinating read and should provide lots of fine memories for you.
Be safe and strong,
Big Pat
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MEGA, Thanks again. I sent that photo to some of the old timers but no one we able to ID anyone except for DRAPER and Eifferman.
Chuck Collras is the one individual whom I can recall from those good old days .... but I could not recall his name. I think it was Chuck who held a record for competing in more contests the anyone else.
I knew Dave before he got famous and he had a weekly TV job introducing gladiator movies for some local TV station. I believe that was around the same time that he worked in Weider's first Cal store ensuring that the mail orders were sent out in time.
And he also had a decent role in Don't Make Waves with Sharon Tate and Tony Curtis.
Regarding Vic Tanny. I had no idea about his Gym involvement in So Cal back then but but I find it interesting that he had a gym for a short time in Santa Monica before his chrome plated enterprises .... one of which was a Vic Tanny gym on Market St in the City of San Francisco .... all chrome and glass.
I believe it was Armand mostly who hung around the beach in Waikiki with a good number of apparently out of shape pro Hawaii wrestlers ... Lord Blears, the Rock's dad, the two young brothers who passed away way too young, and others whom I have since forgotten. (Armand - Vic's brother.)
We all lifted heavy things at Dean's Gym while a very young Rock(2,3, or 4) ran around getting in everyone's way (kinda).
And .... Eifferman was like a short term dad to me. He and Reeves were very close and long term best friends ... and Reeves died while George was recovering from some illness.
We were heading down to pay him a visit and met someone outside of his hospital room who begged us to not tell George about Reeve's passing as it would possibly hinder his recovery.
That was pretty damn awkward.
Sorry, MEGA, this is probably more info than you requested
Anyone here recall American Health Studios? That one is an interesting story in itself.
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BIG PAT,
Steve Reeves passed away May 2000 and George passed away 2 years later, so George was in the hospital May 200 when Steve died and George himself die 2 years later.
Im bad at recalling dates such as this though.
MEGA, I'll be checking out the Stark link later tonite.
The only American Health Studios that I was aware of wee the two in San Francisco,
One club was on Golden Gate Avenue (down town) and the second club was in the West Portal area of the city.
Both were open for a very short period of time and I see to recall that Clancy Ross was involved as a partner as well as Reeves who watched me doing some heavy benches with words of encouragement.
Also a well known bodybuilder of that time period who I have written about years ago on this board who ended up manufacturing 8 station fully equipment . He enjoyed a couple of cocktails and fell off a bar-stool and broke his leg if I recall correctly.
Until now I was unaware that AHS was located any place else.
AHS also had chrome equipment and decent carpeting.
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MEGA, That Stark Center site is interesting and I'd like to send them the history as I have seen it, but as you may have noticed .... I have a tendency to make mistakes and am definitely ignorant when it comes to the correct dating of specific events.
And if if was yo be a real honest, tell-all 'epistle' ... some of us would end up behind bars for brief periods of time.
I myself prefer to tell these 'remembrances' in bars and not behind them.
I'll probably be contacting that organization though.
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Hello Stunt,
It makes sense that they did not tell Steve, who was recovering from stomach cancer surgery at that time, that his good friend George was ill and in the hospital himself.
Here is the info on Mr. Zinkin's book:
Remembering Muscle Beach: Where Hard Bodies Began ...www.amazon.com › Remembering-Muscle-Beach-Phot...
Remembering Muscle Beach: Where Hard Bodies Began : Photographs and Memories: Zinkin, Harold, Hearn, Bonnie: 9781883318017: Amazon.com: Books.
Big Pat
PS. You will enjoy Terry and Jan Todd's Stark Center collection. I've been a subscriber to their periodical Iron Game History for decades.
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Where are the weights in that Knoxville gym? ???
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MEGA! MEGA, You are absolutely correct about my Sand Castle error.
The building in question is THE SEA CASTLE.
My error! Thanks for the correction.
Regarding the year in which I first met DOUG STROHL … I gotta think hard here but that same week we were invited to see the opening of WAR AND PEACE at the Egyptian Theater and we met Jeff Hunter (now deceased) and Phyllis Thaxter who was in a wheelchair, and we were kind of special guests at the Art Linkletter TV show, followed by Bob Crosby, and some famous character by the name of Muzzy something, and Marlon Brando bought us beers because we were too damn young (I had just gotten my driver’s license) in a run down bar called THE LAMPLIGHTER (probably still there), and then got in a short auto race with Eddie Fisher (we lost that one).
Having said all of that…. it must have been 1956 because that was the year of the War and Peace premier.
Regarding REEVES, John Corvello, and Larry Scott ….
Reeves was a friend of my dad’s and visited Muscle Beach way before I started my Santa Monica Beach runs …. but somewhere on this Board there is a photo of Steve taken with my good friend Timmy Leong (now both deceased).
I’m guessing …. but I think that photo was shot in the late 40’s or early 50’s.
And Steve once briefly mentioned that he once stayed at Pudgy’s Beach House which was close to Muscle Beach, but I have no idea what year that was but much later (mid 1950's) we were present when Steve got sucker punched and knocked on his ass at a summer resort called Rio Nido on the Russian River ... Northern Cal.
That guy hit and ran pretty damn swiftly.
More on Pudgy later if there is any interest.
To the best of my knowledge … John Corvello was only in Los Angeles when he won the Cal contest in the early 60’s … but years later to the best of my knowledge he managed a major health club in the L .A. Basin.
Larry Scott was more of a gymnast when I first met him in the early 60’s.
Larry was one of many who took advantage of getting a tan in front of that windless Sea Castle sea wall.
I had the opportunity to work with Larry many years later.
And also with Reever a couple of years prior to his passing.
I’m not familiar with the Charles E. "Chuck" Dederich Sr. name but I am 98% positive that the present day Sea Castle was a drug rehab facility way back when and I’m sure I could recall the name of the individual involved if someone was to mention it.
You mentioned the Club Casa Del Mar which I kind of recall had a very nice restaurant on the second floor directly above the walkway that runs down to Venice. I believe that this was the building which had a private club area directly on the beach itself.
More to follow if interested and after I take a close look at te photos you attached.
Thanks again for you help... And I still believe that was Joe's first gym.
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Stunt, more information please on the beautiful Pudgy Stockton! Did she and her husband have a family of their own? I always thought she was quite beautiful.
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SCOTT, I am not familiar with Pudgy Stockton other than .... she had a beach-house in the Santa Monica area(?) which I believe was called "Muscle House" and that Reeves stayed there once or twice ... or possibly just visited.
And I have no idea where/when I heard that one.
FUNK, Thanks for posting those photos. That Strohl photos was most likely taken in the mid-1950's around te same time that I met him and appears to have been taken a bit south of the Sea Castle and the building in the background had a restaurant on the second floor (curved window space) ... and to the best of my recollection had a private beach club associated with it.
That private beach club on the sand is now gone but that building is still there and very close to the parking lot area.
I can't recall when the Leong/Reeves photo was taken (late 50's?) but Timmy Leong was a good friend of mine whom I still consider to be one of best individuals within the world of bodybuilding .... very kind and considerate and quiet and modest.
And lastly ... John Corvello up there on the stage with Oliva.
John won the prestigious Cal Contest in the 60's beating Bill McArdle who was expected to win because he was trained by Larry Scott.
I forget the details but I believe that Bill died way too young.
Recaling a lot of long forgotten memories here.
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Where are the weights in that Knoxville gym? ???
That might be a dumbbell rack in the left corner plus there's a moon bench for Funk. :D
Here's a more hardcore gym from the 1950s. Reeves training at Al Berger's Gym in Philadelphia:
(https://i.postimg.cc/sgrZxSvC/11128385-971573322882913-1671653298627083108-o.jpg)
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SCOTT, I am not familiar with Pudgy Stockton other than .... she had a beach-house in the Santa Monica area(?) which I believe was called "Muscle House" and that Reeves stayed there once or twice ... or possibly just visited.
And I have no idea where/when I heard that one.
FUNK, Thanks for posting those photos. That Strohl photos was most likely taken in the mid-1950's around te same time that I met him and appears to have been taken a bit south of the Sea Castle and the building in the background had a restaurant on the second floor (curved window space) ... and to the best of my recollection had a private beach club associated with it.
That private beach club on the sand is now gone but that building is still there and very close to the parking lot area.
I can't recall when the Leong/Reeves photo was taken (late 50's?) but Timmy Leong was a good friend of mine whom I still consider to be one of best individuals within the world of bodybuilding .... very kind and considerate and quiet and modest.
And lastly ... John Corvello up there on the stage with Oliva.
John won the prestigious Cal Contest in the 60's beating Bill McArdle who was expected to win because he was trained by Larry Scott.
I forget the details but I believe that Bill died way too young.
Recaling a lot of long forgotten memories here.
:D
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That might be a dumbbell rack in the left corner plus there's a moon bench for Funk. :D
Here's a more hardcore gym from the 1950s. Reeves training at Al Berger's Gym in Philadelphia:
(https://i.postimg.cc/sgrZxSvC/11128385-971573322882913-1671653298627083108-o.jpg)
I actually only ever saw one of those in person once as a teenager in dan lurie's store in brooklyn ny.
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I actually only ever saw one of those in person once as a teenager in dan lurie's store in brooklyn ny.
I think I recall see one at both Valley Barbell and Stern's Gym. I could be wrong but that's what I remember. Never used it as it looked like a medieval rack. ;D
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I think I recall see one at both Valley Barbell and Stern's Gym. I could be wrong but that's what I remember. Never used it as it looked like a medieval rack. ;D
pretty much the inspiration for this popular piece of equipment.
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pretty much the inspiration for this popular piece of equipment.
The Nautilus Pullover machine is fantastic. I was able to use one for a few times in my life and it was great! Wish I could afford one now. Instead I do a stiff arm (but with elbows slightly bent) pulldown from a 90 degree body position. It's okay but not as good as the Nautilus.
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The Nautilus Pullover machine is fantastic. I was able to use one for a few times in my life and it was great! Wish I could afford one now. Instead I do a stiff arm (but with elbows slightly bent) pulldown from a 90 degree body position. It's okay but not as good as the Nautilus.
Do they even sell it anymore?
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I actually only ever saw one of those in person once as a teenager in dan lurie's store in brooklyn ny.
That "Ribcage round" bench looks like a Parrillo Arched Incline, or vice versa.
This is the "purest" moon bench:
(https://i.postimg.cc/Z0zN3sx4/vg-moon-bench.jpg)
Moon benches are like lost technology. Now they're only esoteric knowledge. :P :D
(https://i.postimg.cc/8c6W7gWZ/harryshafransgym-oldtimestrongman.jpg)
Parrillo:
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Do they even sell it anymore?
Not that I know of. Perhaps a variation of it? I sometimes check online via Craigslist or just Google search. I probably don't have the kind of money someone would ask.
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Do they even sell it anymore?
they actually have a nautilus pullover machine in the gym that i used to train in before the pandemic. the funny thing is that's the only nautilus piece that they have.
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FUNK, Thanks for posting those photos of McArdle.
I'm sure that the first photo was taken at Vince's Gum as Larry and Vince were close friends and that's where he trained , but when it came to "LEG DAY" Larry snuck off to another gym (the YMCA?) because Vince was very adamant when it came to doing squats as most of you lifting intellectuals already know.
And back then Vince was considered to be way ahead of its time when it came to protein intake.
Help needed here ... What's the name of the L.A. protein company that Larry Scott was so damn proud of?
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FUNK, Thanks for posting those photos of McArdle.
I'm sure that the first photo was taken at Vince's Gum as Larry and Vince were close friends and that's where he trained , but when it came to "LEG DAY" Larry snuck off to another gym (the YMCA?) because Vince was very adamant when it came to doing squats as most of you lifting intellectuals already know.
And back then Vince was considered to be way ahead of its time when it came to protein intake.
Help needed here ... What's the name of the L.A. protein company that Larry Scott was so damn proud of?
Was it Rheo Blair's stuff?
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FUNK, Thanks for posting those photos of McArdle.
I'm sure that the first photo was taken at Vince's Gum as Larry and Vince were close friends and that's where he trained , but when it came to "LEG DAY" Larry snuck off to another gym (the YMCA?) because Vince was very adamant when it came to doing squats as most of you lifting intellectuals already know.
And back then Vince was considered to be way ahead of its time when it came to protein intake.
Help needed here ... What's the name of the L.A. protein company that Larry Scott was so damn proud of?
blair aka irvin johnson.
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;D
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SCOTT/FUNK, Damn! You guys are smart!
Rheo H. Blair! How could I have forgotten that!
Meandering here! So don't read any further if you are not interested in this historical stuff of non-importance.
It's possible that this memory may not be completely accurate! BUT it is the way I remember it and includes a couple of individuals who contributed to the game of lifting heavy things more so than many others whom you may hold in high esteem.
If you can recall George Frenn and Bill "Peanuts" West" ... you have probably been collecting SS for a good number of years! But for you younger 'kiddies' the name "Reverend Zuver" may be a figment or not of your imagination.
Before Rho H. ect. became a well known individual/product in a cardboard(?) container ... it would be briefly mentioned by Frenn and West and mainly by Larry Scott. And the Reverend if I recall correctly.
That meant to me that Rho H. etc. was gaining popularity by lifters of every sorts ... Olympic and power lifters and some well-known bodybuilders, so I decided to give it a try, but I had to find it first ... and I drove off from Pendleton and eventually ended up in a small shack by the side of a little pond/lake(?) where I bought a couple of lbs of Rheo H. Blair protein ... an egg protein if I recall correctly.
It looked like there were three individuals working on behalf o Rho, so if one was you ... let us know.
It was a decent tasting product and I sorta recall that the Rho company was bought out by a larger conglomerate and eventually 'evaporated'.
Could be wrong, but that's what I remembered!
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SCOTT/FUNK, Damn! You guys are smart!
Rheo H. Blair! How could I have forgotten that!
Meandering here! So don't read any further if you are not interested in this historical stuff of non-importance.
It's possible that this memory may not be completely accurate! BUT it is the way I remember it and includes a couple of individuals who contributed to the game of lifting heavy things more so than many others whom you may hold in high esteem.
If you can recall George Frenn and Bill "Peanuts" West" ... you have probably been collecting SS for a good number of years! But for you younger 'kiddies' the name "Reverend Zuver" may be a figment or not of your imagination.
Before Rho H. ect. became a well known individual/product in a cardboard(?) container ... it would be briefly mentioned by Frenn and West and mainly by Larry Scott. And the Reverend if I recall correctly.
That meant to me that Rho H. etc. was gaining popularity by lifters of every sorts ... Olympic and power lifters and some well-known bodybuilders, so I decided to give it a try, but I had to find it first ... and I drove off from Pendleton and eventually ended up in a small shack by the side of a little pond/lake(?) where I bought a couple of lbs of Rheo H. Blair protein ... an egg protein if I recall correctly.
It looked like there were three individuals working on behalf o Rho, so if one was you ... let us know.
It was a decent tasting product and I sorta recall that the Rho company was bought out by a larger conglomerate and eventually 'evaporated'.
Could be wrong, but that's what I remembered!
zuver's son robert used to post on here several years ago , mostly in the history section of the site.
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The Nautilus Pullover machine is fantastic. I was able to use one for a few times in my life and it was great! Wish I could afford one now. Instead I do a stiff arm (but with elbows slightly bent) pulldown from a 90 degree body position. It's okay but not as good as the Nautilus.
When I first started out the gym I used had a pullover but not the Nautilus - I believe the difference was the Nautilus had a cam to vary the load during rotation, whereas the one I used was just rounded so constant tension - not so good but I still really got into it
I'd love to find something like this nowadays. There are lots of places to train near me but I've yet to find a pullover - even the inferior type
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That "Ribcage round" bench looks like a Parrillo Arched Incline, or vice versa.
This is the "purest" moon bench:
(https://i.postimg.cc/Z0zN3sx4/vg-moon-bench.jpg)
That thing reminded me of the Simpsons episode where Homer becomes a 'chiropractor'
(http://i.postimg.cc/K8mVHhnB/u-https-media-giphy-com-media-3orif6-JRf1xw7-Z0w-W4-giphy.gif)
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Good times and great physiques.
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FUNK, I had a short workout at Zuver's gym in Costa Mesa in the 60's and I don't recall meeting him that day but I sorta recall meeting his young son who was nicknamed RHINO(?).
I inquired about him recently and was told that he had passed away.
Zuver's gym was located in a residential area which was a big surprise and there was an over-sized ape/gorilla/monkey at the front door .
That front door was huge and I recall a sign which said "IF YOU CAN"T OPEN THIS DOOR ... YOU CAN"T COME IN" ... or something like that.
And once inside it was a wild and crazy lifter's paradise with heavy lifting gear beyond anyone's imagination.
In one section of this crazy gym ..... the floor was 'carpeted' with heavy, metal, olympic plates.
And less than a mile away in a business section of Costa Mesa there was a popular bar called "Lil Abner's" or was it "DAISEY MAE's" (?) modeled after Al Capp's comic book Dogpatch characters where "MAMA YOKUM" would periodically hop on top of the bar with a mop and get the place cleaned up a bit.
It was a popular place because of all the crazy shit that went on .... and it was a popular hangout for some of the Zuver members .... but most likely not the Reverend himself.
Another kick to the memory bank.
Thanks!
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Worked out on a Nautilus pullover machine years ago. The one with the short pull down bar overhead. Idea was to do a set with the pullovers than without rest do a set of pull downs, using a underhand curl grip. You had a lap strap when using. It was a bit of a challenge to squeeze into the machine if being taller and larger than most. Could be a very brutal workout.
The Nautilus machines had a three phased cam gear, to follow the natural strength curve of a muscle contraction. Brilliant idea really. That cam gear looked like a nautilus sea shell, hence the name Nautilus.
I also used a original nautilus leg machine at the same gym. Where the resistance was directed behind the knees and you just straighten out the legs to their full length. It could be a killer experience. Also were strapped down...had to be. The shoulder/delt machine was excellent, including using a over head pressing device after the delts (a form of lateral raises) were exhausted.
The Nautilus gym owner, and his wife, invested heavily in a full and total Nautilus gym. They lost everything when Nautilus becoming less and less popular over time. .
Some more serious physical rehab centers have Nautilus, or Nautilus type machines. Believe Art Jones designed some machines to fit the needs of these medical centers.
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FUNK, I had a short workout at Zuver's gym in Costa Mesa in the 60's and I don't recall meeting him that day but I sorta recall meeting his young son who was nicknamed RHINO(?).
I inquired about him recently and was told that he had passed away.
Zuver's gym was located in a residential area which was a big surprise and there was an over-sized ape/gorilla/monkey at the front door .
That front door was huge and I recall a sign which said "IF YOU CAN"T OPEN THIS DOOR ... YOU CAN"T COME IN" ... or something like that.
And once inside it was a wild and crazy lifter's paradise with heavy lifting gear beyond anyone's imagination.
In one section of this crazy gym ..... the floor was 'carpeted' with heavy, metal, olympic plates.
And less than a mile away in a business section of Costa Mesa there was a popular bar called "Lil Abner's" or was it "DAISEY MAE's" (?) modeled after Al Capp's comic book Dogpatch characters where "MAMA YOKUM" would periodically hop on top of the bar with a mop and get the place cleaned up a bit.
It was a popular place because of all the crazy shit that went on .... and it was a popular hangout for some of the Zuver members .... but most likely not the Reverend himself.
Another kick to the memory bank.
Thanks!
that was the other brother robert is still alive.
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When I first started out the gym I used had a pullover but not the Nautilus - I believe the difference was the Nautilus had a cam to vary the load during rotation, whereas the one I used was just rounded so constant tension - not so good but I still really got into it
I'd love to find something like this nowadays. There are lots of places to train near me but I've yet to find a pullover - even the inferior type
that may have been a jubinville pullover he made one years back. i used to have equipment catalogs from there but lost them since. most of the equipment came in this color.
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Worked out on a Nautilus pullover machine years ago. The one with the short pull down bar overhead. Idea was to do a set with the pullovers than without rest do a set of pull downs, using a underhand curl grip. You had a lap strap when using. It was a bit of a challenge to squeeze into the machine if being taller and larger than most. Could be a very brutal workout.
The Nautilus machines had a three phased cam gear, to follow the natural strength curve of a muscle contraction. Brilliant idea really. That cam gear looked like a nautilus sea shell, hence the name Nautilus.
I also used a original nautilus leg machine at the same gym. Where the resistance was directed behind the knees and you just straighten out the legs to their full length. It could be a killer experience. Also were strapped down...had to be. The shoulder/delt machine was excellent, including using a over head pressing device after the delts (a form of lateral raises) were exhausted.
The Nautilus gym owner, and his wife, invested heavily in a full and total Nautilus gym. They lost everything when Nautilus becoming less and less popular over time. .
Some more serious physical rehab centers have Nautilus, or Nautilus type machines. Believe Art Jones designed some machines to fit the needs of these medical centers.
yup when he sold nautilus he started a company called med-x and one of his sons went to work for hammer strength which also hastened nautilus' demise. the two brothers hated each other,
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How many powerlifters can fit in Zuver's Gym at one time? ???
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Jim Arrington tells of his experience as being one of the original members of World Gym while standing in front of the place that used to be the First World Gym. This was filmed in August 2020.
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