Trained at Golds Gym Venice, CA today (Some pics)

[Princess L]

 (And I could've sworn I saw Charles Glass - but then again it could've been someone else completely, I have no idea if Glass evens trains there or not, didn't get a great look so maybe I was imagining things! If it wasn't - its someone that looks just like him!)

Likely was him.  He has a lot of clients there.  

Lucky no one caught you taking pictures.    They're kinda anal on the no camera rule.

have they put the dumbells back in order yet, every time I go there they're scattered all over and can't find a matching pair to save my life!

LOL!  That's what I remember too   the freeweight area being a mess - that and the cardio area being hotter than hell.

[Cableguy]

When my son was in second grade, he used to tell me about this kid named Ron Waller who was kind of a bully and used to pick on him from time to time. Sometimes I would go to his school to pick my son up.

Frequently, there was this old guy there as well that used to wait around to pick up his son. He frequently wore a World Gym sweatshirt, and looked like he "used to work out". I thought he was the kid's Grandfather. Then I put 2 & 2 together, and figured out that it was Ken Waller! He didn't age very well, that's why I didn't recognize him. If I did, I would have conversed with him!

[Cableguy]

have they put the dumbells back in order yet, every time I go there they're scattered all over and can't find a matching pair to save my life!

Yup! So true! You couldn't get away with that shit at World Gym though!

[Cableguy]

When my son was in second grade, he used to tell me about this kid named Ron Waller who was kind of a bully and used to pick on him from time to time. Sometimes I would go to his school to pick my son up.

Frequently, there was this old guy there as well that used to wait around to pick up his son. He frequently wore a World Gym sweatshirt, and looked like he "used to work out". I thought he was the kid's Grandfather. Then I put 2 & 2 together, and figured out that it was Ken Waller! He didn't age very well, that's why I didn't recognize him. If I did, I would have conversed with him!

This is how I remember him...

[DK II]

Likely was him.  He has a lot of clients there.  

Lucky no one caught you taking pictures.    They're kinda anal on the no camera rule.


LOL!  That's what I remember too   the freeweight area being a mess - that and the cardio area being hotter than hell.

LOL, the Japanese Gold's Gyms have a rule set that is longer than the insturction handbook of a fighter plane.

No cameras, no mobile phones, no texting, no use of electricity from the gym for you phone or mp3 player, no tattoos, no yelling / loud talk, no dropping dumbbells or plates, no sweat on the machines, no forced reps, no negatives without help, always use security equipment, no super sets, no multiple sets on one machine, bla bla bla.

[Coach is Back!]

Yup, as a matter of fact, I do remember Mr. October training there that day!

We must have all been training there at the same time (85'-88) yes?

[The Abdominal Snoman]

Now that must have been cool!

Until he found out Reggie Jackson's been taking dball since the eary 70's

[The Abdominal Snoman]

have they put the dumbells back in order yet, every time I go there they're scattered all over and can't find a matching pair to save my life!

Come on Coach, tell the truth. You didn't care about matching dumbells as long as the Tom Prince special brown paper bags fit over your shoes. Only when those didn't fit did you raise HOLY hell.

[Coach is Back!]

What the hell are you talking about??

[BIG ACH]

Yeah Princess, I was trying to be very discrete while taking the pics, figured they wouldn't be too pleased with that. That's why some of them are so crappy! LOL,got a T-shirt too for the memories.  These stories you're allt telling about the original Golds Venice sound awesome, wish I could've been there to see it!

[Cableguy]

We must have all been training there at the same time (85'-88) yes?

As I said, I would buy a day pass and train at Gold's occasionally. I trained at World on a regular basis, and belonged to Bally's in Culver City.
I also trained at the pit on Venice Beach from time to time. The time frame was from about '87 to '98 when I left LA. Miss those days!

[stuntmovie]

Reeves, I forget the exact details but I seem to recall that those windows were walled up because the new owner converted that entire gym area into a living room.

And as you mentioned above and as I stated earlier, steroid usage was not a big secret back then ..... unless you wanted to keep your fellow competitors in the dark. But in almost all  cases we talked about it openly because there was no reason to hide it from anyone until it became a federal offense and went underground.

I assume you know where most of the hard core guys went for their hard core supps back then. Those were interesting times

That was Tim Kimber who played the lead bodybuilder in Hustle (not hustlER) at Muscle Beach and there was some jealousy when he got that part. He was one of the gym partners with Ed and Pete at that time if I recall correctly.

The stuntman at Universal could have been my best friend, Jack Tyree, who I've written about many times on this board, but most of the Universal crew worked out at Vince's Gym in the Valley whereas I recall that the guys who worked at the Fox Studios would do some minor lifting at Golds in them old days. It wasn't until the Hampton location days that the big names started showing up.

Nope! The other gym I mentioned was not the Dungeon where I did train on a couple of occasions. I do recall that flight of stairs into an area of almost total darkness and a mess of weights scattered all over.

And you're right! Dave did train there for a short while while he worked in what I believe was Weider's first product distribution shop on the west coast across the street from Zucky's Jewish Delicatessen and Coffee Shoppe where every bodybuilder had at least two or more meals a day (now closed and boarded up).

I visited Dave in that store and we'd talk as he prepared various Weider sups for shipment. And I do recall him mentioning the possibility of getting a good movie role with Tony Curtis and Sharon Tate (I believe) in "Don't Make Waves". (He got it and did damn good in it!)

I still think that was Joe's original gym location in the original Muscle Beach vicinity I mentioned earlier, but who the hell would know for sure now?!!

Everyone's gone on to Greener Pastures or their own Happy Hunting Ground!

Or elsewhere!

[The Abdominal Snoman]

What the hell are you talking about??

Just fucking with ya, relax

[Meso_z]

LOL, the Japanese Gold's Gyms have a rule set that is longer than the insturction handbook of a fighter plane.

No cameras, no mobile phones, no texting, no use of electricity from the gym for you phone or mp3 player, no tattoos, no yelling / loud talk, no dropping dumbbells or plates, no sweat on the machines, no forced reps, no negatives without help, always use security equipment, no super sets, no multiple sets on one machine, bla bla bla.

So what are you basically "allowed" to do? 

[DK II]

So what are you basically "allowed" to do? 

LOL, i was wondering it myself. Sit on a bench and be quiet, but don't sit there too long.

Kidding aside, this is typical for Japan. You put up a shitload of rules, and everybody follows them to a point where it becomes ridiculous. For example, there's this HUGE MMA-Fighter who trains in the gym, he has lots and lots of tattoos. Now according to the rules you cannot make  a contract when you have tattoos, and when you get some after you made the contract, you can be suspended from the gym.

But, he dwarfs the trainers and almost everyone, so nobody says anything.

Some competitors also do supersets, or forced reps. They know what they are doing, so nobody says anything.

All in all, it is the cleanest, best gym i have ever been to. No phones, no assholes, no hardcore attitude. It's good to have rules when you can bend them a tad without getting problems.

[The Abdominal Snoman]

Hey guys,

So I finally made it out to Golds Gym in Venice California and blasted a good back work out!

Place is huge, looooots of machines, and even an outdoor area for functional training!  Lots of posters all over the walls of bodybuilders (except for Arnold - apparently he asked for them to be taken down), sports athletes, movie posters, football jerseys, etc.

I didn't see any pros unfortunately, but I saw a lot of huuuge guys in general and a bunch of bimbos/gym bunnies (And I could've sworn I saw Charles Glass - but then again it could've been someone else completely, I have no idea if Glass evens trains there or not, didn't get a great look so maybe I was imagining things! If it wasn't - its someone that looks just like him!)

Overall it was a really cool experience, I've been wanting to visit it for a very long time, I even drove by The Firehouse on the way over there, will try to make it out for a bite to eat before I leave here!

Here are some pics, excuse the quality:

Not sure I agree with you bringing your nose into the discussion but you are a cool enough guy to get my support. What do you say we run this town tonight?