Golds Gym Venice - Arnold Disowning It?

[Pollux]

Ive been talking to Onlyme and he says Pete g.   is pissed about this whole thing...Hes tryed to buy the golds on pacific from an old lady who owns it....but she wont budge.
It sits there with plywood over the plate glass windows....doing nothing!!!!

That is the MECCA!!!

 

[McFarland]

Here's another from the first room confirming that they have indeed taken down Arnold's image (and Arnold's image only) from the Olympia wall.  

In response to Power Rod's questions, yes, of course I plan to continue working out at Gold's Venice, and here's why:  The history displayed on the walls is surely a big part of what makes Gold's Venice Gold's Venice...but looking around in there the last couple of days, the MEMBERSHIP there actually accounts for more of that gym's identity than anything hung or painted on the walls ever could.  Yes, it's genuinely disturbing to see the changes literally unfolding in front of your eyes...it's as though history is being erased while you watch standing helplessly by.  The pictures above I took just over the course of my shoulder/cardio workout this AM.  I mean it's just moving so fast that I'm sure it's hard to process for many in there, especially those who've been in there for decades longer than I have (I've only been in there since 2004.)  I know that long-standing members have seen numerous, albeit somewhat more subtle changes in decor over the years, so they may not be as concerned as I suspect they might be...but this looks like it may be much more of an overhaul than this place has ever seen.

But going back to what I was saying about the membership reflecting what Gold's Venice stands for...the Barbarian Brothers are of course still there...David actually nearly walked into the picture below before he saw my camera and backed out of the shot.  For those of you who've never caught more than a couple of workouts there enough to know, there is no gym on earth like Gold's Venice in that you WILL NOT find a more concentrated population of SERIOUS trainees anywhere else on this planet.  Yes, the IFBB pro population has dwindled in recent years, but you will still see a couple training there on any given day...I saw Melvin Anthony and Roland Kickinger in there just this morning, for example...but I'm also talking about HIGH-LEVEL fitness people...people with no names whatsoever in the industry but who are still in the most fantastic shape of ANYONE in the gym you train at right now...I mean, there are 5-10 people I see in there every day who with no more than a 4 week diet could easily serve as fitness magazine cover model material...many who probably HAVE had covers...even the older people that train there train seriously...you'll see people moving 2-4 plates on the bench, squat, etc. all day long.  In all the talk regarding how Gold's isn't what it used to be, this fact has gone largely unmentioned until now.  This gym is is the BIG POND that will make the fish grow as big as he/she wishes.  I'm training in there early AM lately but I can't wait to get back in there after 9 so I can see Gary Strydom...he'll be there closing the place, a minimum of 4 nights out of the week, ready to let you train whatever with him.  And there are the freaks...the same colorful people that were there before you, who will be there after you're gone, that vanish back into the workwork of society once they leave the premises...honestly, it boggles the mind to consider where some of these people come from...you NEVER see them unless AT GOLD'S GYM.  Celebrities?  Gold's Venice still has them...I've seen the SNL "Ladie's Man," Tim Meadows in there the past two days, the Rock's always in and out of there...Um, John Cena, Ray Liotta...I mean it's no big deal but it's still a perk of going there, I don't care what anyone says.  Saturday mornings the parking lot looks like a car show.  1/2 a million dollar exotic cars, multiple Lamborghini's, the newest Bentleys...the first place players like these drive them in a place like LA is Gold's Venice on a chill Saturday morning to show them off, apparently...it makes sense...the rides get seen and they compare notes with the other guys driving them, etc.  Ah, you get the point.  Gold's Venice is just like no other place on earth for the overall experience.      

Sure, Milos' gym is cool, I've been there several times...he's got great equipment, collected obviously by someone very passionate about training, and it's now developed it's own special "atmosphere" and hardcore crowd...but it'll never be Gold's Venice...not that it would wanna be, but it's just something different altogether.  Gold's still has 3 huge rooms FULL of an ever-rotating collection of the newest equipment and cardio machines coming out, Milos isn't ever gonna have more or better stuff overall than Gold's...

You know they say that with every closed door opens a new one, so I'm trying to keep an optimistic perspective on all this change...I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with the place next, it's obviously their showcase gym so surely they'll put something good up...but in the event that it's nothing to "post on Getbig about," I'm prepared for that, too...but the phenomenon that is Gold's Venice will surely remain in large part for many, many years to come.      

[stuntmovie]

I spoke to a lady who claimed to be a Venice GG manager at the Venice Beach event today and she assured me that any photos removed from the walls in the gym would be replaced as soon as the interior paint is finished.

When I asked her a specific question about the removal of Arnold's picture, she assured me that it would be replaced as soon as the painting is completed and that there are no plans to "change tradition".

I also heard that the gym will be completely remodeled in two years and not abandoned for another location.

But one of the Dave Draper fans at todays Venice contest says that the Draper "rendering" has already been painted over and cries, "BS!".

Waddayathink?

[cswol]

jeff, you know that gym is full of hatin azz punks.

[Pollux]

Geezus! His had to be the first one taken down?!?!    

Thanks for sharing your pics, Mcfarland. Although it is sad to look at.  

[cswol]

that lady you talked to was Niko, she is going to say whatever to make the gym stay in good mind, actually out of all the people that work there she is okay, and a nice person.........fuk golds venice.

[ManBearPig...]

Geezus! His had to be the first one taken down?!?!   

Thanks for sharing your pics, Mcfarland. Although it is sad to look at. 

maybe they put that one away somewhere safe, so it's not with the others. 

[Vince B]

Most of us have gone to Golds, Venice. Joe Gold was right about that. The original gym was built by Joe in the late 1960s. Seymour Koenig used to wrestle in Vancouver so I knew him. Seymour told me when I visited Golds Gym in June 1969 on my honeymoon that Joe wanted to sell his gym. He was asking $50,000. I always wanted to own a gym so asked Joe cheekily if he would finance me. No way! I ended up in Sydney, Australia in Jan 1971 and bought a gym several months later. I started modifying equipment soon afterwards and started building gym equipment in 1975 in a room in the gym. I had a welder, drill, angle grinder and electric hacksaw. In 1981 I opened a factory to build gym equipment.

What most people do not realise is that Golds Venice gets most of their equipment donated by gym equipment companies. That has influenced the way the gym is set up. What you find is a row of Flex equipment then some Icarian, Nautilus, Cybex, Hammer and so on. I guess a condition of the companies was to keep the equipment in a line as a showroom. Most of the rooms feature different lines of equipment. Franchaise owners of Golds would come to Venice to view the gym and select equipment. We have over $1,000,000 worth of equipment in our gym. So it is very expensive to set up a modern gym.

I prefer to lay out my gym according to function so put all the leg machines together and so on. At Golds Venice you have to go all over the place if you want to use several of the calf machines. Not ideal as we all know because in a busy gym you can't hog all the gear.

I never bought the gym from Joe but always wanted to have a gym as good as he built. The current Venice gym is huge and has several connecting factory units. It is still a trend setter and a super club.

Milos has a different concept and good for him to have another great bodybuilding gym. The original Vince's Gym in North Hollywood wasn't great re equipment. That place was a monument to the ego of Vince Gironda. I did discover a steel post in the middle of the gym just behind the triceps pressdown and it gave me the idea to build triceps pressdowns with pads behind the user. I eventually put that back rest at an angle to give the user more isolation for the triceps.

All the gyms today have to cater to the general public. The heavy duty gyms installed treadmills and even aerobic rooms in an effort to attract more women. The aerobic gyms installed resistance machines and treadmills to attract more serious trainers and men. There has been a convergence to gyms catering to everyone. The original gym that Joe built wouldn't be successful today. First of all it is way too small.

Another thing that has changed is the way bodybuilders lose fat pre contests. Most do cardio on machines. No one did that when Larry Scott was a champ because he told us not to do anything that might affect our gains. He seriously told us not to play table tennis because we might lose some arm size.

Joe pioneered a bodybuilding gym and designed and built specific machines to assist bodybuilders. The industry has evolved way beyond what any of us imagined in those days. Whether some gym should be retained as a museum of bodybuilding is something that should be discussed and pursued. We will never be in such an opportune position again, politically, in California. We will wait and see what happens but most of us aren't holding our breath.

You have to acknowledge that some bodybuilders got the original Muscle Beach at Santa Monica closed. I think the politicians in those days were concerned about two issues; homosexuality, and sex involving young teen girls. I remember Freddy Baron from Vancouver boasting about helping to close Muscle Beach. Some of the lads were carrying on with teenage girls on the beach in groups or something. I have no idea if Freddy was telling the truth or having a laugh. There was a seedy side to the musclemen and many of them did what they pleased because Southern California has always been a destination for those visiting. The regulars who lived there wouldn't carry on like some of the visitors did.

Here is a machine Golds Venice didn't have when I was last there in 2004. I saw a guy doing standing extensions. I asked the manager where the lying triceps extension machine was. I told him I have three in my gym. Well, like Joe, I had to make machines that you literally could not buy. Here is this machine. Milos can get it copied for his gym. I give him permission to do that. Well, it is not copywritten or patented so people can do what they like. I have never copied any equipment but I admit I was influenced by plenty of good stuff. The original World Class Gym Equipment made me realise I could build equipment like that.  You can see my versions of standing pressdowns with back supports. Having a factory is not a cheap way to acquire gym equipment!

[Pollux]

maybe they put that one away somewhere safe, so it's not with the others. 

True. They're not in the same league as Arnold. 

[bic_staedtler]

....man, this sucks.


Can't they auction off some of that equipment?

Without 'the mecca', bodybuilding has lost something truly unique and special.

But then again, perhaps the stage is set for newer gyms to come to the forefront...but with the current views towards bodybuilding, I ain't holding my breath.

[Pollux]

perhaps the stage is set for newer gyms to come to the forefront...but with the current views towards bodybuilding, I ain't holding my breath.

I don't think anyone is.

[HUGEPECS]

i don't buy it.

this whole bodybuilding intimidation thing has got so out of hand that i wouldn't be surprised if some of these supposedly 'intimidating' bbers started suing these wankers.

  hey, that's not a bad idea!!!

i would invite any bber, pro or otherwise, that has been the victim of this type of defamation and, ironically enough, bullying, to file a civil suit against these pencil necks.

just don't name the accused a 'pencil neck' when you do so or you may be counter sued.

don't let these prissy little metrosexual girls (i'd leave that one out too btw) take your identity and legacy.

LET THE BODYBUIDING FRATERNITY STAND UNITED AND KICK THAT MUTHA FUCKIN SAND STRAIGHT BACK IN THEIR FACE!!!

Beautiful post

[Stark]

and make it a museum...

Discuss

[Colossus_1986]

We can't even get the Olmypia on PPV anymore. We lost Olympia and Arnold Classic and they're on Webcast now.

Pro-Shows Disappear each year...and new ones come along...and go away...the sport is in bad shape

[WetWorker]

Yea I don't think anyone wants to spend the money on a former safe haven for druggies...even if I think they think that shits cool.....I know I do

[Colossus_1986]

Discuss

I only see Arnold (once out of politics) possibly considering the purchase of the lot, but apart from that, like i said, the sport is nowhere near where it should be in terms of finance and popularity these days, and lets face it, the Weiders are Jewish...

[Stark]

Yea I don't think anyone wants to spend the money on a former safe haven for druggies...even if I think they think that shits cool.....I know I do

Hey flex would jump at that shit in a second, think off all the "Back in the glory good ole days" Re inactions they could do, they could bath in past glories every day.

[WetWorker]

Yea just when you thought the 'bain' wasn't cool anymore.....It comes back with a vengence sponsored by flex magazine

[Pollux]

Ladies and gentlemen. There ain't shit we can do about it no matter how bad or hard we try. It is not for sale and the owner will not budge. Get over it! End of story. 

[WetWorker]

Maybe a fire would solve our problems

[Colossus_1986]

Maybe a fire would solve our problems

son of a bitch! thats brilliant! 

[WetWorker]

son of a bitch! thats brilliant! 

I know I have a 191 IQ you know.  You need a good idea I am your man

[bic_staedtler]

Geezus! His had to be the first one taken down?!?!    

Thanks for sharing your pics, Mcfarland. Although it is sad to look at.  

...what a fucking travesty. 

...what the hell are things coming to?....

[Wombat]

maybe bodybuilding.com can get something done with it...They seem to be the for front of everything else bodybuilding these days...

[Wombat]

what would that arnold picture in the original golds go for in 20 to 30 years from now?

Could the picture have been stolen?