The 1977 Teenage Mr. Tarhill was my introduction to bodybuilding. All things considered, I should track down the guy who invited me to that show and kill him.
In the summer of 1982 we made our pilgrimage to Gold’s Gym Venice. Upon walking into the front parking lot, we immediately noticed a black 4x4 upside down, partially blocking the entrance. A strange sight, but no one seemed overly concerned, so we kept walking. As we entered, I saw both Barbarian Brothers arguing with each other about something… turns out, the upside down truck was their's. I went to the pro shop area and they were selling the current Barbarian Brothers poster. I bought the poster and went outside to get a signature. The boys were still arguing over who was at fault for the roll-over, but I stepped in and asked for an autograph. David looked at Peter… Peter looked back at David and then they both looked at me and said “Sure big man, you got a pen?” There we were, David, Peter, me and the upside down truck… I still remember the signature on the poster; "To Tom, The higher you climb, the farther you can see." You should’ve been there.
I made it back to The Mecca a few times during the next few years. Always a great workout. Always a little memory of bodybuilding. The last workout we had, before I went to the Joint for five years, was at Gold’s Gym Venice. Don’t remember what I trained, but I do remember looking at the old style peg board, above the water fountain in the front room. On the board, was a 4 x 6 picture of Peter Paul with the most absurd neck pump I had ever seen... 21” minimum, vascular, awesome. I looked around… the coast was clear… I stole the picture. You should’ve been there.
They had to let me go in 1989, and one of the first things I did, was drive to Venice and train at The Mecca. Soon after that we moved to Santa Monica. My girlfriend was a competitive bodybuilder, and I was racing bicycles, so we were @ Gold’s Venice 25-30 hrs per week…
Don Ross has been my friend since 1981. He had a little office above the posing room, at Gold’s Venice. Great office. One day in 1989, Don, my girlfriend & me, were sitting in the office discussing bodybuilding and it's absurdities. There was a knock on the door… in walks Samir Bannout, 1984 Mr. Olympia (edit 1983 Mr. O). We proceeded to smoke some of Don’s finest northern California sensimilla (seedless & purple). An hour later we came pouring out of Don’s office, smoke billowing, stoned to the hilt.--- A few weeks later, Don and I were out front of Gold's one sunny day and a sand colored Hummer came rolling down Hampton Dr. A big man behind the wheel, smoking a cigar calls out, "Ripper Savage!" Don yells back, "Arnold!!" We keep talking... Don says "Pretty cool huh?" I just smiled. You should’ve been there.
In 1992 my bodybuilding girlfriend was long gone. Too many injuries and lack of talent had ended my racing career. The couch tour was close and my car's back seat was a poor bed... then one day, Gold’s Gym Manager Darin Lannighan walked by me in the gym and asked, “Hey dude, do you still want a job here?” “Absolutely”, I said. Darin says, “Cool, be here tomorrow morning at 4am, I’ll get you a key and you’ll be our opener.” I laughed the rest of my workout. You should've been there.
1992 – 1997. Wow. Sleeping in the back room. Sleeping in the posing room. Having a gang bang in the posing room. Finding an IFBB pro sleeping in the posing room, because he was homeless (that's OK, been there, done that). Watching Brian Regan (A REAL hell raiser) put a .45 in Joe Cosmo’s face at the front desk and watching Joe pee his pants (that happens). Slinging gear over the front counter. Telling Ed Connors that Don Ross was gone Telling Nessler that Kurt Colbain was dead. Working the front desk at 4:20am during the Northridge earthquake, and thinking it was funny that everyone was running out of the gym, and then running right back into the gym. Getting drunk with James Caan. Cigar night at Shatzi's (Arnold's rest. on Main St) Hookers for free. Strippers for free. Getting arrested in the 2nd room at Gold’s Venice by LAPD. Comped at every bar in Hollywood (the doorman & bartenders all trained at Gold's Venice).
Teaching movie stars about Clenbuterol (real Stars, not bodybuilding movie stars). Teaching convicts how to pass their drug test. Making $50,000 a year legit, and having a fucking blast doing it. Every year, after the “O” talking and training with Dorian & Leroy. Listening to Flex, Dillet , and Cormier, talking about Dorian and hearing them say, “Fuck, we’re at least a year, maybe two years behind him.” Changing out the floor in the front room and having LAPD show up at 3am to shut down the loud music and party. Sparing with World Champion Dennis Alexio in the kickboxing class.Trying to convince my friend Danny, who was working the entry gate that day, that the "homeless dude" who just came in actually
was Keeanu Reeves. Danny thought it was some bum "who had stolen Keanu's membership".
Taking a break in the front parking lot and watching two Border Brothers steal Tom MaGee's (1984 World Strongest Man) Chevy Z28.
Tom asked me. "Tom, why didn't you stop them?" I said, "Tommy, I didn't realize it was
your Z28 until they were driving away. Sorry."
Doing 15 minutes worth of tire smoking full-power burnouts, in the front lot @2:30am, while LAPD stood by w/15 cars, and watched, and finally an LAPD Sgt. walked over and said, "Look dude, we're trying to plan a raid on the crackhouse down the street, we're staging in your parking lot across the street, would you please stop doing burnouts!!"
Taking smack from a biker for membership because he didn’t have any cash, and giving it to a strung out hooker (no payback required). Breaking up a fight between Titus and some other idiot in the front room. Finding David Dearth (Who is a very cool dude, and just had a little too much that night) OD’ed on Nubain, sound asleep on the treadmill Getting called at 3am by numerous bodybuilders, because their girlfriend was OD’ing on GHB and they wanted to know what to do. Having "Candy night" and watching Melissa Coates laugh so hard it made me pee in my pants. Watching a dude (a regular late night lunatic) who left his gym pants at home, try and train in a shirt
only, because, "I pulled my shirt down real low and you really couldn't see my sack."
You should’ve been there.
1997- 2007 pending…
