Author Topic: Best Gyms - What and Where is the Most Impressive Gym You've Ever Seen? (Read 11415 times)

stuntmovie · « **on:** February 13, 2008, 10:18:16 AM »

A. Ranked by "HARD CORE".
B. Ranked by "Most Impressive Looking".
c. Ranked by "Amenities".
d. Ranked by any other category of your own choosing.

Hard Core - Gold's in Venice back ten years ago. But it's changed today. You agree Mr Wishbone?

Most Impressive - Las Vegas Athletic Club, Henderson.

Amenities - Not into amenities so I got no idea, but if a view is an "amenity", I'd say 24 Hour Fitness in Waikiki overlooking the beach and bikinis and beginner's surfboard area.

My choice of category is "Wierdness" and the top of that list has to be the original ZUVER's in Costa Mesa, California back in the 60's. Reverend Zuver had a huge gorilla out in front with a multi-ton front door with a sign on it saying, "If you have trouble opening this door, go train someplace else!". The floor was made out of olympic plates and he had the "heaviest" of any piece of equipment imaginable.

And all this "wierdness" was in a huge "storage shed" along the side of his house in a residential area.

Wish I could remember more but that was a long time back. (Oh yea, his son was "Rhino".)

AZbodybuilder · « **Reply #1 on:** February 13, 2008, 10:32:25 AM »

Hard Core: Gold's Gym Honolulu Hawaii used to be called The Gym, Definitely Hard Core

timfogarty · « **Reply #2 on:** February 13, 2008, 10:37:57 AM »

hard core: Easton Gym on Beverly 20 some years ago. Jim Morris Gym 25+ years ago

but at 12 years old, I was probably easily impressed

Stark · « **Reply #3 on:** February 13, 2008, 11:02:11 AM »

Hardcore: The Hercules in Dublin
Impressive: The Hercules in Dublin

Pictures: http://www.gymstories.com/?page_id=264 <--- Ground floor

Pollux · « **Reply #4 on:** February 13, 2008, 11:09:48 AM »

Gold's Gym/Venice all around.

nder98 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 13, 2008, 11:16:09 AM »

Star Fitness--Bronx, NY

Victor actually trains there once in a while.

nycbull · « **Reply #6 on:** February 13, 2008, 11:16:55 AM »

best hotel gym/spa I ever was at was TheHotel at Mandaly Bay las Vegas...ultra modern and slick, very nice. Gym had the best seated tricep press down machine. Free water bottles and fruit.

Big Worm · « **Reply #7 on:** February 13, 2008, 11:17:02 AM »

5Th ave Gym ,Brooklyn !

Pollux · « **Reply #8 on:** February 13, 2008, 11:19:50 AM »

Quote from: nycbull on February 13, 2008, 11:16:55 AM

Gym had Free water bottles and fruit.

There's your gym with the best amenities.

Bluto · « **Reply #9 on:** February 13, 2008, 11:27:02 AM »

nycbull is something of a fruit himself

mass 04 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 13, 2008, 11:28:30 AM »

Quote from: Bluto on February 13, 2008, 11:27:02 AM

nycbull is something of a fruit himself

That would explain why he picked a gym with a spa.

Blockhead · « **Reply #11 on:** February 13, 2008, 11:40:08 AM »

Quote from: nder98 on February 13, 2008, 11:16:09 AM

Star Fitness--Bronx, NY

Victor actually trains there once in a while.

Isn't that where you train, King?

USA Gym in Bridgeview, IL. Owned/operated by Chuck Sanow.

onlyme · « **Reply #12 on:** February 13, 2008, 11:40:12 AM »

I defintiely know what will soon be the best, but until then The Gym in Honolulu was awesome. It was great when it was at its original location. Then they moved it to South st then Gold's bought it. Great gym for atmosphere and serious training. I have been to at least 200 gyms around the country, Mexico and China and that gym is about the best for training. The original World Gym back when I was a member in 1979 to 82 or 83 was awesome too. Back then that place was a who's who of BB. There was a really small gym in Tijuana that was a get down and dirty gym. I don't like the "fufu" clubs nowadays. Gold's on Flamingo is really good too. There was a gym called Hanraty's (I think) in Georgia or Mississippi that was good too. A good club to have sex in was the Family Fitness in Torrance. They had a HUGE jacquizi that you could do just about anything you wanted. Renaissance Health Spa in Hawthorne back in the 70's too was a great place to take a girl in the pool.

onlyme · « **Reply #13 on:** February 13, 2008, 11:41:30 AM »

I defintiely know what will soon be the best, but until then The Gym in Honolulu was awesome. It was great when it was at its original location. Then they moved it to South st then Gold's bought it. Great gym for atmosphere and serious training. I have been to at least 200 gyms around the country, Mexico and China and that gym is about the best for training. The original World Gym back when I was a member in 1979 to 82 or 83 was awesome too. Back then that place was a who's who of BB. There was a really small gym in Tijuana that was a get down and dirty gym. I don't like the "fufu" clubs nowadays. Gold's on Flamingo is really good too. There was a gym called Hanraty's (I think) in Georgia or Mississippi that was good too. A good club to have sex in was the Family Fitness in Torrance. They had a HUGE jacquizi that you could do just about anything you wanted. Renaissance Health Spa in Hawthorne back in the 70's too was a great place to take a girl in the pool.

Jeez, forgot all about Ray Mentzers gym Muscle Mill. An awesome place to train.

Mars · « **Reply #14 on:** February 13, 2008, 11:42:22 AM »

the more its primitive the better it is for gains and thats all that matter, no fancy equipment and an escalator at the entrance.

nder98 · « **Reply #15 on:** February 13, 2008, 11:45:33 AM »

Quote from: TheBlockHead on February 13, 2008, 11:40:08 AM

Isn't that where you train, King?

USA Gym in Bridgeview, IL. Owned/operated by Chuck Sanow.

Nah, its close to my friends house in the boogie down off tremont ave. I go there once in a blue to mix it up

Bluto · « **Reply #16 on:** February 13, 2008, 11:48:37 AM »

Quote from: Mars on February 13, 2008, 11:42:22 AM

the more its primitive the better it is for gains and thats all that matter, no fancy equipment and an escalator at the entrance.

and that is the reason you became the beast you are today mars

Blockhead · « **Reply #17 on:** February 13, 2008, 11:55:38 AM »

Quote from: nder98 on February 13, 2008, 11:45:33 AM

Nah, its close to my friends house in the boogie down off tremont ave. I go there once in a blue to mix it up

Oh, so you're saying it's cole to 'nder98's crib...okay, I see.

nycbull · « **Reply #18 on:** February 13, 2008, 12:44:16 PM »

Quote from: mass 04 on February 13, 2008, 11:28:30 AM

That would explain why he picked a gym with a spa.

im tellin you this spa was nice, black granite and glass tiles, steel and chrome, very nice...
I did get cruised in the steam room however, but Im used to it

Hey Bluto , they were hiring towel boys if your interested.

My normal gym is a dirty ol'e basement gym on 49th in manhattan, its where Arnold trained and did promo for Pumping Iron.

Gym dude · « **Reply #19 on:** February 13, 2008, 01:05:38 PM »

I would also say Golds Gym Venice Ca but impreassve gym that I have seen in New Zealand would be Les Mills extreame in Wellington that is very nice gym with three floors of very nice weights.

pumpster · « **Reply #20 on:** February 13, 2008, 01:27:19 PM »

Hard core: In Manhattan Sheridan Square Gym 1970s-80s; used to see Dickerson there. Something like Vince's Gym, on the east coast. They had some custom-made leverage machines there that were great, well before i ever saw commercial brands become commonplace. Best bicep workout ever on one of those, tricep and row machines also great. Regular members got their own key, could come in 24-7 for workouts. Immediately outside there was an area for tanning.
http://www.hurrellphotos.com/default.asp?ID=4&action=largeimage&imgid=139

Mid-City on W. 49th as second choice still there, still about the same. Draper used to train there in the 60s before moving to California.
http://midcitygym.com/

Amentities, most impressive looking: lots of gyms have upscale, great equipment and facilities now, it's hard to believe actually how many now. Chelseas Piers in NYC, David Barton Gyms in NY and elsewhere.

jaejonna · « **Reply #21 on:** February 13, 2008, 01:32:12 PM »

I went to a 'Super' Gold's in NJ and the place was like the fucking mall. Two huge levels, mad space, machines everywhere, a movie theater for god knows what, ect ect. ... best gym for hardcorness was a Powerhouse Gym, the manager had tons of pics of BBs everywhere and some cool old school machines like the leg press where you lie on the ground.... the place was a juice house though, 50% were 'on' ...tons of powerlifters there too.

Mars · « **Reply #22 on:** February 13, 2008, 01:42:33 PM »

these fancy polished gay gyms make people lazy.

Gym dude · « **Reply #23 on:** February 13, 2008, 02:16:12 PM »

Another gym that I have been is Les Mills in Auckland. I was impressed with it the same for the mens changing room which I thought it flelt like walling into a day spa it was very flash it had a spa in it a pool .But and weights and machines nice.

jpm101 · « **Reply #24 on:** February 13, 2008, 03:05:59 PM »

Not a commercial gym but for hugeness and a variety of equipment, the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Unbelievable, almost the size of half a football field if I remember correctly. Power racks, "A" frames, sleds, lifting platforms,etc from wall to wall. Early '90's when I saw it. Probably now a days there are lots of college gyms bigger and better. But that one still lingers in my mind. Heard the Big Ten has some great gym's also. USC's & UCLA's wasn't too bad though not nearly matching Nebraska's. Thing about college gym's/training places is that some very fine co-eds trained there also. And you got a chance to set up kegger's party's for the weekends.