Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?

[tom67]

One evening a very nasty incident took place between Sig and a person who I will not name.This person had a habit of using Sig's business phone on Sig's desk.  He would ask if he could make a call and Sig yes.  This happened day after day after day, it escalated to three and four calls a night last more than half an hour.  Sig said ------ lets stop all the calls and work out.  ----- said one more call.  Finally Sig told him no more calls, well an argument occurred and ------stormed out of the gym.  A few days later -----came back and walked into Sig's office sat behind Sig's desk and slammed a fist full of dimes on the desk and picked up the phone.  Sig screamed at ----- and he walked on to the gym floor with Sig following, fists clenched ready for a fight.  Two fellows held Sig back with both screaming at each other.  ----- then walked out of the gym.  Three months later he came back and Sig laid down the rules and there was no more trouble.

There were many actors both well known and others not so well known who trained there all well behaved and friendly.  Mr.----- was very sullen all you could get from him was a reluctant hello.


Tom

[funk51]

Didn't know that about Grimek and the will.  Must have happened after 1973.  If before

 Sig would have said something.

I asked Sig at one point if all the record lifts Hoffman claimed were true.  Sig gave me a strange answer.  He shrugged and said I guess so.  He didn't speak further.  I dropped the subject.

Tom

a lot of hoffmans lifts are questionable, he was a large in staure man , so who knows. he always claimed to be the world's worst presser claiming a weak 135 lb lift. i know some of his other documented [pics] sometime the barbell looked drawn in [before photoshop] i read one article where guys seen him turning a hose on himself then running around his house and telling them he just finished a long run not knowing that they saw himself hosing.

[funk51]

 

[funk51]

  hoffman always billed himself as the world's healthiest man reports negated his assertions.

[tom67]

Looking at that picture of Hoffman bent pressing 290 lbs makes me wonder if it actually weighed that much.  I would think he would need a really strong grip on the bar.  Looking close he does not appear to have the necessary grip, but who knows.

Tom

[tom67]

When the gym was not to crowded usually late evening Sig would suggest a couple of us try some of the old lifts.  The floor press was one.  Sig showed me how to do it with the olympic bar.  using my legs to get it into position ( the oldtimers used a globe bell and did a pullover to get into press position).  Once in position I had no trouble pressing it.  Getting it down I brought my legs up and lowered the bar to my legs sliding it to the floor.  I did 250 first and Sig said want to try 300 I said yes and did it easily.  I asked Sig what the record was and he said about 370.  I said lets try that and Sig said NO.

Tom

[funk51]

Looking at that picture of Hoffman bent pressing 290 lbs makes me wonder if it actually weighed that much.  I would think he would need a really strong grip on the bar.  Looking close he does not appear to have the necessary grip, but who knows.

Tom

the globes of the barbell were probably empty thus giving a much lighter weight to lift, but still would look impressive.

[funk51]

When the gym was not to crowded usually late evening Sig would suggest a couple of us try some of the old lifts.  The floor press was one.  Sig showed me how to do it with the olympic bar.  using my legs to get it into position ( the oldtimers used a globe bell and did a pullover to get into press position).  Once in position I had no trouble pressing it.  Getting it down I brought my legs up and lowered the bar to my legs sliding it to the floor.  I did 250 first and Sig said want to try 300 I said yes and did it easily.  I asked Sig what the record was and he said about 370.  I said lets try that and Sig said NO.

Tom

pretty impressive lifting what were some of your other lifts? at what bodyweight?

[tom67]

I did not consider myself really strong compared to others I read about.

Bench Press 300 three  reps,    325 one rep. all done strictly (touch and go).
Squat 325 on rack with sleeves The problem was once you get to three hundred lbs.  the sleeves would rub causing friction. I asked Sig with 325 on rack how many more pounds would be added. He figured about 45 lbs.
Deadlift 500 lbs ( my bodyweight at that time was 160 lb. I was in the army then)
Olympic lifts were 225 press, 175 snatch (squat style) and 250 clean and jerk (power clean)
I did wide grip chins with a 60 lb dumbell, sets of 8.
also dips with 80 lb dumbell also sets of 8. In the army I did one dip with 160 lbs at 160lb bodyweight.
Curl 200 lbs. yes, with cheat to start it moving
These were all done at 193 lbs bodyweight.  I was 5' foot 8".

Tom

[funk51]

I did not consider myself really strong compared to others I read about.

Bench Press 300 three  reps,    325 one rep. all done strictly (touch and go).
Squat 325 on rack with sleeves The problem was once you get to three hundred lbs.  the sleeves would rub causing friction. I asked Sig with 325 on rack how many more pounds would be added. He figured about 45 lbs.
Deadlift 500 lbs ( my bodyweight at that time was 160 lb. I was in the army then)
Olympic lifts were 225 press, 175 snatch (squat style) and 250 clean and jerk (power clean)
I did wide grip chins with a 60 lb dumbell, sets of 8.
also dips with 80 lb dumbell also sets of 8. In the army I did one dip with 160 lbs at 160lb bodyweight.
Curl 200 lbs. yes, with cheat to start it moving
These were all done at 193 lbs bodyweight.  I was 5' foot 8".

Tom

not bad lifting considering the times.hoffman was a lot like weider used to like to put his  noggin on top of someone elses body. in weider's case usually clancy ross or robby robinson.

[tom67]

To add to my last post I practiced occassionally the following under Sig suggestion and supervision.
Bent press with lite weight to perfect style.
Push press.  Two hands anyhow.
Military press.  Sig suggested I practice this lift often.  Being that I could press 225 I started with 170. Sig said much to much, he was right. Idropped the weight to 140 still to much. Ifinally started with 120. Sig showed me the correct position, heels touching, bar below shoulders, look strait ahead.  I pressed it Sig said the lift was no good ( looked at the bar). Finally I got the nack and Sig said good. He showed me another variation which was he would point his finger at the bar and I had to move the bar at the same speed he moved his finger ( very tough).  Eventually I could do 140 lbs and eventually I made 170 lbs. Both acceptable to Sig.

Tom

[tom67]

Another lift Sig suggested one evening was the two dumbell clean and press. Today it is called the Sig Klein challenge.  I did dumbell pressing with palms pressing forward, but the clean and press was done with palms facing your head.  I practiced the movement with lite weights just to get the feel of it.  I then went to fifty lb dumbells and did 15 reps a far cry from Sigs 75 lb for 12 reps, which equalled his bodyweight.  For me to equal Sigs lifts I would have to use the 100 lb dumbells.  That would not happen.

Tom 

[funk51]

 

[funk51]

 

[funk51]

 

[funk51]

 

[tom67]

One of Sig's clients was a very well built bodybuilder who wanted to speed up his workouts.  He had an egg timer that he set for one minute rest between sets.  It worked well he saved alot of time.  Then one evening someone set the timer to go off every 30 seconds. It would surprise this fellow how fast a minute would go.  He worked  out more than half hour with the 30 second intervals, and did not understand why he felt so out of breath.  We all wondered when he would figure it out.  A couple more sets  and he inspected the time and realized what happened. He figured he made the mistake. We
never told him the truth.

Tom

[tom67]

One night I was leaving the gym and going down the stairs.  Just ahead of me was Rip Torn dressed in his full motorcycle outfit helmet, leather etc also sporting a full beard, ahead of him was another member dressed in an expensive suit.  As I passed the beauty parlor one floor below the gym two young women were in the doorway.  They motioned me over to them and asked if the gentlemen in the suit was an actor, I hesitated for a second and said no.  I then continued down the stairs and though to myself they didn't ask about the guy in the motorcycle outfit.  I guess it shows how people expect an actor to be dressed.

Tom

[tom67]

Sigmund Klein's Gym closed in 1973 not because  Sig wanted to retire, but because the rent tripled.  It was the time of high real estate all over the city.  Sig would have to triple his monthly fees and probably get more people to join his gym.

He sold his equipment benches, weights etc.  His beer stein collection went to his home.  Sig did take some of the weights to his home for workouts and probably a bench also.  He also gave away old magazines he had for years to the members. He gave me his postal cards from people who wrote to him when on vacation.  I collected stamps and he though I would appreciate them.  I wanted to buy his 80 lb globe dumbells, but decided not to because I was living in a small apartment with wife and son.  One item he gave to me was a advertisement for his gym which also advertised a barbell and dumbell set for beginners.  The dumbells could be attached to the barbell with some small plates for additional weight. Sig wanted to get a pattern for the design, but was discouraged at the pattern office because the pattern officer showed his thousands of similar designs.  

[tom67]

I mentioned in the previous post that Sig gave me many postal cards from members etc.  One interesting card was from Bert Elliott.  The picture on Bert's cards always had medievel suits of armor.  He was a collector of medievel armor especially helmets.  Also on the writing side along with his message Bert would draw a picture of his face and bald head and below he wrote "Kraft Heil"  which in german means Salute Strength.

I saw some of Sig's barbells at a west side modern gym that I decided not to join for a number of reasons.


Tom

[tom67]

On that final evening at Sigs we all wished each other look luck and shook hands and left the gym for the last time.  When I shook Sig's hand there was a feeling of great sadness in both of us, I could see it in Sig's  face and am sure he could see it in mine.  It was a great ten years I learned alot and meet many interesting people that I would never have met if not for the gym.  As the saying goes, "All good things come to an end."


Tom

[tom67]

Another incident I recall was when one member had just put two dumbells on a bench.  One dumbell rolled off and struck him on the foot.  He grabed his foot and started to hop on one leg toward the large windows, not uttering a sound.  Lucky for him two other fellows saw him and grabbed him before he got to the window.  Two more hops and he may have gone thru the window.  I remember that two other members took him home in a cab.  I don't know if he ever came back to the gym again.  Sig then reminded every one to always cross your dumbells when on a bench.Good advise.

Tom

[tom67]

Sig told me of a incident  that occurred at an earlier date.  It went like this.  A new member was doing bench presses when Sig noticed he had no spotters.  He told the fellow to ask a couple of guys to spot him in the future.  The  new client said he didn't need spotters because if he can't get the weight up he will just dump the weights of one side and then the other side.  Sig told him "NO YOU WON'T"  You use spotters or you cannot work out here.  Remember this is a small gym and I would not  want to be standing near him if he dumped weights.  Also there is a beauty parlor one floor below.

Tom

[funk51]

was just reading in an old MD that in 1940 frank leight mr america performed 100 reps in the situps with a 60 lb barbell  behind his neck he performed said feat at sig's gym.

[funk51]

was just reading in an old MD that in 1940 frank leight mr america performed 100 reps in the situps with a 60 lb bar behind his neck he performed said feat at sig's gym.