Golds Gym - "The Mecca", when it really was "The Mecca"

[flinstones1]

More pics!

that last picture is the very reason I will never train my neck. Looks rediculous...a thick neck is good but that just looks retarted. Speaking of necks...Wierd thing about levrone, how can a guy on so many drugs have a neck so small.

[wes]

Share some stories!

Do you think he couldve been a threat to the O had he moved over?

In 1983 he won the America,and Haney won the Olympia................. .hard to say how he would have done as he improved,but I sure don`t think he would have been out of place on the Olympia stage.

Guy trained hard,heavy,and never missed a day unless he was sick of course............traine d heavy,but never went nuts as his form was impeccable.

Chris Aceto learned a lot from him as he also attended Springfield College at the same time.

The gym we trained at was huge and had glass all around the front and went around the corner...........so many animals trained there at the same time that the widows would get fogged up in both winter or summer at times.

[The Greek Wolf]

Springfield is a shithole.

[Figo]

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[Figo]

In 1983 he won the America,and Haney won the Olympia................. .hard to say how he would have done as he improved,but I sure don`t think he would have been out of place on the Olympia stage.

Guy trained hard,heavy,and never missed a day unless he was sick of course............traine d heavy,but never went nuts as his form was impeccable.

Chris Aceto learned a lot from him as he also attended Springfield College at the same time.

The gym we trained at was huge and had glass all around the front and went around the corner...........so many animals trained there at the same time that the widows would get fogged up in both winter or summer at times.

You knew this was coming...

Hypothetically speaking, let's say king juiced, what would you say a typical cycle would be?
 

Aceto was still coming up then, young?

[wes]

You knew this was coming...

Hypothetically speaking, let's say king juiced, what would you say a typical cycle would be?
 

Aceto was still coming up then, young?

I honestly have no idea what Jeff used but I`m sure it was about the standard type of cycle for the time........maybe more or less........I wish I could tell you more.

Yes,Aceto was young,as was future Mr. American Matt Dufresne............Matt also won the Mr. USa as well as the NABBA Universe.

A real sight to see was Artie Prince pictured in my last few posts......he was huge and walking from Springfield College up the hill to get to the gym,he would be walking his 10 speed bike which looked like a tricycle compared to him,and would be followed by a ton of little kids asking him all about his muscles.

[Figo]

Yes, I remember Dufresne won round same time as Victor Terra

Also same gym?

[wes]

Yes, I remember Dufresne won round same time as Victor Terra

Also same gym?

No Terra was from around Boston.....we were from Western Mass.,other side of the state about 1/2 hour from Hartford Conn.

[crownshep]

[wes]

Great video Shep..........I met Doug Brignole last year at the Masters Nats.........nice guy and we now keep in touch.

Doug still looks great!

[Figo]

No Terra was from around Boston.....we were from Western Mass.,other side of the state about 1/2 hour from Hartford Conn.

I meant matt dufresne, he was also in springfield with you guys?.

[wes]

I meant matt dufresne, he was also in springfield with you guys?.

Yup,Matt was a skinny kid who used to date the gym owners daughter..........saw King and a few of the guys,started training,and the rest is history.

When I moved back to Massachusettes from Florida in the early 90`s,I had $20.00 in my pocket..........I called Matt up,who had opened his own branch of Golds Gym,told him I was broke but needed to train,he said no problem,never charged me a dime.

Lots of people used to rag on him saying he was stuck up and egotistical,but he was always cool with me and my two twin cousins who I trained with.

I still shoot the shit with him here and there on Facebook.

[Figo]

Yup,Matt was a skinny kid who used to date the gym owners daughter..........saw King and a few of the guys,started training,and the rest is history.

When I moved back to Massachusettes from Florida in the early 90`s,I had $20.00 in my pocket..........I called Matt up,who had opened his own branch of Golds Gym,told him I was broke but needed to train,he said no problem,never charged me a dime.

Lots of people used to rag on him saying he was stuck up and egotistical,but he was always cool with me and my two twin cousins who I trained with.

I still shoot the shit with him here and there on Facebook.

Fantastic

Training around monsters like that and top competitors, as a young guy did you feel inspired, or think "fuck , these guys aren't human!" ?

[wes]

Another King related story:

Back in 1987,me and my two cousins decided to enter a contest the gym owner Rick Britt was putting on.

They would both enter the Teenage Mr. Region 1,and I was entering the Mr. Springfield contest.

I hadn`t trained in quite a while due to my then bad drinking habit.

I went back to the gym and was benching 95 pounds for a hard set of 8 reps.............6 months later I was putting up 300 pounds at 150 pounds bodyweight.

anyway,King knew how terrible I had looked previously and hadn`t seen me for a long time.

King was also the guest posewr and trophy presenter at the show.

One of my cousins took his class and the other one who was fucking shredded to the bone placed second to a big bulky soft huge kid....................w hen King gave my cousin the second place trophy,as he walked off the stage he slapped the fat kid on the ass and says......."Nice job fatass" !!

Fucking King went nuts,....."Wes what`s wrong with your cousin........tell him to cool down" !!

Fucking hilarious............... ..my cousins were very competitive,played a lot of spoirts and excelled at all of them,but they were young and not very good losers.

I placed fourth in my class and when King gave me my trophy,he whispered.........."Thank God for muscle memory and hard work huh Wes?"

It was a proud moment for me as I always looked up to Jeff.................... .......sounds corny but I actually got choked up knowing how hard I worked to get back into decent shape after falling down so far.

[Figo]

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[njflex]

wes is awesome and was in the aau hotbed area for top bbers mass,,,funny that gruskin had the   for talent cause they all had same look,big legs,conditioned tenfold,short to med height with great shape,gruskin dressed like a hobo and disheveled.terra,brignole,king,dufrense,pete miller,deangelis,scarcella,barretta all few great aau guys,,,

[Figo]

Thanks for sharing Wes, great story

How old were you guys then? You, your cousins and King?

[wes]

Fantastic

Training around monsters like that and top competitors, as a young guy did you feel inspired, or think "fuck , these guys aren't human!" ?

Man,I loved it.............always liked to train hard and the atmosphere just demanded it at all times.

We had:
2 Mr. Americas
1 Mr. World
2 Mr. Universes
about 6-7 Mr. America contestants (not winners)
3 Mr. Universe contestants (not winners)
tons of local,national,and regional contestants
lots of new female bodybuilders
lots of great powerlifters(700 pound squats and deads were almost commonplce)
3 World Champion arm wrestlers
A few other guys that placed in the Jr. Nats as well as a few Masters contest winners/

In `83,Big Daddys Gym was voted the number 1 gym in the country two years in a row,

If you didn`t train hard,you just didn`t rate..........if you looked like dogshit but gave it your all,everyone respected you.

[wes]

Thanks for sharing Wes, great story

How old were you guys then? You, your cousins and King?

I was about 25,my cousins were 18,and King was probably 21 or so.......not really too sure.

[wes]

wes is awesome and was in the aau hotbed area for top bbers mass,,,funny that gruskin had the  for talent cause they all had same look,big legs,conditioned tenfold,short to med height with great shape,gruskin dressed like a hobo and disheveled.terra,brignole,king,dufrense,pete miller,deangelis,scarcella,barretta all few great aau guys,,,

Gruskin still dresses like that bro!! 

I see him at the NABBA Nats........looks really old but very coherant.

Those days as everyone likes to parrot,were truly great as the camaraderie was amazing..........everybo dy helping everybody else out,and encouraging each other to do one more rep or add another plate to the bar.

You won`t see that anymore!

[wes]

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Big Daddys Gym baby !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[crownshep]

Always thought Matt Dufresne had the proportions of a tall class guy,he never looked a short guy.He`s someone else i would have loved to have seen in the Olympia.Just sent you a friend request  on facebook Tim.

[wes]

Always thought Matt Dufresne had the proportions of a tall class guy,he never looked a short guy.He`s someone else i would have loved to have seen in the Olympia.Just sent you a friend request  on facebook Tim.

Cool,I`ll approve it today Shep...............I don`t hit FB too much lately,more of an off and on thing for me.

EDIT: We are now friends Shep !!  

[crownshep]

Great,now we can tell each other important things like what we had for breakfast,haha.Only found out on facebook last week that the next door neighbour had died,no fucker talks anymore.

[wes]

Great,now we can tell each other important things like what we had for breakfast,haha.Only found out on facebook last week that the next door neighbour had died,no fucker talks anymore.

That about sums it up!  LOL