the origin of world gym according to drasin.

[Megalodon]

Where are the weights in that Knoxville gym?

That might be a dumbbell rack in the left corner plus there's a moon bench for Funk. 


Here's a more hardcore gym from the 1950s. Reeves training at Al Berger's Gym in Philadelphia:

[funk51]

SCOTT, I am not familiar with Pudgy Stockton other than .... she had a beach-house in the Santa Monica area(?) which I believe was called "Muscle House" and that Reeves stayed there once or twice ... or possibly just visited.

And I have no idea where/when I heard that one.

FUNK, Thanks for posting those photos. That Strohl photos was most likely taken in the mid-1950's around te same time that I met him and appears to have been taken a bit south of the Sea Castle and the building in the background had a restaurant on the second floor (curved window space) ... and to the best of my recollection had a private beach club associated with it.

That private beach club on the sand is now gone but that building is still there and very close to the parking lot area.

I can't recall when the Leong/Reeves photo was  taken (late 50's?)  but Timmy Leong was a good friend of mine whom I still  consider to be one of best individuals within the world of bodybuilding .... very kind and considerate and quiet and modest.

And lastly ... John Corvello up there on the stage with Oliva.

John won the prestigious Cal Contest in the 60's beating Bill McArdle who was expected to win because he  was trained by Larry Scott.

I forget the details but I believe that Bill died way too young.

Recaling a lot of long forgotten memories here.

[funk51]

That might be a dumbbell rack in the left corner plus there's a moon bench for Funk. 


Here's a more hardcore gym from the 1950s. Reeves training at Al Berger's Gym in Philadelphia:

  I actually only ever saw one of those in person once as a teenager in dan lurie's store in brooklyn ny.

[The Scott]

  I actually only ever saw one of those in person once as a teenager in dan lurie's store in brooklyn ny.

I think I recall see one at both Valley Barbell and Stern's Gym.  I could be wrong but that's what I remember.  Never used it as it looked like a medieval rack. 

[funk51]

I think I recall see one at both Valley Barbell and Stern's Gym.  I could be wrong but that's what I remember.  Never used it as it looked like a medieval rack. 

   pretty much the inspiration for this popular piece of equipment.

[The Scott]

   pretty much the inspiration for this popular piece of equipment.

The Nautilus Pullover machine is fantastic.  I was able to use one for a few times in my life and it was great!  Wish I could afford one now.  Instead I do a stiff arm (but with elbows slightly bent) pulldown from a 90 degree body position.  It's okay but not as good as the Nautilus.

[Humble Narcissist]

The Nautilus Pullover machine is fantastic.  I was able to use one for a few times in my life and it was great!  Wish I could afford one now.  Instead I do a stiff arm (but with elbows slightly bent) pulldown from a 90 degree body position.  It's okay but not as good as the Nautilus.

Do they even sell it anymore?

[Megalodon]

  I actually only ever saw one of those in person once as a teenager in dan lurie's store in brooklyn ny.

That "Ribcage round" bench looks like a Parrillo Arched Incline, or vice versa.

This is the "purest" moon bench:



Moon benches are like lost technology. Now they're only esoteric knowledge.   



Parrillo:

[The Scott]

Do they even sell it anymore?

Not that I know of.  Perhaps a variation of it?  I sometimes check online via Craigslist or just Google search. I probably don't have the kind of money someone would ask. 

[funk51]

Do they even sell it anymore?

   they actually have a nautilus pullover machine in the gym that i used to train in before the pandemic. the funny thing is that's the only nautilus piece that they have.

[stuntmovie]

FUNK, Thanks for posting those photos of McArdle.

I'm sure that the first photo was taken at Vince's Gum as Larry and Vince were close friends and that's where he trained , but when it came to "LEG DAY" Larry snuck off to another gym (the YMCA?) because Vince was very adamant when it came to doing squats as most of you lifting intellectuals already know.

And back then Vince was considered to be way ahead of its time when it came to protein intake.

Help needed here ... What's the name of the L.A. protein company that Larry Scott was so damn proud of?

[The Scott]

FUNK, Thanks for posting those photos of McArdle.

I'm sure that the first photo was taken at Vince's Gum as Larry and Vince were close friends and that's where he trained , but when it came to "LEG DAY" Larry snuck off to another gym (the YMCA?) because Vince was very adamant when it came to doing squats as most of you lifting intellectuals already know.

And back then Vince was considered to be way ahead of its time when it came to protein intake.

Help needed here ... What's the name of the L.A. protein company that Larry Scott was so damn proud of?

Was it Rheo Blair's stuff? 

[funk51]

FUNK, Thanks for posting those photos of McArdle.

I'm sure that the first photo was taken at Vince's Gum as Larry and Vince were close friends and that's where he trained , but when it came to "LEG DAY" Larry snuck off to another gym (the YMCA?) because Vince was very adamant when it came to doing squats as most of you lifting intellectuals already know.

And back then Vince was considered to be way ahead of its time when it came to protein intake.

Help needed here ... What's the name of the L.A. protein company that Larry Scott was so damn proud of?

   blair aka irvin johnson.

[funk51]

 

[stuntmovie]

SCOTT/FUNK, Damn! You guys are smart!

Rheo H. Blair! How could I have forgotten that!

Meandering here! So don't read any further if you are not interested in this historical stuff of non-importance.

It's possible that this memory may not be completely accurate! BUT it is the way I remember it and includes a couple of individuals who contributed to the game of lifting heavy things more so than many others whom you may hold in high esteem.

If you can recall George Frenn and Bill "Peanuts" West" ... you have probably been collecting SS for a good number of years! But for you younger 'kiddies' the name "Reverend Zuver" may be a figment or not  of your imagination.

Before Rho H. ect. became a well known individual/product in a cardboard(?) container ... it would be briefly mentioned by Frenn and West and mainly by Larry Scott. And the Reverend if I recall correctly.

That meant to me that Rho H. etc. was gaining popularity by lifters of every sorts ... Olympic and power lifters and some well-known bodybuilders, so I decided to give it a try, but I had to find it first ... and I drove off from Pendleton and eventually ended up in a small shack by the side of a little pond/lake(?) where I bought a couple of lbs of Rheo H. Blair protein ... an egg protein if I recall correctly.

It looked like there were three individuals working on behalf o Rho, so if one was you ... let us know.

It was a decent tasting product and I sorta recall that the Rho company was bought out by a larger conglomerate and eventually 'evaporated'.

Could be wrong, but that's what I remembered!

[funk51]

SCOTT/FUNK, Damn! You guys are smart!

Rheo H. Blair! How could I have forgotten that!

Meandering here! So don't read any further if you are not interested in this historical stuff of non-importance.

It's possible that this memory may not be completely accurate! BUT it is the way I remember it and includes a couple of individuals who contributed to the game of lifting heavy things more so than many others whom you may hold in high esteem.

If you can recall George Frenn and Bill "Peanuts" West" ... you have probably been collecting SS for a good number of years! But for you younger 'kiddies' the name "Reverend Zuver" may be a figment or not  of your imagination.

Before Rho H. ect. became a well known individual/product in a cardboard(?) container ... it would be briefly mentioned by Frenn and West and mainly by Larry Scott. And the Reverend if I recall correctly.

That meant to me that Rho H. etc. was gaining popularity by lifters of every sorts ... Olympic and power lifters and some well-known bodybuilders, so I decided to give it a try, but I had to find it first ... and I drove off from Pendleton and eventually ended up in a small shack by the side of a little pond/lake(?) where I bought a couple of lbs of Rheo H. Blair protein ... an egg protein if I recall correctly.

It looked like there were three individuals working on behalf o Rho, so if one was you ... let us know.

It was a decent tasting product and I sorta recall that the Rho company was bought out by a larger conglomerate and eventually 'evaporated'.

Could be wrong, but that's what I remembered!

   zuver's son robert used to post on here several years ago , mostly in the history section of the site.

[Taffin]

The Nautilus Pullover machine is fantastic.  I was able to use one for a few times in my life and it was great!  Wish I could afford one now.  Instead I do a stiff arm (but with elbows slightly bent) pulldown from a 90 degree body position.  It's okay but not as good as the Nautilus.

When I first started out the gym I used had a pullover but not the Nautilus - I believe the difference was the Nautilus had a cam to vary the load during rotation, whereas the one I used was just rounded so constant tension - not so good but I still really got into it

I'd love to find something like this nowadays.  There are lots of places to train near me but I've yet to find a pullover - even the inferior type

[Taffin]

That "Ribcage round" bench looks like a Parrillo Arched Incline, or vice versa.

This is the "purest" moon bench:

That thing reminded me of the Simpsons episode where Homer becomes a 'chiropractor'

[_bruce_]

Good times and great physiques.

[stuntmovie]

FUNK, I had a short workout at Zuver's gym in Costa Mesa in the 60's and I don't recall meeting him that day but I sorta recall meeting his young son who was nicknamed RHINO(?).

I inquired about him recently and was told that he had passed away.

Zuver's gym was located in a residential area which was a big surprise and there was an over-sized ape/gorilla/monkey at the front door .

That front door was huge and I recall a sign which said "IF YOU CAN"T OPEN THIS DOOR ... YOU CAN"T COME IN" ... or something like that.

And once inside it was a wild and crazy lifter's paradise with heavy lifting gear beyond anyone's imagination.

In one section of this crazy gym ..... the floor was 'carpeted' with heavy, metal, olympic plates.

And less than a mile away in a business section of Costa Mesa there was a popular bar called "Lil Abner's" or was it "DAISEY MAE's" (?)  modeled after Al Capp's comic book Dogpatch characters where "MAMA YOKUM" would periodically hop on top of the bar with a mop and get the place cleaned up a bit.

It was a popular place because of all the crazy shit that went on .... and it was a popular hangout for some of the Zuver members .... but most likely not the Reverend himself.

Another kick to the memory bank.

Thanks!

[jpm101]

Worked out on a Nautilus pullover machine years ago. The one with the short pull down bar overhead. Idea was to do a set with the pullovers than without rest do a set of pull downs, using a underhand curl grip. You had a lap strap when using. It was a bit of a challenge to squeeze into the machine if being taller and larger than most. Could be a very brutal workout.

The Nautilus machines had a three phased cam gear, to follow the natural strength curve of a muscle contraction.  Brilliant idea really. That cam gear looked like a nautilus sea shell, hence the name Nautilus.

I also used a original nautilus leg machine at the same gym. Where the resistance was directed behind the knees and you just straighten out the legs to their full length. It could be a killer experience. Also were strapped down...had to be. The shoulder/delt machine was excellent, including using a over head pressing device after the delts (a form of lateral raises) were exhausted.

The Nautilus gym owner, and his wife, invested heavily in a full and total Nautilus gym. They lost everything when Nautilus becoming less and less popular over time.  . 

Some more serious physical rehab centers have Nautilus, or Nautilus type machines. Believe Art Jones designed some machines to fit the needs of these medical centers. 

[funk51]

FUNK, I had a short workout at Zuver's gym in Costa Mesa in the 60's and I don't recall meeting him that day but I sorta recall meeting his young son who was nicknamed RHINO(?).

I inquired about him recently and was told that he had passed away.

Zuver's gym was located in a residential area which was a big surprise and there was an over-sized ape/gorilla/monkey at the front door .

That front door was huge and I recall a sign which said "IF YOU CAN"T OPEN THIS DOOR ... YOU CAN"T COME IN" ... or something like that.

And once inside it was a wild and crazy lifter's paradise with heavy lifting gear beyond anyone's imagination.

In one section of this crazy gym ..... the floor was 'carpeted' with heavy, metal, olympic plates.

And less than a mile away in a business section of Costa Mesa there was a popular bar called "Lil Abner's" or was it "DAISEY MAE's" (?)  modeled after Al Capp's comic book Dogpatch characters where "MAMA YOKUM" would periodically hop on top of the bar with a mop and get the place cleaned up a bit.

It was a popular place because of all the crazy shit that went on .... and it was a popular hangout for some of the Zuver members .... but most likely not the Reverend himself.

Another kick to the memory bank.

Thanks!

that was the other brother robert is still alive.

[funk51]

When I first started out the gym I used had a pullover but not the Nautilus - I believe the difference was the Nautilus had a cam to vary the load during rotation, whereas the one I used was just rounded so constant tension - not so good but I still really got into it

I'd love to find something like this nowadays.  There are lots of places to train near me but I've yet to find a pullover - even the inferior type

   that may have been a jubinville pullover he made one years back. i used to have equipment catalogs from there but lost them since. most of the equipment came in this color.

[funk51]

Worked out on a Nautilus pullover machine years ago. The one with the short pull down bar overhead. Idea was to do a set with the pullovers than without rest do a set of pull downs, using a underhand curl grip. You had a lap strap when using. It was a bit of a challenge to squeeze into the machine if being taller and larger than most. Could be a very brutal workout.

The Nautilus machines had a three phased cam gear, to follow the natural strength curve of a muscle contraction.  Brilliant idea really. That cam gear looked like a nautilus sea shell, hence the name Nautilus.

I also used a original nautilus leg machine at the same gym. Where the resistance was directed behind the knees and you just straighten out the legs to their full length. It could be a killer experience. Also were strapped down...had to be. The shoulder/delt machine was excellent, including using a over head pressing device after the delts (a form of lateral raises) were exhausted.

The Nautilus gym owner, and his wife, invested heavily in a full and total Nautilus gym. They lost everything when Nautilus becoming less and less popular over time.  . 

Some more serious physical rehab centers have Nautilus, or Nautilus type machines. Believe Art Jones designed some machines to fit the needs of these medical centers.

yup when he sold nautilus he started a company called med-x and one of his sons went to work for hammer strength which also hastened nautilus' demise. the two brothers hated each other,

[Humble Narcissist]

How many powerlifters can fit in Zuver's Gym at one time?