Author Topic: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?  (Read 117961 times)

chris73

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Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« on: February 02, 2011, 12:35:48 PM »
If anybody knows somebody who trained in Sig Kleinīs gym in New York City....
- how did these guys train, did they train to failure?
-do you know any funny stories from there?
-did Sig buy modern equipment lets say in the 1970s or 1980s?
-did he change his training philospophy when training science progressed?

thanks a lot to anyone who can contribute

Chris

funk51

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2011, 01:07:08 PM »
never trained there but heard it was one of the smallest commercial gyms ever. will give more detail when more time.
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BB

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2011, 09:32:32 AM »
Klein's book here: http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2009/02/sig-klein-chapter-two.html , scroll to the bottom of the page the rest is there and  in advancing months.

An interesting thing was the Sig Klein Clean and Press Challenge, which was to take two #75lbs dumbbells and c/p them, starting from the floor, 12 times. It doesn't seem like a lot at first glance, but Klein was a small man and those dumbbells combined were close to his bodyweight.

funk51

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2011, 11:38:00 AM »
also klein opened his nyc gym in 1924 -12 years before jack lalanne's gym.
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funk51

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #4 on: February 04, 2011, 09:10:31 AM »
dan lurie gave a good profile of sig's gym in his who's who of bodybuilding mag recounting how sig invented the in-klein bench as well as talking about the day montogomery clift karl malden and reg park were all working out on the same day in sig's 30 by 40 foot gym.
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tom67

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2014, 04:18:05 PM »
Hello, I just found this topic and would be glad to answer any questions about Sig Klein's Gym.  I trained there from 1963 to 1973 when it closed.  I  knew many famous people in show business and some of the old time bodybuilders and strong men.  So again if any questions just ask.

Tom67

funk51

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2014, 12:34:54 PM »
Hello, I just found this topic and would be glad to answer any questions about Sig Klein's Gym.  I trained there from 1963 to 1973 when it closed.  I  knew many famous people in show business and some of the old time bodybuilders and strong men.  So again if any questions just ask.

Tom67
better yet tom share some stories of your experiences in  sig's gym. what kind of guy was sig?    did he still train heavy at this point in his life?   was it a friendly gym or one with a hostile feel to outsiders?      who were some of the famous guys who trained there?       did sig keep up with the latest trends in equipment?       tell us more.
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funk51

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #7 on: February 18, 2014, 12:37:24 PM »
 ;D
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funk51

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #8 on: February 18, 2014, 12:46:24 PM »
 ;D
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tom67

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #9 on: February 19, 2014, 04:38:22 PM »
Sig was a modest man always well dressed.  He ran the gym strictly by that I mean no just hanging around and talking.  He would say your here to work out not talk.  A favorit expression would be "Get busy."  It did not matter who you were Sig would even tell the best known actors  to "Get busy". Part of the reason was that the gym was very small.  

The gym was open to all as long as they behaved.  If you were a trouble maker you were gone.  

Sig did not train heavy.  He did train three days a week  lasting about 1/2/hour.  Usually doing 15 reps per exercise and only one set per exercise.  This certainly kept him in shape.  At the end of his routiine he would give a quick posing routine.  I was impressed by how naturally he flow from pose to pose unlike what I had seen by top bodybuilders of my day.

Sig gym was composed of the old style shot loaded globe barbells.  He had a good supply of barbell plates al the way up to one hundred pounders.  He had two squat racks which were used for squating and bench pressing.  One rack could be fitted with a leg press device.  He did not ever consider to my knowledge any modern equipment. Some of the guys suggested he get a couple of Nautilas machines.  He would not even consider that idea  ( three machine would have taken up most of the gym).  However on one occasion a gym member bought the gym a 300 lb. Olympic Set as a present, which had to be put together and taken apart due to lack of space.

Well, I think that is enough for tonight.  More tomorrow.

  Tom

funk51

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2014, 07:35:10 AM »
thanks tom, waiting for the next installment. by the way what brand  were the plates sig had in the gym? weider, york, lurie or?????
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tom67

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #11 on: February 20, 2014, 04:24:32 PM »
There were no big name bodybuilders that trained at Sig's gym.  However, older strong men did take a work out a Sig's when in town such as Bill Smith who was a well known TV actor at the time.  Bert Elliot, Jack La Lanne  Olympic lifter Lou Riecki and others I'm sure.

Let me tell a quick story about Jack La Lanne.  One afternoon Jack was visiting Sig.  They talked in Sig's office for almost   an hour. Then Jack went into the locker room to change for a workout.  Sig came out of his office and walked toward me and said " Tom jack is going to workout, he  may come over to you and tap you on the chest and say  you look in good shape follow me around and do what I do.  Well guess what, after about twenty minutes Jack did walk over to me and ask me to work out with him (minus the chest tap).  I said OK and worked out for about 1/2 hour but had too much trouble keeping up with him so I excused myself and went back to my workout.  He worked very fast, he pulled on a towel  he kept around his neck between sets.  About a year later I worked out with him again.  It went about the same as the first time.  Sig said you didn"t have to do that.  I said I didn't mind.                                               Tom

tom67

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #12 on: February 20, 2014, 04:38:21 PM »
thanks tom, waiting for the next installment. by the way what brand  were the plates sig had in the gym? weider, york, lurie or?????
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               The only brand name plates I recall were York.  He had many plates large 100 lbs. plates  but I never looked at the brand.  He had two 50 lb. plates that were unmarked except for a small incused 50.  They were completely without any other markings.  Both were permantely used on the bench press which with the bar made up a basic 125 lbs.  I might add they were the diameter of a dinner plate, but about 2 1/2 to 3 inches thick.           

tom67

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #13 on: February 21, 2014, 04:13:15 PM »
Correction.  I posted Sig had 100 lb. plates he didn't they were  50 lb plates.

Some more info about Sig's gym.  He also had a calf machine, a rope which he used  occassionaly, he climbed with hands only with little effort, dipping bars, incline board, chinning bar, wrist roller, roman chair.  Also on the front wall was a large painting of Professor Attila, below were kettlebells, two 80 lbs globe dumbells ( which I used for incline presses).  There was also a large thick handled barbell of 180 lbs. I asked Sig if I could lift it.  He said  no.  He was worried I would not get a proper grip on the thick bar and drop it.  Remember the gym was above a beauty parlor.  I believe the barbell was the Rolandow Barbell, but I am not sure.

Sig always said after a workout, "Thats another one I don't have to do again."                                      

funk51

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #14 on: February 22, 2014, 08:12:58 AM »
did you ever see him doing the handstand pushups[tiger bends ???] he was famous for.
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funk51

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #15 on: February 22, 2014, 08:16:06 AM »
 ;D
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funk51

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #16 on: February 22, 2014, 08:18:05 AM »
 :D
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funk51

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #17 on: February 22, 2014, 08:20:11 AM »
 ;D
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funk51

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #18 on: February 22, 2014, 08:22:32 AM »
 ;D
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funk51

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #19 on: February 22, 2014, 08:23:46 AM »
 ;D
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funk51

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #20 on: February 22, 2014, 12:46:51 PM »
 ;D
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funk51

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #21 on: February 22, 2014, 12:48:44 PM »
 ;D
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funk51

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #22 on: February 22, 2014, 12:53:33 PM »
tom, were you aware of the 1946 contest when sig won pro most muscular man in america contest over dan lurie and walter podlak??????
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tom67

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #23 on: February 22, 2014, 04:45:18 PM »
Funny you mentioned handstand press up! Well here is the two times I saw Sig do them.

On Saturday mornings I would get to the gym before it opened and wait for Sig down stairs. You could not miss him as he walked down 7th Ave. Dressed in a three piece suit, bow tie, and hat with a feather.  He stood out in a crowd.  We would both go upstairs and open the gym.  The first thing Sig would do is take off his hat and jacket turn on one light the walk over to a bench and say to me I do this every morning befor I do anything else.  With that he gracefully stretched out his arms and gazed as if looking at a audience.  He then bent forward graping the side of the bench and slowly lever up into a handstand and then do 15 press ups chin going below the bench.  He then levered slowly down and again arms to sides as if acknowledging the audience.  He the turned to me a said ok thats all now lets get to work.  Then all the lighta came on.  That a showman!!

    Tom


tom67

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Re: Sig Kleinīs gym- Does anyone know somebody who trained there?
« Reply #24 on: February 22, 2014, 04:59:23 PM »
The second time I saw Sig in a handstand was one evening near closing time.  There were only three or four of us left  on the floor when one fellow said Sig, can you still do a handstand on  the handle of a barbell?  Sig just looked said nothing and turned around took a globe barbell out of the rack and placed it on the floor.  He gazed into the distance slowly bent forward and grasped the bar levering his leg slowly up to a perfect handstand.. He the proceeded to roll the bar about 5 or 6 feet on the floor.  Thenhe slowly levered down stood erect.  He said nothing and then put the bar back in the rack. And yes we did applaud.  Sig then said now lets go its getting late.
                                                                                                                                                        Tom