Bill K — Those Days

<One thing changed: mid-60's there wasn't a woman's voice amongst them. Bill, Esq, and Bill2, am I right? Ingrid and Monika are absolutely speechless. So are Bev, Lauri, Christina, Theresa, Sue, Susan, Sandy, Sandy2, Lori, Diane etal. dave - dungeon dweller>

As you'll also recall, Dave, there weren't that many places either! When I went to high school in Sunnyvale, Calif and there was exactly one gym in town. It was a converted Vic Tanny's — all chrome and glitter — and catered to businessmen only. When I outgrew my little Sears 110# set and picnic bench (that was my flat bench)in the garage, I had to drive 25 miles to the Central San Jose "Y" to lift. There was nothing in between. In the entire South Bay Area there were maybe 10 places to lift, tops. Now the Yellow Pages just for the city of San Jose alone is seven or eight pages of health club entries and ads.

Until the Jack LaLanne European Health Spas, women really had no where to go even if they wanted to. (Don't forget we're also talking an age where girl's basketball was some silly 6 people to a side, half court game.)

Come to think of it, most women would not have wanted to step into the typical gym of the day, anyway. They were usually pretty sad by today's standards. But I will say this: as neat as today's environment is, the old days had their charm as well (especially looking backward). Dave's recounting of the 'Tales from the Dungeon' as well as many of the pics posted to the site from the old Muscle Builder/Power magazine always bring on that nostalgia.

I am now going to wax nostalgic here for a bit, so you guys are forewarned that the next paragraph or two is another old dude going on about days gone by. One of the pleasant upsides to so few gyms and so few participants was that it was possible for folks like me to lift side by side with folks like Dave — people at the top of their game. At the San Jose Y I was 'working in' with John Powell (world record holder in the discus), Al Fuerbach (world record holder in shot put, national title holder in 242# class Olympic lifting), Richard Marks (nationally ranked shot putter), and Bruce Wilhelm (top shot putter and World's Strongest Man a time or two in the early days of that contest).

I could drop in at the Sports Palace in San Francisco and lift with Ken Patera, Dan Cantore, and a young kid named Ken Clark (all of whom represented the US in the World Championships of Olympic lifting). Moving over to the Oakland side of the Bay you had Jack Delinger's (Mr. America in '54 and Mr. Universe in '56) before he just stuck to equipment sales, Clancy Ross' club (Clancy was Mr. America in '45 and lost to Steve Reeves in the Mr. Universe a few years later), and the Manor Health Club which was the first training home of Ed Corney when he moved to California.

You'd see folks like Jimmy Payne (professional Mr. America in the fifties and multiple World WristWrestling champion in Petaluma) and local legends, Mike Dayton, Paul Love, and Nathan LeBlanc.

Even in Southern Calif there were really only three places to go: Bill Pearl's in Pasadena, Vince's in Studio City, and, of course, Gold's in Venice.

Having recalled all that, I wouldn't trade it for a minute (well, ok, maybe a minute) for being in today's gyms with the Ingrids, Stellas, Bevs, Lauris, Christinas, Theresas, Sues, Susans, Sandy 1's and 2's, Loris, Dianes, Larees.

Bill K

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