Robert
F's
Memories of the Old Gold's
It
all started when I picked up a muscle magazine in about 1965. Don
Howorth was on the cover displaying his incredible shoulder development.
I was slender and decided I wanted to look like the guys in the
magazines. Dave, Bill Pearl, Don Howorth and Larry Scott became
my heroes. Like most gullible teenagers at that time, I believed
everything in print and thought that if I put in 2 1/2 hour torture
sessions and drank enough of a highly advertised weight gaining
drink, I could look like the guys in the magazines. The gains came,
but they were painfully slow and I realized that someday I would
have to go to the source, Gold's Gym.
By
the spring of 1971, I had saved enough money for an extended stay
in L.A. I got a menial job just to train at Gold's and absorb all
the knowledge available. I had my first view of the Pacific Ocean,
but didn't stop to admire or ponder. That could wait.
As
I walked through the front door, the first sight was the crossover
cables and pulleys, and the massive back of the Blond Bomber as
he waited his turn on the cables. I made my way to the back of the
gym through men and machines, and was greeted by a congenial former
Mr. America, Ray Routledge. Ray assured me that this was the place
to train, sold me a membership and an arm full of supplements.
I was so enthusiastic, that I wanted to train every day... not a
good idea for a neophyte. Ray soon set me up on a four-day split
routine, and soon got mildly annoyed when I started adding exercises
that I saw Dave and Frank Zane doing.
Dave
gave me nutritional advice, suggesting that I use a good milk and
egg protein powder and B complex vitamins. Frank shared his advice
on working the abs and obliques.
I never felt so puny as I did when standing next to Ken Waller...
talk about massive and powerful, you had to see him to believe it!
I watched Franco doing endless sets of barbell cleans and presses
and Arnold practicing his posing routine, flexing his amazing biceps
and huge pecs.
There
were pleasant post-workout visits with Artie Zeller, Chuck Collras
and Eddie Giuliani. Artie was a great story teller and told me about
the awesome strength feats of Marvin Eder and discussed the heavyweight
boxing scene, Ali, Frazier, Quarry, etc. We discussed how Arnold
and Larry Scott might fare in a posedown. I'll always remember Eddie
and Phil Cashner's well orchestrated jokes and pranks. No one was
spared!
Some
of us smaller guys watched in amazement at the ease in which Dave
and Ken Waller handled those huge dumbbells. The first Nautilus
pullover machine I ever saw sat to the left of the front entrance.
It was said that Steve Merjanian was so massive in the torso he
couldn't fit in it.
Every negative comment that I had ever heard about bodybuilding
was dispelled. Anyone who thought bodybuilders were musclebound
should have gone down to the beach and seen some of these guys work
out on the rings!
Sincerely,
Robert
F.
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