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Just not long ago of course, the bodybuilding world realized that our dear friend and gym franchise pioneer Joe Gold has departed to the great huge gym in the sky. Joe Gold’s contribution to bodybuilding has been extensive. He is the founder of the basi Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach. Everyone remembers seeing Arnold and Lou and Frank Zane and all the greats of the 60s and 70s training at Joe Gold’s Gym. Joe also started both franchises Gold’s Gym and World Gym both franchises blossomed into global successes. Based on these facts alone, Joe has affected a good deal of people on a big scale. However, everyone who new him could testify that Joe Gold’s reputation was as golden as his name. Joe made a worthful contribution to the life of each person who knew him. Recently, I was flipping through a magazine and I saw an article and a series of photos of all the greats getting together to honor Joe Gold after his recent passing. I was moved to read all of the personal stories of how Joe touched people’s lives. Over and over the same theme held coming out; Joe Gold was bodybuilding’s real nice guy. Joe genuinely did see it all or done it all as far as the sport goes. Early in his career he had expended time in the May West Muscle Show, did the whole Muscle Beach scene, started a gym, trained the champions and lived the bodybuilding lifestyle. Joe has helped out closely all the greats in the sport but he also affected normal persons as well. In fact one of those people was me. Joe Gold saved my life, and here is how it happened. It all started way back in my barn in rural New Brunswick. New Brunswick is a cold out of the way province, just above the Maine border. As a young lad there were no gyms around so I had to train in a makeshift gym I had constructed in a barn. I would stare at the pictures and magazines of muscular he man flexing their muscles on a sandy beach with a California sun beating down. I watched movies like Pumping Iron with Arnold, Ed Corny, Lou Ferrigno and all the greats training in Gold’s Gym and I dreamed that one day I too could train there. Years went by and I held dreaming when it comes to training at Gold’s. My dreams were fueled by a steady stream of pictures in the bodybuilding magazines in regards to California, Gold’s Gym and the way the bodybuilders live and train. After graduating from High School I went to university and studied exercise physiology at the University of New Brunswick. Upon completion of my studies, that iron bug had grown to full on obsession. I had to get to California. I knew that I had to meet Joe Gold. I had to learn the mysteries of the champs and like the thousands and thousands of bodybuilderss before me, I too had to make my pilgrimage to the Mecca. So, one crisp fall day, I sold everything I had, which was not a whole lot, put a few things in a bag and boarded a plane, flew out to the west coast of Canada. I then boarded a train down to through the states of Washington and Oregon until I at last got to Los Angeles. I had made it. After a basi night in Hollywood I booked myself a hostel at Venice beach. The hostel was dirt cheap and I would only be a few blocks from the Mecca, Gold’s Gym. The next morning, I went out to my original experience at Gold’s. I was fascinated as soon as I walked in the door. I stared at the myriad of machines all over the place. Pictures of all the champions I had read with regards to hung on the walls. The gym was a buzz with severe bodybuilders each where, I had never seen men and women so huge and so ripped. I was mesmerized. I was in heaven. Being comparatively naïve I did not realize that Joe Gold was not at Gold’s anymore he had sold the Gold’s franchise long ago and had moved down the street to his new franchise, World’s Gym. After my primary workout at Gold’s, I thought well I will actually go to World’s Gym, see what that is all about. Sure enough, the next day dawned a nice, bright, sunny day which is gorgeous much the frequent in southern California in October. I was basking in the sunshine of excitement knowing that I was walking down the same beach that Arnold and Franco used to walk down years ago. As I made my way up the street, I saw a huge sign of World’s Gym. I went in the doorway and climbed up the stairs. As I came up to the front desk and I got the shock of my life. Behind the desk, sitting down in a chair with that bright, smiling face that you could not fault anywhere, was the man himself. “Joe Gold”, I exclaimed! “I can’t believe it. You’re Joe Gold.” He smiled that smile that seemed a thousand miles wide and he looked up and he said yeah, that is what they used to call me. Overcome with euphoria I asked, “Joe may you sign my training book?” I was overwhelmed. I could not believe. This was the man. This was the man that had trained Arnold. This is the man that started the gym and built the empire that thousands of bodybuilders had flocked too and here I was standing before him. I was almost speechless. Joe made his way up to the front desk. Of course his legs were not working well at the time and he hobbled over to the counter where I was standing, gladly signed my book. He looked at me and said, “where you from kid? “Well sir, I am from New Brunswick, Canada and I have come out here so I may be a bodybuilder.” “Is that right?” he said. “You bet. I recognise that all the greats have trained here and boy, I just can not believe my luck that you are here too. I am coming here to train and be a huge bodybuilding star like Arnold.” Joe smiled and did not say anything for a moment. “New Brunswick? Boy that is a long way from here. You got any family down here?” “I said, no sir. My family is back in Canada and they don’t understand. They think I am crazy to get in this bodybuilding world.” He looked at me with a knowing smile. “I understand.” Wanting to make a good impression I asked “How much is it for a membership?” Joe replied, “First workout in the gym does not cost anything. Go in, have a look around, get yourself a workout. I will be here if you need anything.” Sure enough, I went into the gym. It was not rather as spacious as the Gold’s, but it had a distinctive feel. The instrumentation and lay out was well thought out and it was not as noisy as the other gym. Less music, less beguilements I thought. Kind of like the throw back to the old days when they did not even have music in the gym. I went through the gym and savored my workout for then next few hours. When I finished up, I passed by the front desk on my way out and I said, “Gee, Mr. Gold. Thank you so much! “Don’t call me Mr. Gold. Everyone just calls me Joe.” “Okay Joe, I will be back tomorrow” Los Angeles was a huge shock for a little town young. Joe Gold and World’s gym felt a lot friendlier with less beguilements than the bustling Gold’s Gym down the street. I was eager to come back the next day and I was so excessively affected emotionally that I had in truth met the man. Over the next few weeks, I would come in the gym and Joe Gold would be there. I would ask Joe how much for a membership and he always said, no worries son “I’ll cut you a lot of slack until you get settled.” I could not believe that this guy was not charging me anything. I mean I heard of these huge cities were tough and persons would cut corners and no one actually cared in regards to you. I knew it was $20 bucks to train at the other gyms around town and I knew that my meager finances would not last me long. I had to figure out what I was going to do, how I was going to get a job, how I was going to aid myself, so I could become that bodybuilding star that I dreamed of. The reality of the circumstance started to get more and more intense as the days went by. Joe Gold always enjoyably smiled at me as I came in and many times times he would take time to chat with me, briefly. One day I had just finished one of my workouts and Joe pulled me aside. “Son, I want to talk to you for a minute” I looked at Joe nervously, and I thought okay, I in all likelihood have to remunerate for my membership now. He looked at me intently. “What are you doing down here in Los Angeles?” “I told you Joe, I am working out here and I am going to become a bodybuilding star just like all the greats before me. “ “He said do you got any money? “Well not much. I said, but I think I may get a occupation as a waiter and right now I am just working at the hostel to recompense my rent until I figure out what I am going to do. This time he looked at me and he in truth looked deep into my eyes and there was a look of compassionateness and seriousness all rolled up into one look. He said “kid, I am going to give you some advice. I have seen thousands of young guys like you come through here and I will tell you something, this city eats them up. It breaks my heart. I mean, I could tell you story after story of young guys that come out here full of hopes and dreams much like yourself and in a few years, they get caught in all sorts of things you would not imagine. It is genuinely sad to see how that drive to succeed gets turned inside out and destroys persons and you know, I would hate to see it take place to an individual like you. I think you ought to go back up to Canada. Get yourself a good employment circumstance and make a lot of money. After a few years, you may come back down here. You do not have to be training in Los Angles to become a professional bodybuilding champion. As a matter of fact, the way things are going now, I think it is having little impact to become a pro builder someplace else. This scene is too much for guys like you.” I thought intensely regarding what he said and I had a mix of emotions, Joe sensing that he had hit a great deal of points continued on. “You in truth must go back up to Canada, save your cash and then come down in a few years. You will be much better prepared to do well down here and you won’t get up in any of that stupid stuff bodybuilders are mixed up with these days.” I thought when it comes to it. “I said, thanks a lot Joe. I will genuinely do a lot of thinking when it comes to that.” Later that night, I went out to Venice Beach. The sun shined down in a multi hued colorful sunset. I saw the jets streaming all over the sky closely like a mini highway. The sound of the waves crashing on the shore and the din of the vendors on Venice Beach filled the air. I thought to myself when it comes to why is Joe Gold is talking to me. Joe Gold has been here for 50 years of so. He has seen it all. He has seen the whole rise of bodybuilding. He has seen the Muscle Beach days. He has been in the movies. He has seen everything. He has taken the time out of his life to give me some advice. You know, if any individual knows what they are doing, it has got to be Joe Gold. I vowed right then, Joe is in all probability right. I went back to the hostel and and booked a plane ticket out for the next day. I went back to World’s one last time to tell Joe before I went to the airport, that I was taking his counsel and I was going back up to Canada. I would come back down on my next visit to visit him and would unquestionably be paying for a membership that time. Unfortunately, when I went there, Joe was not there that day and I never got a chance to say thanks. I flew back up to Canada and built myself a successful training business and over the years I won various natural bodybuilding shows. After a few years I was competent to come back down to visit the gyms at Venice Beach at least once a year. The ironic thing is that each time I came to LA, I never got to see Joe again to thank him. Looking back, it is kind of funny. Joe never in truth knew how much he genuinely affected my life. If I had of stayed in LA, I in all likelihood could have gotten mixed up in the darker side of the sport or expended years attempting to make ends meet like so some other aspiring bodybuilders and wound up ruining my life. I like to think that Joe Gold knew that. He saw that I in all likelihood did not have the super genetics for bodybuilding that are necessary to have the potential to become an Arnold or a Ronnie Coleman or any of the other greats. You know, Joe probably knew the score from the day I walked in the door. But you know, Joe was not motivated by money. Joe was motivated by love. He loved bodybuilding and he loved people. Even even though he did not recognise me, he gave me numerous sage advice. It saved my life. And I recognise one day, when I in the long run get to that great huge gym in the sky and I walk up to the front desk, I know Joe Gold is going to be standing there with that huge smile and only then, will I be capable to look at him and say, thanks a lot, Joe. Thanks for everything! |
June 3, 2011
Multi Signed Pepsi Mixed Champ
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