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Seeing Stars: Where the Stars Work Out

360 Hampton Drive,
Venice, CA. / (310) 392-6004
Did
you ever wonder where Arnold Schwarzenegger
and other hard-core body builders train? Then come
to the original Gold's Gym in Venice, "The Mecca of Bodybuilding."
Gold's
Gym is the most famous gym in "Muscle Beach" (a.k.a. Venice,
California), the prime spot to pump some serious iron. This world-renown
gym has produced countless champion bodybuilders. It offers 47,000 square
feet of Nautilus machines and free weights; its walls are lined with floor-to-ceiling
mirrors. At any hour, there are hundreds of serious bodybuilders lifting
weights at Gold's to a rock & roll beat.
Gold's Gym was the site of
the landmark 1977 film, "Pumping Iron," which introduced
Arnold Schwarzenegger to the movie-going public. It has also been
the scene of various body-building contests, including one notable Mr America
competition where Mae West helped
congratulate the winners.
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Gold's members have included: Muhammed
Ali, Marcus Allen,
Rosanna Arquette, Ellen Barkin, Angela Bassett,
Lisa Bonet, Matthew Broderick,
Pierce Brosnan, James Caan,
Nicolas Cage, Dean Cain,
Wilt Chamberlin, Andrew Dice
Clay, Nadia Comaneci,
Billy Crystal,
Tony Curtis, Billy Ray Cyrus,
Tony Danza, Geena
Davis, Dana Delany,
Laura Dern, Kirk Douglas,
Richard Dreyfuss, Faye Dunaway,
Roberto Duran, Morgan Fairchild,
Lou Ferrigno, Ralph Fiennes,
Laurence Fishburne, Carrie
Fisher, Jane Fonda,
George Foreman, Jodie Foster,
Teri Garr, Mel Gibson,
Whoopi Goldberg, Jeff Goldblum,
Gene Hackman, Mark Harmon,
Lisa Hartman, David Hasselhoff,
Rutger Hauer, Goldie Hawn,
Gregory Hines, Hulk Hogan,
Evander Holyfield, Dennis Hopper,
Helen Hunt, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
Bo Jackson, Janet Jackson,
Reggie Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson,
Bruce Jenner, Magic Johnson,
Michael Jordan, k.d. lang,
Kay Lenz, Howie Long,
Greg Louganis, Kyle MacLachlan,
Barbara Mandrell, Penelope
Ann Miller, Matthew Modine,
Kate Moss, Chuck
Norris, Ken Norton, Ed
O'Neill, Bill Paxton,
Ron Pearlman, Michelle
Pfeiffer, Chynna Phillips,
Bronson Pinchot, Joe
Piscopo, Gabrielle Reece,
Keanu Reeves, Judge Reinhold,
Mary Lou Retton, Eric
Roberts, Dennis Rodman,
Linda Ronstadt, Pete
Rose, Roseanne, David
Lee Roth, Mickey Rourke,
Kurt Russell, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, Charlie Sheen,
Garry Shandling, Martin
Sheen, Brooke Shields,
Wesley Snipes, Kevin Sorbo,
Sylvester Stallone, Frank Stallone,
Peter Strauss, John Tesh,
Heather Thomas, Isiah Thomas,
Charlene Tilton, Ben
Vereen, Jean-Claude Van Damme,
Mark Wahlberg, Jimmie
Walker, Fred Ward, Damon
Wayans, Carl Weathers,
Chuck Woolery, and more.
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So, if you have dreams of becoming "Mr Olympia,"
or if you just want to train next to the stars, this may be your spot.
(There are now other branches of Gold's Gyms located throughout L.A., but
this is the original.)
Gold's Gym opens at 5 AM and stays open until midnight
each day of the week (except on weekends, when they open at 4 AM).
Getting
there: The gym is located in Venice, at the northeast corner
of Hampton Drive and Sunset (three streets inland from the beach), one
block south of the Rose Cafe (a restaurant where Arnold has been known
to drop by for a snack). There is an abstract, colorful mural (advertising
Gold's Gym) across the street, in their southern parking lot. / From
the Santa Monica (10) Freeway take the Lincoln Boulevard exit. Head
south on Lincoln (about a mile and a half) to Rose Avenue. Turn right (west
on) Rose and go a half mile west to Hampton Drive (just before Main Street).
Turn left (south) on Hampton and go one block south. The gym will be on
your left (east) side.
[For more information on this
subject, you can access Gold's official website at: http://www.goldsgym.com.]
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for something in particular? Search the Seeing-Stars website!
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