Another gym popular with stars and bodybuilders is Vince's Gym, a modest, dark, old-fashioned kind of muscle factory out in the Valley, not far from the many Burbank studios. Not quite as famous as Gold's, Vince's Gym was established in 1948 by Vince Gironda, a bodybuilder known as the "Iron Guru." . No fancy machines here, no music, just basic free-weights and hard training.

The walls are lined with pictures of bodybuilders who have trained at Vince's over the years, including "Body by" Jake Steinman, Lou ("The Incredible Hulk") Ferrigno, and even Arnold ("The Terminator") Schwarzenegger. Vince also helps the studios whip their stars into shape for the movies; he has helped train the likes of Cher, Clint Eastwood, Denzel Washington, James Garner, Brian Keith, Tommy Chong (of Cheech & Chong) and Erik Estrada. It is said that in the late 1960's, before bodybuilders started to use steroids, Vince's Gym produced more top physique stars than any other gym in the world.

If you want to become a gym member, it will cost you about $300 to start.

 Getting there: To find Vince's, from Universal City Studios, take Lankershim southwest to Ventura Boulevard, and turn right (northwest). Follow Ventura about half a mile to Vince's Gym (between Vineland and Tujunga Avenues.)