Both David and Peter Paul responded with a “Yes.” That’s when David asked, “Jeff, do you think I look big today? “ I answered, “David, you look huge! “Then he smiled and said, “Let’s get to work.” Just then, his brother Peter yelled, “David, you look small today!” David then replied, “Forget it! If I’m looking small today, I’m leaving!” So … he left!Īnother time, Tom Platz asked me to train legs with him. One morning I walked in and asked if anyone wanted to train chest. I have hundreds of stories from those days. A few hours later, it was back to Gold’s for a second workout later in the afternoon. We trained intense, heavy, and hard! Then, we’d grab some food and head to the beach to catch some rays. On any given morning, you could walk in and someone would ask, “Who’s training legs this morning?” Who had that body part would train with each other. You could find the likes of Lyle Alzado, the Barbarian Brothers (Peter and David Paul), Samir Bannout, Tim Belknap, Tom Platz, Charles Glass, Robby Robinson, Chris Dickerson, Mike and Ray Mentzer, Magic Schwarz, Mike Christian, Janice Ragain, Tonya Knight, Mike Quinn, Hulk Hogan, Jeff Goldblum … the list goes on and on. “The Breakfast Club,” as we liked to call ourselves, was a unique group of bodybuilders, athletes, and actors who liked getting our workouts in before the mainstream crowd arrived. I’d already have a good caffeine fix going as I entered the gym.

It all started at when Gold’s Gym opened at 4:30 a.m. For me, I preferred the atmosphere and camaraderie found only at Gold’s. World Gym was quiet and calm Gold’s Gym, on the other hand, was loud and rowdy.

And if they weren’t there, they were down the street at World Gym. Yes, this is the one once nicknamed “The Mecca of Bodybuilding.” You see, everyone who was anyone trained at Gold’s. As a young bodybuilder in the early 1980s, there was nothing quite like training at Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach, California.

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