We all have seen pictures of Arnold Schwarzenegger training at the famous Gold's Gym in Venice Beach, but do you know what led him to join the iconic gym? Schwarzenegger himself revealed that it was powerlifting.

During his appearance on This Past Weekend with Theo Von, the Predator actor talked about his early days training at the gyms in the US, and how he finally found the iconic Gold's Gym at Venice Beach.

"There was a gym called Gold's Gym. Not many bodybuilders trained there. Some, but not many, men. Most of them were like shot putters, powerlifters, weightlifters, and so on. And it was a much more rough gym."

In his initial days, Schwarzenegger started training at a popular gym called Vince’s Gym in North Hollywood. It was filled with champions like Larry Scott, Don Howard, and Mr. America Don Peterson. However, Arnold's curiosity for powerlifting led him to Gold's Gym.

The gym reminded him of the rough training conditions he was used to back at his gym in Austria. And what started as occasional powerlifting sessions soon led him to relocate from the Valley to Venice Beach. Little did he know at that time that his move would become a monumental change for both him and Gold's Gym.

As Arnold became a regular at Gold's, the gym became more popular. The ultimate boost came when Joe Weider, who promoted Arnold heavily through muscle magazines, promoted Gold’s Gym along with him.

This resulted in bodybuilders from across the country and eventually around the world coming to Venice Beach, wanting to train where the champion trained.

Arnold Schwarzenegger still trains at Gold's Gym

Arnold Schwarzenegger has continued to train at the iconic Gold's Gym, Venice Beach, California, even today. And due to its popularity, it is called the 'Mecca of bodybuilding.'

During an interview with 'Muscle and Fitness,' the 78-year-old once said, "From the moment I first walked in, I felt inspired to train harder, and the overhead skylights and ocean air that wafted through gave me the charge to do so."

He added, "There was always some big animal training—Ken Waller, Frank Zane, or Dave Draper—and these guys not only inspired me but also ultimately became some of my best friends, and remain so to this day."

Even today, the Hollywood star often shares videos of himself training at the gym, sometimes with other bodybuilders like the 8x Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman, or the rising star Sam Sulek.

He is sometimes joined by his sons as well. In fact, just recently, on March 24, Arnie was seen training his son, Joe Baena, for his first bodybuilding show at Gold's Gym.

So, are you thinking about joining the gym, or do you know anyone who trains there? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Ruwa Javed

Edited by

Souvik Roy