The Three Muscleteers Notes: Part 2

August 5, 2022 Yegor Khzokhlachev Ed Connors, Gold's Gym, Gunnar Rosbo, Gyms, Joe Gold, Joe Weider 0

Video: What if Sergio Oliva was Taller than Arnold

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Sergio Oliva’s Alter Ego: Biscuit Oliva

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Joe Weider

The small ads in the back of Weider magazines for Gold’s Gym tanks and T-shirts were half Gold’s Gym’s revenue in 1979.
Weider pulled ads mysteriously. Connors had 2 theories. Weider saw Gold’s Gym as competition. Second, Weider wanted to pressure them to end the lawsuit Sprague initiated after Arnold said on tv that World Gym was “penthouse, Gold’s Gym was “outhouse”.
Connors called Joe. When Joe found out Connors was an architect, he gave him back the ad space for helping him with remodeling plans at his home in the Hancock Park area of LA. Positive relationship lasted 34 years until Joe’s death.
Gold’s files Order of Dismissal for lawsuit against Arnold which they inherited from Sprague.
When Gold still owned Gold’s, Weider used to bring bodybuilders to Joe Gold to meet and help.
Gold’s, under Connors, Grymko. and Kimber accommodated photographers, even gave Chris Lund a studio and darkroom in the building in Venice. It worked both ways as the Gold’s brand was promoted through the photography.

Gunnar Rosbo, My First Foreign House Guest

August 1982 Gunnar Rosbo was a houseguest of Ed Connors.
Rosbo spent five weeks in California.
When Rosbo was on Venice Beach, people would shout, “Hey, Arnold” which Rosbo didn’t like.
After Rosbo left, Connors discovered that Gunnar drank almost his entire liquor stash stored under his kitchen sink.

Wrestling Deaths

“The average American male is five feet, nine inches. The US is the only industrialized country whose male population has decreased and no one knows why.”

Built Report: “The massive demographic change since the 1960s should factor into it in some way, shape, or form. After all, the average Mexican male height is 5’6.5″.”

Music in the Gym

Arnold asked Ed Connors why Gold’s was so busy and World was not. Connors said it was the sound system.
When taking over a gym, Connors would spend $25,000 on a sound system. At certain times of the day the gym felt more like a nightclub than a gym.
Mellow music day, heavy metal night

Personal Trainers

By 1993, Gold’s started charging rent to personal trainers.
Initial rent $250 a month.
“When we exited the company in 2004, 125 personal trainers were paying $475 a month rent, totaling almost $60,000.”