Gold's Gym Venice — Attraction in Los Angeles

Gold's Gym in Venice really is as good as it gets. Each time I use this gym, I feel like I've gone back to the days of puffy workout pants and fanny packs circa 1995. It's the Cheers of the fitness world, where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came. Where you may think it still is 1995, 1985 or 1975, and Arnold, Charles Glass, O'Hearn, Valente and the rest of the guys are there pumping up....because you'll still see them there doing just that.

But for the sake of writing a helpful review, I'll say these things. If you want a nice upscale gym. This isn't it.

If you want a sauna, steambath, spa, pool, and a nice locker room where you can relax, or if you want racquetball and basketball, go somewhere else.

If you want upscale equipment that is all lubed up and on hi-tech pully-systems. Find another fitness location.

You want If you want a super large facility where all of your family can go, you can drop your kids off in the childcare, let your teens go play basketball and then go shop and have lunch in the nearby mall and shops afterwards? This is not your choice of gym.

If you want towel service, air conditioning, or even nice clean facilities, this is not your place to go. All that being said, you'd think that I'd give this place one star and tell you not to go there. Absolutely not. I'm telling you, this is the place to go if you want, just as Gold's slogan says, "Serious Fitness."

This place has old equipment. Some of it rusty. Some of it probably was used by Don Howorth when he was training and won Mr. America in 1967. But its the equipment that the serious enthusiasts have trained with, loved, and found to be the best equipment out there...that's why they've kept it. To a casual gym goer, the equipment here is weathered by the ocean air, is sweat stained and possibly pungent and out of date. But to the true fitness enthusiast, those same machines may have been the favorites of Ferrigno or Franco when training for the Olympia.

I loathe going to new age gyms and finding that they carry no lower ab, neck, trap or other potentially dangerous machines because insurance claims have found that folks get hurt on them. There is very little use for good ole' dead lifts, wrapping your knees up and squatting in a rack because now-a-days you have smith machines to help glide you down. No one uses a real bench press where you may actually drop the thing on your chest because you can go slide a pin into a rack and sit down and press a lubed up machine back and forth and say you did about the same thing. Well, guess what? At Gold's in Venice you can do all of the aforementioned! They still have shrug machines, neck machines, lower ab machines, tons of old fashioned squat racks and dead lift platforms....and a few Smith Machines and pin in a rack machines too. But if you want a place that is all upscale new age hipster workout equipment that you can't possibly get hurt on? Got news for you....

Not here.

Here you're going to push rusty dumbells and find the largest ones you can find anywhere. Most places, if you're lucky, have them up to 120's. Gold's carries them up over 200. They even have Gold ones which reach 330lbs apiece.

Again, as I understand, for the 99% of the population that will never throw around 200 lbs in each hand, let alone the 330's or the 120's, you have all the other gyms in the world to go to. If you are in that 1% this is where you go workout. There's a reason that celebrities getting ready for roles and fitness enthusiasts from all over the world come here, sometimes even moving to the area, just to work out here. And if you like those gyms where there is no intimidation allowed? Well, this isnt it. There are big bodybuilders, fit models and many shirtless or scantily clothed bodies showing off their hard work. No where else will you find a gym with its own posing room, for bodybuilders getting ready for shows.

It may be old, stinky, and even kind of operated like a Ma and Pa store, but its the world's most famous gym, and for good reason. Its the Mecca of...

I have been a member of Gold's Gym since 2003 when I moved to Venice. I have brought in many guests, and friends who have joined..... and will admit they have a good set of equipment....

But after being told "its cheaper if you pay in full" and STILL being charged $600/year versus my normal rate of $39.99($479/year) ... now they want to jack me up to $750/year or $65/month? I understand inflation, and the rate seems fair for new members.... but how can you NOT grandfather in your loyal members?? What is worse... I have a couple friends I work out with that pay monthly and their rate will NOT change! One of my friends is a member for only 2 years and paying $22 bi-monthly ($572). And her rate will not change! Why the HELL will my rate change JUST because I paid in FULL? What business would not prefer being PAID IN FULL?? This is POOR business and your going to piss off a LOT OF people!

I have dealt with their horrible staff, and never complained about it being dirty, unorganized, always tough to find matching dumbells, weights all over the place, and it's ALWAYS very cold, and their Internet hardly ever works even in 2018! Its not a nice gym, unlike any OTHER Gold's you have ever been to. And obviously they don't care at all about their members. I guess the only good part is that they are not still charging my card like I hear happens after you try to cancel.

Shame on...

After a year I've had to cancel my membership. It appears as a good gym to come as a tourist or for a few days despite the prices they charge for a day pass, but as full time member, I've finally got fed up and cancelled. We pay $100 for a monthly membership and the place is always disgusting, broken equipment, old equipment all over the place, never any room, inconsiderate gym goers, and it smells horrendous especially the toilets. And this is the main reason why I've canceled, $100 a month and the toilets look like they are used by wild animals. On numerous occasion at least once a week there is feces in the toilet rooms!! Why cant a human clean up after themselves?!?? Too much steroids instead of manners and human decency in this place. The public toilets at Santa Monica are cleaner most mornings than Golds Venice! Numerous times there has been poo on the floor, on the toilet seat, and then this week the last straw, poo on the roll of toilet paper! GROSS, Its just disgusting! GOLDS put some signs in there! I feel sorry for the cleaners, they shouldn't have to clean that!! Then the body builders all pose in the toilets taking pictures, and the lines are bad enough already for the ground floor toilets. It's just too much disgusting dirty features to pay $100 for. Better off at a local chain gym, or go pay that money and get a clean boutique gym. Ripping people off...