| Gold's Gym | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Type | Private[1] |
| Genre | Fitness |
| Founded | 1965 |
| Founder | Joe Gold |
| Headquarters | Irving, Texas, USA |
| Owner | TRT Holdings |
| Slogan | Change your Body. Change your Life.® |
| Website | www.goldsgym.com |
Gold's Gym International, Inc. is an international chain of co-ed fitness centers (commonly referred to as "gyms") originally started in California by Joe Gold. Each gym features a wide array of exercise equipment and personal trainers to assist clients.
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Corporate history
The first Gold's Gym opened in 1965 in Venice Beach, California. Dubbed "the mecca of bodybuilding", it was frequented by Arnold Schwarzenegger [2] and featured in the 1977 movie Pumping Iron. The movie brought attention not only to the gym itself, but also to the world of bodybuilding in general. Jim Morrison of The Doors was also a frequent visitor to the Gold's Gym in Venice. To this day, it is considered a landmark in the bodybuilding subculture [3] and has even achieved cult status [4] In 1970, Joe Gold sold the chain. Today, Gold's Gym claims to be the largest chain of co-ed gyms in the world, with more than 620 gyms and 3 million members in 25 countries and 43 states. It also licenses its name to products such as fitness equipment and clothing. The famous original Gold’s Gym logo, a bald-headed weightlifter holding a barbell, was designed in 1973 by Ric Drasin, who was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s training partner for four years.[5]
Corporate information
Gold's Gym is privately owned. It was acquired by TRT Holdings in 2004 for approximately $158 million dollars. The current chief corporate officers include chairman Terrell T. Philen, president and CEO David Schnabel, and CFO Randy Schultz. [6]
Customer satisfaction
While it remains a popular health club, Gold's Gym has been approached by many members regarding contract wording and billing problems. Several websites endeavor to make such problems better known.[7][8][9]
Notes
- ^ Brown, Erika (2003-08-07). Investing In Obesity. Forbes. Retrieved on 2007-09-24.
- ^ Seeing Stars: Where the Stars Work Out. URL retrieved on January 9, 2007.
- ^ Emery, Mike. Men's Bodybuilding: A Short History. January, 2003. URL retrieved on January 9, 2007.
- ^ The cult of the gym: The new puritans. The Economist. December 19, 2002. URL retrieved on January 9, 2007.
- ^ Perine, Shawn. “Gold’s goes bald.” Flex. December 2005. URL retrieved on April 29, 2007.
- ^ Gold's Gym and related industry info. Hoover's. URL retrieved on January 9, 2007.
- ^ Customer complaints about Gold's Gym. URL retrieved on January 9, 2007.
- ^ My3cents.com Gold's Gym reviews and reports. URL retrieved on January 9, 2007.
- ^ Consumer Affairs.com Complaints about Gold's Gym. URL retrieved on January 9, 2007.
References
External links
- Gold's Gym advertising campaign
- Epinions Gold's Gym reviews - dozens of Gold's Gym reviews by users on epinions.com
- Think Corp. - Franchisee in Japan
- consumeraffairs.com - Consumer complants
