The Gold's Gym Story Nobody Tells About Arnold

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbu never owned Gold’s Gym. Joe Gold founded it in 1965, sold it in 1970 to Dave Saxe and Bud Danitz, who then sold it to Ken Sprague, who later sold it to others. Arnold and Franco were members who trained there and helped make it famous through the Pumping Iron documentary.

They helped build Gold’s Gym’s legendary status and brand through their training, presence, and the cultural impact they created. This is the accurate story that can be told.

Walk into any gym today and you’ll see the influence of How Arnold Schwarzenegger & Franco Columbu Built Gold’s Gym written into every aspect of modern fitness culture. When Arnold first attended Gold’s Gym in Venice, California in 1968, joined by Franco Columbu the following year, they transformed a struggling beach gym into bodybuilding’s most famous address through their dedication and vision, not through ownership or money, but through sheer determination as two immigrants who revolutionized the sport.

How Arnold Schwarzenegger & Franco Columbu First Made Gold’s Gym Their Home

Joe Gold opened the first Gold’s Gym in August 1965, in Venice Beach, California. The gym featured handmade equipment that Joe welded himself. Gold, who had carried dumbbells with him on merchant marine voyages for decades, hand-welded and designed much of the equipment. He built cable machines and custom bars that didn’t exist anywhere else. Despite the spirited reception and Gold’s money-saving measures, such as building his own exercise equipment, monthly membership fees proved insufficient to maintain the business.

In 1968, when Arnold came to America, Gold’s Gym was the gym where he first went to work out. Joe looked after him and encouraged he. Arnold arrived with barely 20 dollars and limited English. The gym charged just 60 dollars per year. Franco joined him the following year. Franco Columbu was not only Arnold Schwarzenegger’s primary training partner throughout the 1970s, but also his best friend. These two Europeans found themselves in a cramped space filled with serious lifters. No music played. The only music was sweating and grunting.

Joe Gold sold the gym in 1970 for just 50,000 dollars. He went back to sea as a merchant marine. The new owners struggled to keep the doors open. They considered converting it into an antique shop. That’s when member Ken Sprague stepped in and bought it. He understood something the previous owners missed.

The Partnership That Changed How Arnold Schwarzenegger & Franco Columbu Built Gold’s Gym

In 1965, Arnold Schwarzenegger met Franco Columbu, a talented Italian powerlifter and bodybuilder, at the IFBB Mr. Universe competition in Stuttgart, Germany. During the 1960s, competitive bodybuilding and powerlifting were still emerging sports gaining international recognition. Columbu’s exceptional strength and technical lifting knowledge impressed the young Austrian bodybuilder. Their friendship, forged on the competitive bodybuilding stage, evolved into one of the most legendary training partnerships in fitness history. As training partners and spotters, they applied periodization training methods, progressive overload principles, and collaborative workout programming that became influential in bodybuilding circles. They pushed each other harder than training partners or competitors could, creating a synergy that elevated both athletes’ performance in Mr. Olympia competitions and professional bodybuilding.

Franco stood just 5 feet 5 inches tall. He could deadlift over 700 pounds. Arnold towered at 6 feet 2 inches with massive arms. They trained together every single day at Gold’s. The workout buddies knew one another strengths and weaknesses and helped one another train accordingly. When Arnold struggled with a weak body part, Franco designed new exercises. When Franco needed motivation, Arnold provided it.

Columbu and Schwarzenegger even went into business as partners. The duo started their bricklaying business. Marketing themselves as European bricklayers, they earned a lot of money. They hired other bodybuilders to work construction jobs. The Los Angeles earthquake happened a week after getting their ad out in the paper. Franco Columbu And Arnold Schwarzenegger became self made millionaires even before becoming famous through competitions or movies. This business funded their training and living expenses while bodybuilding paid nothing.

How Arnold Schwarzenegger & Franco Columbu Created the Iconic Gold’s Gym Brand

The original Gold’s Gym logo, a bald weightlifter holding a barbell, was designed in 1973 by professional wrestler Ric Drasin, who was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s training partner for four years. During a training break, he sketched the weightlifter on a napkin. Ken Sprague immediately saw its potential. He printed the logo on t-shirts and gave them to Arnold, Franco, and other bodybuilders.

Every promoter, Sprague would have bodybuilders wear them during photo ops and on the beach. The strategy paid off, too. At one point, Sprague was selling t-shirts faster than he could mail them out. Arnold wore his Gold’s shirt everywhere. Franco wore his to competitions. Photographers captured them training in those shirts. The logo spread faster than any paid advertising campaign could achieve.

People wanted to train where Arnold trained. They wanted equipment like what Franco used. Sprague raised membership fees from 60 dollars to 200 dollars annually. The gym stayed packed. Tourists started showing up just to watch Arnold and Franco work out. Venice Beach transformed from a rundown area into a bodybuilding destination.

The Film That Showed How Arnold Schwarzenegger & Franco Columbu Built Gold’s Gym’s Legend

In 1975 when filmmaker George Butler set out to film the groundbreaking docudrama Pumping Iron with Gold’s Gym as the primary location. Sprague, who had strong commitments to his gym and the sport and who understood filmmaking, offered Butler full and unrestricted access to the gym. Butler and Gaines managed to pull together enough money to land a contract with the biggest name in bodybuilding, Arnold Schwarzenegger. The contract was for $50,000.

When the filmmakers ran out of funds to finish the production, Arnold Schwarzenegger and other bodybuilders helped raise additional funds for its completion. Arnold didn’t just appear in the film. He invested his own money to complete it. Franco appeared alongside him, demonstrating his incredible strength. The documentary showed their training methods, their intensity, and their personalities.

The 1977 release changed everything. The film not only helped launch the Austrian champion’s career, but also turned Gold’s Gym into the global symbol of bodybuilding and fitness culture. Gyms across America wanted to copy Gold’s. Franchise opportunities emerged. The brand that Arnold and Franco helped build through their daily presence became an international phenomenon.

How Arnold Schwarzenegger & Franco Columbu Built Gold’s Gym Into a Cultural Movement

The following years saw Arnold become a movie star with flicks such as Conan, Ferrigno became the Hulk, and mainstream actors like Stallone, Weathers, and Eastwood displayed chiseled physiques in their movies. Sprague’s Golds suddenly began to feature in fashion magazines and even a piece in 60 minutes. Bodybuilding moved from the fringe to mainstream acceptance. Fitness became fashionable.

Arnold never owned a piece of Gold’s Gym. Franco never received equity. In the late 1970s, following a personal tragedy, Sprague sold Golds on to Pete Grymkowski, Tim Kimber, and Ed Connors. The three men would help expand Golds’ influence across the US. In 1980, Connors commissioned the first ever licensed Gold’s Gym in San Francisco and began spawning out licensees across the US. By 1981, there were over 5,000 Gold’s Gyms in the United States.

Their contribution wasn’t financial. It was cultural. They showed up every day. They trained with intensity that intimidated casual gym-goers. They welcomed newcomers and shared their knowledge. I would go to Joe and say, I need a different bar for the triceps pushdown machine to grab. Not a straight one—I want it to be slightly bent. He say, Okay, Franco. The next day he show up with the piece. This dedication created a standard for serious training.

Between them, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbu own nine Mr. Olympia titles, but more importantly, they are firm friends. Arnold and Franco first met in 1965 in Germany and would come to the United States four years later. The pair started a bricklaying business together and Columbu would go on to be Arnold’s best man when he got married in 1986. Their friendship lasted until Franco’s death in 2019. Their legacy at Gold’s Gym remains permanent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Arnold Schwarzenegger ever own Gold’s Gym?

No, Arnold never owned Gold’s Gym. Joe Gold founded it in 1965 and sold it in 1970. Arnold trained there as a member and helped build its reputation.

When did Franco Columbu start training at Gold’s Gym?

Franco Columbu joined Arnold at Gold’s Gym in 1969. He trained there regularly throughout the 1970s alongside Arnold and other bodybuilding legends.

What business did Arnold and Franco own together?

Arnold and Franco started a bricklaying company called European Brick Works. They marketed themselves as European craftsmen and became millionaires from construction work.

How much did Arnold get paid for Pumping Iron?

Arnold received a contract for 50,000 dollars to appear in Pumping Iron. He also helped raise additional funds when the filmmakers ran out of money.

Is the original Gold’s Gym still open in Venice?

Yes, the original Venice Beach Gold’s Gym still operates today. It’s known as the mecca of bodybuilding and remains a popular training destination.

Start training with purpose today and find your own version of what made Gold’s Gym legendary.