What began in 1965 as a small gym in Venice Beach, Californiahas since become the most iconic fitness company in the world — Gold’s Gym.

Over the past 55 years, Gold’s Gym has grown into a global brand with more than 600 locations on six continents with an impressive clientele.

Big bodybuilding such as Arnold SchwarzeneggerLou Ferrigno and Franco Colombo trained at the original Gold’s Gym, which later became the most legendary gym in the world.

Current owner Ranier Schaller of RSG Group purchased the gym in August 2020 after the previous owners filed for bankruptcy during Corona virus infection covid-19 The pandemic in California is almost over quarantine.

At the time of writing, Shaler, 53, his girlfriend, Christiane Szykorski, 44, and their children, Aaron Shaler and Finnia Szykorski, were missing after their twin-engine turboprop crashed into the ocean off Costa Rica.

Rainer Schaller is listed as “Founder, Owner and CEO of RSG Group”, a conglomerate of 21 fitness, lifestyle and fashion brands that operates in 48 countries and employs 41,000 directly or through franchises.

Arnold Schwarzenegger left Golds Gym in Venice Beach after an early workout in 2021. The Terminator star said he prefers to work out in the gym in the morning and at home in the evening

During the golden age of bodybuilding in the 1970s, Gold’s in Venice Beach earned a reputation as the “Mecca of Bodybuilding.”

When opening the gym, founder Joe Gold charged $40 for an annual Gold’s Gym membership. One of the first members told Men’s magazine: “If you didn’t have any money — and a lot of them didn’t — Joe would let you slide. Heck, he’s backed half of these guys at one point or another. Paid them to show up and do nothing.

According to an LA Magazine article, Gold was a native of Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, and was “eye candy for Mae West’s nightclub act.” In 1992, the New York Times credited Gold with “developing the modern gym.”

Gold sold the business in 1973 and later regretted it when fitness became mainstream. When it first opened its doors, there were only three gyms in the entire Los Angeles area.

By 1981, there were more than 5,000 Gold’s gyms in the United States. The franchise expanded to Canada in 1985.

In response to the boom, Gold founded World Gym near his original location and even kicked Arnold Schwarzenegger out of Gold’s Gym. Schwarzenegger has worked at Gold’s since 1968, shortly after he first arrived in the United States from Austria.

Gold died in 2004 at the age of 82. Since his ownership, the gym has been in the hands of several people.

Schwarzenegger said in 2019 Men’s Health Function, that he still regularly visited Gold’s Gym, especially for his morning workout. But he preferred evening training at home.

The gym’s current location in Venice, along Hampton Drive, is literally around the corner from the original location along Pacific Avenue.

In addition to bodybuilders, the gym has also been home to hundreds of Hollywood celebrities, including Nicolas Cage, Keanu Reeves, Bruce Willis, Pierce Brosnan and Bruce Springsteen.

Because of its seal, Gold’s has been featured in movies and TV shows such as The Longest Yard, The Dr. Phil Show, Wheel of Fortune and Hogan Knows Best.

According to one former trainer, the gym began working with non-bodybuilding celebrities in November 1981 when legendary Tonight Show host Johnny Carson became a regular as he used fitness to overcome a difficult breakup.

Lou Ferrigno looks fit as he cycles through the streets of Santa Monica, California on his way to a workout at Gold’s Gym

Actor Josh Brolin is another regular face at Gold’s Gym in Venice

Coach Ray Kibartas said Sports Illustrated in 1996: “One of Johnny Carson’s lawyers came to me. He had broken up with his girlfriend and was depressed. He wanted to get back in shape. He offered me $25 an hour to help him. It sounded like a good deal.’

He continued: “He was the perfect client because he was so depressed that he had nothing to do but work. About six weeks later, he was going to business meetings and would pull up his shirt to reveal his stomach on the washboard.’

Kibartas also said: “He asked other lawyers to feel his muscles. Pretty soon I was working with about half the lawyers in the entertainment industry in Hollywood.”

When WWE Superstar Stone Cold Steve Austin returned to training in 2014 after a hiatus, he worked with legendary bodybuilder Rick Drasin at Gold’s. The gym’s iconic logo was designed by Drasin.

Former WWE head of talent relations Jim Ross wrote his blog at the time Austin told him that “working at Gold’s in Venice isn’t for everyone.”

In 2015, John Cena tweeted that while working at Gold’s in 1999, a friend convinced him to go to pro wrestling school

Another professional wrestler, John Cena, revealed on Twitter in 2015 that while working for Gold’s in 1999, a friend convinced him to enter a professional wrestling school.

Hollywood A-lister Jessica Alba credits her time with personal trainer Ramona Braganza for helping her lose her post-pregnancy weight.

Braganza said the secret to losing weight was a “terrible lunge.”

Before becoming Bennifer again, J-Lo was seen with her then-fiancé Alex Rodriguez outside Gold’s in Venice Beach in 2018 as the pair went for a late night workout.

Sculler’s girl shared a photo of herself on a jet plane on her social media. It is not clear if this is the same plane that crashed

At the time of writing, the gym’s current owner, Rainer Scaler, was reported missing. His plane was being flown by a 66-year-old Swiss pilot when it suddenly disappeared on Friday afternoon, before parts of the plane were found in the ocean on Saturday.

Authorities have since found the bodies of one adult and one child near the crash site, about 20 miles from Limon Airport, where the plane was supposed to land.

The identities of the dead have not yet been released, as the other four people on board remain missing and are believed to have died as well.

The plane reportedly lost contact with air traffic around Barra de Parismin, near Limón, and Costa Rican authorities warned the plane disappeared shortly after, according to Security Minister Jorge Torres.

“Around six o’clock in the afternoon, we received a warning about a flight coming from Mexico to Limon airport with five German passengers on board,” Torres said.

The plane was traveling at about 275 mph and was at an altitude of about 230 feet when it lost contact.

It is not known what caused the plane to crash.

It was scheduled to land at Juan Santamaria Airport shortly before 7:00 p.m.

A search began immediately but was temporarily called off due to bad weather, but resumed on Saturday.

Costa Rican authorities said pieces of a twin-engine turboprop plane were found in the water on Saturday after the flight disappeared on Friday.

The plane was an Italian-made nine-seater Piaggio P180 Avanti, known for its distinctive profile.