I imagine that most the people on this site are in their 20's. I figured I'd share some old tales with you.
I'm 38 and I started training in 1986. Through 86-89 I trained at a basement facility called South Shore gym in Oakdale Long Island owned by two hardcore bodybuilders. I paid 200 bucks for the year. It was a small gym but it had everything you needed (including every conceivable calf machine and about 10 squat racks) with handle bars added to the calf equiptment for extra weight so you'd never fall short on the weight you can add. The gym, back then, was filled with mostly hardcore bodybuilders and power athletes all of whom juiced, all of whom were friends - a kind of testosterone fraternity. It was common to see 600 pound squats and 500 pnd benching.
This particular gym was a legs culture all the way. We all loved Tom Platz and he was at his pinnacle back then. During a leg session we'd always motivate each other by channelling Platz saying, "come on baby. Legs like Platz." Or "big wheels keep on turnin, proud mary keep on boining" How annoying was that last one. Anyway, back then, we'd all scream at each other (can you imagine screaming at each other at a gym today?) during those last painful five reps. There were times when there would be some puking on legs day and I can remember the first time I puked big dave (the owner) came up and gave me a pat on the back. I felt like I was initiated and the gym was my home.
The real torture was high reps legs. The most painful sets where the ones on the hacks. We'd do two plates each side and do about 50 reps (which was very Platz-like of us). I challenge anyone to suck up that kind of pain. We'd give calves a good wackin' too. I modeled my calf training from Arnold. We'd wack em every day for 40-90 minutes with tons of weight, supersetting, decending sets, every conceivable way of shocking 'em. Calves definately weren't an after thought by any means. I can remember how they'd quiver in the shower and I'd just fall into a giggle fit from the high. Driving home after calves was no easy task either. The quiver made for interesting braking and more giggles..
Partnering up was a big fascilitor. Being screamed at at by your partner made the difference between succuming to the pain and small-scale heroism. "NO MATTER WHAT, ONE MORE REP!" That would be good for three more reps - one at a time. There was always time for fun too. Everyone seemed to be playing pranks on each other. I remember this guy scott who had huge legs, took some other bodybuilders pleather dress shoes in the shower and turned it on. Then he asked me, "did scott do this?" I pleaded the fifth. Plenty of impish anticks back then.
Little bit of a tangent there but to rap it up, I still have fond memories of Tom Platz and the old school gym culture. You'll never see a little hard core gym like that again. An end of an era. Glory days! They'll pass you by! Tom Platz forever baby! Long live South Shore Gym!
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But it has the best equipment I've been to out of any gym, and I've been training since I was 15.
Originally Posted by Hoggage_54
