The first Gold’s Gym opened in August 1965 in Venice Beach, California.[5][3]Dubbed the Mecca of bodybuilding, it was frequented by Arnold Schwarzenegger[6] and Dave Draper[7]and featured in the 1977 moviePumping Iron. The movie brought attention not only to the gym itself, but also to the world of bodybuilding and physique in general. To this day, it is considered a landmark in the bodybuilding subculture, [8] and has achieved cult status.[9] In 1970, Joe Gold sold the chain.