By Jason Stern

For some reason, MuscleWeek isn’t given a lot of props in the bodybuilding community — probably because we’re the only guys with big enough balls to tell the truth while everyone else is busy complimenting the Emperor on his invisible coat.

Oddly enough, most of our props have come from other sources. ESPN, Fox News, NBC, and LA Weekly are just a few of the respected sites and blogs that have correctly recognized MuscleWeek as THE VOICE of bodybuilding. So when we broke the OFFICIAL news that Venice Google’s Geeks were planning to give Venice Gold’s Grunters the boot as of June, 30 2014, a mad media scramble ensued in which the suits at Gold’s Gym International (GGI) switched gears to damage control (continuing to deny that such a move was imminent) and the dorks at Google Corporate realized that making enemy with 1,500 juiceheads across the street might be hazardous to their health.

The result?  A flurry of telephone calls between Google’s Real Estate VP and the CFO of GGI, in which they both agreed that the best move for both parties might just be for Google to let Gold’s sublet its current space at 360 Hampton Drive for an additional TEN YEARS.

Currently, the parties are still trying to iron out the fine print, but expect a deal to be hammered out by the end of the year — extending the life of Gold’s Venice until at least 2024.

The best part is that none of this could have happened without MuscleWeek’s investigative journalism and the interview with Gold’s icon and lifelong bodybuilding fan Ed Connors that set all of the above chain of events into motion.

MuscleWeek wishes to thank Ed Connors for his continued support and friendship along with LA Weekly’s Simone Wilson for staying in constant communication with us throughout our efforts to keep Gold’s in Venice. Most importantly, we would like to offer ourselves a congratulatory slap on the back.

Thanks MuscleWeek!

by Jay Stern

The worst-kept secret at Gold’s Gym in Venice is that the gym is closing its doors for good when its lease expires on June 30, 2014. With its 45 years of history, this Los Angeles landmark was once the second most popular tourist attraction in the LA area after Disneyland, but alas, times have changed and the ‘Mecca of Bodybuilding’ is slowly transforming into the Mecca of Millionaires, or ‘Silicon Beach’ in techno-blog-speak. Perhaps lost on most bodybuilders is the painful irony of the proverbial pencil-neck geek getting sand kicked in his face by the muscular beach bully turning the tables and kicking the bodybuilders out of Venice Beach. While the new owners of Golds (GGI) were out there licensing the Gold’s name to create Wii video games for couch potatoes instead of renewing their lease at 360 Hampton Drive, Google was creating an empire and looking for a place to expand its empire. The result: Google Plus. Gold’s Minus.

Publicly, the gym management continues to emphasize (perhaps ‘misrepresent’ is a better word choice) that Gold’s Gym isn’t going anywhere, but for those in the know, it has become painfully clear that the clock is ticking down to zero. According to former Gold’s Gym Venice owner Ed Connors, Google has bought the building and the surrounding real estate, with grand designs on walling off the streets and creating a SoCal campus to rival its Mountain View ‘university’. If this is accurate, Gold’s Gym appears to have dropped the ball, and with undeveloped real estate (and parking availability) in the area in short supply, the death of Gold’s Venice is but a foregone conclusion.

While some have predicted a move to nearby Culver City or Playa Del Rey, Gold’s already has franchisees in those areas and the geographic limitations of those franchise agreements would likely come into dispute if the most famous gym in the world were to relocate to their area. For the record, Ed Connors — the man who sold Gold’s to its current owners — is already eulogizing the gym he helped create: “It’s a shame if they [Gold’s Gym International] are going to let a piece of history just disappear but sadly I think that’s what is going to happen.”

As a current member of Gold’s Venice and a fellow Maryland alum of Google founder Sergey Brin, I believe that I am well-positioned to mediate this matter. My recommendation is that Google use its considerable wealth to purchase Gold’s Gym Venice, make it the official gym for Google employees, and rename it — wait for it…

Problem solved.

I sat there, telephone to my ear, rapt with attention and awaiting the Secret of the Nimh. I bounced on my bed in excitement. I was about to get my first peek inside the Lost Ark. That magic elixir was firmly within my grasp. All I had to do was sit back and listen:

‘Oh, Vince doesn’t eat anything except pizza and coke. Oh how he loves his pizza and coke. That’s pretty much all he eats!’

Surely this must be the sound of early onset dementia. Surely this old woman needs to be dragged to the nearest nursing home and robbed of her jewelry.

‘Are you sure?’ I asked. ‘Because most guys eat like chicken and fish and stuff.’

Giving her another chance. A way to stay out of that Seizure Village Old Folks place.

‘Oh, I’m sure. After all, I’m his momma. No, Vince just eats pizza and drinks them cans of coke all day long.’

‘Diet?’ I asked, taking copious and thorough notes with my trusty pencil and notepad.

‘No, not diet. Just regular Coke,’ she said.

Clearly losing it. Or perhaps she was part of the plan to deny Special Ed his future pro card. I had to test her one final time.

‘Ohhh, the regular Coke,’ I replied, ‘that comes in the silver can.’

Got her!

‘No, no, no. You need to get the wax out of your ears boy. I said ‘REGULAR COKE’. In the RED can.’

Damn you!

Damn you, Vince!

Damn you, Gramma Taylor!

Damn you all to hell!

RIP Gramma Taylor

Rather than stick around Venice and continue to try to eke out a living by training fatsos and doing the ‘Venice Hustle’, Paul returned to his native Ontario and quietly launched the WBFF. While the IFBB initially expressed some concern about a new organization, Paul provided assurances to the powers-that-be that the WBFF was no threat to the IFBB — that Paul had zero interest or ambition to bring his contests to the United States and that he was simply filling a void that neither the NPC nor the IFBB could fill. Convinced that Paul was a good soldier, the power-brokers accepted him at his word and made no efforts to sabotage Paul’s new WBFF organization.

Paul’s sense of showmanship and experience as a bodybuilder led to several successful promotions and even brought aboard mainstream sponsors. With Paul bringing in entertainment to provide lively performances for the fans, his shows were reminiscent of the old IFBB Night of Champions or Olympia events, replete with mainstream news coverage, widely seen advertising, and sellout crowds.

It seemed to be just a matter of time before Paul’s ambitions to grow his organization locked horns with the NPC/IFBB. When Paul launched the Male Fitness Model division in 2009, it seemed that he had stumbled upon something golden. What if the majority of the attendees and consumers — men — had another option to display their physique without having to take years off their health and lives by mass consuming growth hormone, steroids, diuretics, insulin, and painkillers?

The WBFF’s Male Fitness Model competition was an immediate hit with both competitors and the fans.

And the NPC/IFBB took notice. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Dillett must have been incredibly flattered when in 2010, the NPC launched their own version of the WBFF’s Male Fitness Model competition — renaming it Men’s Physique Division (MPD).

Except that Paul Dillett wasn’t flattered. He was incensed. Just like he was nearly ten years earlier when some of those same NPC/IFBB decision-makers placed Paul a ridiculous 6th behind a mutant of messy mass known as Paco Bautista and a man half his width in Darrem Charles. And just as he had done ten years earlier, Paul didn’t sit around moping about it — he ACTED upon it.

Paul announced the WBFF’s invasion of the United States by launching his first state-wide show in Boston in July, 2011. Although turnout for the show was less than expected (only 4 men competed in the Male Fitness Model division), the message was clear.  The WBFF had declared war on the NPC.

So it wasn’t that much of a surprise that Dillett followed up his initial foray into NPC-territory by launching an attack on the IFBB front as well. By signing longtime IFBB-nuisance Lee Priest, the WBFF communicated their intent to bring both a highly-organized and well-funded alternative to both the NPC and the IFBB to the United States. And after some questionable judging at the recent IFBB Europa and Tijuana shows, many IFBB competitors were quick to call Paul and make more than just a passing inquiry or two.

Sure, we’ve seen all of this before. Wayne DeMilia’s PDI (also starring Lee Priest) launch was a dismal failure, in part because of Wayne’s failing health and in part because of the NPC/IFBB’s desperate attempts to sabotage it in every way. For a small example of that, just see NPC/IFBB Shill and Getbig Owner Ron Avidan’s absurd interview with DeMilia.

But give the NPC/IFBB credit. They are no fools. They’ve been down this road before and know precisely how to control the ‘bodybuilding media’. Using a combination of a carrot-and-stick approach and an iron fist, they will do everything in their power to prevent Paul from getting word out about his show. They will offer rewards to prominent and dissatisfied Pros like King Kamali (such as an Olympia commentating spot), hand out Pro Cards to undeserving candidates who burn the new organization (see Vinny Galanti), and be forced to finally hand over pro cards to former dissidents like Sean Allan (another former PDI Pro who returned to the NPC on his knees and begging forgiveness).

Wayne DeMilia’s biggest mistake with the PDI was his own failure to aggressively recruit IFBB Pros. His ‘sit back and wait for the phone to ring’ approach doesn’t cut the mustard in a business as cutthroat as the fitness and physique business. No, I expect Paul Dillett to be spending several hours a day over the next few weeks reaching out to those guys who for one reason or another have gotten the shaft from the NPC/IFBB. And speaking of elevators and shafts, I fully expect world-renowned bodybuilding MC Robert Cicherillo to be doing the exact same on behalf of his unofficial bosses at the NPC/IFBB.

Make no mistake. The WBFF isn’t playing.

This is WAR.

So on Wednesday, after our ridiculously short ‘shoulder’ workout, Topskin and I headed over to visit Madmax at his new location opposite my favorite Venice spot – Whole Foods.

Topskin was a little hesitant to accompany me, what with the history between them of Madmax accusing Topskin of stealing a vintage 1987 Flex from his Max Muscle store back in the day.

Nonetheless, at my behest, Topskin pushed aside the bitter memories and joined me in this adventure. We were at the store at 10am sharp, but no one was there so we headed over to Whole Foods to check out the ‘scenery’ and by ‘scenery’, I mean hot Westside ass.

Fifteen minutes later, we returned to Max Muscle and from the looks of that Prius with the customized vanity MADMAX6 license plate, I knew we had hit paydirt. Dave (MadMax) greeted us cautiously — were we two thugs coming to knock over his store or just two bodybuilding douchebags looking for the ‘edge’? While I asked him about various products and what was flying off the shelves, Topskin interrogated him about his bodybuilding clientele and whether a ‘hardcore bodybuilding store’ had a chance this far away from the hardcore bodybuilding douches back at Golds. Dave told Top that most of his customers weren’t actually hardcore at all — they were just regular joes and sheilas.

I asked Dave if they had any product samples. As you guys know, I like Dave and think he’s a cool dude. And proving that my instincts about him were correct, he not only offered me some product samples, he lifted a massive box of samples up on the counter and instructed me to ‘take whatever and as much as you want’. There must have been over 100 packets of protein, pre-workout mixes, fat burners, and Animal vitapaks.

Needless to say, I stocked up on a variety of items (for review purposes of course!) and we bid a fond farewell to Mr. Bourlet.

One more thing, though. At one point in our conversation, a certain east coast judge came up and Dave made a comment and rolled his eyes, indicating to us, that despite toeing the line publicly, Jay Cutler’s BFF is actually a true blue MuscleWeeker at heart.

We at MuscleWeek wish Dave the best of luck with the store in their new location and I promise to blow at least $20 bucks a month there in the just as soon as that MuscleWeek corporate Amex card comes through!

As for Muscletech, we’ve never said that they don’t pay. What we HAVE SAID — and has been confirmed by former Muscletech employees — is that they do not pay AMATEURS. So, you have amateur guys (including one who used to post here) claiming to have a contract with MT but its not a paid contract. It’s the old supplement credit deal we’ve discussed.

But for Pros signed with Muscletech, yes, they are paid.

People need to realize that I am merely providing my own honest critique of what I am seeing. There is no intent to harm or make someone cry. And while I wouldn’t say it to their face, I also wouldn’t tell Brock Lesnar that his standup sucks, tell Frank Mir he’s a douchebag or tell James Toney he’s a fatass.

A critic shouldn’t have to answer to his subjects. That creates bias — hence the reason I rarely drop anything negative about guys I know personally or like.

But I don’t always have something bad to say. Take Gunter for example — he’s always been a great guy with a good sense of humor. He has a good head of hair, looks great in the gym (mostly) off the sauce. He doesn’t dress like a douche, has done well in TV commercials and film, and doesn’t claim he makes more in residuals from a commercial than you do in a year like Captain Americhick.

As for Ben, if he studies the boards enough to identify Special Ed in person, that would only confirm his narcissism and mean that he needs to spend more time in the gym.

We all have our flaws. I don’t mind if someone points out my sorry physique, greasy hair, unshaven mug, or double chin. Just don’t tell me I’m not funny.

The same goes for Ben. I can point out his hairline recession, syntholly arms, overgrown intestines pushing out his gut, and lack of intellectual speaking ability, but I’m not gonna dog his physique which is pretty damn awesome and something i could never achieve.

And I think Ben is just visiting. But if he’s not, there are plenty of places to live near the beach (studio apts) for around $1000/month. If he’s making 3k/mo from Weider and 2k/mo from muscletech, he can live just fine here.

Also Ed, and I am NOT trying to be an ass about this, but do you ever feel remorseful about some of the things you say about these guys once you meet them in person? It seems you had a positive interaction with Ben and you describe him as a “complete” big guy, yet you had described him in another thread (https://muscleweek.com/board/index.php?topic=953.msg15881#msg15881) as “a prematurely balding guy with obvious synthol in his biceps and a gut bigger than his chest trying to sound intelligent about diet and nutrition when it’s clear he’s nothing without the gear.”

I did a set of side laterals with the 10 lb dumbbells and followed that by just barely shoulder dumbbell pressing the 25s for 8 reps. And that was it. One superset and out. Then I went to the rope pulling machine (not rope pulldowns but an actual giant rope dangling from high above that you pull for cardio or strength) and pulled 1000 feet of rope. Then it was 1 mile on the treadmill in 14 minutes alternating walking and jogging in two minute increments. And that was that!

Then I headed over to Gracie Barra in Culver City to meet with BJJ Master Gerson Sanginitto who is tight with my old BJJ teacher Renzo Gracie and was super cool and invited me to come to a class tonight so I will let you know how that goes. I promise not to tap under any circumstances!

Follow-Up:

I think Joe Rogan’s a pretty cool dude — awful stand-up comedian — but a naturally funny guy.

So I just got back from my BJJ class at Gracie Barra and I’m totally spent. I probably won’t even be able to rub one out to Ines tonight. My highlight was escaping the mount of a blue belt. But never was it more clear than rolling around that I have about 70 lbs of useless weight on my body.

Anyways, the plan is to get under 230 by Saturday.