Venice's persistent hippy-trippy rep and new life as a yuppie tech-worker haven is no excuse to forget its past as Muscle Beach, a bodybuilding hub for buffed-out dudes to come and pump up. The ultimate guide on this tour would be action star Arnold Schwarzenegger, who came to Venice back in 1968, as a ripped 21-year-old from Austria, and worked his way up to become the governor of our fine state. (Still hard to believe!) Roll through the narrow thoroughfares of the beachy bodybuilding "mecca" with Arnie telling you the best place to work your quads or do pull-ups. The Muscle Beach workout area on the sand also holds the secret to getting the best, most even tan—just work out on the weight-lifiting platforms. The result: "It was not the kind of a tan that sucked. It was the kind of tan that you could use in competition."
See the first wall Schwarzenegger ever built (still standing!) when he was working construction to make ends meet in those early years, as well as the giant mural of him striking a pose in his Speedo on the side of a building near his old gym. It's a look at Venice that you don't often see anymore, and it's fun.
· Video: Arnold Schwarzenegger Gives A Tour Of His Old Venice Stomping Grounds [LAist]
Loading comments...