In 1959, I visited my first Gym with a friend who had not long escaped from Cuba. The Gym was Sig Klein’s Gym on 7th Avenue between 47th and 48th Street, 3rd floor. As soon as we walked ino the Gym, Ziggy looked us over, gave us a towel, showed us around the Gym, gave us our routines and explained the exercises. It is said of a good gym, that as soon as you walk in the door, you feel like exercising. Next year I will be 82 and it will make 50 years of pumping iron. After Klein’s Gym, I worked out at The Shelton Hotel Gym with a famous wrestler and body builder of the 1920s and 30s, The Golden Superman, Walter Podolak as trainer. These were the best New York gyms of the day. Then came the exercise craze in the 60s. There were European Health Spas, Health Emporiums etc. Lots of machines, Saunas, Cold Plunges, Water everywhere. I stopped going to Gyms. Me and a neighbor started to work out in our apartments. Converting spare rooms into mini gyms. We did occasionally visit other gym around town….The YMCA….. They were, eh…okay. Then one day my oldest son took me to Better Bodies on 21st Street. Soon as I walked in the door, I felt like exercising. Better Bodies was the greatest gym. Everyone…the staff…fellow grunt and groaners were pleasant. Great Pro Shop. My darling wife eventually joined me and she has been the best workout buddy a “musclehead” could have. She says that Better Bodies has been the best rehab center for her various leg operations and working out there helped her strength training for her two NY Marathons. I did one Marathon with her, Though Better Bodies is gone, we are still in the house. Thanks Brian, it was a pleasure to push ‘n pull iron in Better Bodies.
We love the site. Does it bring back good memories, fun times, lotsa sweat, great muscle growth…..pretty eye candy for all (everyone made working out at BB look good….) You betcha!
Clyde and Yolanda Gilliam
Help write the history of Better Bodies. Share your stories here.
Who could forget our famous “2 for 1” membership specials?
I was just informed by Warren Drummond, that former Better Bodies employee Herb Kerr lost his battle with cancer a few weeks ago. Warren said that Herb passed peacefully. Herb was a trainer at the 19st location. The word that comes to mind when reflecting on Herb was “gentle”, Herb was a gentle-man. You might recall that Herb was very accomplished in the art of Capoeira. For many of us, that was the first time we had ever heard that word before. RIP Herb.
If you knew Herb, please leave your thoughts below….
Warren was Better Bodies resident comic book artist, now he is a successful storyboard artist in Hollywood. Nice Baggies Warren, are they Crazywear or Zubaz?
Kirsten, Buchholz, Benny Rodriguez, Laura Fucci
Kay, Brian Moss, Gladys Potugues, Suzy Alalof, Mike Alalof, Kirsten Buchholz, Laura Fucci, Nancy Pollack
I happened to be walking by the original location of Better Bodies [12 West 21st]. Ever since Better Bodies moved to 22 West 19st the original space was a furniture store. Incredibly it is a gym again. How amazing, with all of the space available in the area, the second floor of 12 West 21st is a gym again. I rung the buzzer of the freight elevator, because I knew that the same “super” was still there, 30 years later. He offered to take me upstairs and show me the space. It was actually a pretty emotional experience for me to stand where i stood for so many years. The front right corner was still an office, and believe it or not the front left corner, where we had our dumbell racks, once again, has dumbell racks, 27 years later!
This video is a segment that ran on “PM Magazine” in 1985. This was the first-ever “magazine-format” TV program. The segment featured the modeling agency I created to market muscular physiques, which we ran out of the gym. There is some great footage of Gladys Portugues and Carla Dunlap posing at a party I did with Chi Chi Valente and Johnny Dynell at the Limelight, in NYC. Chi Chi and Johnny were Better Bodies members from the very beginning. They still rule New York night life 25 years later. Amazing.
A few weeks ago, I uncovered an old VHS tape [remember VHS?] that I produced around 1985. The opening segment was a four minute “music video” that I put together to introduce the advertising world to Gladys Portugues. MTV had just launched a few years earlier, so I guess that is what influenced me. The point I was trying to make was that as women’s bodies began to change and get more muscular through serious weight training, advertisers would need to take note, and reflect that. Enter: Gladys. Excuse the quality, but it is a 25 year old VHS that has been converted to digital.
