Pumpin’ Iron at the Tender Age of 86

by admin

This is my 54th year of Pumpin’ Iron at the tender Age of 86.

In the summer of 1959, I visited my first gym with a friend who had not long ago escaped from Cuba. The gym was Sig Klein’s Gym on 7th Avenue between 47th and 48th Street, 3rd floor walk-up.

As soon as we walked into the Gym, Ziggy greeted us at the door, 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. At Klein’s Gym as soon as you walk in you saw a very orderly and neat Gym. Ziggy explained Gym Etiquette…then you were good to start. Ziggy was a gentleman, a very gentle soul a very caring human being and he would always have a word of encouragement for you, especially when you were struggling under a tremendous amount of weight…the word was “SUFFER”! That was when I entered a world of what we soon began to call “No Pain, No Gain”. It was fantastic.

Klein’s Gym had no exercise machines at that time. The Barbells and Dumbell were shot loaded round globes and the kettle bells were solid steel. They were all custom made for Zig Klein. I can’t remember all of the various routines for the different parts of the body. We used the Kettle Bells mostly; Kettle Bell Clean and Jerk, Clean and Press, Kettle Bell Side Press, Kettle Bell Turkish Get Up, etc.The Kettle Bell Workout was the best for all around Body Building and strength achievement.

In that first summer of 1959 when I joined Klein’s Gym, Jack La Lanne had invented The Smith Machine and was setting up this apparati in various Gyms around the country. One day he had one installed at his friend Klein’s Gym. I was one of the first group to try it out. The Smith Machine was a success and we loved it. Of course there were a few kinks to work around, but for an all around workout, it was pretty good. Now, the Smith Machine allowed us to use more weight, especially when doing Back Squats, Sig would come over to check out your progress and he would suggest that you ” Lean into it and S-M-I-L-E…so that every one could see how much you are enjoying it.” We had fun…….!
Ziggy was about 5 feet 4,or 5, but tremendously strong. He taught us how to strengthen the central nervous system by making it more efficient without getting larger. Ziggy was an expert Hand Balancer and born strong. The time spent at Klein’s was time well spent. Our classes were small (Swinging Kettles Belles takes space.) Iron Lore and stories of feats of strength were fantastic.

Due to workload and relocation I had to find another Good Gym. I found one at The Shelton Hotel Health Club in the Lexington Hotel at Lexington Avenue and 49th Street. The Shelton had originally been designed to be a bachelor hotel. It had a swimming pool, solarium, pool rooms, squash courts and a large gym which was hardly ever used. In the mid 1970s it was almost vacant except for the Gym. The Manager/Trainer was Walter Podolak. Better known as The Golden Superman. Walter was not a Body Builder. But he was very strong and possessed lots of knowledge for staying healthy and physically fit. The building is still there and occupied by a Marriott Hotel. The Shelton was a good Gym (very spacious!)

One day as I was coming home from buying a Bar Bell Bar, I met a fellow entering the my building at the same time. He asked me was that a weight lifting bar I had. I said yes and we became good friends and exercises partners. We alternated our exercise areas in one another apartments. We worked out together. We worked with Correction Officers. Also with our Sons. Then eventually my Wife. I had always run from High School Track Team to Air Force Track Teams. I increased my running to include long distance running. I am an early riser, so I ran every morning. I belonged to The New York Road Runners Club for about 25 years. The Paddle Ball Craze started. We were there playing Paddle Ball with Kids half our age. Scissor-Designing our T-Shirts and cut off Jeans. My wife had also started running. My Workout Buddy being a Correction Officer and quite large and very strong would go out to the large dirt area where the neighborhood ladies would walk or run around every morning just to make sure they were safe. One early morning he had a massive heart attack on the track. We were the same age….58. This was a very sad time. I started visiting Gyms around town, Mid-City, European Health Spa-at 59th Street and Park Avenue, if I remember correctly (Awful), etc. Most of the time I worked at home. I tried something a little different. We joined a Gymnastics Class. Alzarecca’s Gym. Parallel bars, Rings and all.The strength was no problem. My problem was I couldn’t stop banging my toes against the Parallel Bar uprights.

In the summer of 1984 or 1985 my eldest son took me to a Gym he had found in Chelsea. It was Better Bodies, on 21st Street. One flight up. Klein’s Gym was 2 flights up which we ran up… all macho… because on the second floor Jaffy’s Hair Salon customers (Ladies) spilled out into the hallway awaiting their appointments. But when we finished Klein’s work out we had to CLIMB DOWN the stairs. We tried to leave without being seen.

Better Bodies was the greatest gym. My wife had left gymnastic classes with a bad aching knee which was getting worse. She had twisted it while working on the trampoline. Legs went that way…body went the other. Knee did not get any better. We nursed it along as best we could. Twice per month visits to the Doctor. It was surgically repaired in 1980 (approximate date). I had her jogging as soon as the Doctor gave the 6 weeks okay.

For me, Better Bodies was Love at first Rep. Better Bodies soon moved to 19th Street to a larger space. I had started wearing Tank Tops, Work Boots…Rag Tops…….The whole Grunge Look..couldn’t do the Curly hair bit… Shucks!!
January 1989 I started to train my Wife for The New York City Marathon. She and my late Workout Buddy had always expressed the desire to do a Marathon. She wanted to do one dedicated to him. Better Bodies happen to be exactly 10k from our house to Better Bodies’ House. What Luck!!! We would run over Brooklyn Bridge…right into Broadway and up to 19th Street to BB. Workout and run back home. Better Bodies had everything we needed and then some. January 1991 The wife wanted to run one more………with me. Another Better Bodies success story.

Thanks Brian……..You Built Better Bodies and we came.

Clyde Alexander Gilliam