By Tommy Chong
I met Arnold Schwarzenegger at Gold’s Fitness center in 1968, when he first arrived from Europe. He was 21 years previous and will barely converse English. He was the speak of the bodybuilding world and had already gained his first Mr. Universe title, within the 1967 competitors sponsored by NABBA (the Nationwide Beginner Physique Builders Affiliation)—a contest he would dominate for the subsequent three years.
Steroids and Arnold arrived on the similar time, and Arnold took large muscle tissues to new heights. However as large as Arnold was (20-inch arms!), he nonetheless managed to lose the Mr. Universe contest sponsored that yr by a rival group, the Worldwide Federation of Physique Builders, to an American named Frank Zane. Based on the gossip at Gold’s Fitness center, Zane was a grasp in using steroids, and it was this talent that propelled him previous Arnold for the IFBB title in ’68. However Arnold was a fearsome competitor—as anybody who noticed him on the gymnasium might inform you—and the next yr he went on to take each Mr. Universe titles.
On the time, Gold’s Fitness center was actually the perfect males’s membership on the earth. Finally, as increasingly folks flocked to the tiny gymnasium, the success truly turned Joe Gold off. He actually simply wished a spot the place he and his bodybuilding pals might have a great exercise with out being bothered. He had began the gymnasium in his storage, and his expertise as a welder/machinist got here in useful constructing the early dumbbell and barbell units, together with the benches for presses.
Then the storage grew to become too cramped, so Joe discovered a storefront in Venice and opened up the primary Gold’s Fitness center. The constructing remains to be standing with the unique signal, though it’s now a residence. This was the gymnasium the place all of the greats gathered. And this was the place Zabo (a.ok.a. “the Chief”) lived for a number of months, sleeping on the sit-up board.
Zabo was the supervisor and co-creator of Gold’s Fitness center, and he was already recognized all through the bodybuilding world as “Mr. Pure,” a dwelling legend because of his unbelievable physique and devotion to the game. And though Zabo by no means took steroids, he was very a lot into marijuana. A devoted pot smoker, the Chief had a transparent mission in life: to work out, get excessive, lay within the solar and “service” the women.
Once I arrived in Venice Seashore in 1968, I had the identical targets, besides that I’d added “writing songs” to the record. I grew to become pals with Zabo as quickly as I joined, as a result of he might by no means keep in mind if I’d paid my membership dues, which have been a complete of 30 bucks for 3 months. Every time I appeared on the gymnasium, Zabo would finally come up and ask, “Are you a member right here?”
To which I might reply: “Yeah.”
Then he’d take a look at me for a second and go: “Oh, yeah—Tommy, proper?”
Again in these days, the mantra given to every new buyer was “$30 for 3 months, no instruction, and put the weights again the place you discovered them.” And that was it! “No instruction” meant Zabo wasn’t about to child anybody within the gymnasium. Should you did an train improper, or in case you did an train that was dangerous for you, similar to aspect bends with a dumbbell—that was too dangerous. Giving instruction in these days was a waste of time, as a result of solely devoted bodybuilders used the gymnasium, and people guys didn’t want it. Most of them already knew what they have been doing, having learn the accessible literature and discovered the routines utilized by champions.
However Zabo took a liking to me and would, now and again, appropriate what I used to be doing, as a result of he realized I used to be one of many few guys there who would truly pay attention when advised what to do. This put me into Zabo’s inside circle, which included all the highest guys on the time, like Dave Draper, Frank Zane and, in fact, Arnold. Zabo finally moved into a bit cottage inside strolling distance of the gymnasium. It was at this home that a number of the largest males within the sport gathered to smoke the herb.
Zabo had a hookah with one pipe stem that he used every time he had friends over for a toke. He would load the bowl with a giant pinch of bud (1 / 4 of an oz.) after which fireplace it up, taking an enormous bodybuilder’s toke. The trick was to finally pull so onerous that the burning pot could be sucked down and explode within the water. That meant taking an unlimited hit, which might be held in these wholesome, outsized lungs for a very long time with out coughing.
The pot was often old school Mexican weed with seeds. (This was earlier than the seedless selection.) However one pressure—in all probability Colombian—was potent sufficient to place you to mattress. My recollection is that the nasty stems-and-seeds weed was accessible for $20 to $50 a kilo on the time, however I’m not actual positive about costs, as a result of I by no means purchased weed in these days. I smoked no matter was handed to me, and sufficient was handed to me that I used to be regularly smiling on the world.
Arnold beloved the competitors at Zabo’s, so he would attempt to outdo Dave Draper, who, after taking a good greater toke, would maintain within the smoke even longer. When the pipe was handed to me, I knew I couldn’t even come shut to those guys, so I politely took the tiniest toke, then proceeded to cough my lungs out, to the merriment of my fellow tokers.
I wasn’t embarrassed within the least, as a result of I used to be completely happy simply to be included on this once-in-a-lifetime second. Figuring out in the identical gymnasium with these guys was a thrill, so sharing a bong with them was a dream come true. And the truth that I used to be a no one again then additionally reveals the humanity and love these particular males possessed. I used to be the one man within the room that hadn’t made his mark on the bodybuilding scene. Most of them had gained at the very least one main contest of their younger lives; in the meantime, I used to be a thin little gymnasium rat who did his exercise on the lighter finish of the load rack, making an attempt to not get in anyone’s manner, particularly when the giants did their supersets.
An instance of a superset was for these guys to begin at one finish of the load rack and do as many reps (repetitions) as doable with the lightest pair of dumbbells, then transfer on to the subsequent heavier pair, till they have been curling 190 kilos in both hand. This was carried out nonstop; the ache was so intense that the screams popping out of their mouths have been animalistic. The misunderstanding that one way or the other bodybuilding shouldn’t be a sport, and that every one these supermen needed to do was inject steroids into their our bodies to magically change into large and muscular, amazes me to this present day.
I used to be there: I noticed their exercises with my very own eyes. These wonderful males additionally had as a lot information of the physique—and possibly extra information of vitamin—than most medical doctors. And but they took day trip of their hectic exercise schedule to smoke pot. I feel that claims all of it with regards to the propaganda and lies that the U.S. authorities has been spreading for years in regards to the well being dangers of marijuana.
Zabo additionally cleaned the gymnasium at night time earlier than closing store. I labored out late, so I might assist him put the weights away. He’d at all times vacuum the place by hand and by no means used an extension; as a substitute, he would stoop down low to choose up the grime. Once I steered that an extension would make the job simpler, Zabo replied, “Come on, we come right here for a exercise. Slightly bending gained’t damage—and apart from, I misplaced the extension months in the past.”
On one event, Zabo invited me for a “little run.” I accepted the invitation—which was a mistake, since that “little run” turned out to be a fucking marathon. He mentioned, “We’ll simply go across the block a few occasions,” and added that the explanation he was working was that he was feeling sick and couldn’t work out.
I discovered later that Zabo had been a scout throughout the Second World Struggle and had contacted malaria within the jungles throughout the 12 months he was behind enemy traces. The virus was in his blood, and he would have assaults now and again and couldn’t carry weights, so he would run “a number of miles” as a substitute. However Zabo ran like he labored out—quick and insane.
He took off like a shot, with me working as quick as I might to maintain up with him, however quickly he was a speck on the horizon, so I mentioned fuck it and slowed right down to my customary crawl. I hobbled again to the gymnasium and waited for Zabo, however he was gone like a cool breeze, so I did my little exercise and hung round. I wished to see how lengthy Zabo’s “little run” would take. I lastly gave up after two hours.
Zabo labored on Issues Are Powerful All Over, the Cheech & Chong film the place Cheech and I performed humorous Arabs. Zabo was my double, so he did a variety of work within the movie. We shot Zabo’s half in Las Vegas.
Sooner or later, once we have been taking pictures some desert stuff that didn’t require Zabo’s presence, he joined us for lunch anyway: He ran 25 miles out to the situation, had lunch, then ran 25 miles again to Vegas, the place he in all probability did a exercise with weights earlier than he ended his day.
Zabo had gained so many trophies throughout his lengthy profession that in the future Steve, his good friend and landlord, got here dwelling and located them out on the sidewalk, stacked in bins alongside the rubbish. “What’s occurring right here?” Steve requested. Zabo replied, “I don’t want that shit.”
Steve—who, like the remainder of us, was a giant Zabo fan—determined to rescue a number of the extra essential trophies. One motive that Zabo had so many: When bodybuilding contests first started within the Thirties (BS—Earlier than Steroids), the judges would award a distinct trophy for each a part of the physique, similar to greatest arms, greatest legs, greatest again, and so on. This was as a result of completely different males have been effectively developed in several areas, and the general trophy was given to the all-around best-proportioned man.
Zabo had injured his shoulder in a diving accident, so he lacked shoulder dimension, however he had every part else after which some. He maintained a particularly nutritious diet, however he additionally loved life to the fullest—and when it got here to his legendary physique, the dimensions prolonged to all of the essential elements. In truth, one of many causes a few of us thought Zabo by no means used steroids was the rumor that it decreased penis dimension. This was one physique half that, if it had its personal class, Zabo would’ve gained in a heartbeat, with out having to show all the monster.
Zabo is 83 years previous now, and he nonetheless has common clients visiting him (together with many beautiful girls). I might write a e book on the legend of Zabo’s monster, however that is an article about getting excessive with the Governator, so perhaps subsequent time.
I just lately bumped into Arnold on the Starbucks in Brentwood the place he has breakfast, and he acknowledged me instantly. He smiled as if remembering these carefree occasions and mentioned, “We each had desires, didn’t we?” I smiled again and thought to myself: “Yeah, we each did.” I dreamed about turning into a profitable author, and Arnold about turning into a well-known film star. We each fulfilled our wildest desires. We each began with nothing and have become insanely profitable.
The query is: How a lot of a task did pot play in our success? It performed an unlimited half in my success, clearly, as a result of I went on to make films like Up In Smoke and Good Desires. However though Arnold smoked a joint in Pumping Iron, his success has not been pot-related—or has it? In any case, when the Beatles landed in New York for his or her first American tour, Bob Dylan turned them on to pot—and everyone knows what that began.
When Arnold landed in America, Zabo turned him on to pot, and now Arnold is the governor of California—after an enormously profitable profession in bodybuilding and Hollywood. So is there one thing about pot that modifications folks? Does it faucet into some unseen religious aspect, serving to to attach us with the actual world the place every part and something is feasible? I’m satisfied that it does. I personally really feel related to the religious world every time I smoke pot—however perhaps that’s as a result of I’m already conscious of the religious world. No matter!
Ultimately, what I do know for sure is that I smoked with the Governator, and he remembered … and that was so candy!
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