Muscle Beach
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Muscle Beach refers to either Muscle Beach Venice, an area in Venice, California, United States, on Ocean Front Walk two blocks north of Venice Boulevard or to Original Muscle Beach, the actual and original location of "Muscle Beach", located on the beach two miles north of Venice, just south of Santa Monica Pier.
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[edit] Original Muscle Beach
From the 1930s till the present the original Muscle Beach is located in Santa Monica immediately south of the Santa Monica Pier. Popular gymnastic exhibitions were routinely held there on city-provided equipment. In the late Fifties the popularity began to wane and the area grew less attractive. Outcry over an alleged rape at the site led the city to shut it down in 1959, and re-open in 1960 without the weigthlifting platform.
The site of Muscle Beach Venice has inherited the modern fame and attention that was initially generated by the original Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, as the weight lifting platform from this earlier facility had been removed by the City of Santa Monica due to difficulties in the day-to-day maintenance and supervision of the original Muscle Beach site in 1959. Yet the original regulars of Muscle Beach in Santa Monica continued to congregate at the world-famous setting with an emphasis on gymnastics events, acrobatics and adagio training and performances.
In 1989, the City of Santa Monica officially rededicated the original Muscle Beach and today it serves gymnasts, acrobats and youth with an extensive gymnastics training area. Meanwhile, the City of Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department has continued the primary barbell, weightlifting and bodybuilding activities and events of the original Muscle Beach fame at the Venice weight pen. In 1987, the City of Los Angeles officially dedicated "Muscle Beach Venice" with the added word of 'Venice' in the title to pay careful respect to the one and only "Muscle Beach" in Santa Monica.
[edit] Muscle Beach Venice
After the closing the original Muscle Beach, the bodybuilding attention shifted south to the somewhat lesser-known Venice Beach Weight Pen, operated by the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department. A small, spartan weight pen was built near Windward in 1952, later replaced by the large current facility during a complete renovation and Muscle Beach Venice redevelopment effort in 1990, which sports a huge concrete barbell on the roof and bleachers for spectators.
Today it is an open playground for with a gated area that encloses weight lifting equipment, the second area is a sand box with gymnastic, rope climbing, and acrobatic bars.
By extension, it refers also to a high concentration of weightlifting and fitness businesses in the area.
Dave Draper, Larry Scott, and Arnold Schwarzenegger used to be regulars, among many famous bodybuilders and actors who have trained there.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Muscle Beach Venice the Official website for Muscle Beach Venice
- Original Muscle Beach
- Official Santa Monica Muscle Beach site
- NPR short documentary about both Muscle Beaches
