U.S. Fitness Club Gold’s Gym

By Yunga Kamasaki

Gold’s Gym is a fitness club that originated in the United states. The first gym was opened in 1965 in Venice beach, California, and there are currently about 700 gyms worldwide. Gold’s Gym became famous when Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared in the 1977 bodybuilding movie Pumping Iron.

There are about 70 Gold’s Gym throughout Japan. There are four in Hokkaido, with three in Sapporo and one in Hakodate. Unlike other gyms, Gold’s Gym offers training methods and nutritional guidance.

Gold’s Gym is a one minute walk from Odori station. This gym has two basement levels. The main gym equipment has a free weights area, a training machine area, a studio area and an aerobic area. Other facilities include rental lockers, tanning machines, a supplement shop, a protein juice bar, a hydrogen water server and a bath with a sauna.

Hours of operation are basically 24-hour business hours, but the center closes at 8:00 p.m. on Sundays and opens at 10:00 a.m. on Mondays. The gym is closed on the second Friday, closing at 11:00 p.m. the day before and opening at 10:00 a.m. the day after the closing day.

The best thing about Gold's Gym’s is its free training support. This program allows you to work with your trainer on how to use training equipment, and includes nutritional guidance, and dietary guidance so this gym is recommended for beginners.

To join Gold’s Gym you need to pay a monthly membership fee of 2 months, have a cash card or passbook, a seal, and an ID card. If you have these three things, you can use the gym from the day of enrollment.