The golden age of bodybuilding had its home in Venice Beach, California. If you were a serious bodybuilder back in the 70s, 80s and early 90s, you packed up your shit and moved to Venice to train at Gold's Gym with the rest of us. It was the place to be. You almost had to be there. It was necessary. If you wanted to be where the action was, there was just no choice but to make the pilgrimage to the Mecca.
But just as all things in life do, the Golden Age came to an end and the faithful dissipated. Gold's Gym is a mere gutted cavern of its former self; the pictures of the champions who trained there are still on the walls like spirits of an era passed. The building stands, but its spirit is gone.
As the saying goes, when one door closes another opens. And in this case, as the door closed in Venice a new Mecca emerged on the other coast. The door in Venice didn't slam shut; it came to a gradual close, just as the door on Long Island creaked open. By the mid 90s, women's bodybuilding super-star Bev Francis and her husband Steve Weinberger established themselves as the go-to place for any serious east coast bodybuilder. At the present time, while the years have seen the gym change from a Gold's franchise to a Powerhouse, we all know it as "Bev and Steve's Gym," and - just like Gold's back in Venice - everybody who's anybody trains there. A vast, gigantic, incredibly well-equipped hard core gym owned and operated by two well known industry insiders creates an incredible attraction to some of the very best in our industry.
Big Steve sent us these photos of a typical February day at the east coast Mecca.
1 - Colette Nelson and Sean Andros give some indication of the season. The Mecca on the east coast doesn't have palm trees; but that's about all it doesn't have.
2 - Taking a look at gym manager Kevin English you'd never know this 270 pound behemoth won the Under 202 Class last year at the New York Pro, and finished 2nd behind Kai Green in the open event. Will this monster ever get back down to Under 202 or will he knock off the big boys in the open events? That's a gray area!
3 - Kevin English takes a shot with 2008 NPC Masters Nationals winner (and new IFBB Pro) Vinny Galanti. Vinny finally got his pro card after about 20 years of trying. He's making his rookie debute (at 42 years old) at Weinberger's New York Pro this year in the Under 202 Class.
4 & 5 - Beautiful Juliana Malacarne's last name actually means "bad mat" in Spanish. but take one look at her and you know the opposite is true. In fact, Steve Weinberger says Juliana is one of the most talented athletes he's seen. She has an unreal natural talent for bodybuilding, but she prefers Figure! The Brazilian beauty currently competes as an IFBB Figure Pro despite the fact that she has been criticized for having too much muscle. I hear she barely even weight trains anymore. I wish I had that problem! This year, she's honing her exquisite physique at Bev and Steve's for this 
coming week's Ms. Figure International (at the Arnold Weekend).
6 - WWE Superstar Kane always stops by Bev and Steve's when he's in town. Kane could train anywhere... but he doesn't. He knows where to find the best gym on the East Coast!
7 - Steve Weinberger with 2007 Arnold Classic Champ, Victor Martinez! Vic is a regular at Bev and Steve's when he's on this side of the river. He looks locked and loaded and ready to do battle this week and take back his Arnold Classic crown that he was unable to defend last year due to a torn patella tendon. According the Weinberger, "Victor shows no sign of having been injured!"
8 - Tracey Greenwood is another regular at Bev and Steve's. What an incredible year Tracy had in 2008 - she won the Houston Pro Fitness, the Europa Pro Fitness, and the Atlantic City Pro Fitness, , . not to mention a second place finish at the Ms Fitness Olympia. Tracey's on a roll!
9 - WWE World Champion, Triple H, is another East Coast Mecca regular. Trip is putting the finishing touches on the best physique of his life going into Wrestlemania in less than five weeks.
10 - New York Pro Figure Champion Ziville Raudoniene hams it up with Arnold Classic Champ Victor Martinez. Both are getting ready 
to leave for Columbus in just a couple of days. Ziville will try to improve upon her incredible 3rd place finish at the Ms Figure Olympia this September.
