A WORLD famous bodybuilding gym in Lye is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year.
Jim's Gym hit the milestone in April and boss Jim Charles believes it must be a record.
Established in 1958, by Jim, the gym has welcomed big names in bodybuilding including Bill Pearl, John Brown, Edward Kawak and been an inspiration for musclemen in the Midlands and beyond.
Thriving Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) club Urban Prospects also now operates from the gym, also known as Lye Community Gym, which is based in a former school building in Chapel Street.
Both Jim and his iconic gym are known locally and across the world - with Jim’s dedication to the sport going back to its early days.
He’s been involved with NABBA (National Amateur Body-Builders' Association) for decades and recalls the time back in the 1960s when he first met Arnold Schwarzenegger, who remains the association’s biggest success story.
Jim remains at the helm at NABBA, having recently been voted in once again as chairman.
He’s also honourary life president of the association and continues to host bodybuilding contests at Brierley Hill Civic Hall that act as qualifiers for the prestigious Mr Universe contest which Arnie won four times in succession before becoming a Hollywood star.
Jim recalls: “Arnie was here for four years, he was in fantastic condition. He always wanted to beat everybody. He’d got to win and he’d got to be the best.”
Despite increasing years, Jim, now 84 (and ready for more), can still be found at the gym almost every day and he still trains avidly three times a week.
He said: “I do semi light weights to keep active and tone the muscles.”
Recently he’s been chuffed to see Arnie recalling his life story in a new Netflix documentary in which he tells of his early days in bodybuilding.
Jim said the documentary sees Arnie paying thanks to a character named Albert Busek who supported him in his early career. Jim too credits Busek for playing a pivotal role in his life.
He said Busek introduced him to German bodybuilding contest promoter Peter Fasching as Jim started the trend for playing records at bodybuilding shows which had previously seen competitors walk on stage to the sounds of live orchestral music.
Jim said if it hadn’t been for Busek he wouldn’t have gone all over the world.
He said: “I’d like to contact him and thank him. He was the guy who introduced me to Fasching, who asked me to play the music, and I went on to play the music in every country you could think of. I hadn’t planned on being a DJ.”
Jim, who lives in Quarry Bank, also fondly recounts his encounters with a young Arnold Schwarzenegger in London.
He claims during his first introduction Arnie whipped off his shirt when asked to show off his large biceps; and he’s been dining out on his story of buying the young Schwarzenegger a black coffee and baked beans on toast for decades.
Although Arnie went on to enjoy a successful career in Hollywood and American politics as Governor of California from 2003 to 2011 – he never forgot Jim and the part NABBA played in his early success before movies beckoned.
In fact, the Terminator star sent Jim a congratulatory message in 2008 after a fire at the gym and said he wished him well for his 50th anniversary in the industry.
Despite the fire in 2006, the gym re-opened and is still going after a whopping 65 years.
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