Remembering Muscle Beach: Where Hard Bodies Began : Photographs and Memories

Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, California is known as the birthplace of the physical-fitness boom of the twentieth century. In the 1930s and 1940s, it was the trendsetting spot where Steve Reeves, Jack LaLanne, the Tanny Brothers, and Joe Gold built their bodies, as well as their reputations.

With first-hand experience in the world of hard bodies, Harold Zinkin (the first Mr. California as well as inventor of the Universal Gym Machine) tells the story of Muscle Beach and the people who worked out on its sand. He shares not only the stories of Hollywood celebrities who frequented Muscle Beach-including Mae West, Jane Russel, Jayne Mansfield, and Kirk Douglas-but also provides an insider's account and photographic view of how this small strip of sand became a haven for the health-conscious and bodies beautiful.