In 2026, World Gym celebrates 50 years since founder Joe Gold opened his first gym near Southern California’s famous Muscle Beach. Today, across more than 60 clubs in Australia, that legacy continues to shape how our members train, connect and inspire the next generation.
It all began in 1976 with a gym of just 2,200 square feet, filled with equipment Joe built by hand. Before long, legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno were training there, helping establish a reputation grounded in a simple belief: show up, work hard and keep getting better.
But a reputation isn’t built in a year. It’s earned over decades, through every coach who encourages a member to try one more rep and every team member who welcomes someone on their first day.
When someone joins World Gym today, they become part of that continuing story. Our history gives them something to trust, while their own goals and achievements give that history new meaning.
Building Our Australian Community
Around 20 years ago, World Gym arrived in Australia, brought here by our founders, Mike and Jon. They were advised against using the name, with concerns it might intimidate potential members. They believed Australians would embrace a gym committed to serious training and real results.
The Australian journey began with one club in Penrith, followed by Ashmore on the Gold Coast. From there, the network grew one community at a time.
Today, World Gym Australia brings together more than 60 clubs nationally, combining premium equipment and training facilities with the support and connection that help members keep coming back.
Our legacy lives in these clubs every day. It’s in the members who discover their confidence, improve their health or find their people. It’s in the coaches and staff who support them, and the club owners who invest in local communities across Australia.
Creating Space for the Next Generation
Honouring our past also means thinking carefully about what comes next.
With facilities such as Kids Zones and recovery spaces available at selected clubs, World Gym continues to create opportunities for members and families at different stages of life.
For the children who watch their parents train, the influence can begin long before their first workout. They see commitment, consistency and the value of making time for themselves. Those everyday examples can help shape their relationship with fitness for years to come.
The next generation will bring its own goals, challenges and achievements. Our role is to give them a place to begin, people to support them and a standard they can carry forward.
Fifty years ago, World Gym started with one gym and a belief in what people could achieve through training. Today, that legacy continues through our members, our clubs and the generations still to come.
