LOS ANGELES — If you are looking to get in shape or just show off your shape, Muscle Beach in Venice, California is not only a popular place to do it but also very affordable.
Almost all the equipment at the Los Angeles area park is free to use. It is, however, a little primitive, but for the last 20 years David Frison, or "Soop" as he is known, has made a name for himself here.
“Everybody calls me Soop because I body double for Superman, for example,” said Frison.
Frison is stunt man and he’s punched, kicked and flipped his way on the big screen by training at Muscle Beach. He says the equipment has a long history of shaping actors and athletes.
“Two miles north of here is the original Muscle Beach, which started in 1933 with the acrobats and adagio,” said Frison.
During the Great Depression, the original Muscle Beach started at sandy shores near the Santa Monica Piers. It became a playground for pioneering fitness enthusiasts and gymnasts, but in the late 50s the city shut the beach down.
“Body builders in Santa Monica were looking for a place a little south,” said Frison.
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Venice Beach became the new home for Muscle Beach. It was here that body builders of all ages and genders got their start.
“What I think is most attractive about Venice Beach is the open-minded people and lack of judgment,” said Frison.
The lack of judgment not only attracted visitors but also Hollywood filmmakers.
“White Men Can't Jump, a very famous movie, filmed behind me at the basketball court.”
Countless movies, TV shows and commercials are filmed in Venice and Muscle Beach, and it’s not uncommon to see a celebrity on the beach walk.
“Our ex-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger comes here at least twice a month,” said Frison.
Despite the well-used equipment, Muscle Beach is a California icon where people from all over the world feel welcome.
“It’s freedom. If there is one thing everyone wants is to be free. Free of extra weight, stress and you feel that in Venice,” said Frison.
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