Wag Bennett

This morning I got an excited phone call from my good friend and Strength Historian David Horne. David mentioned that Wag Bennett's family were selling off 'bits and bobs' from the gym and that there might be some famous globe dumbbells available once used, no doubt, by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

After a quick training session with my other great friend, World's Strongest Man Competitor, Laurence Shahlaei (yes I am name dropping!) who had been staying with me I rushed over to the East End of London to Wag's old stomping ground. Wag sadly passed away last year but Julie and Charles, two of his younger children I believe were there to assist me.

The place is like stepping back in time! Some of the pictures are truly glorious. The equipment is well worn but still usuable. The memorabilia is vast. Charles said that the majority was being sold off at auction. However, I was lucky enough to purchase 13 globe dumbbells once owned by Wag and used by Sergio Oliva and Arnold to name just a few. David and I will split these but they have been kept alive as both of us appreciate and respect the older generations of lifters before us.

Here's a great piece of writing about Wag I found by Reg Seward.

"The indisputable claim to fame of “Wag” Bennett — and, it must immediately be said, of his wife Dianne, also — was the role they played in the rise to fame of Arnold Schwarzenegger, from an unknown Austrian would-be bodybuilder, desperate for a break into fame and fortune, to the Mr Universe title and thence to the US, movie stardom and the governorship of California. It was a debt that Schwarzenegger never forgot, and he always maintained contact with the mentors whom he liked to call his “British parents”.
Schwarzenegger, born in Graz not long after the Second World War, was only 19 when he came to Britain in 1966, with his eyes on that year’s Mr Universe title. Bennett, who was one of the judges of the competition, and Dianne were impressed by the determination of the virtually penniless youth, as well as by the bizarre impression he made, almost visibly growing out of his clothes in front of them. “His trousers were flying at half mast, halfway up his calves,” Bennett recalled, so Dianne took him off to buy some boots to close the gap.”
It was to be the beginning of a nurturing relationship that was to last two years. Two of the mainstays of British bodybuilding in that era, Wag and Dianne ran two gyms in the East End, one beneath their home in Forest Gate and another farther down the Romford Road.
The Bennetts invited Schwarzenegger to share their home — no mean sacrifice, since they had six children to bring up. Bennett told the young man that he would have to sleep on the sofa, since all available beds were taken by the family, and with this arrangement working satisfactorily, they supervised his development. Bennett devised a training programme for Schwarzenegger, taught him how to pose, and chose the theme music from the film Exodus as his posing music. It was a tune Schwarzenegger was to use for years to come.
All the while Dianne cooked him his favourite meal, turkey breasts — several of which he ate every hour on the hour. And since he could not get into regulation shirts bought off the shelf, she made them for him in his favourite colours, fluorescent lime green and yellow. She also took charge of his English, which had been somewhat rudimentary on his arrival in London.
In the event, the 1966 title was to elude Schwarzenegger. He was beaten that year by the American bodybuilder Chet Yorton, whose musculature and legs were adjudged superior. Bennett immediately went to work on these areas, improving muscle definition and the power of his legs, and Schwarzenegger won his first Mr Universe title, the first of five, the following year. As Schwarzenegger was to say in paying tribute to Bennett: “The Mr Universe title was my ticket to America the land of opportunity where I could become a star and get rich.”
Charles “Wag” Bennett was born in 1930 in Canning Town, East London, where his family ran a business selling bicyles and motorbikes, and were involved in speedway. He started bodybuilding at 15 at a gym in Hackney, and by 1950 had become the first man in Britain to bench press 500lbs. He first met his future wife Dianne, herself from a bodybuilding family, when he went down to Portsmouth that year to do a show for her father, Bob Woolger.
They were married four years later and set up their first gym in Wanstead; the famous Forest Gate gym followed in 1961. Dianne posed at bodybuilding shows with her own group, Dianne Bennett’s Glamour Girls, who lifted weights to Roy Orbison’s hit song Oh, Pretty Woman. She also published a magazine, Bodypower. The pair also ran an equipment company, Everest, a supplements business called Pinnacle and edited a fitness and bodyculture magazine entitled Peak.
The Bennetts always derived a quiet satisfaction from the achievements of their protege"

The pictures I was allowed to take will show you even more about what history this place has seen over the past half a century. I think they speak for themselves.

It was lovely to meet Charles and Julie and to pick up a little piece of Iron Game History.

RIP Wag and thank you.

Nick

Wag's Globe Dumbbells after I lugged them up to the 4th floor. Wonderful!

Comments

[Tom Balchin]

Hi there,

I got there just before you to the gym, it looks like! But I knew someone was coming for some of the globes, so only took 2 of the 50kgs and 2 of the 30kgs - will send you some pics in the morning - I got the larger globe dumbell (hope you took the smaller one?) Also got a massive shot-fill bell - pic to come (send me your email). I got invited down as I train with Spencer Churchill, a long time friend of the Bennetts... I'm so pleased you got the globes and they are looking good in your place... awesome eh? My name is Tom - David knows who I am - I'll send him some pics - no doubt he'll pass them on to you?

All the best mate

[Nick McKinless]

Hi Tom,

Brilliant that you got some as well. It's great when this sort of Iron Game history goes to a good home. I think David is off down there today!

I would love to try and catch up with you and Spencer at some point. I'd love to train with you guys as well. Where abouts are you based?

Nick

[Tom Balchin]

Hi Nick!

Sorry no reply till now - I took my wife on a Valentines holiday! Yes, David is off to get hold of 3 of the barbells - Charles is holding on to them for him... you are so welcome to come and train at my home gym with us - I am in Lingfield, Surrey - a little way from you in Slough - but it has to be done at some point!

I have an Inch replica courtesy of our friend Mark Robinson for us to play with! fun fun fun! You'll crush us guys no doubt - I can't lift it more than 3 inches before it rolls out!

Also, one of my smaller bells is mismatched (shiny/non-shiny handles), so one time we need to do a swap to get the right ones matched up - they are pretty awesome aren't they mate?

Will send you some photos of the other Wag bells asap for the site..

All the best - stay strong.
Tom

[Mike BonDurant]

Happy to see Wag's wonderful bells have a good home! I know Nick, David, and Tom will treasure them.

Mike BonDurant
Muscle Museum Forum

[Robert Forbes]

Hello, I'm glad i found this site of yours. I'm a big fan if Wag. Nice pictures you have of Wag's gym.

Would you be interested in exchanging website links?

I own strength-oldschool.com

[scott]

hi im scott bryant i have train at weg gym when i was in my 20 now 38 and and a personal trainer i still work out 4 days a week i chat to all time to weg im so sad here not here any more he siad to me that you sohld all way train legs he is a grate man and i love going down to see him and work out is the gym close now i hope it not i love that place it was home and i hate all the new gym i love old shool gym please get back to me

[Berni Levy]

I worked out at Wags for around twenty-five years. I remember Nick being on the door, and seeing his name of course on loads of the pieces of home-made equipment; some far better than the 'shop bought' slick machines you see in most gyms these days. When Wag became too ill to run the place I wrote to Arnie, askingthat he take it on, and keep it going as the place had run dwon for years. But he didn't even reply. what a shame its been sold off now. My years there were full of hard work and great friends. I miss Wag and those guys. We will -as athey - say never see his like, or that likes of that fantastic gym, again.
Berni

[Dominic Londesborough]

I met Wag a few months before he died.

He sat me down and gave me some advice on building my Fitness Buddy network in London, that I'll never forget:

"The key to life is not will-power, it's WANT POWER."

[danny gipson]

hi my name is danny i am 25 years old iv been into bodeybuilding for meny years. my dad traind at wag's for to year's about 20 years ago I was very lucky to met wag about 5 years ago. I fill very blessed it is a sad sad los

[rhys]

hi there. such sad pictures of the gym. i trained there when i about 16/17 years old. 23 to 24 years ago.wag was a great person he spent some time in the gym with myself putting me right when i was getting my movement wrong while trainning. if im correct the chap on the dest as you went in was called nick. always on his stall as you went in to take my £2.50.

[Ross]

Wow nice piece of history right there, a shame I didn't get a chance to train there before it closed. Great pics would've been nice if somebody could've stepped in and kept the place open.

[LOU]

i was the last person wag ever gave a medal to for benching 5 plates. Those that know me this is BIG LOUIE as WAg affectionately call me me

[David Joseph]

I first met Wag in 1982 (if I remember correctly), I had been training about a year and was only 14. It was on the way to see my first ever bodybuilding show, the SE Britain on Canvey Island.

I used to go to that show with my old trainer Tony March, who was a good friend of Wags'. We went back a few times after that on the way to the contest. It was a real joy to meet Wag, and seeing the gym where Arnie trained. It was a real treat in (I think) 1985 when Wag showed us round the new gym in the church. It hadn't yet opened, but a lot of the murals had already been done, and to see all those David machines lined up there was a real eye-opener.

Was very sorry to hear Wag had passed away. I have been out of the game for many years, and only found out last week. I always wanted to go back there and see that basement gym again, it was truely inspirational to me when I was a kid. I am glad to have met him!

[Body building tips]

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body building tips

[Joe James]

Hi is this gym still open ?
or available to tour its incredible.
the picures are awesome.

[Iraqi Dinar]

Beautiful gym pictures, I have not seen such a good gym in my whole life. I love to join the gym.