One of the biggest fitness franchises caters to more than just bodybuilders.

by Contributor

The Scene
The company logo is a muscle-bound gorilla deadlifting a heavily loaded barbell, but World Gym's focus goes beyond just weights to include a number of fitness options. Joe Gold's first Southern California muscle mecca--the second being the eponymous Gold's--has spawned hundreds of neighborhood gyms everywhere, from Mentor, Ohio, to Taichung, Taiwan. Design and amenities vary from franchise to franchise to reflect the owner and the community as much as, if not more than, the original location.

The Workout
All World Gym fitness centers are required to be at least 9,500 square feet. That means ample room for free weights, medicine balls, treadmills and sundry machines; classes in Spinning, yoga and the like fill out the group-oriented fare.