An indoor gym had operated in Santa Monica, but it was shut down by the city in 1959 amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

[7][8] However, despite the spirited reception and Gold's money-saving measures, such as building his own exercise equipment, monthly membership fees proved insufficient to maintain the business.

[7] A veteran of the merchant marine, Gold wanted to go back to sea,[10] and in 1970, he sold the business to antique dealer Dave Saxe and jeweler Bud Danits for $50,000 (equivalent to $392,000 in 2023).

Having a background in the film industry, he injected new energy into the business by organizing bodybuilding competitions and shows to exhibit Gold's Gym athletes.

[7][8][9] The original Gold's Gym logo, a bald weightlifter holding a barbell, was designed in 1973 by professional wrestler Ric Drasin, who was Arnold Schwarzenegger's training partner for four years.

[7][8][9] Preparing and improving the gym as a film set, he also had certain windows painted over to control backlight and installed a lightening grid.

[13] In 1979 Gold's Gym was sold by Sprague to the trio Ed Connors, Pete Grymkowski (former Mr. World), and Tim Kimber.

[21] The growth of Gold's Gym continued expanding the business with modern wellness programs that grew to more than 3000 company partners.

[22] Notable users of Gold's Gym have included such celebrities as Jessica Alba, Jodie Foster, Morgan Freeman, Dwayne Johnson, Jim Morrison, Keanu Reeves, Hilary Swank, Big Show,[23] and Tiger Woods, and many others.

[24] The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic heavily affected the company, forcing it to file bankruptcy with its 61 company-owned gyms and over 700 franchises across six continents.

Rainer Schaller, the owner of the German fitness company RSG Group, won the auction of Gold's Gym for $100 million.

Previously, the RSG Group has been primarily active in Europe and expanded to a global company with the integration of Gold's Gym into its portfolio.

It includes numerous customization workout options led by Gold's Gym coaches and thousands of music mixes.

[32] Gold's Gym operates a national corporate wellness program that has over 3000 company partners including Home Depot, Bank of America, Whataburger, and Union Pacific.

A major marketing campaign for members is the annual Gold's Gym Challenge, which takes place in the USA.

The winners of the Gold's Gym Challenge have been featured in numerous publications, including PopSugar, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,[36] and Women's Health.

A marketing division founded in 2021 by the RSG Group is Gold's Gym Nutrition—a self-developed and distributed nutritional supplement line.

Since the 1980s, Gold’s Gym has sold specially designed clothes with its logo of a bald weightlifter holding a barbell, which has become an iconic symbol within the bodybuilding scene.

Today, the business branch "Gold's Gym Apparel" designs its own functional sportswear and accessories for both genders by recognizing the legendary symbolism.

In April 2024, Gold’s Gym Apparel was present for the first time at the world’s largest fitness and health trade fair FIBO in Cologne, Germany.

They cite advertised deals not being honored, billing irregularities, contract terms being fraudulently altered by sales staff after signing, and problems canceling accounts or relocating.