THE ARNOLD CLASSIC 2012

Columbus, Ohio--Never in my life, had I seen so much testosterone in one area! For those of you who don’t already know, the annual Arnold Sports Festival in Ohio, just passed this weekend…and I had the pleasure of attending.

The Arnold is typically known for two things. One is its muscular bodybuilders and lean fitness models that compete for one title. The other is THE EXPO, which are 700 booths promoting various trends in the industry.

There was everything from clothes, protein bars, workout equipments, free t-shirts, contests, and more. I’ve never witnessed anything else like The Expo in my life. Flex Lewis, the runner-up in the last Olympia was signing autographs at the Gaspari Nutrition booth, along with other legends from the industry.

One of the main attractions in Expo was “The Cage” which is where the pros and Universal-sponsored athletes lift and everyone can watch from around the caged off gym. They all wear “Animal” shirts, because the group of athletes is referred to as the Animal Pak. I had the honor of being inside of The Cage on Friday and Saturday with the Animal crew. 

Besides the various bodybuilding competitions and events, there was also fencing, dance, cheerleading, Zumba/Cross Fit classes, martial arts, marathons, and more! It was also crazy to see how excited the city of Columbus gets for this annual event…

It was not uncommon to pass a restaurant with a sign that read, “Arnold Fans Welcome: Special Protein-Lovers Meal.” The people of Columbus, the vibe at and around the events were truly indescribable. It was amazing to be a part of such a huge event and to see the dedication from fans of the fitness industry. I will certainly be attending again next year.

In the words of Arnold himself, “I’ll be back.”

-Sarah Kirk