My 2006 Arnold Classic Bodybuilding and Fitness Expo Review and Experience

The 2006 Arnold Classic Bodybuilding and Fitness Expo
This past weekend I attended the 2006 Arnold Classic Bodybuilding and Fitness Expo. If you are into bodybuilding, fitness or any sort of sport or athletic endeavor, then this is an expo that you need to attend at least once in your lifetime. The Arnold Classic is mainly known for its bodybuilding and fitness contests. However this event is better described as a fitness weekend that holds competitions on Archery, Armwrestling, Bench Press, Boxing, Cheer/Dance, DanceSport, Fencing, Figure Skating, Gracies, Gymnastics, Hockey, Skills Judo, Karate, Powerlifting, Speed Skating, Strongman Strength Summit, Table Tennis, Tae Kwon Do, Volleyball, Weightlifting, Wrestling, WuShu and even a 5k run. For three days, all of these competitions are going on in addition to a huge expo composed of hundreds of booths (a bit over 800) where you will get to see the latest advances in sports nutrition and fitness equipment. There is enough free protein going around in the form of bars and drinks to be able to consume around 300 grams of protein easily while you are there. You also get to meet all of the fitness and bodybuilding celebrities that you see on the magazines. I, for instance got to talk to my friend and new IFBB Female Pro Carla Salotti, my good friend and fellow super shredded bodybuilder and fitness author Joe Pavlik who is now VP of Sales and Marketing for Vyotech, and all of my good friends from Prolab Nutrition. I also met for the first time Gunter Schlierkamp, which is a top 5 finalist at the Mr. Olympia contest (and a great guy) as well as NFL’s Sean Leandetta. I got to meet as well one of my idols, fellow natural bodybuilder Tricky Jackson, who just turned pro last November at the Nationals. As if that would not be enough, Ron “Alcatraz” Coleman, natural Mr. Universe and another athlete that I really look up to came and interviewed me! He was getting some footage to be posted on his site www.getfitwithron.com. Also, Debbie Baigre came by to say hello, owner of Natural Muscle Magazine, and took a picture of me. Also I saw Pete Fancher, NPC Florida Central District Chairman and co-owner with Tim Gardner of the top bodybuilding contest news magazine of the south; Southern Muscle Plus. And since there are so many people there, I even bumped into a journalist from The Columbus Dispatch newspaper who took a picture of me and next thing you know my picture appeared on page A8 of the Sunday newspaper (March 5, 2006)! While I do not agree with the premise of the article, which stated that supplements are mostly hype (I do agree however that many supplements are way too hyped up), it was cool to see my picture on the newspaper nontheless.

While I was working the booth and meeting with all my fans and many of my avid readers, my ten year old son Chad met Triple H (WWE Superstar) and Frank Zane (former Mr. Olympia), talked again to Ronnie Coleman (current Mr.Olympia), took pictures with more fitness models than I can count, and of course, even met the one and only Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger who was so awesome that he took a picture with him out of free will as soon as he came to visit the booth.