The Arnold take place in a HUGE convention center covering I don’t know how many blocks in the city of Columbus Ohio. The event started out as mainly a bodybuilding deal, but it has expanded over the years to include Powerlifting, Olympic Lifting, and Strongman contests as well as Martial Arts, Fitness and other competitions.

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This year, they are also including their first ever Grip Contest on the main stage, called Mighty Mitts. I was lucky enough to get an invite and I am honored. I have been training hard and am geared up to get on the stage.

Now, here’s the deal. If you’re not prepared for the Arnold Classic weekend, you won’t maximize your experience, so here’s a few points to consider to get the most out of the Classic.

Take Water

It is extremely dry in the event center. They do sell water there, but it is like $8 a bottle, so pack your own and bring it with you.

Take Snacks

There’s very few places to eat outside the event center in the hallways, and it’s kind of expensive. There’s tons of free samples of hundreds of different supplements like shakes and bars and powders, but you can only handle so much of that stuff and some of it tastes like a pencil eraser during the SAT’s. So pack some good stuff to take in with you.

Bring Your Camera

There are lots of photo opportunities at the Arnold. There are Bodybuilders, MMA Fighters, Pro Powerlifters and Strongmen, Pro Wrestlers and dozens of Fitness chicks. They will often let you get a picture with them for free, but sometimes they do charge. Either way you’ll have photos that will last you a lifetime.

Wear Comfortable Cargo Pants

Get yourself a pair of loose fitting cargo pants with lots of pockets. This way you can easily carry your water, snacks and camera among other things. Make sure they are loose fitting and not a set of butt huggers. There are plenty of feats of strength to try in the event center, and you don’t want the seam in your ass to tear while trying to do them.

Bring a Back Pack

You may get the opportunity to get some free shirts and other swag while you’re at the Arnold. You’ll turn around and see some fitness model throwing them all over. Fight for the free shirt and stuff it into your pack. Aside from free stuff, you may want to buy shirts and stuff at the seemingly thousands of tables that are there, and the last thing you want to do is carry that stuff around in your hands all day. Now, if your back pack has the Care Bears on it, leave it at home. Some booths will hand out free plastic bags if you need them.

Try the Grip Gauntlet

Each year I have gone, the GNC booth holds the GNC Grip Gauntlet featuring IronMind Grippers, IronMind Rolling Thunder, and the Blob. If you lift the Blob, 207 on the Rolling Thunder, and close the #3 Gripper, you get a real nice gift certificate – I think it’s like $50 or $100! What’s a Blob? Check out this article = = > What is the Blob?

Bring a Towel

A lot of greasy sons-of-guns get their hands on the Blob over the course of the weekend. I mean THOUSANDS of people try this thing. The Blob is hard enough with the ultra-slick stove paint they put on it. It will just be harder if it is covered in hand sweat, so bring your towel to wipe it and the Rolling Thunder off before you make your attempt. A trip through the Gauntlet is worth just the opportunity to meet and shake hands with the Gillingham brothers.

Bring Some Cash, but Take a Deep Breath

You will have opportunities to buy a lot of cool stuff at the Arnold, so bring some cash or a credit card, but take it easy. Don’t just buy on impulse, because you could end up going off the deep end. If you are going with a friend, tell them to monitor your spending. Know what you want to look for, but set your limits.

Bring Your Diesel Shirt

When you walk through the event center, if you see me make sure to give me a holler, and wear your Diesel shirt so I can spot you easier.

Check out Mighty Mitts

Mighty Mitts will be taking place between events at the Arnold Strongman Competition on Friday Afternoon and Saturday evening. I will be competing with 10 of the top dudes in the world. Many, I have competed against in standard Grip competitions. Others, I have met before, but never competed against, and still others I have never met and never competed against. Some of these guys have tremendous Grips on them and have done awesome things Grip-related in the past, just never competed in standard contests before. With this event being all thick bar, it is going to be something to behold!

Wear Comfortable Shoes

You spend a lot of time on your feet at the Arnold and there is almost nowhere to sit down except on the floor, so make sure your shoes are comfortable or else your feet will be screaming by the end of the weekend.

Steal a Seat

It is a cut-throat process getting a chair in front of the stage. You basically have to swoop down immediately once someone stands up. This may mean if you are traveling in a group that you might get split up. The seat is worth it to give your feet a break, so steal your buddy’s seat if you have to.

Cell Phone on Vibrate

If you get split up from your crew, it’s very hard to meet back up, and it is so loud that it is almost impossible to hear a cell phone ring, so set the thing on vibrate and put it in your hip pocket so you will feel it.

Wallet in Hip Pocket

Not sure what the crime rates are at the Arnold Classic, but there are pick-pockets everywhere. it is slightly harder for someone to pick your pocket if you stick your pocket in your front hip pocket than your back pocket or leg pocket. Don’t stick it in a zipper pocket in your book bag. They are too easy to unzip by someone else while you walk and you will never know it. It’s a shame this tip even has to appear here, but it is a sad truth. Awareness is preparedness.

Alright, my friends, it’s just about time for me to hit the road and be on my way to Columbus, Ohio. If you have any more tips for the better of the order, then please leave a comment in the comment box below!

Thanks a ton and have a great weekend, especially if you are at the Arnold.

And if you see me and I don’t see you, yell, shout, hit me with a rock, poke my eye or something to get my attention. It’ll be nice to meet everybody.

Read about last year’s Arnold Classic = = > Arnold 2009

Arnold Classic Weekend Special on the Card Tearing eBook = = > 33% off on Card Tearing eBook Just $19.97!.

Similar Posts:

• Mighty Mitts and Thick Bar Training
• Arnold Classic Write-up Part I
• Blob Plus More Weight
• Double Blob Farmers Walk
• Video – Medley at Metroflex

I tried five or six attempts. The one in this video clips is my third. After this one, my distance dropped off.

For those of you who may not know, the Blob is one head of a York 100-lb dumbbell. Here are some other facts about the Blob.

* Richard Sorin named the Blob and was the first to attempt to lift it.
* Lifting the Blob is a test of pinch grip strength.
* It is a great feat of grip strength to lift one Blob to the full deadlift position.
* The Blob tapers outward from the top to the widest portion.

For more Blob lifting videos, check out my YouTube Channel.

All the best in your training,

-Jedd-

How to Build Muscle | Muscle Building Workouts | How to Lose Fat | Six Pack Abs | Build Muscle, Muscle Gaining Workouts | Build Muscle Membership Site
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In the past I have completed all three of the challenges twice, but those times were a lighter version where only the #2.5 Captains of Crush gripper had to be closed and only 187 pounds had to be lifted on the Rolling Thunder deadlift handle. Going in, I knew that the 207-lb Rolling Thunder would be the biggest challenge for me because IronMind recently put out a new version of the handle that is somewhat more free-spinning than the older version. To prepare for this challenge, I have been training on a super slick and smoothly rotating deadlift handle that we got from John Mannino years ago with ball bearings and slick steel.

I made two trips to the Gauntlet, but I first went at about 11 AM on Friday morning. After limbering my hands up a bit, I got in line to take my shot. When I got on the platform, the first thing I went for was the blob. Wade’s blob is painted with what he calls stove paint. This paint is very slick and when combined with the greasy oils on the hands of the people who try the blob, it gets even more difficult to lift. My first squeeze on it, it popped out of my hand after pulling it just an inch or two off the platform. I reapplied chalk on the mid area of my thumb and was able to pull it easily to lockout with my right hand, and then I transferred it to my left hand and set it back onto the platform. Next, I went for the #3 gripper. I set it to parallel, paused it and shut it as Brad looked on. The only thing left to do was attempt the Rolling Thunder.

I purposely left the Rolling Thunder for last because I wanted to give my hands ample time to warm up. My hands felt good by this time so I wiped the majority of the chalk off my hands. I have always preferred to lift the Rolling Thunder with very little chalk because I feel that I get a better grip on the surface of the RT this way. I am normally stronger on the RT and other thick bar events with my left hand, plus I had done the #3 right handed, so I attacked the RT with my left hand first. My early pulls on it ended up being my best and I broke it a couple inches off the platform, but I was unable to pull it any higher than that. Even on an old seasoned handle, 207 pounds is a good pull for me, so I knew that it was going to be tough with the new handle. I was happy to get it somewhat off the ground anyhow!

At that point, it was time to talk shop with Wade for a bit. I rarely get the chance to chat with Wade, so I made sure to get some time with him while I was on the platform. Wade is a great and strong guy, and I look forward to one day competing with him if he so desires. Wade made a post of his account of the weekend’s events at the Gauntlet on his website Jackals Gym. Check it out here.

After the gauntlet, it was time to get something to eat, so the hometown boys (Sean Dockery, Nick and Stew Rosendaul, and Chris Rice) took me to the North Market which featured foods from Poland, Mexico and many other countries of the world all inside one large building. Needless to say, we don’t have any places like that in Bradford County, PA.

After lunch, I got a call from Paul Knight saying he was about to arrive in town, so we made our way to Goodale Park for some grip feats. There I would try to go for a new world record in the Double Blob Farmer’s Carry…

There are plenty more events to cover from my trip to Columbus. To find out the rest of this story, you need to check back later in the week.

-Jedd-

How to Build Muscle | Muscle Building Workouts | How to Lose Fat | Six Pack Abs
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