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Branch feels that more bodybuilders need to plan for their future...
Every year, events at the Arnold Sports Festival get bigger and better. There were quite a few different things, including arm wrestling and Olympic lifting that I checked out this year... Learn about these and more in my 2008 Arnold recap.
That's always the thought when you talk about the Arnold Experience. Every year, events at the Arnold Sports Festival get bigger and better. There were quite a few different things that I checked out this year that I hadn't done in the past, and it was well worth my time. Let's discuss some things.
Arm Wrestling:
Watched quite a few matches on Friday. I think the last time I watched arm wrestling was a few years ago on one of the sports networks. Live, the competitors worked the crowd up really well and there were a lot of interesting matches. And not knowing any of the favorites or personalities, it was interesting to see who the winners were, many not who you expected based on body image.
Olympic Lifting:
Watched some of this in the outer rooms at the expo center. I was impressed with a lot of the competitors. It's amazing the weight many of them moved. Again, this was pure athleticism and fun to watch as a break from the Expo.
The Expo:
Speaking of the Expo, this has expanded since the first time I visited. There seems to be more companies represented and many more people attending. This is both good and bad. It was great to stop and talk to many of the smaller companies, but almost impossible to get to the larger exhibitors. Two exhibitors that I didn't even attempt to visit were EAS and MuscleTech. Just too many people waiting in line and the human traffic around the area was too much for me.
Click To Enlarge. Girls At The Expo.
Other than this inconvenience, the Expo was a lot of fun and I was able to move about and see and talk to a lot of folks. Some of my favorite stops were:
Yes, he lost right-handed but won left-handed. Said he was pretty burnt out right-handed due to some guest posing earlier and having several arm wrestling matches prior to taking on the big guy. Here he is lefty, and winning.
Sumo vs. Bodybuilder: Arm Wrestling Battle!
Branch Warren:
I felt Branch was at his all-time best ever before the show. Training and diet was spot on.
On the personal side, his logistics business is going well and he feels that more bodybuilders need to plan for their future with a good financial base because you are always one injury away from ending your career.
Branch Warren's 2008 Arnold Classic Posing Routine.
Don Long:
Don is now focusing on being one of the ultimate trainers out there, a la Charles Glass. He's fit and healthy and doesn't have the need to get back into competition again. He also feels he won't have as many ego problems with mass loss as he gets older - he's been there before with kidney issue. And that whole experience has really toughened him mentally.
An Interview With Don Long.
In this interview Don chartered for me his career in bodybuilding and explained all of the events surrounding the condition that almost ended his life.
Ron could continue churning out articles for years. There are always changes going on in the industry and a new crowd to cater to. But it is hard to get anything done or talk to folks at the expo, just too crazy. It was good to be there after many years away.
Ron is a pretty nice guy and nothing like you would think based on his website. Found out there was a lot of camaraderie amongst the photographers and a lot of the private shoots are done with multiple photographers from different angle to minimize model time and expense. His days during the weekend were from 7 in the morning 'til 3 or 4 in the morning. No rest for the wicked was on his mind.
Enjoying the married life and fatherhood. It's always a challenge. He's glad to be under contract with BB.com for the next few years and couldn't think of a better organization to be associated with. Ever the businessman, Bob probably won't get back on stage because the payoff isn't there after prep costs. Bob has quite a few irons in the fire with other projects that I'm sure will come to fruition shortly.
I have to say, the kid is just huge. Said he was roughly 335 pounds now. The Powerlifting background gave him a great base and that he's looking at the Jr. National and National later this year. Hope he can cut it up in time.
Click To Enlarge. Trey Brewer.
BodySpace Members:
Got to talk about the BodySpace members from BB.com. Yes, this is a community and there were many of us from the forum/BodySpace that got together for a few libations and good times. The circle continues to expand as members from Missouri, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, South Carolina, Kentucky, New York and New Jersey were all represented just by the members I got to meet and talk to. I also got to meet some friends from across the border in Canada who now come down and visit. It just can't get any better than that.
Watched the Men's final on the Bodybuilding.com webcast when I got home Saturday night (had to work on Sunday). It was great seeing the event on the screen after seeing the pro's earlier that weekend. I thought the results were right, but the Blade's victory speech was off the mark.
If you live anywhere on the Eastern Seaboard, I recommend a trip to Columbus for the Arnold Sports Festival. I have always recommended it to those of us in the Over-35 forum, what's keeping you from coming to Columbus?
Arm Wrestling:
Click To Enlarge. 
