17 days till I am at the Arnold

[Toniann]

I can't wait. It will be my first time there. Yipee

[sassy69]

Hopefully it will be warm enough you don't need to drag a jacket around the expo with you. Esp on Saturday its a complete madhouse & the temp goes up w/ all those people in there. Might also suggest a big purse or something to carry whatever samples & stuff you pick up. There's SOO MUCH of it.

And mostly, don't eat too many of the protein bar samples. You'll be backed up and feel sick for 3 days if you get carried away.

Food-wise -around the venue, it seemed like there weren't that many restaurants for lunch, but there's a great co-op a block or two away. Great sandwiches & no waiting.

[SallyAnne]

Hopefully it will be warm enough you don't need to drag a jacket around the expo with you. Esp on Saturday its a complete madhouse & the temp goes up w/ all those people in there. Might also suggest a big purse or something to carry whatever samples & stuff you pick up. There's SOO MUCH of it.

And mostly, don't eat too many of the protein bar samples. You'll be backed up and feel sick for 3 days if you get carried away.

Food-wise -around the venue, it seemed like there weren't that many restaurants for lunch, but there's a great co-op a block or two away. Great sandwiches & no waiting.

I am packing my mammoth purse. You could fit 2 A class figure competitors in it if you tried.

[RealLilSwole]

I haven't missed the Arnold in 6 years. In my opinion, I wouldn't even waste time going to the expo on Saturday if you expect to have a good time. It is so crowded you can't get thru the lines. You can't make it to the tables to see what is going on. You are shoulder to shoulder with people just not moving. I would suggust going on Friday and Sunday. Most of the female pro bb will be competing on Friday. Saturday all the men are competing. MOst of them are there on Sunday.

For myself, I will never, and I do say NEVER go back on a Saturday. People are rude and they STINK!! HAHA! They eat all them protein bars and protein drinks and then just let out all the combustable gas!

THey used to give out mammoth load of stuff too. Protein samples in packages and full protein bars. Now alll they give you is a little medicine cup of protein powder and maybe a little piece of a bar.

I wouldn't reccomend eating ANY of the bars. I know last year alot of poeple got stomach bugs after the Arnold and a lot of them reported eating all these bars. Just think about all the poeple going to the bathroom and not washing their hands and then they come out and grab one of those bars off the tables. Not only are they probably touching the one you are going to put in your mouth but who is to say what is falling off their skin as they reach and grab one of those things. I never realized how much skin and just CRAP falls off a persons skin til I had to watch of video of it when I started my new job in the OR. Its quite disgusting.

Also the afterparty last year was at a place called Boma(spelling). It was just terrible.

Not raining on your parade. I just want you to have a GREAT time! Its the Arnold after all!!!!!!!!

[GirlyMuscle]

I agree with not going on Saturday. Been there twice and Saturday sucks. If you see something on Friday that you want to buy, buy it. Chances are it will be gone by Sunday.

[debbiebramwell]

I haven't missed the Arnold in 6 years. In my opinion, I wouldn't even waste time going to the expo on Saturday if you expect to have a good time. It is so crowded you can't get thru the lines. You can't make it to the tables to see what is going on. You are shoulder to shoulder with people just not moving. I would suggust going on Friday and Sunday. Most of the female pro bb will be competing on Friday. Saturday all the men are competing. MOst of them are there on Sunday.

For myself, I will never, and I do say NEVER go back on a Saturday. People are rude and they STINK!! HAHA! They eat all them protein bars and protein drinks and then just let out all the combustable gas!

THey used to give out mammoth load of stuff too. Protein samples in packages and full protein bars. Now alll they give you is a little medicine cup of protein powder and maybe a little piece of a bar.

I wouldn't reccomend eating ANY of the bars. I know last year alot of poeple got stomach bugs after the Arnold and a lot of them reported eating all these bars. Just think about all the poeple going to the bathroom and not washing their hands and then they come out and grab one of those bars off the tables. Not only are they probably touching the one you are going to put in your mouth but who is to say what is falling off their skin as they reach and grab one of those things. I never realized how much skin and just CRAP falls off a persons skin til I had to watch of video of it when I started my new job in the OR. Its quite disgusting.

Also the afterparty last year was at a place called Boma(spelling). It was just terrible.

Not raining on your parade. I just want you to have a GREAT time! Its the Arnold after all!!!!!!!!

why was it terrible for you? I was at that after party and it was awesome. All my friends and I had a blast. There were so many people I knew there and thats what made it fun!

[MsGuns]

Saturday is the scariest day ever...some BIG guy guided me & my suit case thru the crowd for my phootshoot. I would have never made it to the exit if it wasnt for him.

[RealLilSwole]

why was it terrible for you? I was at that after party and it was awesome. All my friends and I had a blast. There were so many people I knew there and thats what made it fun!

We were downstairs for a while. They had a bunch of fat chicks hanging from ropes. It was just terrible. I guess it was their freakshow. I couldn't believe they would put people on exhibit like that in front of a bunch of people like us (people who compete, gym people, ego maniacs lol) cause most everyone was disgusted. I had some super drunk chick trying to take me home then she proceeded to almost puke on my shoes.

And I won't even get started on the music. Terrible. We went to the same place the year before for the afterparty and it was great! Music was good. I don't know what happened this year.

I just know no one in my group had a real great time. And I was with a bunch of really good friends. We had fun just being together but no of us really enjoyed the club.

Now the Olympia year before last was a different story. The year that Dexter won. We had a great time!!! And there was only a few of us that went out with Dexter. But that is a whole new story. ANyway.

[FitFox]

This will be my first Arnold! I'm new to posting on the board. Hello everyone. :)

[ANADROLicfreak]

it will be my first arnold classic to.excited

[flaccid_member]

Hopefully it will be warm enough you don't need to drag a jacket around the expo with you. Esp on Saturday its a complete madhouse & the temp goes up w/ all those people in there. Might also suggest a big purse or something to carry whatever samples & stuff you pick up. There's SOO MUCH of it.

And mostly, don't eat too many of the protein bar samples. You'll be backed up and feel sick for 3 days if you get carried away.

Food-wise -around the venue, it seemed like there weren't that many restaurants for lunch, but there's a great co-op a block or two away. Great sandwiches & no waiting.

If your hotel is close enough, tough it out and walk.

Otherwise, I suggest parking close and getting to the expo as early as possible to brave the Saturday mob scene. Plus, it helps if you're lugging around tons of samples and bags.

I suggest finding parking by 7AM @ the nearest parking lot. Seriously.

That and buy an advanced ticket from Ticketmaster for Saturday only. You won't regret it.

[stephaniewicked]

My first one too... soooo excited! These are some good tips. I'll be arriving on Friday morning, so sounds like we'll be hitting the expo that day and not trying to battle the Saturday crowd.

[flaccid_member]

My first one too... soooo excited! These are some good tips. I'll be arriving on Friday morning, so sounds like we'll be hitting the expo that day and not trying to battle the Saturday crowd.

Have a blast!

You'll be battling the Saturday crowd regardless. I suggest you get everything you need and want Friday (as stated by some of the "Arnold veterans, including myself) and enjoy the expo and sights Saturday.

I'm going strictly for the challenges on Saturday. That and the powerlifting, UFC, men's prejudging, strongman, Olympic lifting...:D

[sassy69]

Something to keep in mind - esp Sat morning the lines to get tickets to the Expo are NUTS. I think you can buy them the day before (?) but you can also get them if you go up the escalators towards the host hotel (instead of thru the main doors to the convention center & straight into the expo). The traffic is much lighter that way. Its also sort of interesting to walk past the rooms on that end of the building / the host hotel - there are a huge number of youth sports going on - you can watch everything from fencing to cheerleading squads.

In the Expo area, there's also lots of martial arts stuff going on on either far side of the main expo area.

The place I've seen the funniest stuff is at the Army (or some branch of the military) that has a booth. They always have a pull-up bar so you can "challenge yourself like you're in bootcamp" and see how many pull-ups you can do. The day I happened to stop & watch this, there was this tiny little gymnast girl - couldn't have been more than maybe 6-7 yrs old, doing full body weight pullups all day long. I seriously think she outdid the military guys there.

Also around noon on Saturday, Arnold comes thru the Expo w/ his entourage & a regiment of bodyguards, walking thru from the front of the expo, to the stage area where they do the Arnold Amateur & other competitions. Watch for it if you can. Its insane when he comes thru. Don't get caught in the flood of people trying to get close to him.

[ARMYofONE]

Been there twice. ntohing too great. Friday and Sunday is the best. Went to both after parties. They blowed. But did hang out with my buddy Jerry Beck at the one two years ago, wishing I was going this year, but mainly to hang our with Jerry and the boys.

Make sure to stop by the IRON ASYLUM Booth and give Jerry Beck a big hug. lol