Being in a room with some of the most influential bodybuilders in the world is a surreal experience. But there I was walking inside one of the most well-respected fitness expos– The Arnold Classic. While this may not seem like a big deal to people who aren’t in the fitness realm or those who don’t regularly indulge in fitness and exercise, the Arnold Classic opened my eyes to why people have been coming back to the event decade after decade.

The seven-time Mr. Olympia (Arnold Schwarzenegger) met the Olympic committee chairman (Jim Lorimer) in 1975, and no one knew that a simple handshake would lead to one of the largest fitness expos and events in the USA. The esteemed actor and former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, met the late former mayor of Worthington, Ohio, Jim Lorimer in Columbus, Ohio at the World Weightlifting Championships. After promising to promote bodybuilding events with the politician once he retired, Schwarzenegger co-founded The Arnold Classic, which now attracts over 200,000 visitors and 20,000 athletes.

Once I got my wristband and walked through the doors into the convention, the room felt bigger than what I believed it was going to be. There were big fitness brand names like Gym Reaper, Celsius, and YoungLA (who was featured), and some names I hadn’t heard before like Gorilla Mind, Harambe System and GIGA. The one thing about the Classic is that most brands are known to hand out free stuff. While there may be a ten-minute line or a competition of who can do the most pull-ups, I walked out without needing to pay a single cent. The most notable were the cases of Celsius and Oxyshred being handed out for free– probably because they are expired.

The YoungLA brand was one of the featured brands at the expo. The brand brought bodybuilders and influencers who have worked with the brand to be featured as well. YoungLA is a widely known fitness clothing brand that works with bodybuilders to promote their clothing. They sell women’s and men’s workout clothes as well as accessories like workout belts, bags and socks.

The first thing I went to do was go to the YoungLA stage. For me, the main event was the bodybuilders and influencers who were the special guests of the expo. Since I didn’t have the photo op pass, which is a pass to meet and take a picture with the special guests at the expo, I waited near the pop-up shop to see if I could get a picture of Christian and Michael Gaiera also known as The Tren Twins. While waiting in the YoungLA area, there were rope climbing and weight-lifting challenges to win free merch. The rope climbing was stereotypical, climb to the top and ring the bell. I only witnessed one of the weightlifting challenges where people were waiting in extremely long lines to do different variations of chest exercises. I eventually got my pictures and moved on to see one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time, Ronnie Coleman.

Since Ronnie Coleman is in a wheelchair, it was a little difficult for his staff to help him get on the stage, but once he was able to sit down, he was like a ball of light. Coleman said his famous “Yeah Buddy” line to everyone waiting to meet him, and it was amazing. While the Tren Twins seemed unhappy to be at the expo for a third day, Coleman looked ecstatic to meet all of his fans. For someone so strong and tough, he seemed so genuinely happy to be at the event just like I was.

While there were a lot of special guests like Sam Sulek and Arnold Schwarzenegger, most guests were there with the brand YoungLA. People like Ronnie Coleman, the Tren Twins, Alex Eubank and Lex Little are all sponsored by YoungLA. Since I only went on Sunday, I wasn’t able to see a lot of guests brought by big-name brands or who had their own panels. However, there were many famous gym influencers and company owners who were popular body-builders, but I didn’t know them at the time. The lines to meet and take pictures with special guests wrapped around the entire building. I remember thinking to myself that if I even thought about taking a picture with the guests with YounglA, I would’ve had to be there as soon as the expo opened. Even though I got there at noon the expo was everything it lived up to be in my eyes.

As I started to walk out, two cases of energy drinks piled in my hands, I realized being at the Classic gave me a sense of belonging in a way. No one was outwardly judging who was too strong or too weak to be at the convention. Everyone was just enjoying themselves and everything the convention had to offer. Everyone was also decently well-mannered which helped me decide if I was going to come back or not. In a place where I felt like I might not have belonged, the longer I stayed I began to understand why this is such a widely upheld event. It’s not just about the free stuff and who I met, it’s about the community and who I have surrounded myself around. How open-minded, nice, and free-spirited everyone was. But one thing is for sure, the urge to go to the gym grew the longer I was inside, and as the amount of free samples, energy drinks and shakers began to pile up I knew this was a successful trip.