2010 Iron Man Blog

With 10 days left until the 2007 IronMan weekend festivities begin, those of you who will be making the trip to the Pasadena Civic Auditorium need to get together a plan of attack to maximize you experience. I have never been to the IronMan, but have been to several other IFBB/NPC shows including the past 3 Olympias and 2 SF Pro’s. From my past experiences, this is what I have learned…

For the Official weekend schedule, check out: Schedule of Events

The FitExpo
   This is one of the biggest and best fitness expo’s in the world. It is compared next to the great expo’s such as the Olympia and the Arnold. You will definitely get your money’s worth ($13 daily or $25 for 3 days) if you attend any of the days. Never been to a fitness expo before? Then follow these rules and you should have a good time. You will most likely be feeling overwhelmed when first entering. There are tons of booths, people, models, and athletes. If you don’t have an action plan, you might lose your mind.

   What I like to do is hit up ever aspect of the expo, from every booth to every attraction. First, make sure you take a look at the schedule posted above. You should plan your expo cruising time around the events you want to attend. Most of these events take place in the expo hall, which make it easier for the attendants. Once you start your cruisin’ of the expo, try to start at one far end and work your way up and down each aisle until you have hit every booth in the place. If this takes you all day, or even 2 days, it’s worth it to take your time. These companies are here for your benefit, so use them for everything you can get!

Almost every booth will have free samples of their products, supplement experts taking science behind the product, and athletes who represent them. I like to use all of these to maximize my knowledge and database. Be nice to these people and they will be nice in return with giving you everything from more detailed information about their products to great deals on full size containers. This is true for most of the small companies trying to get their name out, but also true for the bigger companies as well. Remember, they want you as their customer, so they want you to leave their booth happy!

   After making my your to the finish of the expo, it is a good time to sit down, relax, and go through your stuff. By doing this, you will have a chance to reflect on all the booths you have seen that day. It is a good idea to go back to booths you either have more interest in, or maybe was too busy last time you stopped by. Heck, there might even be a different athlete there next time you go back. The second round of cruisin’ is solely for the booth’s that you see as “hot spots” and worthy of a second trip. Don’t be shy, they will give you more samples if you go back. They don’t want to take the stuff back to their company, so they give everything away. This is more true in the later parts of the expo (the last few hours).

The Competition

   The actual competition is truly a great experience for any bodybuilding/fitness fan. If you have been to one before, or this is your first, take it all in. Make sure you buy your tickets early, so you get a good seat. There is nothing worse than buying tickets late (or buying the cheap seats) and trying to watch the show from the boondocks. You need to be close enough to see the same details as the judges see. At this point you can clearly have a good experience at the show. If you are concerned with the distance of your seats from the stage, take you binoculars! There is no shame in doing this, and with the stage lighting, you should have no problems seeing the muscle detail on stage.

   The competition is broken down into 2 parts: the pre-judging and the finals. The pre-judging for the Men’s show starts at 10AM on Saturday and the finals start at 7PM. If you can only attend one, or on a budget, make sure you go to the finals. This is most entertaining show of the weekend and you get to see the winner crowned. There is crowd interaction, an announcer, and the pose down! What more can you ask for!?! Are you a hardcore fan? Then make sure you go to the pre-judging. Although it is not as entertaining to the casual fan, it is exciting to see each competitor step out for the first time and hot all the mandatory poses.