Critical Bench: What did you think of the 2026 Arnold?
Ben Tatar: The event was a huge success. Held from March 5–8 in Columbus, Ohio at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, it drew over 150,000 attendees and racked up over 2.7 billion social media impressions, with numbers still climbing. Mitchell Hooper continued his strongman dynasty, and Andrew Jacked won the Men’s Open bodybuilding contest. He also won the Ed Corney Best Poser award! The Expo was huge and ran until 7 PM each evening. I had a blast from start to finish.
CB: How would you compare the ‘06, ‘16 and 2026 Arnold?
BT: The culture and the world itself have changed a lot.
2006 — Back in 2006, there were more big celebrity names, like John Cena. You had some of the biggest weight-lifting freaks the world has ever seen, and many of the models graced the pages of various magazines, from fitness to adult publications. We didn’t have live feeds; you simply had to be there. People saw the event as a potential gateway to websites like Critical Bench, magazines, and even a path to becoming a Hollywood star.
2016 — The event was well-established, with lots of big parties surrounding it. We had the “Phil Heath MakeItFit” party for autism with Phil Heath himself. Jason Dwire (who also attended this year’s Arnold) put on some of the most popular parties people still rave about. There was also the annual “Party With the Pros,” where the best of the best from each generation hung out under one roof.
The 2016 Arnold Expo had tons of models, freaks, and celebrities. In some ways, it felt bigger than the Olympics because it had more events and boasted an attendance of around 210,000.
2026 — Around 2020, during the COVID pandemic, some temporary pessimism crept into the fitness culture. Companies could market products online year-round, and the industry simply had to rebuild itself. Since some parts of the fitness world had aged out, there were skeptics about whether it could bounce back… and it sure did.
During COVID, a new wave of social media influencers created videos, and people tuned in. Fitness influencers became the new big thing, bringing in well over 100,000 new fans to the Arnold to meet them in person. The new fans now post their own stories, hoping to go viral. The YoungLA booth had a line of thousands, and some fans would even have influencers speak into their phones, hoping the video might take off. It’s a perfect illustration of how the very definition of networking has changed.
In the past, the experience was built around in-person networking such as tons of attendees gathering at the Hyatt, building connections, and going out at night.
Today, that energy has shifted to social media, with people glued to their phones: scrolling feeds, tracking likes, posting content, chasing viral visibility, and even pausing to reset between posts. It’s a dynamic that simply didn’t exist decades ago, and it has fundamentally changed how people interact.
Most of the attendees are different every decade. While the hardcore base is timeless, the face of the crowd changes dramatically every era.
New models now work the booths, many with accolades like “college cheerleader” or “beauty pageant winner.” The industry is booming, and people of all ages and cultures are enjoying it.
It’s even become a generational event. Now you’ll see former champions showing up with their kids, who are in their 20s which is something we saw far less of twenty years ago.
CB: Tell us a crazy experience at the 2026 Arnold.
BT: I’ve been seeing Jon Jones at these events since his first one in 2010. This year, I got in line to see him at the YoungLA booth and the line was complete chaos.
For instance, there was a smelly 6’5″, 340 lb. guy, and then there were toddlers from another family standing nearby. The toddlers were crying because they were uncomfortable.
Meanwhile, the younger generation wasn’t forming a straight line; many of them turned around and acted like their new line was the front, screwing over people who had already waited nearly two hours.
Security then rushed in and started shouting to the people at the front, “Go somewhere else, we are closing this line down! Get out of here.”
Some refused. Security said, “Leave now, or we are calling the fire department.”
This caused confrontations between those who had waited and those who had just shown up. One 23 year-old mom, who had waited with her crying toddlers, told security she had been there for hours and deserved to get in. The police told her she couldn’t. She broke down in tears. I think she had the loudest cry I had ever seen.
Eventually, the line restarted, and I got a picture with “Bones” Jones. I have to admit, that was by far the craziest line I have ever seen. I also heard that the lines for Miracle Bear and the Tren Twins were also shut down by the fire marshal for being over capacity. Maybe next year they’ll manage the lines better and move some of the celebrities to the Arnold Pop Culture section if needed.
CB: What were the strengths and weaknesses of the event?
BT: Well, the event was so popular that on Sunday, people couldn’t network like they used to. Next year, the Arnold will become a four-day event for industry professionals and VIPs so people can network with fewer crowds.
The event also ends at 7pm now instead of 5pm, as it did in past years. This allows more people to attend or stay longer if they can’t be there all day. It also gives people something to do later in the evening, and I love those last few hours because they aren’t as busy as the 1pm window. The event just keeps growing.
One obvious change I noticed is that there were hardly any freaks. The two big freaks people know are “Big Frank” and “Brent Swanson” who are both over 40. We’re not seeing as many new freaks coming up; people seem more focused on becoming influencers. Funny fact, another change is that in the past, almost all the models had implants. Today, very few of them do.
CB: Do you have advice for newcomers?
BT: If you have questions, don’t ask AI, ask people who have actually been there. For example, there’s a skywalk from the Sonesta Hotel to the convention center. I prefer using it because the weather becomes irrelevant, and I like the view. The skywalk leads right out of the Sonesta and is next to the Hyatt hotel entrance.
Also, the Drury Hotel, Sonesta, Hilton, Hyatt, and the convention center are all connected. If you haven’t been or haven’t talked to someone who has, you wouldn’t naturally guess this. AI doesn’t always know because the buildings aren’t literally attached, but in a functional sense, they operate like one giant complex. (I once even called a hotel and got the wrong information.)
If you’re young and want a packed college scene, go to Standard on Thursday night. If you want the professional after-party, the event still has its dinner, and Mark Henry was the DJ on Saturday night.
CB: Tell us a hardcore moment, a funny moment, an inspiring moment, and something you’ll always remember.
BT: Hardcore moment? Watching the champions compete. For example, Mitchell Hooper won the strongman contest for the fourth straight year. For me personally, I set a record for holding two weights totaling well over 420 pounds for the longest time. I went into a happy, enlightened bliss state and just held on. I also got to see everyone from the strongest woman on the planet to the man with the biggest bench press in the world, Jimmy Kolb.
Funny moment? It’s just entertaining seeing all the different extremes who are the best at what they do. Everyone is there from the world’s strongest athletes with dwarfism to NBA centers over seven feet tall! The breadth of entertainment is surreal.
Inspired me? Just seeing how strong the event is right now. Everyone was also incredibly nice. It didn’t matter if you were a top pro or a new fan, people were just approachable and happy to take pics or talk.
Something I’ll always remember? Just how well I did with everything. It showed me how much I’ve overcome some of my past struggles with autism.
CB: What has kept you going to the event for so long?
BT: It’s the energy. It’s seeing the industry rebuild itself, watching new fans get excited, and feeling that connection to something I’ve loved for decades. As long as I’m healthy enough to walk that floor, I’ll be there. Every year the event has something epic to offer, and the 2026 Arnold Sports Festival will go down as a great event. In closing, I will say, “I’ll be back!”
