Arnold Classic: from bodybuilding and strongman contests to archery and martial arts, the 2005 Arnold Fitness Weekend in Columbus, Ohio, will be an event to remember

Muscle & Fitness, Jan, 2005 by Joe Wuebben

Gov. Schwarzenegger is a busy man, but he wouldn't miss this ... and you shouldn't, either. The 2005 Arnold Fitness Weekend will be bigger than ever, with more than 12,000 athletes competing in 20 different events. Pencil it in on your calendar: March 4-6 in Columbus, Ohio. On second thought, put it in marker. We could start just about anywhere--powerlifting, fencing gymnastics--but the one competition that bears Arnold's name seems a good place. At press time, the men's lineup for bodybuilding had yet to be chosen, but we know it will run about 12-15 competitors deep and include some of the biggest names in the sport. You can assume three-time reigning champion Jay Cutler will be there and will again be the favorite. Several other predictable contenders have a legitimate shot at winning, too: Chris Cormier, Dexter Jackson, Gunter Schlierkamp and Markus Ruhl are four you can expect to be on hand. Chris and Dexter both felt slighted last year over not finishing in the top spot, and both will be hungry in '05.

Who rounds out the field will likely depend on placings at the shows leading up to the Arnold. Darrem Charles, Dennis James, Lee Priest, Craig Titus and King Kamali are just a few of those whom Arnold officials will likely consider. Is this the year that Jay's streak of victories comes to a halt? The aforementioned athletes hope so, but the champ has shown no signs of discontinuing his three-year run of dominance. Oh, and by the way, they'll be fighting it out for a first-place prize of $100,000, a Hummer and a Peugeot wristwatch that runs about $25,000.

On the women's side, expect 2004's defending champs to be back in peak form. Kelly Ryan and Ohio native Jen Hendershott, always a crowd favorite at the Arnold, will challenge Adela Garcia-Friedmansky for her Fitness International crown. As always, Figure winner Jenny Lynn has to contend with Monica Brant and Davana Medina. Ms. International Iris Kyle will attempt to defend against the likes of Yaxeni Oriquen, Dayana Cadeau and Betty Pariso in women's bodybuilding.

THE ARNOLD MEETS THE OLYMPICS

Yet the three event-filled days will be about much more than the four IFBB contests. Jim Lorimer, Arnold's business partner in the Classic, says one of his goals this year was to use the Olympics in Athens as a springboard for the 2005 Fitness Weekend. For example, the Gymnastics Challenge will feature men's all-around gold-medalist Paul Hamm, his twin brother Morgan and Team USA's most experienced veteran, Blaine Wilson, among 3,500 other gymnasts.

The 12 disciplines of martial arts will be led by Steven Lopez in tae kwon do, a two-time Olympic gold-medalist in Sydney and Athens. He'll be joined by silver-medalist Nia Abdallah and bronze-medalist James Pedro. Interestingly, bodybuilding great and former Arnold Classic champ Flex Wheeler has moved over to compete in martial arts, and his tae kwon do team will participate in the event.

Archery, another Olympic sport, has been added to the schedule and will have a strong bodybuilding crossover as well. Bodybuilding legend Frank Zane is an accomplished archer, and Gov. Schwarzenegger has agreed to shoot alongside him in an exhibition. The other Olympic events to be represented during the weekend include fencing, table tennis, weightlifting and a 5K run.

One of the most popular attractions will once again be the Arnold Strong-man Competition, where the mightiest men from around the world will compete for $65,000 in cash and prizes. Speaking of strength, last year's power-lifting event saw four men exceed 800 pounds in the bench press, with one competitor breaking 900. This year, powerlifting officials expect to see the first 1,000-pound bench in history. And who knows how much they'll squat?

Two more new events are targeted at the fitness-minded crowd: DanceSport and yoga. DanceSport, as the name suggests, requires a combination of dancing and athletic prowess; a dozen couples share the floor and one is judged the winner. Think of it as couples ice-skating, but minus the ice.

Competitive yoga? Yep. Apparently, some people perform the positions better than others. Now they'll be rewarded for it, as if spiritual well-being and mental clarity weren't enough.

It's a wonder how event planners fit this all into one weekend, especially if you consider that the Olympics lasted two weeks and featured more than a thousand fewer athletes.

Not to worry: Apparently, Columbus is a little more prepared than Athens. If you haven't been to the Arnold Classic and the weekend's other events, you're missing more than just the world's greatest bodybuilders. Strength, power, grace and athleticism--it'll all be on hand in Ohio.

RELATED ARTICLE: 2005 MARCH 4-6, COLUMBUS, OHIO

FRIDAY, MARCH 4

8:00 a.m.

Arnold Martial Arts Festival (Hall C)*

Arnold Powerlifting Championships*

(Grand Ballroom)

Arnold Olympic Weightlifting

Championships (Hall C)*

Arnold Gymnastics Challenge*

(Halls E & F)

11:00 a.m.

Arm Wrestling Preliminaries

11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Arnold Fitness EXPO*

Columbus Convention Center, Exhibit Hall D