What I learned about GOING BIG at the ARNOLD

IN MARCH, I traveled to the Arnold Sports Festival, a four-day event named after Schwarzenegger himself. The festival drew 16,000 athletes, as well as 105,000 fans, to Columbus, Ohio.

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I saw outlandishly strong people trying to lift outlandishly heavy things. It's intense: Muscles rip, blood vessels burst, urine squirts out. I talked to the top competitors—the strongest men and women on the planet-for the Fit Tribes story on page 44. And I connected with Arnie, who told me what he finds most inspiring: "It's thousands of people pumping each other up and pushing beyond what they think are their limits."

That's what fascinated me most-pushing beyond your limits. Some people seemed to be able to mentally activate more muscle. They were even stronger than they believed. It makes you curious about your own strength and if you're reaching your full potential. During one event, 100 members of Arnold's Pump Club (APC), his virtual training group, lined up to attempt deadlift personal records, under the watchful eyes of several trainers.