Why Do So Many Lifters Crush Their Personal Records at the Arnold Sports Festival?

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. 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 our Fit Tribes story on the entire Arnold Expo. 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. One of those coaches was Nicolai Myers, winner of the title of America’s Strongest Veteran in 2024. He told me 90 percent of people have no idea what their true limit is, in part because modern life is so comfortable. “You have to dig really deep physically, but even more mentally. When I go out on the contest floor, I’m in such an electric place that I’m on the verge of tears, not because I’m sad or upset or scared. 
It’s just I’ve tapped into every fiber of my being and I’m ready to put it all into that lift. There are many ways to get into that mindset and it’s different for everyone.”

Still, I was surprised when so many of the APC lifters hit PRs.

Ryan Tom, an investment manager in Indianapolis, could do reps at 240 pounds, but he lifted 400 pounds! “I was shocked,” he says. “The coaching and the crowd cheering made an impact. I got caught up in the moment and went for it.

Kevin Miller, 61, a Men’s Health MVP member from McFarland, Wisconsin, repped at 280 pounds and maxed out at 420. “It was eerily quiet when I started the lift, but people started yelling,” he says. “It was like all that energy was being channeled directly to every muscle in my body.”

Both guys fully committed to their lifts and had no regrets when the bar barely moved at higher weights. Jen Widerstrom, another coach, emphasized that if your form falters, “if you can’t maintain the choreography of the lift,” you should bail: “If in doubt, toss it out!”

Going for PRs is a key part of training, says Adam Bornstein, a co-creator of APC’s app, the Pump. “Doing a standard lift would be fun, but it wouldn’t bring the same energy, support, and connection. All of those things combined create positive memories that are associated with fitness. That makes a difference on those days you don’t want to exercise. You remember those great sessions, and it helps you go to the gym.”

Seeing regular guys straining and screaming as they gave everything stirred something in me. I usually rep in the 12 to 15 range for three to five sets, intentionally working with weights that I can control to reduce any risk of injury. Widerstrom notes that there are many different programs that can help you build strength, and a lot depends on your experience strength training, but generally speaking if you’re looking to peak in a specific lift you need to do two things. The biggest thing: You have to gradually lift heavier over time (a principle called progressive overload, which we break down in our Muscle-Building master class). That may mean starting an 8-week training cycle by doing 4 sets of 12-15 reps with a lighter weight, and finishing that cycle by doing 4 sets of 4-6 reps with a weight that’s extremely challenging. Adding in so-called “accessory” exercises, like core movements and mobility work, can also prime you to get better at specific lifts.

But inspired by what I saw at the Arnold, I want to know how strong I really am and what is my max bench press. I’m going to do eight weeks of MH’s Chest Fundamentals training program created by David Otey (who’s also been my trainer for several years!) and find out what I can really lift. Now, who’s with me?