L.A. Fitness Expo

Guilt can be a powerful motivator. A few weeks ago Chrysa and I were doing our usual thing; eating out, wine tasting, and enjoying everything the area had to offer. We had spent a lovely night out at Scratch Kitchen indulging in their fine culinary offerings. We doubled down and participated in wine tastings galore and more eating in Los Olivos. A paradigm shift was in order. As a budding fitness professional I was feeling very guilty. That’s why we jumped on the chance to drive to L.A. to explore the Los Angeles Fitness Expo.

We didn’t really know what to expect when we left the house in Lompoc and undertook the journey to Southern California. What would we see at the expo? Would it be; meatheads, cardio freaks, gymnasts or YouTube stars? Would we feel welcomed or ostracized? Happily, we felt very welcome and got to witness every category of fitness nut you can think of.

We arrived in L.A. and easily found the parking garage adjacent to the convention center. This was the first hurdle, and probably the thing that Chrysa was most worried about. Living in South Dakota sealed the deal, my wife is officially afraid of all metropolitan areas. We entered the convention center and immediately had to pause and take it all in. The place was PACKED with every body type you could think of. Some dudes were so big that they practically classified as a convention center themselves. Other guys were so lean and ripped their body fat percentages must have been in the negatives. Let’s not forget the ladies. Think of real life Wonder Women! The first glance was overwhelming. If you think you are in shape, think again, you ain’t!

Once the initial premise of the place sinks in, you realize that this is a pretty normal convention after all. The standard mechanisms were in place. Sell your product by illustrating a result. For example, if you want to sell your nutrition bar, have a table with a buff shirtless dude next to it. Want to sell your shaker cup? Have a table with the cups and a buff shirtless dude next to it. How about resistance bands? They have those too! In fact we bought some. They were demo’d by a buff dude and a lycra clad lady assisting with the potential clients.  In fact the commercial spirit was unstoppable.  Once you bought your power bar or blender cup it was perfectly acceptable, even expected, to whip off your shirt and take a picture with the shirtless male model adjacent to the display.  Chrysa and I were certainly in the retail spirit, but we abstained from the shirtless part of the transaction.

The expo wasn’t all salesmanship. Several fitness based organizations had full blown, nationally recognized competitions going on. While at the expo we got to see the slackline, powerlifting, callisthenic, kickboxing, arm wrestling, and jiu-jitsu competitions. It was really cool to see almost every branch of fitness represented. Chrysa and I were a little disappointed that running wasn’t. Cross training and strength training are really important to runners. A rounded routine is key to improve power and prevent injury. Hopefully there is a better showing in the future.

I must confess that the main reason Chrysa and I went to the expo was to fitness celebrity stalk the American Ninja Warriors. When we researched the expo we discovered they would be there. I’m only a little ashamed to say that we hung around the ANW display until our favorites came out. Brent Steffensen and Kacy Catanzaro are heroes of ours. It was really awesome to see them in person, and try an obstacle they have attempted. Maybe someday we will be ready for ANW. Our trip to the expo certainly made me want it more than ever.

After seeing our share of bros posing shirtless with each other, man bun hairdo’s, and chicks doing pull up competitions, it was time to head out. We took a short stroll into downtown and caught a little of the Caribbean music fest. We also got a bite to eat and reflected on the day. Both Chrysa and I were a little concerned that we would fit in at the expo. It turns out that all body types were welcome and no one judged. Everyone there had a physical superior, and everyone had a goal to attain. That really struck home with me. The expo put the spark in me to study for my personal trainer exam even harder. The thing that I learned from the expo is that everyone is trying to be top dog in their chosen discipline. It’s the journey that’s the fun part.

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