press release: Panatta Srl
Arnold Schwarzenegger trains at the Arnold Expo at the Panatta Booth
Arnold doesn’t need advertising. He never has. His personality—and the status he has earned over decades—allow him the luxury of an extraordinary simplicity. Even the simplicity of training at a trade show booth. Yes, right in the middle of the crowd. In the heart of an expo.
Meeting Arnold at one of his events is the ultimate experience—the dream of every fan. Yet it always depends on two unpredictable variables: the right place and the right moment. These are never listed in the official program, because Arnold moves as his schedule allows—and as he chooses.
And still, in recent years, something has happened with surprising consistency: the Panatta booth has often become that “right place.” This was true again in 2024 at Arnold UK. On Friday, March 6, 2026, in Columbus, Arnold visited the main sponsors (Panatta is a Gold Sponsor this year), but before that he did something even simpler and more authentic: he completed his morning workout at the Panatta booth.
It is passion meeting business—naturally and intelligently. Nothing forced. Nothing staged.
This raises a question: if Arnold trains at the expo, where does the real celebration take place? On the expo floor, or on the competition stages of the Arnold Classic?
Arnold also takes selfies with athletes on stage. Because in him, two perspectives merge into one: the Arnold Sports Festival as a global business, and the Arnold Sports Festival as pure passion.
It is a simple lesson—but an incredibly powerful one.
It also answers a deeper question: how much do you live what you sell? And how much do you sell what you live? A meaningful reflection in an age where filters and reality often blur.
The icons of our sport—with Arnold at the very top—show how passion can create a business, and how genuine business can continue to fuel passion. In this sense, Arnold finds at the Panatta booth a shared space… almost a family atmosphere.
Just as Arnold began his journey in the gym, Rudi Panatta designs his machines starting from the sensations of the training body. Not from software. Not from spreadsheets. But from biomechanics experienced firsthand.
Arnold takes selfies in front of the stage—even as the organiser—because he stands, rightfully, within the framework he helped create. Panatta builds equipment because he knows exactly what an athlete should feel when moving a load.
It is the same language.
In 1970, Arnold competed at Mr. World. He won and promised Jim Lorimer—then mayor of Worthington, Columbus, Ohio—that he would promote bodybuilding after his competitive career. That moment came, and in 1989 the first Arnold Classic was launched by Schwarzenegger and Lorimer together.
Today, 38 years later, it has become the largest sports expo in the United States—and a stage for major competitions that confirm or anticipate Olympia results, supported this year by USD $750,000 in prize money.
Arnold still promotes what he lives—bodybuilding—and lives what he promotes. The parallel with Panatta’s philosophy and mission is unmistakable.
Lee Haney would say: “Like refines like.” And Arnold, with his legendary Austrian pragmatism, would likely say it even more directly. But at this Arnold Sports Festival, he expressed it through action: training back and chest—symbolically the back of legacy and the chest of heart—on Panatta equipment, including the new Panatta Fantastic line.
A workout without filters. A genuine moment. A message that resonates.
When passion is real, it doesn’t need explanation. You simply train.
And so, the question arises: Would you train at a trade show? Why yes—and why not?
If your answer is yes, you will have the opportunity at the upcoming expos where Panatta will be present:
- Arnold Sports Festival UK – Birmingham, March 27–29, 2026
- FIBO – Cologne, Germany, April 16–19, 2026
- Arnold Sports Festival South America – São Paulo, Brazil, April 24–26, 2026
- Rimini Wellness – Rimini, Italy, May 28–31, 2026
Discover all Panatta events here: https://www.panattasport.com/en/eventi/.
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We are also working in some other interesting markets, such as hotel chains, corporate fitness and home fitness.
– Paul Pearson, gym owner, One Gym Fitness Chain
– Rob Arnould, gym owner, Arnoulds Gym Wirral
