The Road to the Arnold Strongman Classic Starts Here

March 4-5, 2027 | Columbus, Ohio | Arnold Sports Festival

Overview
The Arnold Strongman ProAm is one of the most prestigious heavyweight strongman competitions in the world, bringing together elite professional and amateur athletes for a chance to compete on one of the sport’s biggest stages.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. The men’s and women’s champions earn invitations to the Arnold Strongman Classic and Arnold Strongwoman Classic, joining the ranks of the world’s strongest athletes.

With a history of launching some of the biggest names in strongman, the Arnold ProAm has become a proving ground for the next generation of champions. Athletes from around the world will battle through a series of demanding events testing maximum strength, power, endurance, and athleticism.

Your chance to reach the top of the sport.

The ProAm features Men’s and Women’s Open (Heavyweight) divisions and is held separately from the Arnold Lightweight and Middleweight Strongman World Championships.

Register Now

Competition

The preliminaries will be held on Thursday, March 4th at the Celeste Center at the Ohio Expo Center.

Top 10 Men and Women compete in the finals on Friday, March 5th, also at the Celeste Center. Results from the preliminaries will be carried forward to the finals, recalculated with just the finalists’ results.

Athletes will be reordered based on overall standings after every event.

Early access to the Arnold Sports Expo and access to the events at the Ohio Expo Center are included with athlete registration and coach’s passes.

Free shuttle service will run between the Ohio Expo Center and the Greater Columbus Convention Center throughout the Arnold Sports Festival, and parking is available at the Ohio Expo Center.

Schedule

Thursday, March 4, 2027 – Prelims

Celeste Center at the Ohio Expo Center

8:00 AM – 10:00 AM Check-ins
11:00 AM Rules Meeting
12:00 PM – 5:00 PM Events

Friday, March 5, 2027 – Finals

Celeste Center at the Ohio Expo Center

4:00 PM Athlete Arrival
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM Finals
6:00 PM Awards

Qualification

The following athletes qualify for the Arnold Pro/Am:
  • Current Strongman Corporation Pro athletes
  • 1st place in a 2026 or 2027 Regional competition or Arnold Qualifier
  • 1st-3rd place plus 10% of remaining athletes (rounding up) at 2026 Amateur Nationals
  • Top 3 amateurs in the Pro/Am division at a 2026 or 2027 Pro/Am competition regardless of overall placement and number of athletes in a class
  • Finalists (i.e. athletes that make the final day of competition) from the prior year’s Arnold Pro/Am
  • 1st-3rd place in an Open class at any Official Strongman Games
For Canadian Athletes

Canadian Athletes qualify for the Arnold Pro/Am as follows:

  • Current Strongman Corporation Canada Pro athletes
  • 1st Place in Strongman Corporation Canada Provincial competition
  • 1st-3rd Place at Strongman Corporation Canada National Championship
For Other International Athletes

International Athletes automatically qualify for the Arnold Pro/Am as follows:               

  • 1st Place in a licensed Strongman Corporation Arnold-qualifier event outside the United States
  • 1st-3rd Place in an Open class at any Official Strongman Games

International athletes who don’t meet these criteria may apply to compete here (application closes February 1, 2027): Arnold Pro/Am International Athlete Application

Full qualification standards for all Strongman Corporation competitions and for U.S.-based athletes can be found here: Qualification Standards.

A list of qualified athletes through official qualifiers is here: Qualified Athletes

Qualification Standards
Qualified Athletes
Application for International Athletes

Events

Preliminaries

Log Clean and Press for Reps
Log clean and press with heavy and light options.

Fatback Farmers
Competitor will carry farmers implements for 40 ft, deadlift it for 3 reps, turn around and carry it 40 ft back, and deadlift for 3 more reps.

Sandstone to Shoulder
Competitor will shoulder sandstones of varying weights, with a point system so heavier sandstones are worth more points.

Yoke with increasing weight
Competitor will carry a yoke for 40 feet, then add weight to each side, carry it back 40 feet, add weight again, and repeat for 4 total lengths.

Ladder Lift
A fingal finger style lift of overweight ladders.

Event Weights and details will be released on 11/16/2026

Finals

Dumbbell Press

Escalating Level Deadlift

Final event details to be released soon!

Register
Roster
Buy Coach’s Pass
International Athlete Application

The Celeste Center

For 2027, the Arnold Strongman ProAm moves to the Celeste Center at the Ohio Expo Center, giving the competition a dedicated venue with plenty of room for athletes, spectators, and the massive equipment that makes strongman exciting.

The Celeste Center is located just minutes from downtown Columbus, with convenient on-site parking available for $12.

The Arnold Sports Festival also provides a FREE Arnold Express Shuttle connecting the Celeste Center / Ohio Expo Center and the Greater Columbus Convention Center, making it easy for athletes and spectators to travel between the Pro/Am and the main Arnold Expo without needing to drive or pay for additional parking.

Venue: Celeste Center at the Ohio Expo Center
Address: 717 E. 17th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43211

View Official Arnold Parking & Transportation Information

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The Legacy

The Arnold Pro/Am has a long history of identifying and developing some of the greatest athletes in strongman.|

Previously known as the heavyweight division of the Arnold Amateur Strongman World Championship, the competition has helped launch the careers of athletes including Hafþór Björnsson, Mateusz Kieliszkowski, Olexii Novikov, Bobby Thompson, Thomas Evans, and Mikhail Shivlyakov.

On the women’s side, athletes including Angelica Jardine, Inez Carrasquillo, Donna Moore, Andrea Thompson, Olga Liashchuk, Hannah Linzay, and Samantha Belliveau have competed at the Arnold Strongwoman Pro/Am on their journeys to the highest levels of professional strongwoman.

For many competitors, the Arnold Pro/Am represents more than another championship. It’s an opportunity to prove they belong among the world’s elite.

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The Arnold

The Arnold Sports Festival is one of the world’s premier multi-sport events, bringing together thousands of athletes and fans from around the globe.

The Arnold Sports Festival spans multiple locations in Columbus Ohio, including the Expo at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, several sports including Powerlifting, Cheerleading, and Martial Arts at the Ohio Expo Center, and Arnold at the Arch at McFerson Commons.

Fans can watch the Arnold Strongman Pro/Am with an Arnold Expo admission ticket. The Arnold Strongman and Strongwoman Classic are separate competitions requiring their own tickets.

There is shuttlebus service from the Greater Columbus Convention Center and the Ohio Expo Center (including the Celeste Center) throughout the expo.

Early entry to the Arnold Sports Festival Expo is included with athlete registration and coach’s passes.

Arnold Sports Festival Tickets

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