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View Full Version : Byrd's Eye View of the Cage 2011



Big Byrd
03-16-11, 5:21 pm
For the 4th straight year, I have been lucky enough to represent Animal in the Cage at the Arnold. This year I had mixed emotions about being the Cage. Obviously I was stoked to see all the usual suspects again, but I was also a little deflated that I would not be able to perform my annual squat exhibition due to a recent leg injury. Additionally, i felt an emptiness inside with the absence of Nick Winters this year. But the show must go on; and go it did. This year the Cage was so jam packed with seminars, exhibitions, and events that they couldnt fit it all on the schedule card! The Cage gets bigger and better every year; the exhibition lifts get heavier, the seminars get more involved, and the athletes get larger.

I was pleased to see Animal lending more support to powerlifting in both in the Cage and its marketing efforts. Animal is sponsoring more powerlifters and even powerlifting meets this year than ever before. What started as a bodybuilding niche, has been incorporating Powerlifting as part of the Cage for years. I love this about Animal; it promotes the ideology of what G-Diesel termed Powerbuilding; that is, to be as strong as you look, and look as strong as you are. They understand that training for size begets strength, and training for strength begets size. Why limit yourself to one or the other? Sure, the ultimate goal of powerlifting is to lift the most amount of weight at the smallest body weight possible; but who really wants to stay small? Get big to lift big; that is Powerbuilding; that is Animal.

shortstack
03-16-11, 5:40 pm
Nice write up Sam. I had alot of fun working out with you and Big Al on Sat night.

It did feel a little empty without you doing the squats but I'll be back next year and hopeful you'll be back into heavy squating form again.

See ya brother.

Jeremy

smoothballer
03-16-11, 9:20 pm
Awesome recap. It was great to meet you and shoot the shit over the weekend. Your seminar on squatting was awesome. As much as I love to see you squat heavy weights, I got so much out of your seminar. I agree it's awesome that Animal is getting deeper into powerlifting. Coming home from the Cage this year made me wanna get back on a powerlifting program.

Beach91
03-16-11, 9:35 pm
I totally agree, and love the term powerbuilding, i think it best suits Animal

I lift to bodybuild, but at the sametime, i love to lift and challenge myself to hit PRs on my squats, deads, bench, basically all major lifts

i want to work, sacrifice and train to not only be big, but strong, the best of all worlds and won't settle for one without the other--thats what I think Animal is about - Powerbuilding states that frame of mind perfectly and i love the direction Universal/Animal has taken with not only bodybuilding but powerlifting

Phil800101
03-17-11, 2:58 am
Great write-up my man! Straight and to the point, good stuff.

It was awesome seeing and getting to shoot the shit with you again. I did miss getting to see you lift some crazy weight your squat seminar was phenomenal. A ton of useful information. Like I told you just afterwards, no bullshit that was one of the best technical seminars I've ever been to at The Cage. I learned a lot and I've been incorporating it into my lifting as applicable.

And yes, as a big fan of powerlifting (and also having just fully crossed over to the "dark side" myself) I too am glad to see Animal more involved with powerlifting than ever before. I agree, I think Animal is really embracing and promoting the Powerbuilding ideology, which is really cool.