What memories will be burned into our minds this year? Which feat of strength, pearl of wisdom, or chance encounter will change the way we think and hold us over until next year?
What memories will be burned into our minds this year? Which feat of strength, pearl of wisdom, or chance encounter will change the way we think and hold us over until next year?
Im sure as like the years in the past, this year will bring a ton more memorable experiences...looking forward to em.
Lets get some more stories on here...even if you dont want to enter the promo, lets hear some good ones.
"This place, this darkness... There’s no better place to be." – Wrath
Currently training for the INBA Southeastern USA, March 22nd.
"Its a leg day. and if I gotta die tonight, if I gotta die tonight. If this weight is gunna kill me tonight, then so be it. If I meet the end of the world tonight, then I'm in the place I wanna be. Right here in the gym." -Kai Greene
No entry here but boy do we have a lot of stories for all of our Cage experiences! By far, last year was our favorite time in the Cage and I don't know how it can be outdone, but I'm sure the Animals and the Animal fans will be able to do so this year.
Sad to say, but Bobby (Powerswitch) and I will have to be there in spirit this year. We want to go so badly, however, I have not completed my kidney treatments and Bobby still has a lot of training and recovery to do with his shoulder. After benching 800 for a double last year, he doesn't want to do anything less and feels he would be letting the fans down with just what he's able to do now. It has been a long road since his surgery, but he has managed to make the orthopods eat their words and continues to make great strides each workout. With the time under the radar, we hope to come back next year with greater achievements and Bobby looks forward to bringing back more than just a great bench - he's also focusing on his squat and pull. So watch out when we get all the pieces of the puzzle back together!!!
We will be thinking of you all and know you will rock the house this year!!! We hope everyone has a great time and come home with more great Animal memories!!
Awww... Hate to hear that you guys aren't going to make it, but I sure do understand... We had such a great time at dinner last year, was hoping to get tot "catch up" a bit... You two take care and get yourselves well!!!
Fraternal Order of the Animal-Demon
The Crew™
Saraigh
Ohio Valley ABC
Chapter Coordinator
"WE HAVE SENT THE MESSAGE LOUD AND CLEAR. WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS, THE HUNGRY ONES. THIS IS OUR JUNGLE AND WE ARE THE ANIMALS. THIS IS WHERE THE STRONG GET STRONGER AND THE WEAK GET EATEN. THIS IS WHERE MUSCLE AND THE MIND BECOME ONE, FUSION OF THE FUTURE. ONCE YOU ENTER THERE IS NO RETURN. YOU SURVIVE OR DIE. THIS IS OUR PARADISE. BECOME ONE OF US." ~RICK BAYARDI
My first experience to the Arnold Classic was pretty overwhelming. There is so much to see and so many different venders. As I was walking around taking it all in, I saw from afar this chain linked area in the middle of the Expo. It looked like something you would find in a boiler room. Just racks, benches, dumbbells, a few black “A” banners on the cage walls, and chalk everywhere. As I approached the energy around the place was electric as I realized that the Animal and the Cage was nothing like all the other venders there. There were no hot women in tight bikinis, no free samples being handed out, no free t-shirts being tossed into the crowd, no stars charging fans for autographs, no bullshit. As I finally made my way to it, I could see these massive human beings throwing around heavy-ass weights. And then it clicked. This is the fucking Arnold Classic, one of the biggest bodybuilding events in the country. Why aren’t all the vendors actually lifting? Even the main stage didn’t have people doing any lifting, there were two guys playing table tennis. It was like a breath of fresh air in a large stuffy room with a million meatheads in it. And then I heard Vinny jump on the mic and start pumping up the crowd as the Animal of a human being demonstrated Sumo Squats. The place went nuts. I started getting chills down my spine. Even huge stars like Triple H from the WWE looked over from his company’s booth. I have never seen anything like it. I spent quite awhile watching the Animals demonstrate lifting, doing competitions against each other, and pumping up people attending the expo as they were brought one by one into the Cage to show their stuff. It was like a family of people, both the Animal Crew and the fans. I learned more valuable things about lifting, the mental attitude needed, and the inspiration to push myself to new limits in that short time than I did in the few years of going to the local gym and lifting on my own.
As I got home and took everything in, I spent some time analyzing myself and what I wanted to get out of lifting. The thing that kept popping back into my mind was THE CAGE. I try to take this atmosphere mentally with me every time I head to the gym.
I cannot wait to head back to the Arnold this year. I have been looking forward to it since what feels like forever. I will be down there for all three days this year. I hope to spend some quality time in The Box, The Cage, and the National ABC Saturday night. I look forward to meeting the Animals and other FORVM brothers.
"Obsessed is merely a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated"
"The only way to bag a classy lady is to give her two tickets to the gun show...and see if she likes the goods"
-Ron Burgundy