Pros and Cons of The Cage & National ABC

[connorfelton]

guys and gals give your input, I wanted to post this to help out those who put this whole thing together to see if by any chance they make it any more awesome than it already is: here are mine

pros:

every cage event was awesome
abc was a lot of fun, good opportunity to meet some people
the shirt options this year were sick
the cage intensity was unreal
abc food rocked
all the pros that i got to meet were very nice and very down to earth



Cons:

the box: way too many people on Saturday in there, the rules were clearly stated - no Animal shirt, no entry….i was surrounded by, according to my count, 11 people NOT wearing animal shirts yet they were sampling things and moving up to the front of the box just like they belonged there

just my opinion but there has got to be a bigger gym than metro, i know they rock for letting us use the gym but 200 people is a lot for a big gym, let alone one with 1 squat cage



other than that it was a great time and I'm already waiting for next year, A HUGE THANK YOU TO ANIMAL AND UNIVERSAL FOR PUTTING THIS ON….YOU GUYS ROCK!!!

[GunRock]

Pros:

Animal does an EXCELLENT JOB of creating a FAMILY atmosphere! Everybody wanted to get down with us despite that idiotic Flexicus Booth next door.
The Bench for Reps and Pros vs Bros is unlike anything any of the other companies did. Yeah I saw Pullup competitions etc but it paled compared to the Cage stuff.


Cons:
Too many NON Animal people. Maybe I should feel guilty for saying that because I was responsible for getting two of the Marine recruiters into the Cage and they obviously didn't have Animal shirts on but hey I think that my USMC brothers being willing to be in harm's way trumps everything else.
I heard the complaint about non Animal people being in there from several people in the Box so I'd say we all felt it and I doubt that anyone was talking about the great Ed Coan or Malanchev's translator.


ABC Pros and Cons
I can't complain at all. Alpha Bench and Brent Willis gave me great info on my Bench and Deadlift and I hit 500# in the Deadlift which I've been dreaming of since I started lifting! Yeah it was small and crowded but honestly it forced us all to train together and that enhanced the atmosphere to me. I was deadlifting right behind where Ibn Mahama and then Stan Efferding were squatting, with Dan Green, Higa Monster and of course Brent right there. How could I not push myself?

[Universal Rep]

Useful thread... Lets keep it goin with honest input from everyone, the pros and the cons...

[J Wong]

In my opinion, the "pros" are pretty self-explanatory.

As for the cons, I can throw a few things out there:

-For the spectators, it is impossible to see some of the things going on if you do not get a very good spot by the cage to watch. I'm not sure if it is realistic or not, but I wonder if it would be possible to get some sort of live stream/projection going on to put up in a certain area so the lifts are more accessible to see? Other than that, I really do not feel like there were "cons" to the cage. It was mentioned that there were a lot of "non-animal" people there, but I didn't think it was too bad at all. Sure it got crowded sometimes, but that is going to happen when people want to see some of the stuff that goes on in there.



As for the ABC, I felt it was pretty well run. Sure, there were a shit load of people there, but from what I have read, it has been worse in the past. I had a lot of fun and ended up doing some shoulders/biceps with Kade Weber. It seemed like everybody training had a great time. Sure there was a lot of social gathering there, but that is going to happen when you have 200+ like minded people in the same room.

[Uncle Boo]

It was all pro the second I stepped in the cage and the a.b.c. You have to understand I was just happy to be there.
High helped me on squat. Brent helped me on my Deads. Alpha got my bench straight what else could you want?

And my only con is its once a year!! Whoever came up with the idea for the cage and A.B.C is a genius

[deanna7272]

Pros... Not enough space on here for me to put them into words... ;-)

Cons... The Box seemed a little tight this year, but it's been just as crowded in other years... It was difficult to see the lifts from the box this year... I know that the inside needed to be limited, but I know a lot of folks watched some of the lifts from the phones/cameras of the people in front of them.

I was watching The Box earlier in the day Saturday and I have a few things to say about the no T shirt policy beakers that may have been on my watch...

I know that there were a few people that I gave a lanyard to without an Animal T... Some of those being the recruiters, NOT apologizing for those, they do enough for each and every one of us on the daily, so I made the decision to give them the opportunity to have refuge from the crowd.

I also gave the 5 folks that Andrey shoved in there to watch him lift...lol I didn't want them to be questioned and was not going to tell HIM no...lol

I also allowed the crew from Flex Magazine in there without shirts...lol. ((After feeling like a goob bringing it to their attention that they needed a lanyard/pass to be in there...DUH...)) She was a sweetheart explaining that they were just there to interview Frank and asked if I could go get him...lol

Things happen for a reason... I didn't mean to bend the rules, and believe me, I had to explain to folks that it is not a place to come and walk out with bars/supps in their hands... I'm not afraid to let them know the rules, but there are times that the rules can be a little flexible to accommodate special circumstances...

Overall I think it was, once again, a great year... I like the idea of the pros/cons, but I would hope that the pros outweigh the cons because a lot of folks work very hard to make it a great experience...

[LoneWolf45]

PROS:
cage events were great!

ABC was awesome. Obviously it will be crowded, you just have to be aggressive and ask to jump in on a lift. Everyone will let you join in so i don't have a problem with metro or the ABC, it is a great event!

When there was a lifter i really wanted to see in the cage, i worked my way to the front about an hour before they lifted, such as dan green. I never had a problem with the cage being to crowded to see something i really wanted too see.

Overall it was a awesome weekend!

so many more pros than cons...
CONS:
The only negative i have this year is the "dj" playing 80% hip hop songs..... Thank god for Jesse Norris for putting on some death punch.
I do remember last year hearing a good mix of metal and rock in the cage.

[Alpha Bench]

PROS- Everyone was amazing and supportive. Great people. Great lifts. Metro flex was a ton of fun.

Cons- This doesnt happen once a month......

[deanna7272]

Cons- This doesnt happen once a month......

Amen...

[connorfelton]

thanks deanna for clarifying about certain people I'm sure some of the people i saw were in there for a reason but I know for fact at least 5 were of no significance because i could here them talking and none had cameras other than there phones, they also didn't appear to be very fitness oriented…just saying, that was really my only problem, there were like 25 people in the box I could hardly breathe…still had fun though

[deanna7272]

thanks deanna for clarifying about certain people I'm sure some of the people i saw were in there for a reason but I know for fact at least 5 were of no significance because i could here them talking and none had cameras other than there phones, they also didn't appear to be very fitness oriented…just saying, that was really my only problem, there were like 25 people in the box I could hardly breathe…still had fun though

Glad that you enjoyed it... I am not claiming that everyone in had shirts etc, but I know that I was a little lenient on some folks...

One thing though... I wouldn't judge a person's level of fitness by their physique... We have a wide variety of folks here from beginners to pros... I myself am not stage ready, but in my years, I have battled weight issues, dropping 60+ pounds over the past 5 or 6 years, and continue to be the best that I can be. Keep an open mind to the fact that they may BE at their best they can be right now. We all have our own journey, we support everyone... If they were in there, they had a screen name on the Forvm, which means that they are a member of the Legion... Whether they stick around or not (many do and many don't) as long as they weren't' an "issue" in The Box, they were "family" at least for the day...

[twoheadedboy]

I agree in principal with all parties here on both sides, both have valid points - too many non-Animal people in the box, but some of those definitely had reasons to be there. Nothing but love for D, and I would have done the same in her shoes with the knowledge we had, but I think maybe non-shirt wearers/non-form havers should be at the discretion of an actual staffer, not an intern.

Regarding sight lines - I know that Animal knows this is a problem, both inside the box and out. There arent any easy solutions - even if you get TV's and hang them up, where do you put the cameras feeding the video? Do you have a cameraperson? Now you have yet another person wandering around the inside, blocking views. That said, I think that there was no live webcast with a camera in the control center like last year, and as a result enforcement of sight lines between box and lifters was much more lax, especially Sunday. Multiple people (even Animal athletes) had to be asked to keep out of the "aisle" between the power rack and monolift, as that is the place where the box sees.

[twoheadedboy]

I agree in principal with all parties here on both sides, both have valid points - too many non-Animal people in the box, but some of those definitely had reasons to be there. Nothing but love for D, and I would have done the same in her shoes with the knowledge we had, but I think maybe non-shirt wearers/non-form havers should be at the discretion of an actual staffer, not an intern.

Regarding sight lines - I know that Animal knows this is a problem, both inside the box and out. There arent any easy solutions - even if you get TV's and hang them up, where do you put the cameras feeding the video? Do you have a cameraperson? Now you have yet another person wandering around the inside, blocking views. That said, I think that there was no live webcast with a camera in the control center like last year, and as a result enforcement of sight lines between box and lifters was much more lax, especially Sunday. Multiple people (even Animal athletes) had to be asked to keep out of the "aisle" between the power rack and monolift, as that is the place where the box sees.

Regarding crowd size - I think Animal got the ABC right. Would it have been nice if it was less crowded? Sure, however, I saw people getting great instruction and workouts all over the place, so I can't argue with that.

I'm going to bring up the issue that is near and dear to my nerd heart: Audio. I know you guys tried. You even involved me, though due to logistical issues on the Animal side too tedious to mention here, I wasn't able to help as much as I'm capable. In the end it mostly worked for the whole weekend, and buying a compressor is one step in the right direction even if we didn't get to use it this year. However, I think a new mixer is needed, as the one you have is more suited for DJ'ing, not public address. It looks as though you have a power amp, which is probably fine, and I don't know the rules regarding speakers but it seems that it would be better to hang them high like some booths, above the level of the crowd. As for feedback, that can be almost completely eradicated with a good mixing board or device in between dedicated to this, as the bad noises are on predictable frequencies that can be blocked. I would love the chance to design and set up a new or upgraded system with the right cables and set it up Thursday next year for you, I think with some more planning, information, and advanced scheduling it would be easy to accomplish. Also thanks to Smoothballer for realizing the old (faulty) iPod cable was plugged in on Saturday, not the new one, which fixed THAT problem!

Don't take this as overly negative. The things that are always great about the Cage were great, I just find it hard to put it in ways that haven't been expressed before. I will say that I would like to see more pro vs. pro competitions in the future, like "double my deadlift", which was awesome. This Cage was missing a good old pro-wrestling style grudge match started on the forum like Higa vs. Seath or P Diesel as in years past, I think that's a lot of fun. Oh, and the seminar was AWESOME. I know the attendance wasn't bursting at the seams due to a number of factors, but I think when people see the video from this, they're going to be sorry they weren't there and line up for it next year.

So seriously, this thing doesn't need to be reinvented - just some tweaks here and there. I will say I went out on the floor more this year than in the past, and there's nothing that even comes close. I mean, the Marines had a booth with a pullup bar and a Humvee blasting modern hits. What the hell is that? Maybe Animal could do some more joint activities with like-minded, friendly companies like Iron Gym or Bodybuilding.com, or maybe Mark Bell and Slingshot. It would definitely tie in to the "raise all boats" mentality expressed by Brandon Lilly in the seminar, in regards to the advancement of powerlifting as a sport.

[ganderson]

Glad that you enjoyed it... I am not claiming that everyone in had shirts etc, but I know that I was a little lenient on some folks...

One thing though... I wouldn't judge a person's level of fitness by their physique... We have a wide variety of folks here from beginners to pros... I myself am not stage ready, but in my years, I have battled weight issues, dropping 60+ pounds over the past 5 or 6 years, and continue to be the best that I can be. Keep an open mind to the fact that they may BE at their best they can be right now. We all have our own journey, we support everyone... If they were in there, they had a screen name on the Forvm, which means that they are a member of the Legion... Whether they stick around or not (many do and many don't) as long as they weren't' an "issue" in The Box, they were "family" at least for the day...

- Couldn't have said that any better.


With that said, this was my first Cage experience, and I thought it was an awesome experience.

Pros:
- The energy was great.
- Nice meeting some new people throughout the days of the Expo.
- All of the events and exhibitions were awesome.
- P Diesel did a great job on the mic haha.

Cons:
- I wish this happened more often.
- I must agree with most here that there were a lot of people in the box/cage who did not have Animal shirts on and/or a VIP lanyard on. Being crowded as is, I just thought it could have been a little more strict as to who was allowed in the box and the cage....excluding Ed Coan, Andrey's friends, etc. of course.

HOWEVER, I had a great time and I'm looking forward to next year already and getting to meet and know more of you.

[Phil800101]

I have a simple suggestion to help clear up some space in The Box area.

I think it would be helpful to pick up one of those black plastic shelving units (the kind the shirts and hats are on in the store) for people to put their bags and what not on. One of those units would fit nicely next to the lockers with the microwave (on the other side of the water cooler). Right now, people just pile their stuff on the floor over there, but if there were shelves you could fit a lot more in the same space while actually freeing up some space, since the bags wouldn't be spilling over each other and out into the main box area. Maybe even put one or two in the "changing room" in the back of The Box.

[naturalguy]

We really do appreciate the feedback from you guys/gals. Our goal is to make The Cage a great experience from all of you so please continue to give us the feedback.


twoheadedboy - we are certainly going to upgrade the sound system. It's time to get a new mixer for sure and maybe even a new amp as the equipment is old and we want to avoid the issues that we had this year. If you have suggestions on a new system/equipment please pm them to me and we will look at all our options.

And thank you for your help in trying to resolve the issues we had.

[deanna7272]

I agree in principal with all parties here on both sides, both have valid points - too many non-Animal people in the box, but some of those definitely had reasons to be there. Nothing but love for D, and I would have done the same in her shoes with the knowledge we had, but I think maybe non-shirt wearers/non-form havers should be at the discretion of an actual staffer, not an intern.

I know there's nothing personal, I was just stating my hand in it... Just to clarify, I was only on The Box watch for a couple hours on Saturday before moving over to the Shop...lol :).

[smoothballer]

The Pros are way too many to mention. I have a blast every year. I was only able to sit in on an hour of the first Animal Power Panel but I really gained a wealth of knowledge from listening the Even, Sam, and Dan. Also capping the ABC at 200 made it much easier to train.

As far as what people mentioned for Cons...

Yes the sound system needs to be upgraded. It was a miracle that we got it back up and running with the one speaker for the rest of the weekend.

And to the point about the Box, I didn't work the Box entry this weekend but have done it the past 2 years. It is not the easiest of jobs and an Intern is capable of handling it. What you have to realize is that the Arnold is crowded especially on Saturday so expect the Box to be crowded at busy times for the whole Expo. As the bouncer you have to weigh options, is there person a VIP, is it an Athlete's entourage, is it the media there to shoot/write something about Animal or The Cage. You do your best and try and make it the best area it can be. Will you be absolutely perfect, probably not, but will you use your judgement and try to let the right people in, absolutely. If you look at who is placed as a bouncer it is always someone that has Intern experience. Someone that knows FORVM members, Athletes, and Corporate people to know who should be let in. You guys have to remember that Corp does this for us, they don't have to, we could spend our time on the outside of the booths like every other booth at the Expo so let's be grateful for what they do for us.

[J Wong]

Smoothballer....well said!

[Kowboy]

I always enjoy seeing everyone and I honestly don't have a complaint on anything at the cage. I feel like it was ran really well this year. I know that a lot of the weekend I had on a Strength Crew shirt but when I wasn't in the cage I was working and shooting video. I had my Animal hat on tried to represent as much as I could. If I offended anyone I apologize but I think everyone knows how I feel about Animal. I was so busy this year I missed out on all the cage gear...sucks but it is what it is.

Some Improvements:
After talking w/ Mab and Shukin and others I think some TV's mounted in the cage (from the inside) and about 8 or 10ft high that face in to the aisles would be a great addition. I would put one behind the counter of the shop as well so people in line can see what is going on (including interns and workers). It would be awesome if you could use a projector like JWONG said and have it show on the back wall of the cage. The lifts were all great and man it was so much fun.