freighttraindane
03-04-13, 3:52 pm
Cage 2013-
Came down with my brother (smoothballer) on Thursday afternoon. Check into the hotel, right across the street from the Expo (solid choice of hotels bro). Got unpacked and hung around for a while until it was time to go meet up with the Chi-town crew and others over at Metro Fitness. Once we got there is was like time had skipped a beat from last year and it felt like the family was getting back together for another lift. I worked on bench, but it just wasn’t might night and missed my PR of 345. Hit a solid 315 though, but quickly figured out some issues I was having keeping the bar low enough on my chest thanks to every like my brother, Nix and J-Dawg. Hit a couple more exercises along with lots of talk and catching up with everyone. Then we all made the trip over and crushed some BDs for a while. Look liked the Animals were takin over BDs Thursday night. I think in our group there was 3-4 tables of at least 4 people. Then on the other side of the room some of the Pros and guest lifters (Hoss, Freakshow, Ant, Gunz, etc.) were chowing down.
Slept like crap Thursday night, too much anticipation and excitement for the next couple days. Up and at early on Friday got ready headed over to the Expo. Saw a couple familiar faces on the way in, the excitement was building. I came immediately over to the Cage when the doors opened. New set up was cool for the Shop, much more controlled, got my shirt and headed intothe box. For the next couple of hours it was a lot of Hellos, hugs, handshakes and how’s the training going. That plus introductions to new Animals that I have chatted with online, but had yet to meet in person. There was bench your body weight and such going on, craziness and a completely full box for the entire weekend. Then some of the lifting by the Pro’s start, kicked off by none other than the P Diesel v. Higa battle with the surprise guest judging by the Legend Ed Coan!! They went at it for the crowd and Higa came out on top. Then Seath went after the Golden Eagle, unfortunately came up short with some hamstring issues, which he knew he had going it, but that wasn’t gonna stop him from trying. So many other crazy lifts like Gunz raw 550 and lilly pulls 755 Raw (no shoes, no shit, no belt). It was great to meet Brandon after talking to him so much about the Cube method. Headed over to Beyond Limits to do some training for the night, a nice change up from Metro. Solid fucking gym. Everything you could need. Props to Trebin for setting this up for us! Hammered out some form work on my deads with help from Higa and bunch of others. Headed over to Rodizio steakhouse with a crew of 26 people for the meat extravaganza. Thanks to P Diesel for the ride over. Fuck that walk, haha
Saturday was a crazy day, so many people so much lifting. Cage for the whole day like always. Got a front row seat for some amazing lifting. Kicked off by Hoss going up to 1025 for 2 Reps!! Then came The Ant, this guy blows my mind every time he lifts. The came Spoto whole made 700 look like it was 225. I was super excited to see him lift. The bar speed he has at 700 is the same as it was at 315. Such and amazing bench and there is no doubt he will crush the Raw bench press record. The came Byrd’s no hand squats, no idea how he pulls that off. The got a front seat for the Squat Semiar the Lilliebridge family and the Rhino put on. The speed, focus, and amazing ability of all 4 of these guys was so inspiring. Then got to see Wiliis pull 835 Raw like it was nothing. Next up was the National ABC. So crazy but props to Corporate for being so well prepared. I didn’t have a formal Train with a Pro, but ended up getting some much needed bench form help from The Extreme. With his help I smoked a very easy 275 for 5 reps and felt like I could have done more. Dave Barth, Bobby and Cathy Fields, and Marshall’s wife Kathy were so nice and helpful to me at the National ABC. I can’t wait to bench again to kill some PRs!
Sunday was here, a much anticipated day for me. I was actually gonna get to lift in the Cage! Got there early and had an awesome conversation with Chad W. Smith before he smash 700 for 10 reps! Then it was Freakshow’s turn, said he was so pumped he could barely eat any of his favorite sub. Marshall’s intensity and focus is amazing, he attacks each and every rep. Then came Bobby and The Extreme and Cathy putting on a Bulgarian and deadlifting clinic. Learn something from these guys every year. Then it was time to lift, I was so jacked up. Benchers went first then it was my time in the Squat rack. Hit 21 reps at 325. It went by like a blur, such and crazy thing to look up during each reps and there are the Pros cheering for you and camera in your face and the music blaring. I was hoping for 25 or more, but a solid effort I guess.
Overall, another amazing weekend that I will think about for the next 365 days until Arnold 2014. It was such and honor to meet and talk and become friends or better friends with all the Animals, like my west coast brothers Seath and Higa, Marshall and his wife Kathy, who were both so nice to me all weekend, Brent Willis who gave me some awesome deadlift tips and went out of his way to talk with me during the weekend. There are so many much more I can say, but I would go on for hours.
Big thanks to Animal as a whole made this such a great weekend that I will never forget!!
Came down with my brother (smoothballer) on Thursday afternoon. Check into the hotel, right across the street from the Expo (solid choice of hotels bro). Got unpacked and hung around for a while until it was time to go meet up with the Chi-town crew and others over at Metro Fitness. Once we got there is was like time had skipped a beat from last year and it felt like the family was getting back together for another lift. I worked on bench, but it just wasn’t might night and missed my PR of 345. Hit a solid 315 though, but quickly figured out some issues I was having keeping the bar low enough on my chest thanks to every like my brother, Nix and J-Dawg. Hit a couple more exercises along with lots of talk and catching up with everyone. Then we all made the trip over and crushed some BDs for a while. Look liked the Animals were takin over BDs Thursday night. I think in our group there was 3-4 tables of at least 4 people. Then on the other side of the room some of the Pros and guest lifters (Hoss, Freakshow, Ant, Gunz, etc.) were chowing down.
Slept like crap Thursday night, too much anticipation and excitement for the next couple days. Up and at early on Friday got ready headed over to the Expo. Saw a couple familiar faces on the way in, the excitement was building. I came immediately over to the Cage when the doors opened. New set up was cool for the Shop, much more controlled, got my shirt and headed intothe box. For the next couple of hours it was a lot of Hellos, hugs, handshakes and how’s the training going. That plus introductions to new Animals that I have chatted with online, but had yet to meet in person. There was bench your body weight and such going on, craziness and a completely full box for the entire weekend. Then some of the lifting by the Pro’s start, kicked off by none other than the P Diesel v. Higa battle with the surprise guest judging by the Legend Ed Coan!! They went at it for the crowd and Higa came out on top. Then Seath went after the Golden Eagle, unfortunately came up short with some hamstring issues, which he knew he had going it, but that wasn’t gonna stop him from trying. So many other crazy lifts like Gunz raw 550 and lilly pulls 755 Raw (no shoes, no shit, no belt). It was great to meet Brandon after talking to him so much about the Cube method. Headed over to Beyond Limits to do some training for the night, a nice change up from Metro. Solid fucking gym. Everything you could need. Props to Trebin for setting this up for us! Hammered out some form work on my deads with help from Higa and bunch of others. Headed over to Rodizio steakhouse with a crew of 26 people for the meat extravaganza. Thanks to P Diesel for the ride over. Fuck that walk, haha
Saturday was a crazy day, so many people so much lifting. Cage for the whole day like always. Got a front row seat for some amazing lifting. Kicked off by Hoss going up to 1025 for 2 Reps!! Then came The Ant, this guy blows my mind every time he lifts. The came Spoto whole made 700 look like it was 225. I was super excited to see him lift. The bar speed he has at 700 is the same as it was at 315. Such and amazing bench and there is no doubt he will crush the Raw bench press record. The came Byrd’s no hand squats, no idea how he pulls that off. The got a front seat for the Squat Semiar the Lilliebridge family and the Rhino put on. The speed, focus, and amazing ability of all 4 of these guys was so inspiring. Then got to see Wiliis pull 835 Raw like it was nothing. Next up was the National ABC. So crazy but props to Corporate for being so well prepared. I didn’t have a formal Train with a Pro, but ended up getting some much needed bench form help from The Extreme. With his help I smoked a very easy 275 for 5 reps and felt like I could have done more. Dave Barth, Bobby and Cathy Fields, and Marshall’s wife Kathy were so nice and helpful to me at the National ABC. I can’t wait to bench again to kill some PRs!
Sunday was here, a much anticipated day for me. I was actually gonna get to lift in the Cage! Got there early and had an awesome conversation with Chad W. Smith before he smash 700 for 10 reps! Then it was Freakshow’s turn, said he was so pumped he could barely eat any of his favorite sub. Marshall’s intensity and focus is amazing, he attacks each and every rep. Then came Bobby and The Extreme and Cathy putting on a Bulgarian and deadlifting clinic. Learn something from these guys every year. Then it was time to lift, I was so jacked up. Benchers went first then it was my time in the Squat rack. Hit 21 reps at 325. It went by like a blur, such and crazy thing to look up during each reps and there are the Pros cheering for you and camera in your face and the music blaring. I was hoping for 25 or more, but a solid effort I guess.
Overall, another amazing weekend that I will think about for the next 365 days until Arnold 2014. It was such and honor to meet and talk and become friends or better friends with all the Animals, like my west coast brothers Seath and Higa, Marshall and his wife Kathy, who were both so nice to me all weekend, Brent Willis who gave me some awesome deadlift tips and went out of his way to talk with me during the weekend. There are so many much more I can say, but I would go on for hours.
Big thanks to Animal as a whole made this such a great weekend that I will never forget!!