My First Cage Experience
By Punisher
All I have to say is the Arnold Classic Expo is the most humbling event I have ever been to. If you thought you looked good before that weekend, then you didn't after you left. Every time I saw someone who I thought was huge, I’d see someone even bigger... It’s the kind of thing that leaves you hungry for more when you get back home. Right now all I am thinking about is how much more I have to eat and how much harder I need to train to get to where I want to be. Seeing guys like Wrath and Big Al in person was extremely motivating in itself and then when you actually get to know these guys and you realize that behind all that size they are just regular guys like you and me, just trying to improve day to day. That was eye opening.
Working at The Cage may make me seem a little biased when I say The Cage was the center of the Arnold Expo. If you weren’t at The Cage, then you missed a lot. J-Rock’s 635lb raw at a 235 body weight, world record breaking bench was absolutely insane. One of the most impressive things I have ever seen in my life. Something you will most likely only see at The Cage. All the seminars were awesome. I tried to soak up as much info this weekend as I possibly could. There was so much solid information being basically handed out for free during these seminars it was impossible not to learn something new.
I even got the chance to train back with G Diesel and Vinny at the World’s Gym on High and Long. I deviated from my usual routine to train with these guys but it was well worth it. Training with them was sick--my back’s still sore. Besides the two I was training with, the gym was full of other Animals like Big Al, Big Ant and The House who all made me feel smaller than I had earlier in the day at the Expo. It was like this...
I also had the chance to meet some Animal legends like The Lad and Machine as well. Machine is a great guy who has an absolute passion for this sport like nobody else. The guy knows his shit. The Lad has been in this game for a long time and is a world record breaker, powerlifting legend, and an all around good dude.
If you ever have the chance to make it to Columbus in early March, make sure you make it to The Cage. It will be a life-changing, physique-altering experience you will never forget. Spending some time in The Cage and seeing all the Animals made me realize how much I need to step my game up and reevaluate my training and diet. I don't want to waste another second... Time to get big brothers.