“First
off I wanna say how fuckin sweet ‘The Cage’ was at The Classic, it by
far surpassed every other company's attempt to draw in lifters by givin
away free shit. Animal's shit was real from the competitions, seminars,
to meeting all you in person, everything was done with a genuine
desire. You guys made it clear that pushin weight is more about
attitude than looks and that the gym isn't a social club, but a place
where pain and sacrifice is derived from. That's the shit that makes me
wanna train, that's the shit that makes lifting a way of life rather
than a sport. So thanks for that motivation and education that you
badasses known as ‘Animals’ provided us with at Arnold…”
- Andrew, Ohio
Man,
what a fucking awesome weekend. First, this one goes out to all you
Animals out there who stopped by The Cage at the Arnold Classic 2004 and
made it a huge success. You all are an awesome group of people. Wait,
let me say that you are the best in the entire world, in my humble
opinion. One of the things I learned this weekend is that Animalpak.com
fans are true warriors. All weekend long you stopped by the booth. If
you were one of them, then you got to meet Machine, The Lad, Bulldog,
Schak, Vag, Vinny. You also met Sgt. Rock and Joe, plus all of our Animal Iron Maidens.
From all of us, to you, thanks brothers. It's loyal fans like you who
continue to make Animal what it is. You are our lifeblood. You define
what true hardcore bodybuilding is all about.
The Tats
Just
how loyal are you Animals out there? It's pretty fucking amazing. Who
else but true Animal fans would actually get a real Animal "A" tattoo?
Not that henna bullshit... I'm talking real, authentic tats. It was
fucking unreal. Pauly, the first brother inked said: "Guys, that Friday
morning was better than Christmas morning!!!! Thanks again for the new
tattoo... you guys fuckin rock." Anywas, nine of you got our tats
before show organizers shut us down Saturday morning. What a fucking
shame. We had over 50 people who were signed up willing to get them
this weekend and we had to turn you away in the end... To all you who
signed up but didn't get one, apologies. We'll try to make it up
somehow. To all you brothers who laid it all on the line and got one,
you belong in the Animal Hall of Fame for your dedication to
Animalpak.com. We honor you, as members of the Brotherhood of Animal. Image 1 | Image 2 | Image 3 | Image 4
The Feedback
Shit, as I'm sitting here writing this, we're still getting a constant
stream of feedback from the show. The emails and the phone calls keep
coming... "When are you guys gonna sell those Animal thermals...", "How
do I get those tanks the guys were wearing..." and "What are you
doing next year..." Patience brothers. We'll have the new gear up on in
The Shop soon enough. I think it's safe to say you all enjoyed your
stay in The Cage. Here are just a couple of the comments we've been
getting here at Animalpak.com:
“I
would like to thank you guys for putting on a great show at the Arnold
Classic this past weekend. I was very impressed with the lectures the
guys gave. Everything they said gave me new insight to the sport. I am
glad you guys kept it real. It was my favorite part of the expo. All
the guys were really down to earth. I expected everyone to act like
assholes, but was totally caught off guard. They are a good group of
guys that are all about promoting a better lifestyle. I was happy to
participate in the events and it was great to hear the guys encourage
me to get a few more reps out. My friend Matt decided to enter the
"bench your bodyweight" competition on Sunday morning. Even
though he only got a few reps out, your guys did not make fun or
humiliate him in front of all those people. Instead they emphasized the
fact that it is hard to lift your own body weight. That shows a lot of
class on your guys’ part. I just wanted to say thank you for a great
show and I think you guys had the best booth there! Keep up the good
work guys!”
- Corey, Ohio
Thanks
Corey. What can I say? You said it all. At Animal, it’s not about who’s
the biggest or baddest. It’s about dedicating your life to lifting.
It’s about making sacrifices. It’s about discipline. You don’t have to
be 260 pounds like us. You just have to have heart. You tell your
friend Matt to keep at it. The same goes to you. Stay in the iron game,
brothers. We’ll see you next year.
"Just
got back from the Arnold Classic and met your crew at the CAGE. Fucking
awesome. I learned a great deal, but to meet you guys and get a few
autographs. What a highlight. Fuck the free food from the other
vendors. A handshake and words of wisdom from you guys was worth the
trip. Thanks for the tips and the inspiration. It was cool to be able
to just step up to you guys and be treated with respect no matter how
big or small a person was. Thanks."
- Joseph, Michigan
Joseph,
thanks for the cool words man. Yeah, the other booths were giving out
catalogs and magazines and samples like it was going out of style. At
the end of the day, where does that get you? We at Animalpak.com think
there's more to bodybuilding than just handing out samples. In fact, in
The Cage, we don't hand out product samples at all. Know what? We got
two brand new Animal products in the development stages right now (based on your feedback in a recent Animalpak.com poll), and
due to launch in the next couple of months [You heard it first here,
brothers]. Sure, we could've brought those samples to the Arnold. But
we didn't, cuz we think the Arnold is about giving you what you really
want: Knowledge. Knowledge is power.
At
Animalpak.com, we know that bodybuilding isn't a lifestyle. It's a way
of life. To those of us who have that burning fire deep inside your
belly, you know what I'm talking about. To us, it's dedication. To
others, it's a sickness. For dedicated Animals everywhere, our mission
in The Cage is simple: Education. We offer free training and lifting
seminars. We don't charge cuz it's about sharing the wealth. We want to show you how things are done, and how do do them right.
Every single day, each of ran bodybuilding and powerlifting seminars
and exhibitions. We showed you how to eat right to how to train smart.
The Cage is all about handing out knowledge, not bullshit. And you're
right Joseph, it's not about how big or small a person is. It's about
dedication to the sport. It's about sacrifice. Whether you're 150 or
250 pounds, it don't matter. When you got the desire of the Animal,
that's what counts.
"Let
me start off by saying you guys ruled the Arnold Classic this year.
Rock on! I have to give you guys props for going strong the entire
time. You guys have made a huge impact that no other supplement company
can or ever will. You have not only set the bar higher for your
dedication to your users and fans, you have broken it from ever being
surpassed. You all are a huge motivation to my friends and I and we are
truly grateful for your realness and your role in the bodybuilding
industry and we will continue to use your products and support you as
loyal brothers in the bodybuilding world. Thanks again."
- Chas, Ohio
Going
strong the entire time ain't easy Chas. Fuck, that's one long ass
weekend, I gotta tell ya. But at the Arnold, we were all running on
adrenaline. It's one thing to answer the emails you send us from "Ask
The Pros" at Animalpak.com... but it's another thing to see you all in
person. Whatever bits of wisdom we could offer, we're glad we could
help you out. Yeah, knowledge is important. But like you said Chas, so
is motivation. Listen, in the iron game, it's all about brotherhood.
It's about a brother helping another brother out. So thanks for
stopping on by, and keep it real man.
"My
first major bodybuilding show was the 2004 Arnold Classic. I was so
overtaken with the entire event. Just when I thought I'd seen
everything, I finally got to the Animal Cage and met the guys. I was
really impressed at the attitude and dispositions of the crew. Andy has
become one of my favorite body builders of all times. Despite the line
of people he had standing in front of him asking stupid bullshit
questions, he took time to introduce himself and sign my picture as if
he had known me for years. Looking at the entire expo and seeing the
true spirit behind the athletes, I have made a whole new set of goals
for my future in the sport. I hope one day to become the caliber of
body builders Universal employs as their spokespeople, I can see myself
in the future giving those cats a run for their money. Keep it up,
thanks for the inspiration and desire."
- Dale, Michigan
Look
Dale, all bodybuilders and powerlifters come from the same place. We
all had to start somewhere. Whatever you achieve, whatever you've
accomplished, you can't forget where you came from. Like I said
earlier, if it weren't for dedicated athletes like yourself, we
wouldn't even have a Cage for you to come and visit. Our goal is to
spread the Animal message. That message says that if you got the balls
to train hard, if you got the discipline to make something of your
life, then you got a place here in The Cage.
"I
just wanted to tell you guys that I visited "the cage" at the Arnold
Fitness Expo this weekend and I want to let you guys know that that was
absolutely bad-ass! You guys definitely know how to get the job done.
Congrats fellas... definitely my favorite exhibit there! I just wanted
to say thanks for always getting the job done. You guys just keep
getting better and better. Thanks a lot!"
- Jeremy, Ohio
Jeremy,
you said it straight. Get the job done. That is the Animal mantra.
Don't bullshit. Don't make excuses. Just get the job done. Couldn't
have said it better myself. Like I said before, you lifters give true
meaning to the word "Animal". Thanks for coming by in record numbers
and attending one of our seminars, getting tattooed, participating in
our strength contests, and just stopping by and meeting us. For more on the show, click "THE CAGE, Part 2" below...
Just
how loyal are you Animals out there? It's pretty fucking amazing. Who
else but true Animal fans would actually get a real Animal "A" tattoo?
Not that henna bullshit... I'm talking real, authentic tats. It was
fucking unreal. Pauly, the first brother inked said: "Guys, that Friday
morning was better than Christmas morning!!!! Thanks again for the new
tattoo... you guys fuckin rock." Anywas, nine of you got our tats
before show organizers shut us down Saturday morning. What a fucking
shame. We had over 50 people who were signed up willing to get them
this weekend and we had to turn you away in the end... To all you who
signed up but didn't get one, apologies. We'll try to make it up
somehow. To all you brothers who laid it all on the line and got one,
you belong in the Animal Hall of Fame for your dedication to
Animalpak.com. We honor you, as members of the Brotherhood of Animal. 
