This year marks my 10th year of being in the ANIMAL CAGE, and with that in mind, I can assure that impressions have been made in my mind many times over. What once blew me away isn’t necessarily the same thing that fuels my love for lifting and strength today. In my view, there are a few key elements that make for a truly impressive performance in the ANIMAL CAGE.
First and foremost, the ANIMAL CAGE is a stage for lifters to perform feats of strength, but it is decidedly NOT a powerlifting meet or traditional strength competition. A strength exhibition is different, and opens the door for the lifter to perform lifts in a more nuanced way to fully demonstrate their ability and strength. Adherence to competitive standards is no longer a limiting factor,so creativity is critical. Whether that means variations of the main lifts, altered technique, multiple reps, or even multiple lifts in one performance, the possibilities are essentially unlimited.
Second, how the audience perceives the lift’s difficulty is critical. To the uninitiated, this is the “eye test” — did it look hard? Impressive? I’ve performed deadlifts with no belt as well as benched with my feet up in the CAGE. Both of these are versions of the big 3 that most lifters have tried at some point, so you must appreciate when there’s an added difficulty to them. Other lifts require a more experienced spectator to appreciate the nuance. For example, squatting with a Safety Squat Bar is significantly harder than a normal back squat, but most lifters assume the opposite given the padded yoke. Sumo deadlifts count the same in competitions, but in the eyes of most, are not as impressive as feats of strength. It just doesn’t look as hard. Some lifts just look well executed AND extremely challenging. I’m a sucker for a heavy and DEEP squat!
This leads to the third requirement: the lifter must perform truly at their limit! Multiple rep performances can really exemplify this! In the past, watching my friend Andrew Herbert squat 700 for 12 reps until his face was bleeding and he collapsed was my kind of performance! Or watching Steve Johnson and Rob Hall take turns deadlifting 600 lbs for an agonizing 60+ reps – nothing says intensity like lifting until the women in the CAGE were literally crying!
This year kicked off with one of my favorites on Friday with Jen Hazzard repping 500 lb deadlifts at a 130 lb bodyweight. I gotta say, I’m always a fan of diminutive lifters who can outlift most bigger lifters, and 500 lbs puts the majority of men who go to the gym to shame and she did it for reps. No frills. It was also her first time lifting in the CAGE, even as she’s stepping away from powerlifting, which made it even more meaningful. You could feel how much it meant to her, and she made the most of it. Great job!
Saturday was kinda hard to choose just one honestly. I’m always a fan of John Haack. He’s got the huge bench and conventional deadlift and that doesn’t get old. Tamara Walcott and Phil Herndon both made huge lifts look effortless. Kyle Squatted 600x17 which was super impressive. In the end, I’d say Lily Riley probably had my favorite lift of the day, with a big deadlift at 551x5. Her form was impeccable and she really went all the way to her limit getting the last rep! Huge!
I wasn’t around Sunday for the final day, but what I walked away with was just a reminder of how much I love the CAGE. I love lifting in it, and I really love the appreciation all the fans have for it. So many people have told me they dream of lifting in the CAGE, and I’ve seen so many up-and-coming lifters come into the CAGE on their way to greater prominence in the world of powerlifting. I’m really just hoping now I’ll be back to lift in the CAGE again next year!
About The Author
Dan Green is a 10x World Record Setting powerlifter and the owner of Boss Barbell Club in Mountain View, California. In addition to competitions, he has lifted as an ANIMAL athlete since 2012 and performed at the Animal Cage at the Arnold Sports Festival several times. The "Boss", Dan Green is generously sharing his extensive knowledge of nutrition and powerlifting with the Animal community.
