Show Ideas

[GarytheDino]

I think I secured my first show. I did a demo tonight for a new gym. They are having a grand opening soon and would like me to perform but I don't know what to say.

I want the topic to be Motivation for exercise.

Bending and Tearing will be on the agenda.

[porky]

I think I secured my first show. I did a demo tonight for a new gym. They are having a grand opening soon and would like me to perform but I don't know what to say.

I want the topic to be Motivation for exercise.

Bending and Tearing will be on the agenda.

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tell some jokes

[GatorGrip]

This is all probably common sense and old news to a veteran man of strength like yourself.

1) Do what your best at and don't try to perform anything that you are just barely able to perform or just started working on because even though one would hope that the adrenalin or fear of embarrassment would as Emeril says "Kick It Up Notch" but Murphy's Law tends to visit these times of public entertainment, speech or performance.

2) Perform feats of strength with the things people are familiar with:

Tearing Playing Cards - Everyone has shuffled or played a game of cards so they knoww the density of the cards.

Ripping Phonebooks - Everyone has let their fingers do the walking in the Yellow Pages. Some may have even heard a friend's dad talk about a guy who could do this back when he was in college or the service ect... but never have seen this feat personally.

Bending 60 penny nails - In my experience people relate more to the nails than they do the bolts because most don't have a clue about bolt grades. I mena a silver bolt is a silver bolt to them could be a Gr 2 or Gr 5 who cares. Unless you are performing in front of mechanics then break out the SAE bolts.

Sledgehammers If you like to lever to the nose go for it because people know a sledge is heavy whether that have slung one or not and most will get the feat without a lot of explanation.

Horseshoe Bending- This is a classic and no brainer that horseshoes are supposed to bend by human hands.

Bar Bending – 3 foot sections of ½” or more hot rolled steel which bends with more rounded curves. If you’re feeling saucy take some cold rolled steel but it being a harder it will bend with sharper angles.

Spike Bending – If you can bend those big ole 12” spikes then go for it because if 60s impressed them those will knock their hats in the creek.

Rolling Frying Pans - Get a couple of sets of the exact ones you plan on rolling up. One to gage their level of difficulty and then practice on and of course the second for ShowTime.

Grippers - only if you can allow your audience can try the gripper this may work well for small groups so they can pass it around a little. Now when performing for larger groups your best bet is to pick at least one a big guy which is automatically stereotypically thought of as strong to try his luck at the gripper. You better use the #3 because to many have touched the #2 for the first time and closed it. (Murphy’s Law Again)

Advanced Feats -Only if you are proficient and consistent on these feats:

Breaking Jack Chain or Cuffs

Hot Water Bottle Bursting (More dangerous than it looks)

Driving a nail through a board - Practice on a piece of the exact wood you are going to use, you don’t want to grab a new piece from the hardware store on the way to the show or you may end up with petrified wood.

These are just some off the top of my head but I know there are more that could be done with style,

Good luck and remember Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. ---GATOR

[GarytheDino]

Great ideas Gator. I already know what I'm going to do, but what do I say while I'm doing it????????????

[gazza]

Gary

Sometimes actions speak louder than words

[Dude]

Great ideas Gator. I already know what I'm going to do, but what do I say while I'm doing it????????????

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A) Anyone moves from their seat and I will do this to their wind pipe [tear cards].

or

B) Since its on motivation talk about what you couldnt do before you tried. Like ripping cards how you started at 20 and worked your way up to a full deck. Or show them a timber tie and then talk about how you progress over X amount of time to 5/16 or whatever.

People will be impressed with the feats alone but if possible try and throw in a few numbers. Like maybe the lbs to close the grippers, yield strength of the nail, etc...

I think laying out the grippers for people to try will really sell it. When they try them on their own the realize just how hard they are.

[EricMilfeld]

Gary, I put on a little show for a room full of homeschool families last spring. I hate public speaking, so I kept my dialogue short and sweet. This is really all that's needed, anyways. I just gave a brief description of the feat in terms they could all relate to. Fortunately, most of the feats I performed were very self explanatory and were performed with common objects. For the spike bend I just held up the big spike (which drew "ooohs" and "aaahs") and simply said "I will now bend this spike into a "U" shape. For the sledgehammer lever I did explain that by levering the hammer to my nose I would be applying nearly 400 pounds of torque to my wrist. I also let the hammer fall a few inches down onto a soda can and smash it, for visual effect.

You'll do great! I can't wait to hear all about it!

[Soilworker]

Grippers - only if you can allow your audience can try the gripper this may work well for small groups so they can pass it around a little. Now when performing for larger groups your best bet is to pick at least one a big guy which is automatically stereotypically thought of as strong to try his luck at the gripper. You better use the #3 because to many have touched the #2 for the first time and closed it. (Murphy’s Law Again)

If that happens just shut the #2 with two fingers instead.

[Oldtime]

Great ideas Gator. I already know what I'm going to do, but what do I say while I'm doing it????????????

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A) Anyone moves from their seat and I will do this to their wind pipe [tear cards].

[GatorGrip]

Since it is for a gym’s grand opening event then you got to speak a language that they understand (STRENGTH) .The gym wants to get members in the doors and this is their first big shot at sending a message to the masses to ignite that word of mouth advertising that can make or break a business. You are their messenger in a since or at least an important part of it.

I would sell the functional strength aspect of weightlifting and fitness. I would say something to this effect

“Why do you want to gain muscle size and a higher level fitness?" If you are going to spend the time, effort and discipline training for this increased muscularity then why just let it set in a garage like a like a beautifully restored muscle car. Your body is like that muscle car if you take the time to beef it up, paint it that candy apple red with polished chrome and an engine you eat off with all those horses just ready to run.

I mean just like that having a hot rod what is the point in having it if you never plan to let people see you drive it and show them what it is really capable of.

Your muscled body and that muscle car both are capable of doing some impressive feats. So just like you have to take that hot rod out of the garage, you got to take that body out of the gym to take it for a spin and show what it can do. That is what we call functional strength.

What I am going to perform here today is some unique examples of functional strength at it's finest in the form of strongman feats.

Walk then and talk them through it - As you BUST THE MOVES on them. Give them ideas or references of the difficulty of each feat or a little about the strongman of old who performed them.

Examples:

Tell them the yield strength a particular bar requires to bend.

How many pounds of force it requires to close this particular gripper.

Why and what makes cards difficult to tear: Plastic coated, the high level of pinch strength to hold together and keep them from slipping or flying out of your hand while your wrists engage the tear.

Etcetera....

Maybe this stuff will get your juices flowing enough to have a brainstorm of ideas you want to convey and display.

We believe in you Gary and the communication to your audience will let your actions speak loader than words. Audiences or gatherings of people is like a school of fish, you got to first get their attention and interested in what you’re throwing, then when they are close and wide eyed you set the hook and then reel them in. One you get the school or crowd excited (frenzied) then you will fill the boat with a big catch or claps.

(Man I need to go fishing)

GATOR

[climber511]

Look around before you start and adjust your speech to reach everyone there. The 290# Powerlifter and the 190# housewife are going to have vastly different goals. Maybe talk a little about the positive changes that regular training can give you, in strength, fitness level, and appearance with weight gain or loss possible with the proper type of program. The feats of strength will speak for theirself but when you speak, be sure and look at the housewives when you talk about their interests, it will probably be easy for you with the hardcore guys but the gym owner will appreciate it if you can target the "bread and butter" people present as well. The pumpers and toners usually are what keep a gym open, do something that might excite them too.

[GarytheDino]

Gator, You have always had a way with words. That is something i don't have. One of my biggest fears is talking to a crowd. I want to confront that fear head on and with something I enjoy. I also want everyone to know that I don't claim to be the strongest this or that..................only that this is what I like and I hope they find it interesting. I could not do any of this without my dedication to exercise.

I can talk about old time strongmen and history.......but when I started that with the Manager I got weird looks...........they are looking to draw customers and need a good "sales pitch" type talk. They didn't say that but I know.

They also kept asking if I was certified and had references????????? That though me for a loop. I don't even think like that.......anyway they were just wondering if I was the type that "throws my weight around" I think. I explained that I wanted to use my strength for good things and who I knew locally and everything was fine...........I kept asking her why do I have to be certified and in what? I didn't understand what that has to do with anything...........I think she was an arm chair expert......the kind that thinks a paper is all that matters. I did find some certificates from 15 years ago that I earned when I got home.

[GarytheDino]

Look around before you start and adjust your speech to reach everyone there.  The 290# Powerlifter and the 190# housewife are going to have vastly different goals.  Maybe talk a little about the positive changes that regular training can give you, in strength, fitness level, and appearance with weight gain or loss possible with the proper type of program.  The feats of strength will speak for theirself but when you speak, be sure and look at the housewives when you talk about their interests, it will probably be easy for you with the hardcore guys but the gym owner will appreciate it if you can target the "bread and butter" people present as well.  The pumpers and toners usually are what keep a gym open, do something that might excite them too.

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This is what I'm looking for..........keep it coming

[HAMMERHEAD]

Certifications!?!?!?!?!

Gary you have one of the greatest certifications ever!!!!

You hold the world record in the BRICK LIFT!!!

Don't forget this, and they should know it too.

I think you should throw in one of your brick lifts too.

You don't need a million bricks. Just use a "few" with your anvil on top. Nobody else will be able to do it.

-Erik

[Dude]

i wanna see it to, pics pls

[Left Side]

Bend some 60d's and grade 5's/8's. If people realize how strong these are, and some people will, they will be floored. Before I got into bending I thought people bending G5's were god. And people bending G8's, whoa.... If you show them a red, (or 5/16CRS/HRS), and then bend it for them they will think you are superhuman.

Grippers are a more one on one thing, or a small group, as people need to be able to try them to appreciate the diffculty in closing them. Bring some and pass them around if you can. If it's at all possible, try and get come can bursting in. I know this will probably be impossible as you are most likely inside, but if you can it's a great effect.

Talk to them about the potential for all of them being able to achieve these feats with hard work, (and be sure to mention that all they'll need is right there in the gym, not totally true, but a good plug). People can't bend steel because they believe they can't. If they would just forget the urban myths and assumptions about these feats, and just realize that they can this sort of thing, they will.

Most importantly, be yourself, whatever that entails. If you are a man of few words, then don't say much. It will look strained if you act fake.

In the end, your strength will speak for itself. Enjoy yourself out there.