USAWA

by the DINO MAN,  AUTHORITY ON BALD WEIGHTLIFTERS

Just when you think the USAWA website has stooped to a new “all time low”, I try to take things a little deeper.  Thus today’s story. You know – our organization is loaded with bald lifters.  Several of these All-Round muscle-men got chrome-domes that radiate sexy.  It is a proven fact that baldness is a sign of vitality and virility (I think I read that in Mens Health…).   I have been known to shave my head for a big meet every now and then – just to give myself that extra BOOST of testosterone that comes from having a sweaty shiny crown!!!   I think is about time that these bald guys get a little recognition, so I conducted a survey of the MOST SEXY BALD MEN in IAWA.  Of course, I couldn’t make this decision by myself  so I assimilated a panel of women to make this big decision so it’s totally impartial on my part.  I collected pictures of all the good looking bald guys in IAWA and presented them to the panel to make a ranking.  I’m only going to reveal the TOP FIVE, but there were over 20 pictures entered.  Just in case you wondered – only lifters that have competed in the IAWA Gold Cup or the IAWA Worlds within the past 3 years were entered.  I’m keeping the identities of this panel a secret – as I don’t want them to get any complaints personally for not being picked,  or worse yet, words of passion  from a bald headed romeo.

Let the countdown begin to NUMBER ONE!!!

5.  Graham Saxton, ENGLAND

Graham Saxton

This burly built muscle bound man oozes sexyness from his shiny noggin.  I want to mention that Graham wasn’t always bald (I have pictures of him sporting a full head of hair and a beard!), but that was before he became handsome.  

4.  John Gardner, ENGLAND

John Gardner

I was somewhat surprised with Big John making the top five.   However, as one of the panelist remarked, “he looks like a big teddy bear to me”. Another lady said she would just love to rub his head, as she was sure it would bring her good luck.

3.  Chad Ullom, UNITED STATES

Chad Ullom

Chad was the only American to make the top five.  Comments from the panel ranged from, “he looks like a crazy man”, to “I bet he knows how to have fun”. 

2.  Andy Tomlin, SCOTLAND

Andy Tomlin

I expected Andy to make it to the top of this competition.  Andy has the perfect bald head – it’s perfectly shaped and it looks like he doesn’t even have to shave it!!  It’s always glossy.  I suspect that he waxes it. 

1.  Peter Phillips, AUSTRALIA

Peter Phillips

Peter didn’t just win the voting majority of the panel for top spot, he had TWICE as many votes as anyone else!  That makes Peter the SEXIEST BALD MAN IN IAWA.   I know Peter – and from what he has told me he is also quite the romantic.  When in Perth last year, he took several of us to this peaceful little stream outside of the city.  It was a beautiful quiet spot.  Peter told me, “this is the place I like to bring  a Sheila and enjoy a nice bottle of wine.”  I just know his perfected bald head probably helps out the romance.

CONGRATS to all bald men in IAWA!!! This is your day!!!!

COMING SOON FROM THE DINO MAN – the men in IAWA with the best hair!!

by Al Myers

New Zealand All Round Weightlifting Association

I have just heard that ALL ROUND WEIGHTLIFTING may be rejuvenated in New Zealand.  Cliff Harvey has moved back there, and has taken an interest in promoting the sport.  Cliff has been very involved with All Round lifting for many years, and was a big of the 2007 IAWA World Championships held in Christchurch, NZ.   I attended that World Meet, and it was a unbelievable meet.  The meet director was Bruce Savage, but several others were instrumental as well in promoting this Championship.

Cliff Harvey performing an One Arm DL in the 2007 IAWA World Championships in New Zealand.

Cliff placed 6th OVERALL at the 2007 IAWA Championships in New Zealand.  That year has been the only year the IAWA Champs have been held in New Zealand.  Let’s hope that Cliff gets the New Zealanders reorganized and they host another big IAWA meet in the future!

by Roger LaPointe

Sig Klein and the Pinch Grip.

Grip strength training is nothing new folks. Check out the photo of Sig Klein using a home made pinch grip bar.

Get yourself a nice 4 x 4 beam of wood, sink in a pair of eye hooks and you use that to lift your barbell. Slice up your beam to other thicknesses to work the grip with other sizes. Personally, I find a little stain and poly on mine makes it a nicer looking tool, but that’s really unnecessary. Here are some exercises for your grip with your new Wooden Pinch Bar.

Try these out for size:
Reverse Curls
One Hand Deadlifts
Two Hand Deadlifts
Bent Over Rows
Pinching From the Ends
Wrist Curls
Hack Lifts

That should give you enough to try out and fry your hands. If you want more ideas, check out these three publications:

Garage Gym Guide
http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=BK1000

http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=BK072

http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=BK90

All the best, Roger LaPointe
“Today is a good day to lift.”

[ July 31, 2013; 11:00 am; ]

by Al Myers

MEET ANNOUNCEMENT
2013 IAWA ‘ANDY GODDARD’  WORLD POSTAL ALL ROUND CHAMPIONSHIPS

Steve Gardner has just announced the details of the 2013 IAWA World Postal Meet.  Steve has been promoting the IAWA World Postal Championships for the past few years in memory of his good friend and training partner Andy Goddard.  I was very fortunate  …… More

by Roger LaPointe

Don’t let the marketing gurus pull the wool over your eyes. Two piece swim suits were around before 1946. The Bikini was just not the name. Here is Relna McRae tearing a Los Angeles telephone book, from the July 1944 Strength & Health magazine. If you want to see some great feats of strength, done live, check  …… More

BY DAVE GLASGOW

WHEN I WAS A KID, MY FRIENDS AND I HAD A NAME FOR BEING SECOND STRING ON ANY TEAM WE PLAYED ON. WE CALLED IT “RIDING THE PINES”. I WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THAT TERM AS I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH THAT PARTICULAR VIEW OF MOST SPORTING EVENTS I ‘PARTICIPATED’ IN. IT STARTED FROM A  …… More

by Roger LaPointe

“The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands but in seeing with new eyes.” Marcel Proust

I have had a stunning number of questions about how I “train” my son, who is five years old. This is thanks to my using him as a model for some of our shirts, as well as my  …… More

by Roger LaPointe

Ever wanted to just give the whole world the finger? Yeah. I know. You do things your way, because that’s the way you like it.

Well, you be pretty sure you have some of the strongest fingers when you give’em the finger. Atomic Athletic has some tips and tools. One of the tools is a serious steel  …… More

by Al Myers

URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT

I just received word from John McKean, the Meet Director of this weekend’s USAWA Club Challenge, that he is cancelling the meet.  John has concerns of the recent bad weather and poor road conditions, and does not want to risk anyone’s travel.  The weather has been unpredictable recently, and the roads could quickly  …… More

by Roger LaPointe

Training halls are not built over night. What do you think of when you hear about a training hall? My guess is that a different image is conjured up from when you hear “fitness facility”. Am I right?

The old gyms and YMCAs, where many greats in the iron game trained, tended to be dingy after thoughts,  …… More

by Al Myers

Most that know me know that I have an passion with lifting bars.  I have over 50 bars in the Dino Gym – some excellent high quality bars, some just good bars, and others that are just “run of the mill” bars.  I don’t consider myself a collector either, as I use most of these  …… More

by Roger LaPointe

I called Larry, an old friend, this morning. Just when I thought I had heard it all, Larry had another awesome story with visual impact to spare. Larry doesn’t even use “weights” for his weightlifting anymore. In fact, he gave away all of his barbell and dumbbell plates. Of course, resistance training is still part of his  …… More

BY DAVE GLASGOW

(WEBMASTER NOTE: Recently I issued a writing contest, in which I challenged lifters to write about an unusual training implement/device that they use in their training. The stories were submitted and judged, and I’m going to initially publish the top three stories in the USAWA Daily News as they were the contest award winners. Thank you to  …… More

 By Dan Wagman, PhD, CSCS

Publisher, Journal of Pure Power

Consultant, Body Intellect

(WEBMASTER NOTE: Recently I issued a writing contest, in which I challenged lifters to write about an unusual training implement/device that they use in their training. The stories were submitted and judged, and I’m going to initially publish the top three stories in  …… More

by Thom Van Vleck

(WEBMASTER NOTE: Recently I issued a writing contest, in which I challenged lifters to write about an unusual training implement/device that they use in their training. The stories were submitted and judged, and I’m going to initially publish the top three stories in the USAWA Daily News as they were the contest award winners. Thank you to everyone  …… More

by Al Myers

Chris Bass of Grimsby, England is the Official IAWA World Record List Registrar.  Chris has held this position for several years now, having taking it over from Frank Allen. Chris operates an All Round Weightlifting Club, the Haven Gymnasium, and is an active member of IAWA.  Chris does an EXCELLENT JOB of maintaining this World Record  List, which is an overwhelming  …… More

by Al Myers

It will not be long now and the USAWA CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS will be taking place.  This meet is hosted by one of the oldest clubs in the USAWA (the Ambridge BBC) and directed by a couple of the oldest guys in the USAWA (Art Montini & John McKean).  The equipment in the club has been around at  …… More

by Roger LaPointe

You know that great explosive pop you get when you do your Power Jerk correctly?

You know what I am talking about. It’s when the bar goes overhead into the lock out position so easily it seems nothing. Well, you can also do that with stones. Pardon the pun, but it’s tons of fun.

TIP: Avoid Cracking  …… More

by Al Myers

I’m sure everyone is wondering how the Grip Postal Challenge turned out between the USAWA versus the IAWA(UK).  Well, the results have been tabulated and the USAWA won over the IAWA(UK) 258.2 points to 231.2 points.  This was based on the average adjusted point scores of all the lifters entered.  The USAWA points were adjusted to kilogram  …… More

by Al Myers

The USAWA Postal Meet schedule has been released for 2013!  The USAWA Official Postal Meet Director John Wilmot  has planned a challenging set of postal meets for the USAWA for the coming year. The USAWA quarterly postal series has been gaining in popularity, with this past year being the most participated series to date. John deserves a  …… More

by Al Myers

DINO GYM RECORD DAY

The Dino Gym had a very good Record Day the day following the Grip Championships.  6 lifters took part – Ruth Jackson, Dan Wagman, Dean Ross, Denny Habecker, LaVerne Myers,  and myself.  Ken Glasgow performed a record lift the day before which I added to these results.  I was surprised by the  …… More

by Al Myers

2013 USAWA GRIP CHAMPIONSHIPS

Since the first OFFICIAL USAWA Grip Championships in 2011, this meet has seen more lifters entered each year.  2011 had 8 lifters, 2012 had 11 lifters, and this year we had 16 lifters! If the Grip Championships continually experiences this type of growth it will not be long and this will  …… More

[ April 27, 2013; 9:00 am; ]

by Tim Piper

MEET ANNOUNCEMENT

“Joe the Turk” Old Time Strongman Meet

“Joe the Turk” was the first “strongman” in Macomb Illinois. He came to town as a part of the Salvation Army, ran the crooked mayor and his henchmen out of town, and some accounts claim he actually took over the ousted mayors duties for  …… More

by Roger LaPointe

Check out this photo from the April 1941 Strength & Health Magzine. What you see is Tarzan Lunt, the weightlifting coach of the Harrisburg YMCA, curling a York 45 pound Olympic plate, by the HUB. Pretty cool.

Now, you want a good grip? Sure, the guy with a crushing hand shake is a jerk. Yet, wouldn’t it  …… More

by Al Myers

I said I had more to say on this subject – so here it is. As most know, the USAWA has different  names than the IAWA(UK) for several of the same All Round Lifts.  There are also MANY rule differences between the USAWA Rulebook and the IAWA(UK) Rulebook.  The Deadlift – Fulton Bar, Ciavattone  …… More

[ March 23, 2013; 6:00 pm; ]

MEET ANNOUNCEMENT

Deanna Springs Memorial Meet

Meet Director: Bill Clark & Joe Garcia

Date: Saturday, March 23rd, 2013

Venue: Clark’s Gym, Columbia, Missouri

Weigh-ins: 8 AM

Entry Fee: None

Entry Form: None

Awards: None

Membership: Must be a current USAWA Member

Lifts: Crucifix, Cheat Curl, Deanna Lift, Hand and Thigh Lift, and Hip Lift

To enter, a confirmation must be  …… More

by Al Myers

I always enjoy a good discussion/debate on anything All-Round in nature.  Well, these past couple of weeks there has been a very interesting discussion in the USAWA Discussion Forum regarding the Fulton Bar.  If you have missed it – before you read today’s story it might be worthwhile to check it out so you will be “up  …… More

by Al Myers

One of the terms that Bill Clark often used in his Strength Journals was the expression “Signature Events”.  What exactly is meant by this?  I always took it to mean events/competitions that were the most important ones in the USAWA.  Obviously, this changes with time.  In the past few years the USAWA has began to offer yearly  …… More

[ May 4, 2013; 7:00 pm; ]

by Al Myers

MEET ANNOUNCEMENT
2013 USAWA HEAVY LIFT CHAMPIONSHIPS

I am very glad to announce that the Heavy Lift Championships will be returning to Walpole, Massachusetts for this year.  Frank Ciavattone will be hosting this years Championships.  As most of you know, Frank has been one of the most active MAJOR meet promoters  …… More

by Al Myers

This will be the third and final lift in the USAWA Grip Championships.  It is a lift that has been contested often in the USAWA, and has been part of past Grip Championships.  This lift was also a lift in the 2011 IAWA World Championships in Australia.  The USAWA Rules for the Deadlift –  …… More

by Al Myers

The Lifter of the Month for the first month of 2013 goes to ART MONTINI!

In the January, only one USAWA event was contested – The Dino Gym Challenge.  This meet featured a selection of Old Time Strongman lifts (Anderson Squat, Hackenschmidt Floor Press, and the Peoples Deadlift).  It was definitely a heavy-weight challenging competition of events.   …… More

by Al Myers

For the second year now, the USAWA has recognized the “overall” winners from the USAWA Postal Series, which consists of the 4 quarterly postal meets offered throughout the year. I will give a review of how this is scored.  For each meet entered a participant receives points depending on their placing which then “adds up” to a  …… More

(WEBMASTER:  The Powerhouse Gym in Burton, England recently did a weightlifting fundraiser for Breast Cancer and Cancer Research.  The following writeup was done by Steve on the IAWA(UK) Facebook page, but I feel it is noteworthy to on the USAWA website as well.  Well done to Powerhouse Gym!!!)

by Steve Gardner

Powerhouse Gym Charity Weightlifting Record Attempt

At 6pm  …… More

by Al Myers

The first lift conducted in the USAWA Grip Championships will be the Pinch Grip.  This lift is in the rulebook under “Special Equipment Lifts”.  The reason for this is that the “special equipment” is the plates themselves – as that is what is used to pinch to make the lift.  The USAWA rules for the Pinch Grip are  …… More

by Al Myers

This is a lift that has been contested before in the USAWA Grip Championships.  It is a very popular grip lift, and I know the favorite of several.  For those of you that may have performed Vertical Bar Lifts in other organizations, pay attention to the USAWA rules for it.  They are quite different and may affect  …… More

by Al Myers

These past few months I have been working on a project.  I have been trying to develop a historical archive of the past IAWA Officers.  This has not been an easy task – as this information has not been located in a single source, but rather, multiple sources.  After searching through many past USAWA Strength Journals, IAWA(UK) Strength  …… More

by Roger LaPointe

Creating an atmosphere of strength is hard to do, in today’s world.

More people are lifting weights than ever before, but strong people are still called “dinosaurs” and lifting heavy weights is called “old school”. It’s no wonder that desk jockeys are flocking to obstacle course races and other events that are considered tough.

Humans need a  …… More

[ December 31, 2013; 12:00 pm; ]

by Al Myers

USAWA National Postal Championships

Dates: Between December 1^st and December 31^st, 2013

Entry form must be postmarked by January 5^th, 2014

Must be a current USAWA member to be eligible for competition

Entry Fee: None

Official USAWA rules apply as outlined in the Rule Book  …… More

[ September 30, 2013; 12:00 pm; ]

by Al Myers

USAWA Delaware Valley Open Postal Meet

Dates: Between September 1^st and September 30^th, 2013

Entry form must be postmarked by October 5^th, 2013

Must be a current USAWA member to be eligible for competition

Entry Fee: None

Official USAWA rules apply as outlined in the  …… More

[ June 30, 2013; 12:00 pm; ]

by Al Myers

USAWA Middle Atlantic Open Postal Meet

Dates: Between June 1^st and June 30^th, 2013

Entry form must be postmarked by July 5^th, 2013

Must be a current USAWA member to be eligible for competition

Entry Fee: None

Official USAWA rules apply as outlined in the  …… More