Tag Archives: Ledaig Heavy Athletics

Club Championships

By Al Myers

MEET RESULTS –

2019 USAWA CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS

USAWA Club Champions - Ledaig Heavy Athletics

USAWA Club Champions – Ledaig Heavy Athletics

The battle of the USAWA Club Championships was heated at the Ledaig Club on this past Sunday.  As been the case these past few years, the Club Champs have been a “2 horse race” between the hosting Ledaig HA Club and the Dino Gym.  The victory has been an even split over the past 6 years – with each club standing at 3 wins while the other club was the runner up.   So this year was GAME SEVEN to see who would would reign supreme of the best of 7.  HATS OFF to Dave and the Ledaig HA Club as they put the smack down on my Dino Gym Club.

I always really enjoy going to Dave’s.  He has built the ultimate home gym.  He has a power rack that would make any HS strength coach drool over, plus loads of steel plates and seasoned bars.  As you look around his gym everything sweats strength.  As been the tradition of the Club Championships each club brings club members with the top three performers in each event being the “scorers”.  This gives an advantage if you bring several lifters as if someone has an off event it doesn’t hurt the team score.  But this year Dave and I could only manage to barely fill our roster of 3 lifters so every lift  of every lifter was important.

Runnerup Club - the Dino Gym

Runnerup Club – the Dino Gym

I once seen a T-shirt that had the printing of “Youth and Skill are no match for Old Age and Treachery”.   Well – this pretty much sums up Dave. He definitely schemed up some  “fast ones” on me for this club championships.  All above board of course so I’m not saying he cheated or anything like that. First of all I noticed he picked up a RINGER for his club that caught me by surprise.  He didn’t even pre-register him before the meet thus keeping his secret intact until it was time to show his cards on meet day.  For those of you who don’t know Eddie “THE DYNAMO KID” Johnson you will after this meet.  Eddie is a gifted Highland Game athlete who made his first venture into the All Rounds at this meet. His explosive strength is off the charts and he lifted fantastically.  He’s so athletic he just takes to the All Round Lifts with ease.

But then the treachery continues.  I have worked hard to get John “THE HOSS” Douglas to join the Dino Gym Club this past year, and he was been a solid addition to my club.  I’ve even made big promises to him like I’d give him a gym tshirt and give him a sandwich when he comes to the Dino Gym.  So I was feeling good.  But “lo and behold” Dave steals him back from me and he’s there representing the Ledaig Club!!! How did Dave do that???  I still pondering how that happened.

I actually felt like it was close after the first couple of events.  Ole Dean and Dad were pushing hard on their lifts.  But then Dave puts in this special rule about using your non-dominate hand in the Clean and Jerk with the Dumbbell for the 3rd event and it starts to get “in our heads” a little, and after a big discussion of what really constitutes your non-dominate hand Dave just says “use the hand you conscious tells you too”.  I pretty much knew it was over for us then as Dad and Dean were scratching their heads in confusion as to which arm to use.

But his treachery is not over yet!!!!  His next trick had to be one for the ages. I’ve been doing this for a long time and I’ve never seen this type of sabotaging your opponents before.  At this point Dave declares it’s time for lunch before the last event the Dumbbell to Shoulder. He had his good buddy Gomez come in with his food truck and he freshly baked the best pizza you’ve ever had and brings it into the gym for us to eat. It’s piping hot and  the tasty aroma just fills the gym. He followed that up with homemade bread pudding with his special whisky sauce. Plus Dave brings in a sampler pack of Sam Adams to just add to the temptation.  The Dino Gym Club was doomed at that point.  Dean ate so much pizza he couldn’t tie his shoes, ole Pops was just sitting on the bench in a food coma, and I was polishing off my second beer.  The whole time Dave just sat in his big chair with a smile on his face not eating a thing!!!!

Great meet and great times!  But now I’m calling for the best of nine.

Meet Results:

2019 USAWA Club Championships
Ledaig Heavy Athletics Club
Rainbow Bend, Kansas
Sunday, December 8th, 2019

Meet Director: Dave Glasgow

Official (1-official System used): Dave Glasgow & Al Myers

Meet Scorekeeper: Al Myers

Meet Caterer: Gomez with his amazing pizza

Lifts: Curl – Cheat, Reverse Grip, Deadlift – 2 Bars, Clean and Jerk – DB, Dumbbell to Shoulder

1. Ledaig Heavy Athletics – 2197.6 Adjusted Points

LIFTER AGE BWT Curl DL C&J DB
Dave Glasgow 66  249.5 160 370 86.5L 134
Eddie Johnson 28  269.5 225 410 139.5L 214
John Douglas 56  310.5 200 310 86.5L 214

2. Dino Gym – 1834.5 Adjusted Points

LIFTER AGE BWT Curl DL C&J DB
Dean Ross 77  236 95 210 30L 80
LaVerne Myers 75 229 120 270 35L 99
Al Myers 53 233 155 450 30L 99

Notes: BWT is bodyweight in pounds.  All lifts recorded in pounds. R and L designate right and left arms. Adjusted Points were calculated using age and bodyweight corrections.

A PLACE TO CALL HOME

BY DAVE GLASGOW

THE WEIGHTROOMS POWER RACK, COMPLETE WITH A GOOD STUMP TO SQUAT TO.

I ENJOY PRIVATE GYMS THE MOST.  MOST PERSONAL GYMS I HAVE BEEN IN HAVE THAT ‘LIVED IN’ FEELING.  THEY ALL HAVE A PERSONALITY OF THEIR OWN.  SOME OF THE MORE RECENT ONES I HAVE BEEN IN ARE FLOYD TRAUB, THOM VAN VLECK AND, OF COURSE, THE MECCA OF THEM ALL, AL’S DINO GYM.

THEY ARE ALL AS YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM THEIR OWNERS.  FLOYD’S SMALL, CONCISE, BASIC.   THOMS IS SMALL BUT CRAMMED WITH LIFTING EQUIPMENT FROM THE PAST AND PRESENT, ALONG WITH MEMORABILIA OF TIMES PAST.  AL’S IS SO JAMMED WITH ITEMS THAT IT IS SOMETIMES HARD TO GET AROUND WHEN THERE IS LIFTING GOING ON!

I SUPPOSE I DIDN’T THINK ABOUT IT UNTIL THOM CAME HOME WITH ME A COUPLE WEEKS AGO FOR A QUICK ‘LOOK SEE’ OF MY PLACE.  WHILE THERE, I NOTICED HIM TAKING A VIDEO OF THE YEAR OLD WEIGHT ROOM I HAVE IN MY TWO YEAR OLD SHOP (YEAH, I’M BRAGGIN’, JUST A LITTLE!).  I WONDERED AT THE TIME WHY HE DID IT BUT I DID’NT SAY ANYTHING TO HIM AT THE TIME.  MAYBE HE WAS PLANNING TO STEAL MY IDEAS!!!

THIS NEW WEIGHT ROOM IS THE CULMINATION OF DECADES OF PRIOR WEIGHTROOMS I HAVE HAD MY STUFF IN.  I TRIED TO COUNT THE PLACES A COUPLE TIMES AND I FINALLY SETTLED ON ELEVEN DIFFERENT SPOTS THAT I COULD RECALL.  THERE HAVE BEEN BARNS, BASEMENTS(ONE IN PARTICULAR REMINDS ME OF A STORY, BUT THAT IS FOR A LATTER TIME), AN OLD V.F.W. HALL, TWO GARAGES, A FORMER BAR (NOW DOJO), WELL, YOU GET THE DRIFT.  JUST ABOUT ANY PLACE THAT SOMEBODY WITH SOME ROOM WOULD LET ME HANG MY HAT. THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT EACH OF THESE DOMAINS WAS THAT EACH HAD THERE OWN LITTLE QUIRKS AND NUANCES.  I HAVE MEMORIES OF EACH OF THESE PLACES THAT I WILL CHUCKLE AT TO THIS DAY.  THE ONE THAT MAKES ME SMILE THE MOST, HOWEVER, INVOLVED MY BOY, DEREK.

WHEN WE HAD THE WEIGHTS IN THE OLD V.F.W. HALL, IT WAS RIGHT NEXT TO A CONVENIENCE STORE.  NOW, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, MY BOY NEVER GAVE TWO HOOTS ABOUT WEIGHTLIFTING (HE WAS 6-7 AT THE TIME), HE DID, HOWEVER, LOVE A SOFT DRINK CALLED ‘CLEARLY CANADIAN’.  IF HE KNEW I WAS HEADED OUT TO LIFT, HE WOULD WANT TO TAG ALONG.  HE WOULD WATCH ME FOR THE HOUR AND A HALF THAT I WORKED OUT, ENTERTAINING HIMSELF IN WHATEVER WAY HE COULD.  THEN, WHEN I WAS FINISHED, HE WOULD RUN TO TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND HEAD FOR THE DOOR.  ABOUT HALF WAY ACROSS THE PARKING LOT, I WOULD HEAR, “DAD, CAN WE GET A CLEARLY CANADIAN?”  IT MAKES ME A LITTLE MISTY EYED TO THINK OF IT BUT HE NEVER FAILED TO GET WHAT HE CAME FOR AND I GOT A CHRISHED MEMORY I  WILL CARRY TILL THE END.  I EVEN TOOK TO MAKING SURE I HAD THE MONIES ENOUGH TO SNAG A COUPLE DRINKS BEFORE I LEFT THE HOUSE EACH TIME.

THE MOST ACTIVE OF THE PREVIOUS DOMICILES WAS IN THE GARAGE OF THE FIRST HOUSE GUNN AND I OWNED.  IT HAD A DIRT FLOOR UNTIL I SAVED UP ENOUGH TO PUT A CONCRETE FLOOR IN IT.  WE ALSO HAD A WOOD STOVE THAT WOULD RUN YOU OUT OF THE PLACE!!   IN THE SUMMER, HOWEVER,  WE WERE ON OUR OWN!!  WE HAD 5 OR 6 GUYS AT ANY ONE TIME AND I LOOKED FORWARD TO EACH SESSION DUE TO THE COMMERADERIE THAT IT PRODUCED.  MOST OF THE GUYS WERE FOOTBALL PLAYERS FROM THE LOCAL COLLEGE BUT WE HAD CONSTRUCTION WORKERS AND OTHER HANGERS ON THAT MADE FOR A ROWDY MIX!

LOCATING THE WEIGHT ROOM IN A DOJO GOT US SOME STRANGE LOOKS AND I LAUGHED MORE THAN ONCE WHEN WE WOULD BE LIFTING AT THE SAME TIME TAE KWON DO CLASSES WERE ABOUT TO START.  THERE WOULD BE LAUGHING, JOKING AND GENERAL ‘GRAB ASSING’ FROM THE STUDENTS UNTIL THEY SAW WE WERE THERE, THEN IT WOULD GET VERY QUET!!!  I HAVE NO IDEA WHY!??

THE ONE THAT CAUSED THE MOST UP-ROAR, HOWEVER, WAS WHEN WE PUT MY GEAR IN A BUDDY’S GARAGE.  HE HAD A THREE BAY SET UP THAT WE WOUND UP USING TWO OF THE BAYS.  THIS CAUSED ALL KINDS OF HELL FROM MY PAL’S WIFE, BECAUSE YOU CAN GUESS WHO’S STALL GOT TAKEN!!  MY PAL WAS A COP, AND HIS REASONING WAS BECAUSE, ONE, HE NEEDED TO STAY IN SHAPE FOR HIS JOB AND, TWO, THERE WAS NO WAY HE COULD LEAVE HIS UNDER COVER COP CAR ON THE STREET!!!  WHICH MEANT HER CAR WAS LEFT OUT IN ALL SORTS OF WEATHER, AND, SEEING AS SHE HAD TO LEAVE FOR WORK VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING, MADE FOR SOME TENSE SITUATIONS!!   I LAUGH AS I WRITE THIS BECAUSE KATHY DIRECTLY BLAMED YOURS TRULY FOR THE INVASION OF “HER SPACE”!  TO MY KNOWLEDGE, SHE STILL HARBORS A CASE OF THE ASS TOWARD ME!!!  (ALTHOUGH, AFTER 25 YEARS, I AM SURE IT IS MOSTLY TONGUE IN CHEEK.)

WHEN THE NEW WEIGHT ROOM WAS BUILT, I KNEW IT WOULD HAVE A FEW STORIES OF IT’S OWN BEFORE IT WAS OVER.  POSSIBLY, THE BEST STORY THAT WILL BE TOLD IS HOW A COUPLE COLLEGE BUDDIES GOT TOGETHER TO BUILD WHAT I HAD ALWAYS DREAMED OF.  I WILL NOT RECOUNT THAT STORY BUT I, MOST CERTAINLY WOULD NOT HAVE IT WERE IT NOT FOR FLOYD TRAUB.  HOW DO YOU REPAY SOMEONE FOR KINDNESSES SUCH AS THAT?? UNLESS THERE IS SOME NATURAL DISASTER, THIS WILL BE THE FINAL RESTING PLACE FOR MY EQUIPMENT. 

BEING A SENTAMENTAL SORT, I CAN’T HELP BUT HONOR ALL THOSE PLACES THAT I HAVE USED FOR MY WEIGHTS AND THE GUYS THAT SHARED THE WORKOUT TIME WITH ME.  I ALSO REMEMBER THE NAME WE GAVE TO THE FIRST PLACE.  SO, TO RECOGNIZE THE PEOPLE AND PLACES THAT HAVE MADE MY WORKOUTS MEMORABLE FOR ALMOST FOUR DECADES, I NAME THIS FINAL WEIGHTROOM, ‘SCRAPIRON WEIGHTHOUSE-#12’, THE CROWN JEWEL OF THE LEDAIG HEAVY ATHLETICS TRAING FACILITY.

My Visit to Ledaig Heavy Athletics

by Thom Van Vleck

Banner that hangs in the Ledaig gym

Recently I got to make my first trip to Ledaig since Dave built his new facility.  This is Dave Glasgow’s family gym.  I say family gym because it belongs to his whole family.  You drive down that road and it’s hard to figure out which “Glasgow” to stop at as each mailbox has that name on it. But if you know Dave and he counts you as a  friend, then you are family, too!  This sits on some family property about 30 miles from Wichita, Kansas but really miles away from anyone!  It is near Rainbow Bend, Kansas and if you can find that then you are right up there with Columbus and Magellan as an explorer.  Dave used to train in a round metal tank that would literally roast you on a hot day.  The frame for the gym was put up years ago, I believe Dave’s Dad had built a metal frame and never finished it.  Dave got it done and there is a gym, shop and garage housed in the large building.  You could park a dozen cars in there if it were cleared out, but Dave has a quarter sectioned off for the gym that is walled in and the rest is full of tools, cars, and projects!

Dave Glasgow cutting some steel rod in his gym to make stakes for Highland Games trigs.

I have been to many gyms overthe years and to me my favorites also include other “manly” pursuits.  My Uncle Phil has a reloading room attached to his gym.  Al Myers has a full scale metal shop in his gym.  Randy Richey (https://www.usawa.com/omega-force-christian-strongman-team/) has one of the coolest gyms I’ve ever seen with the a massive metal shop.   Hard to believe anyone could top Al’s gym, but Randy just might! I can’t top those guys but my gym has a workshop as well. Dave has entered the fray with a huge workshop area with the ability to cut, weld, and shape metal along with working on the two antique corvettes parked in his gym.

Some old school Eleiko bumpers at Ledaig

Another hallmark of a cool gym in my book is to have historical and cool things to lift.  Ledaig has many things, old and new to lift.  I was especially salivating over his Eleiko plates.  They are old and well used, but still cool nonetheless.  Dave has some equipment that he has used for many, many years in his gym and you can just feel the positive “mojo” in there!

If you get a chance to make it to a USAWA meet at Ledaig, it’s worth the journey.  You can fly into Wichita and that gets you close.  But if you drive there just know this:  The cell phone reception is not very good and on more than one occasion I have fielded a call from a lost lifter driving the countryside looking for “Rainbow Bend”.  Be sure you know how to get there!   Because it truly can be one of those places that “you can’t get there from here”!

LEDAIG – CLUB OF THE YEAR

by Al Myers

The Ledaig Heavy Athletics club receiving the USAWA Club of the Year Award.

I was glad to be able to personally present Dave Glasgow and the rest of the Ledaig  “gang”  their USAWA Award for 2012 Club of the Year at the Club Championships last weekend! Congrats to the Ledaig HA!!

Club Championships

by Al Myers

MEET RESULTS
2013 USAWA CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS

 

Group picture from the 2013 USAWA Club Championships.

Thanks to Dave Glasgow of the Ledaig Heavy Athletics Club  the club championships was able to be contested again this year.  Dave agreed to host this Championships since it was cancelled last March due to bad weather. Last weekend was a very big weekend for the Ledaig Club of Rainbow Bend, Kansas.  The club hosted its annual Highland Games on Saturday, threw a big party on Saturday night, and then had this USAWA Championship competition on Saturday.  Dave has hosted his annual event for a few years now, and to make it even more of a special occasion, plans it each year around his birthday.  This year was a memorable year for Dave – and on Sunday at the Club Champs Dave turned 60!  I came bearing a gift – a new 175# Atlas Stone.  I thought this present might be in the running for Dave’s favorite BDAY present, but then when I got there I saw that Dave’s wife Gunner had given him a new 4-wheeler!  I should have taken that as “a sign” for how the day’s competition was going to turn out for the Dino Gym.

Only two USAWA Clubs made an appearance at this year’s Club Championships – the host club Ledaig and the Dino Gym.  As per the standing rules of the Club Championships, each registered club of the USAWA is allowed an entry into this Championship event to recognize the top Clubs in the USAWA.  This is NOT an individual competition, and no individual scores are revealed.  Rather, a total point score of the top 3 club members are added together to form the team club score.  A club may enter more than 3 individuals in the competition if wanted, with the advantage being if someone has an “off day” or gets hurt, another club member can “pick up the slack” and become a scoring member.  I want each club to feel unity in their participation as a club, and either win or lose as a club.  To be eligible to participate with a registered club,  a lifter must be affiliated with the club as outlined on the membership application and the membership roster.

Birthday Boy Dave Glasgow performing a 315 pound Zercher Lift.

Well, Club Ledaig came into this with 7 participating club members to the Dino Gym’s 3.   I felt outnumbered and over-gunned  from the start.  I felt my Dino team was solid (Chad Ullom, Dean Ross, and LaVerne Myers), but so was the Ledaig club.  The heavy hitter Larry Traub made the trip from Louisville (2011 OVERALL Best Lifter from the National Championships), so I knew they were going to have a good addition to their clubs points with Larry lifting. This past year Dave built a big new shed and relocated his gym.  This was the inaugural USAWA event in the new facility.  His gym is a perfect setup for all round lifting, and for hosting a meet of this size.  There was plenty of space to move around and warmup for the days lifting.   Club Ledaig has as many (or more!) USAWA members than any other club, and it seemed like most were in attendance (Dave, Larry Traub, Amber Glasgow, Mike Murdock, Kenny Glasgow, Jera Kressly, Doug Kressly, and Logan Kressly). 

By the time the last Peoples Deadlift was completed  (Larry’s 640), I pretty much knew that the Dino Gym was going to be in second place.  We have won the overall best club at the past three Club Championships, but all things come to an end.  The final score was: 

1.  Ledaig Heavy Athletics – 3308.2 pts

Competing members:  Mike Murdock, Larry Traub, Dave Glasgow, Kenny Glasgow, Jera Kressly, Logan Kressly, Amber Glasgow

2.  Dino Gym – 2569.1 pts

Competing members:  Chad Ullom,  Dean Ross, LaVerne Myers

My hat is off to Dave Glasgow and the Ledaig HAC.  Congrats to them on their BIG WIN at the Club Championships, and for all the hard work they did to put on the competition. I would have to say that has to be the best birthday present any club leader could receive from his club members!

MEET RESULTS:

USAWA Club Championships
July 14th, 2013
Ledaig Athletic Club
Rainbow Bend, Kansas

Meet Director:  Dave Glasgow

Announcer & Scorekeeper:  Al Myers

Official (1 official system used):  Al Myers

Loaders:  Everyone present!

Lifts: Zercher Lift, Bench Press – Fulton Bar, Peoples Deadlift

1.  Ledaig Heavy Athletic Club – 3308.2 points

LIFTER AGE BWT Zercher BP-FB Peoples
Mike Murdock  73  199    135  
Larry Traub  59  201  375  275  640
Dave Glasgow  60  250  315  265  475
Kenny Glasgow  76  218  225  130  345
Jera Kressly  28  230  250  150  385
Logan Kressly  15  167  245  175  385
Amber Glasgow  34  149  190  105  300

 2.  Dino Gym – 2569.1 points

LIFTER AGE BWT Zercher BP-FB Peoples
Dean Ross  70  266  250  185  405
Chad Ullom  41  252  415  310  605
LaVerne Myers  69  249  175  140  315

EXTRA ATTEMPTS FOR RECORD

Jera Kressly: Peoples Deadlift 405
Logan Kressly:  Peoples Deadlift 395

NOTES:  AGE is age in years.  BWT is bodyweight in pounds.

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