Author Archives: Al Myers

The James Lift

by Al Myers

Chad Ullom performing a James Lift with 125 pounds at the 2009 Dino Gym Challenge.

Recently, the James Lift has been receiving some attention in the USAWA.   At my Dino Gym Records Day a couple of months ago Bryan Benzel put up a big lift of 159 pounds.  It has also been discussed in the USAWA Discussion Forum.   This lift has not been contested very much in the USAWA, with the only actual meet it has been in was the 2009 Dino Gym Challenge.   It is a judges nightmare when it comes to the commands for this lift.  A total of FOUR COMMANDS must be given from the head official to properly execute this lift!  I believe this is the most commands for a single lift of all the official lifts in the USAWA Rule Book.  Lets do a review of the Rules for the James Lift:

A27.  James Lift

This lift combines a clean, press, and front squat.  First a clean is done according to the rules of the Clean. Once in the finishing position of the clean, an official will give a command to squat. Once in the bottom front squat position, as defined by the rules of the Squat, an official will give a command to press. The press is performed while maintaining a squat position of legal depth. The rules of the Press apply as defined in the rules of the Clean and Press. Once the bar is overhead, an official will give the lifter a command to lower the bar back to the chest. Once the bar is back to the chest, and at the lifter’s own discretion, the lifter will finish the squat according to the rules of the Front Squat. Once standing, the lifter will receive a command from an official to lower the bar to the platform. The lift ends when the bar is returned to the platform under control by the lifter.

It was brought up in the Discussion Forum why there are not IAWA World Records for this lift.  The reason is simple – the James Lift is NOT an official IAWA lift. It was first contested in the USAWA in the  postal series of 2001.  From my research, it appears this lift originated from the English All Round lifting promoter & weightlifter Tony Cook.  The first rules for the James Lift were written by him for a postal challenge between his gym and Clarks Gym in 1999.  Interestingly, his rules titled this lift the James Squat and Press, as well as including another lift in a slightly deviated form – the James Squat and Press behind Neck.  However, I have read stories of past weightlifters (way before this time) that performed this lift (but never in an official competition with set rules).  When I first heard of this lift, I thought it was probably a lift that Bill named after making longtime Clarks Gym member James Foster do it as an experiment in a training session.  But the person it is really named remains a mystery to me, and if anyone knows more behind this story please let me know. 

Another thing I found very interesting is that this lift was never officially adopted as an USAWA lift, but rather became “grandfathered in”  in subsequent Rule Books.  I have reread all of the Annual USAWA minutes and NO WHERE  is the James Lift mentioned as being presented for official lift status and voted on by the membership for approval. 

I will be very curious to see if Bryan can break the 200 pound barrier in the James Lift this year.  From his obvious great pressing ability and his remarkable shoulder flexibility for a big guy I predict that he will!!

TOP USAWA RECORD LIFTS IN THE JAMES LIFT

LIFTER CLASS DATE EVENT WEIGHT
Ed Schock 105 12/1/2002 USAWA Postal 160#
Bryan Benzel 125+ 2/12/2012 Dino RD 159#
Jason Weigle 110 12/15/2001 USAWA Postal 150#
Ed Schock 100 12/15/2001 USAWA Postal 150#
John Monk 75 12/1/2002 USAWA Postal 140#

The following is an addendum by Roger Davis from the USAWA Discussion Forum.  Roger futher describes how the James Lift originated.  I want to include his comments in this blog as they complete the historical review of the James Lift.

“As for origins (of the Name anyway) , it was a lift created by Tony Cook around 1999 in honour of his gym member Paul James, who used to show off his shoulder flexibility after making a clean by pressing the bar overhead and maintaining the full squat, all the others who tried it fell flat on their arses much to the mirth of Paul.  I think Paul was good for about 70kg on this, his press being the limiting factor not his flexibility.  The complete lift got a bit complicated, you had to clean the bar, front squat, hold the full squat position, press, complete the squat and then return the bar to the floor, thinking about the order was harder than teh actual lift !!!  This was competed in a BSAG comp, where I managed about 60kg.

regards,   just thought you would like to know the origin of the name.  Roger Davis”

Olympic Champion Stanley Stanczyk

by Dennis Mitchell

Stanley Stanczyk posing for a picture in the March 1947 issue of Strength and Health. The caption under his picture stated that he was "one of the most perfectly developed of present day weightlifters".

Stanley Stanczyk was born May 10, 1925 in Armstrong Wisconsin.  When he was one year old his family moved to Detroit Michigan.  Even as a child he was stronger than the other children his age.  At the age of nine he joined the Detroit Boys Club where he participated in acrobatics, tumbling, wrestling, boxing, and swimming.  Even though the club had weightlifting equipment the young boys were not allowed to use it. Stan used Charles Atlas’s course, and when no one was looking he would sneak into the weight room and do a few lifts and leave before anyone would see him.  When some of the older lifters did see him and saw how much he was lifting he was allowed to start training.

Johnny Krill, a former 126 Lb. Jr. National champion helped Stan by teaching him the three Olympic lifts, and setting up a training program for him. Right from the start he was a persistent and determined lifter. Along with the Olympic lifts he would do presses behind neck, rowing motion, push ups, reverse curls, shoulder shrugs, sit ups, and squats.  At that time he was told to do squats only once a week.  It was believed that squats would make you slow.  However, Stan said that he felt squats made him feel stronger and managed to do them at every workout. When getting ready for a contest he would concentrate on the three Olympic lifts in order to perfect his style.

In May of 1943 Stan went into the Army.  He served in the Pacific where he received the Purple Heart award.  When not fighting on the front lines he tried to stay in shape by using barbells that he and some other lifters had made out of boiler plates.  Somehow he managed to lug his weights with him as he traveled across the Pacific.  After his discharge from the army in late 1945, he took a third place in the 1946 Sr. National meet as a middle weight behind Frank Spellman, and John Terpak.  He did however set a National record in the clean and jerk with 333.5 Lbs.  In the 1946 North American meet he did take a first place, and defeated both Frank Spellman, and John Terpak.  It was at this time that Stan joined the York Barbell Club and trained for the 1946 world meet to be held in Paris France.  He lifted as a lightweight and did a 231.5 press, 253.5 snatch, and a 325.25 clean and jerk, to win by a 44.25 Lb. margin over second place lifter, Swietillo of Russa. His total of 810.25 Lbs. was a new world record.  After the 1946 world meet Stan moved up to the middle weight class. In 1947 he continued setting records with a 273.5 Snatch world record, and a 341 National record in the Clean and Jerk. In 1947 at the world meet he pushed his Snatch record to 288 Lbs. and the Clean and Jerk to 352.5 lbs.  He also tied the world Press record with 259 Lbs.  He was voted the best lifter in the world pound for pound.

Stan still had one more goal, to become an Olympic champion.  This he accomplished at the 1948 Olympics, where he set a record of 292 in the Snatch. He however refused the record stating that the lift was not good because his knee touched the platform.  He later received the Sullivan award for his good sportsmanship. It was also at this meet he was timed as the fastest moving athlete in the Olympics  Stan also trained for bodybuilding and won the Mr.Miami, All South, and the Mr Florida physique titles.

While living in Florida, Stan and his partner opened a bowling ally.  Due to the AAU rules he had to be a silent partner or he would have been called a professional athlete.  He continued his lifting.  Along with his bowling he continued to win world meets as a light heavy weight,in 1950 and in 1951. He also won the 1951 Pan American meet.  In bowling he won city, and state meets, and bowled a perfect 300 game.  For a short time in 1955 he and his partner ran a gym, but concentrated on their bowling ally,  bar and restaurant business. Stan later bought out his partner and ran the business for twenty seven years.

Stans last lifting contest was in 1957 where he lifted in the new 225 Lb. class, and took a third place using the squat style instead of his usual split style.
Stans was having some health problems and passed away July 3,1997.

John Patterson

by Al Myers

Al Myers (left) with the legendary Australian weightlifter John Patterson (right).

At the 2011 IAWA World Championships in Perth, Australia I met a very interesting and eccentric Australian weightlifter, John Patterson.  I had previously heard stories about John, so I was very intrigued to visit with him firsthand and ask him questions.  John has spent a large amount of time living in the outback, surviving off the land alone.  He is the closest person I have ever met that I would say resembles “Crocodile Dundee” from the popular movie years ago.  He has always had his weights with him, and continued to train by himself in the remote wilderness.  The second day of the meet John brought several pictures for me to look at that were taken when he was younger and in PRIME CONDITION. It was obvious to me from the pictures that he was a VERY STRONG man.  I only wish I could have gotten copies of these pictures so I could share them in this story – but just as John is, they were “one of a kinds” and the original print!

This & That

by Al Myers

I have several topics I want to talk about briefly today to give everyone updates on USAWA issues.

NATIONALS

As most know, June 30th is the day for our National Championships in Las Vegas.  I have received a few entries, but would appreciate it if those planning on attending send me their registrations as soon as possible.  I have the tshirts and awards designed, but need to give an absolute count to the trophy shop before long so these things can be made.  Also, our host hotel is the Silverton and they still have good rates, so get your room reserved soon.

GODDARD POSTAL

The deadline for participation for the first leg of the Goddard Postal is the end of April.  This postal meet will be the World Postal Meet for 2012.  Let it be our goal to have the USAWA well represented.

ONLINE STORE

The USAWA online store has been a great success.  I have sent out many orders so far and I’m about ready to order a restock.  I am thinking of adding a line item or two, so if anyone has any ideas for a new promotional item please drop me an email.

CLUB CERTIFICATES

I have just added the 2012 Club Certificates for all member clubs to the Club Roster.  These are pdf’s that you can download and print off to hang in your club’s gym.

SANCTION REQUESTS

This is a reminder that ALL sanction requests must be sent to me AT LEAST 6 weeks prior to a planned event.  This is stipulated in the USAWA rules.  From now on I will make no exceptions.

JOE McCOY

Last night I had a long phone conversation with longtime all-rounder, Joe McCoy.  Joe has had some ill-health these past couple of years, but now he is back to good health and has moved back to his farm.   He told me that he plans to get back into weight training and start promoting meets again next fall.

Apollons Lift

by Al Myers

Bryan Benzel, of Jobes Steel Jungle, performing an Apollons Lift with 355 pounds at the latest OTSM competition, the Battle in the Barn. Will Bryan be the first USAWA lifter to surpass the mighty Apollons lift of 366 pounds? I predict YES!!

The Apollons Lift was one of the very first OTSM lifts approved in the USAWA.  This lift is intended to honor the late French Strongman Louis Uni, aka Apollon.  In his strongman stage acts he had his Challenge  “Apollon’s Wheels” which he could lift but no one else could. The wheels were railcar train wheels connected with a two inch shaft.  This event is regularly contested in strongman competitions under differing rules, but we are the only organization that offers it as a official lifting event under consistent rules.

Apollon was a very interesting oldtime strongman.  He lived from 1862 to 1928.  He was a big man, standing 6’3″ and weighing around 300 pounds. As a young man he first was employed with a circus as an animal trainer.  It is said he was the only man the big cats were afraid of.  His deep rough voice mixed with his menacing stare and large frame would back the tigers down.  He would often get “right in the middle” of the tigers and grab the alpha tiger by the neck and drag him around just to show his dominance over them.  This lead to his first strongman act in which he would carry a huge tiger over his shoulder in the circus performance.

One of his most famous strongman feats (along with lifting his famous Challenge Wheels) involved a show in which he was to escape from a cell with iron bars.  He would bend the bars with his bare hands and crawl out. He did this performance night after night.  Each time the bars would have to be restraightened for the next nights performance.  One time a local blacksmith not only straightened the bars but TEMPERED THEM to increase their strength.  Whether this was done intentional or not remains a mystery.  Apollon tried and tried to bend the bars to escape but it was beyond his abilities until his wife started yelling at him to “quit being lazy and start acting like a real man”.  This must have infuriated him as it is told that sweat was pouring from his brow and his veins were popping out of his neck as he proceeded to bend the bars and escape.  I can relate to that –  wives have a way of doing things like that to their husbands!

All the lifts within our list of Old Time Strongman Events honor an old time strongman like Apollon.  This is our way of keeping stories like these alive. This would be a good time to remind everyone about the USAWA mission statement:

MISSION STATEMENT

The USAWA was formed to continue the long standing tradition of old-time weightlifters like Eugen Sandow, Louis Cyr, Arthur Saxon, Hermann Goerner, Warren Lincoln Travis, and many others. We strive to preserve the history of the original forms of weightlifting, which in the past has been referred to as “odd lifting”. Many of the lifts we perform are based on stage acts or challenge lifts of old-time strongmen.

I really feel that our development of the Old Time Strongman as a branch of the USAWA is fulfilling this statement.

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