USAWA

Any bar may be used in this lift, which may include the Heavy Lift Bar. The bar is supported on stands or a rack at waist height. The lifter assumes a position with the bar in front of the lifter. The feet must be parallel and in line with the torso. Width of feet placement is optional. The feet must not move during the lift, but the heels and toes may rise. The lifter is allowed to grip the bar with any grip, and may also have a specially adapted belt attached directly to the bar or connected by a chain. The lifter may perform the lift without the use of this belt. The lift begins at the lifter’s discretion. The lifter is allowed one test lift to check the balance of the weight and to make adjustments to the chain length or height of the support stands. The lifter will stand and lift the weight or bar clear of the stands or rack. The shoulders and torso do not have to be upright upon the finish of the lift. The legs must straighten, but the knees do not need to be locked. Once the weight is motionless, and the plates on both ends of the bar are off the supports at the same time, an official will give a command to end the lift.

I have been interested in the Travis Lift for over a year. I reached out on the USAWA Forum and had several responses. Most of the responses were words of warning. Being physically attached to weights from 900-2000 pounds that could travel 3 feet before coming to rest on the ground can obviously end badly.

Reviewing the records list, brave souls have taken this on three different times: Ambridge RD 1990 (1), Dino Gym Challenge 2006 (15), and Florida RD 2015 (2)

• Women’s Records:
  • Kirstie Griffis – 520 (Dino Gym Challenge 2006)
  • Misty Fritz – 520 (Dino Gym Challenge 2006)
  • Mary McConnaughey – 740 (Dino Gym Challenge 2006)
• Men’s Records:
  • Theo Prior – 705 (2015 Florida RD)
  • Kent Longbine – 880 (Dino Gym Challenge 2006)
  • Derek Prior – 585 (2015 Florida RD)
  • Layne Burnett – 1200 (Dino Gym Challenge 2006)
  • David Suttle – 1200 (Dino Gym Challenge 2006)
  • Rick Newton – 1200 (Dino Gym Challenge 2006)
  • Joe Garcia – 2000 (Dino Gym Challenge 2006)
  • Dean Ross – 1200 (Dino Gym Challenge 2006)
  • Howard Prechtel – 1815 (RD Ambridge 1990)
  • Rudy Bletscher – 740 (Dino Gym Challenge 2006)
  • Tim Pinkerton – 1200 (Dino Gym Challenge 2006)
  • Kurt Pholman – 1000 (Dino Gym Challenge 2006)
  • Bret Carter – 1600 (Dino Gym Challenge 2006)
  • Eric Todd – 2000 (Dino Gym Challenge 2006)
  • Josh Hettinger – 1200 (Dino Gym Challenge 2006)

Taking this lift on requires (1) an attachment to a belt (2) a platform or pins to pull from and (3) enough plates to test a 1RM.

I fashioned an attachment from leather that I had left over from another project.  I was planning on running chain from the belt attachment to a normal Olympic barbell.

For the platform, my blocks were not tall enough, so I set up a barbell on the safety stops of my squat rack.  This seemed a little sketchy.  If the weights got heavy enough or I missed a lift badly enough, the whole squat rack could just tip over.

The weights are an obvious frustration also.  With a crew of lifters, setting up a heavy lift is not so bad.  At home, it is much harder to get all of the plates out and put them away than it is to perform the lift.

I worked my way up from 135 and spent every 90-pound increment fiddling with the connection to the belt.  Whenever I thought I had it right and added more weight, the belt attachment felt too long.  When the attachment is too long, you have to hold tighter with your hands.  I eventually topped at 525 pounds.

525 pounds is not heavy.  Many athletes my size can deadlift that without issue.  For me, my grip is probably done somewhere around 400 pounds and the belt attachment bought me another 125 pounds.

What lifts have you been trying lately?  Consider submitting an article for the USAWA website!