Category Archives: USAWA Daily News

Peoples Deadlift

by Al Myers

Bob Peoples demonstrating a high-pick deadlift in his homemade power rack.

Coming up soon will be the first USAWA Old Time Strongman Meet of the year, the “BATTLE IN THE BARN”, hosted by Eric Todd on March 25th.  His meet will include a couple of  approved OTSM lifts (Apollons Lift & Goerner Stroll), one traditional All Round Lift (Crucifix) and a new exhibition OTSM Lift – the Peoples Deadlift.   This lift has already been submitted to be considered and voted on as a new OTSM Official Lift.  It is also on the lift agenda for the OTSM Championships held next fall.  So this lift looks to be well-represented this year in the OTSM series!

Most lifters will recognize right away who this OTSM lift is named after. It is after the great deadlifter Bob Peoples.  He was way ahead of his time in regards to new training techniques for the deadlift.  Peoples is often credited for pioneering the Power Rack.  Of course, his results speak for themselves. The training ideas he used gave him a deadlift of 728 pounds at a bodyweight of 178 pounds back in the 40s.  I think it is only appropriate that a deadlift utilizing the power rack should be named after him. Most of his training ideas are outlined in a book he wrote titled, “Developing Physical Strength”.  This book is a must-read for any lifter.

Two of Peoples training ideas for the deadlift involved, 1. use of the power rack to pull from higher points, and 2. use of negatives in the deadlift.  When Thom Van Vleck proposed the Peoples Deadlift we discussed which of these ideas should be emphasized in naming a lift after him. One idea we about went with involved a deadlift where the bar started at the top position and then lowered to the floor till it touched, and then brought back to lockout. Bob commonly trained in this manner, as it involved a negative followed by a deadlift which often included being bounced from the floor. I want to relate a story about this by Bob Peoples friend and great lifter himself  Bob Hise, “Some of Bob’s training methods were unique. He built a bouncing platform of two oak 2×12″ boards, 8″ long, nailed barbell width apart on 4×4 timbers underneath at each end. By using the lift on his tractor (extending a lowering/raising mechanism which he could operate by placing his head against the actuator) 800 pounds, would be lifted to an upright extended position, and he would lower this, with a bounce, and attempt to get the bar to his knees. This would build great starting strength.”

However, Thom and I decided that the high-pick deadlift out of the power rack would be a better lift named after Bob Peoples for a couple of reasons. First it represented the use of a power rack in a lift (since Peoples pioneered the power rack), and we felt it was a safer lift. Second, the high pick deadlift (18″ deadlift) is a common height trained by strongman now a days (often called the Silver Dollar Deadlift in Strongman competitions).  This would lead itself to an OTSM lift that more lifters and strongmen would understand and relate to.

RULES FOR THE PEOPLES DEADLIFT

Peoples Deadlift – This is a partial deadlift, where the bar height must not be over 18″ from the platform (measured from the bottom of the bar). The plates or bar may be supported on stands, rack supports,  or blocks to obtain this height. The lifter must have the bar in front of the legs, as in a normal deadlift. Lifting straps or any other gripping aid is not allowed. It is NOT an infraction to drag the bar up the legs, bounce the bar up the legs, or support the bar on the legs during the lift (hitching). A one minute time limit is allowed for the lifter to make a legal lift, during which time a lifter may make multiple tries. Once the lifter is totally upright and the bar motionless, an official will give the command to end the lift.

One Hand Swing

by Roger LaPointe

Roger LaPointe, of Atomic Athletic, performing a dumbbell swing with an "old school" Jackson 80# globe dumbbell at the Ambridge Barbell Club.

Quick lifts seem to be all the rage right now, for good reason.

The One Hand Dumbbell Swing is one explosive lift you do not see a lot of, but you are really missing out if you aren’t doing it. It was one of the contest lifts in Ambridge, PA last weekend, at the Ambridge Barbell Club USAWA (All-Round) weightlifting meet.

First of all, the guys in that organization are a treasure trove of information. I had been casually training the lift for about a month. The deeper I looked at it and experimented with it, the more interesting it became. As with many All-Round Association events, I came out of the meet with a far greater understanding of the lift than when I went in. You may have noticed, that I tend to repeat lifts from one meet to the next. The idea is that in a 6 month period of time, you can then have two contests where you can show some improvement from the first to the second.

EQUIPMENT

To start with, you want to lift on the most appropriate equipment. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive, but there are certain key factors to consider. Now, my favorite dumbbell at the meet was the one I used for my final attempt, which was a good one. However, if I were trying to set a record, or push my absolute limit, I would NOT have used that dumbbell. I like that dumbbell because it was an antique Jackson solid, globe head, dumbbell. It was down right cool. Yet, the grip area was much too long and unknurled.

Ideally, you want a rotating Olympic sized plate loading dumbbell with a handle that is similar diameter to an Olympic barbell. I have one in my collection that measures 1 1/4 inches in diameter and it is simply too big. The goal of a swing is not just to work your grip. A swing should be a test of your back, hips and traps. You also need to have very solid collars. There is no way I would trust little spring collars or something made of plastic. I use leather lined Spin-Lock Collars that you can crank down on.

TECHNIQUE

1. Make sure you get a good grip. I also like to have the thumb side of my hand cranked in tight to the inside collar.
2. Don’t do too many swings, three should be enough. More than that and you are wasting energy and explosiveness. With your final swing you want to go up more than out with a genuine triple extension.
3. Don’t forget you can also drop under it and catch it in a split. There will be more looping of the dumbbell than in a snatch, so you will want to practice the split. You could could catch it in a quarter squat type movement, but you will probably have to jump backward to receive the dumbbell. That is possibly stronger, but chancy. I started off using that method, because of my Olympic lifting background. While that swing split is certainly different from a barbell jerk split, I am gradually switching and adapting to it.
4. Finally, lock your shoulder right into the side of your head. There is a really cool screw type motion that makes it stunningly solid.

Finally, if you are not already doing full barbell Olympic weightlifting, then start. The application of that type of training to the One Hand Dumbbell Swing is so obvious as to not even warrant discussion.

Have fun. Today is a good day to lift. Live strong.

Adam Glass and the Inch Dumbbell

by Al Myers

Adam Glass lifting the Inch Dumbbell with cans balancing on each globe!

The weekend of the Minnesota All Round Meet I met one of the strongest GRIP GUYS I have ever met.  Possibly the strongest.  I have seen his FB pictures and YouTube Videos of some of his grip feats beforehand, and was impressed, but nothing is like seeing it firsthand.  In fact, I even kidded Adam that I didn’t really believe his UNBELIEVABLE grip lifts until now (and I was just kiddin).  Also, I am a hard one to impress with grip feats of strength because I have seen some of the best in action in the Dino Gym before – guys like Andrew Durniat, Ben Edwards, Matt Graham, to name a few. I have an IronMind Inch Dumbbell Replica in the Dino Gym that has been lifted by 5 guys (Matt Graham, John Conners, Matt Vincent, Dave Brown, and Andrew Durniat) so it’s not like I haven’t seen this done before. But the things Adam Glass did with the Inch Dumbbell are things I have NEVER seen before, and I would question if there are very many people in the World who could even replicate these feats of his.

Picking up an Inch Dumbbell in each hand and going for a walk was easy for Adam!

I’ll leave the history and description of the Thomas Inch Dumbbell for another story.  I want this story to be about the things I witnessed Adam perform with the Inch Dumbbell.  First of all, I want to tell a little bit about him before I start with “the meat” of the story.  When I got to The Movement early Saturday morning for the competition he was the only one in the gym at the time. He was tidying things up for the days meet.  Very friendly first impression.  He didn’t seem built like some of the monster “grip guys” I have meant in the past – taller than me, but not a huge frame like guys like Mark Felix.  But I did notice his very long fingers and hands when I shook his hand.  Also, he didn’t try to “bad ass” me with his handshake (cause he could if he wanted – he has closed the #3COC gripper!).  Just a firm shake and friendly welcome.  

The first thing he did was lift the Inch with two cans balanced on top of the globes.  I didn’t think there would be a chance that the cans would stay on – but they did!  Anyone who has tried to pick up the Inch (which I have over a 100 times with no success) will know that the rotation of the db is the first thing that will get ya. It’s not that the Inch DB is that heavy (It only weighs 172#), but with the thick handle it immediately starts to roll out of your hand.  The act of balancing cans on top and STAY tells me that Adam didn’t allow ANY ROTATION.  Plus another difficulty with this feat is that you can’t tip the dumbbell to any degree (which does aid in lifting it quite a bit).  He lifted it straight up perfectly parallel to the floor, and even held it while I took a picture!!!  Lets just say I was impressed with that, but things got even better later on.

Another thing he did is carry two Inch Dumbbells at the same time.  I have seen this done before a couple of times, but not after a day of lifting and lifting the Inch numerous times beforehand.  He carried the Dumbbells over 30 feet easily – we never measured anything so that is just an estimate. But regardless, I’m sure if he did this “fresh” he could have went much farther.

The last stunt he did with the Inch DB is the one that impressed me the most. He picked up the Inch with his right hand and then let it go and CAUGHT it with his left hand while the dumbbell was in the air!!  That may be the most impressive feat I have ever heard of with the Inch DB!  I would like to know if anyone else in the World can do that.  I didn’t get a picture of that because it happened so fast, but Adam does have YouTube Videos online so you can watch him doing it.  I checked the Inch DB he was using and this is the real deal. Not like how old Thomas Inch would pull a “switch a roo” in his exhibitions by having lighter Inch Dumbbells of the same size secretly substituted in and portraying them as the heavy one!  

One last thing I want to say about Adam Glass.  He is the “total package” when it comes to grip strength.  I have seen grip guys who have specialities in which they excel, but Adam is strong at all grip stuff.  He a certified Red Nail Bender, as well as an exceptional pinch gripper and round stock lifter (I should mention that he broke Andrew Durniat’s and Ben Edward’s record in the 2″ VB lift).  He doesn’t appear to have any weak links in his grip game to me.  I am glad to see someone of his caliber become a member of the USAWA!!!

Divisions, Awards & Records

by Al Myers

The other day I wrote a blog about the USAWA scoring system, and how using it is an “unwritten policy” of the USAWA because it is not detailed in the Rulebook but is the common way the USAWA has ALWAYS scored meets.  Today I’m going to cover another topic that has several  “unwritten policies” that applies to divisions, awards, and records.  I know there has been some confusion on this because lately I have received a few emails asking questions on it. I will make references to the USAWA Rulebook whenever possible, but “lots of stuff” is not outlined in the Rulebook with specific details.  Instead, it is just “common knowledge” amongst experienced USAWA members.  I will also “throw in” a few opinions of my own in this story as it relates to these matters.

First, the USAWA recognizes four main age groups with subdivisions.  This comes straight from the Rulebook:

II. 3.  The USAWA will recognize four main age groups:

  • Junior – This includes lifters who have not reached their 20th birthday.   Junior age groups may be further split into smaller age groups. These include 13 and under, 14-15, 16-17, and 18-19.
  • Senior – This includes lifters who have reached their 20th birthday, but have not reached their 40th birthday.
  • Open – This includes lifters who are 20 years of age or older.
  • Master – This includes lifters who are 40 years of age or older. Master age groups may be further split into smaller age groups.  These include 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, and will continue each 5 years to infinity.

These are the age groups which MAY be offered in any USAWA competitions.  No where in the Rulebook does it say a meet director MUST offer each of these age group (and subdivisions).  In fact, most USAWA competitions do not offer ANY of these age group categories in meets.  Small meets competitors just typically compete against everyone, with the ranking determined by the Scoring System which I outlined the other day. However at big competitions (like the USAWA National Championship) these age groups may be offered because awards are given for BEST LIFTERS within these different groupings. That is really the only reason age groupings are included at meets – for the awards.  It is silly to advertise age groupings if it doesn’t mean anything, ie offering age group categories but NOT giving out awards in them.  By now, some have noticed that the 2012 National Championships is offering these age groupings: Junior, Senior, and Master for both Men and Women. Our Rulebook clearly spells out that Men and Women have seperate divisions:

II. 1.  Competitions are to be organized for both men and women.

You will notice that the OPEN age group is not included at Nationals this year.  This age grouping has been included at times in the past at Nationals.  Now is the time for me to “get on my soapbox” during this story and explain my views on why I’m NOT OFFERING the open division. First of all, of ALL these four age groupings, there is only one that is redundant (already represented in other age groupings) and THAT is the open age group. The “open” age group is solely the combination of the Senior age group and the Master age group.  This is where the problem arises.  By having the open age group for awards (in place of the Senior Age Group), it allows lifters in the Masters age group to win their Master Awards as well  as the open awards, thus “taking awards away” from those lifters in the Senior 20-39 age group.  I call this DOUBLE DIPPING.  Of course, the Master lifters lose their age percent adjustment to do this, but STILL CAN win these awards.  Offering the Senior Age Group (instead of an open age group) for awards eliminates the possibility of this happening.  Now – I know what several of you are saying right now! And that is” if a Master is good enough without their age point bonus they SHOULD win these awards!” After all – being an “old guy” shouldn’t be an advantage – Right???? Well, I can tell you that this is making the assumption that age is NOT an advantage.  I know I am better in several of the all round lifts now at the age of 45 than I was at the age of 35, because I have had the many years experience of learning the correct way of performing the lifts. Am I stronger now? No – but I’m just “better” at some of the difficult all round lifts because I have had more years of practice time.  So I would argue that lifters of Master Age MIGHT at times have an advantage over novice Senior lifters – thus why the Senior Age Group should be recognized by itself.  Every other age group is recognized by itself – why should lifters in the 20-39 age group be discriminated against???

The USAWA is not like most other lifting organizations. We are not a “for profit” business and NO ONE makes a profit from putting on a meet. Our meet promoters are NOT professional meet promoters.  I know a few PL meet promoters who make their living “running meets”, and like any business, need to make money to continue.  I sure don’t fault them for this. But in the USAWA if a meet director “breaks even” on meets that is the norm.  I have been to powerlifting meets in the past where one could enter multiple divisions if they wanted to.  I never did this because I thought it was foolish.  It is just a “marketing ploy” on the meet directors part to “up sale the entries” for more profit.  After all, it makes perfect business sense to allow one lifter to pay several entry fees so they could win lots of awards.    Add in American Records for each of these divisions and then you really “sweeten the pot” to sucker more lifters in with this sales pitch.  I’ve seen lifters walk out of these meets carrying more weight in awards than their max squat and “bragging” on the 12 American Records they just set over the course of the 6 divisions they entered!!!  Who do they think they are kidding here?  But the lifters are happy with their boughten fame and the meet directors smiling with his fat pockets.

I’m glad the USAWA doesn’t operate like that. A meet director should charge what is needed to finance a meet with one entry fee per lifter and not rely on “tricking” the lifters into more fees.  Also, no one is “buying” a record in a special division in the USAWA.  If you enter a meet and set a record – YOU SET A RECORD!  No where in the Rulebook does it say you must be “entered” in that division or age group (and have paid an entry fee for it) to set a record in that division.  Lifters have set overall (or open) records in the past without ever being officially entered in these divisions. That’s the precident which has been set long before now. This comes AGAIN straight from the Rulebook:

V. 8.  Records will be kept for men and women in all weight classes within subgroups of the Junior and Master age groups. Overall records will be kept for men and women in all weight classes, and will include all age groups.  

Now I’m not saying that is how the records are being kept now -but this line in the Rulebook CLEARLY outlines how the records SHOULD be kept.  It does not say “open records” are kept, but that OVERALL records are kept.  This means the OVERALL best record within all age groupings – Junior, Senior and Master.  Think of it as the ULTIMATE weight class record, because it is the BEST ever done in the weight class, of all ages.  And I’ll say it again – you DO NOT have to pay a special fee at a meet to get this record!

As you can tell I am not in favor of the open age group.   From now on any meet I’m promoting WILL NOT include this age grouping. Of course, if other meet promoters want to have it in their meet that is their right.  The USAWA will not tell you what awards to give out – that’s your job as the meet promoter.  But don’t count on me entering your open age group (in addition to the Masters) to give you a few extra dollars! I’ll always think that’s a scam as well as unfair to the Senior Age Class lifters.

I welcome any rebuttals to to my opinions on this subject.

Club Challenge

by John McKean

MEET RESULTS
USAWA CLUB CHALLENGE: RITE OF SPRING

Group picture from 2012 USAWA Club Challenge. (front left to right): Rudy Bletscher, John McKean, Roger LaPointe, Art Montini (back left to right): Chad Ullom, Al Myers, Scott Schmidt, Denny Habecker, Andy Root

For me the first REAL day of Spring began with the bright, beaming smiles of Scott, Denny, Al, Chad, and Rudy as they bounded into the cave-like Ambridge VFW gym to get Art & me out of hibernation! Heck, just the day before it still looked like a typical Western Pennsylvania winter, with gray skies, wind, and snow flurries! Yet the Saturday team challenge had nothing but warming sunshine and crisp, crystal blue skies, which seemed to shout “Get off your lazy butts, it’s time for renewed vigor, a day for record setting!”

First in was an always energetic Roger LaPointe of the Atomic Athletic club from Bowling Green, Ohio. Rog presented each of us with outstanding “old tyme” posters of his upcoming Heavy Lift Championships in May, and was the “early bird” (no, we didn’t give him a worm!) onto the lifting platform. Roger wanted to “warm up” for the main team event by performing a series of record lifts of his specialties with various Olympic style lifts. As usual, his form was crisp and snappy, even inspiring this old achy author to wake up and get in a few records to alert my aging excuse of a body that serious activity was just ahead !

Despite a local bridge having just been closed, Art and Denny zoomed over to the Pittsburgh airport to fetch Al, Chad, and Rudy. Promptly at 11:50 the 3 Kansas stalwarts popped out of the gates, took the speedy drive (Art was at the wheel!) over the Ohio River, and set a new team record in getting ready to lift in the locker room. I swear they flew over in their singlets and warmed up on the jet! (These guys KNOW how to prepare for away meets – they seem to travel somewhere every weekend!).

Club Challenge Meet Director John McKean performing a one arm dumbbell swing of 55 pounds.

Andy Root, from nearby New Castle, showed up to treat us to his outstandingly powerful brand of all-round lifting. Andy, you may recall, first appeared last year at Art’s Birthday Bash, with his heart set on his initial USAWA lift to be the Inman Mile (we talked him out of it, and injuries prevented him from trying it today!!). Andy couldn’t coerce team mates to attend with him this time, though. Girlfriend Angela came along, but she was in serious training for a power meet in Ohio next month to perform a world record bench press of 240 pounds at a mere 123 #bwt! We tried & tried, but couldn’t convince the lovely little lady – a very determined and focused powerlifter – to lift today. Fortunately, in putting meet certificates together for the challenge, my wife Marilyn had created an award, “just in case”, for a “team” of one – the “Man Alone” award, which Andy took home!

Phil Rosenstern from our Ambridge club was in for his Saturday workout with his son. Like last year, he didn’t know a USAWA meet was going on. So he promptly entered in order to set a new “Reeves Deadlift” record. As one of the country’s top flight deadlifters for years, Phil made easy work of this difficult lift!  He must have inspired team mate Art, who sure never shows his almost 85 years – except, of course, for his characteristic surliness!! Art is already preparing for the Nationals, World’s, and his Birthday Bash!!

It was a sight as Art, Rudy, and I were performing our pullover and press lifts on our own separate platform. The lifts weren’t difficult, but getting each of us old timers back upright off the platform after attempts required the combined efforts of the other two!! I noted, however, that Rudy sure was spry and strong on his swing and hack lifts!

As expected, the big boys, Chad and Al, dominated the heavy lifts. Both showed amazing splitting form in heavy one arm swings, and huge stacking of plates for hack lifts. Chad in particular had bulked up, looking so big that I suspect the guys didn’t really take a jet at all – they just sat on Chad’s massive back and let him flap his huge arms to literally “fly” over from the mid-west! (Ground observers would’ve reported a gigantic “bald eagle” flying above!).

A fine, but all-too-quick day of lifting was punctuated with the annual trip down to the famous Maple Restaurant, home of the proclaimed best hot roast beef sandwich in the country (before we even started lifting, visibly salivating at the mouth, Al told me we could go to ANY restaurant afterwards -except pure vegetarian(!!) – as long as such a place served that fantastic rich beef gravy & gallons of it!). This year, for the first time ever, ALL lifters in the challenge attended the dinner!! And then Sunday we’re on Daylight Savings Time – Spring has truly sprung!!

MEET RESULTS:

USAWA Club Challenge
Ambridge Barbell Club
Ambridge, PA
March 10th, 2012

Meet Director: John McKean

Officials (3 official system used): John McKean, Art Montini, Scott Schmidt, Denny Habecker, Al Myers, Chad Ullom

Lifts: Pullover and Press, Swing – Dumbbell, One Arm, Hack Lift

1. Dino Gym – 2047.0 adjusted points

Lifter Age BWT P&P Swing Hack
Al Myers 45 247 320 140R 540
Chad UIlom 40 255 310 150R 490
Rudy Bletscher 76 218 108 55R 220

2.  Atomic Athletic – 1992.0 adjusted points

Lifter Age BWT P&P Swing Hack
Roger LaPointe 40 165 154 80L 300
Denny Habecker 69 191 194 75R 270
Andy Root 31 180 245 98R 510

3.  Ambridge VFW BBC – 1666.9 adjusted points

Lifter Age BWT P&P Swing Hack
John McKean 66 172 148 55R 330
Art Montini 84 184 118 35L 200
Scott Schmidt 59 246 209 88R 253

NOTES: BWT is bodyweight in pounds.  All lifts recorded in pounds. Adjusted points is the total adjusted points for all team lifters, adjusted for bodyweight and age. L and R designate the arm used in DB swing.

EXTRA LIFTS FOR RECORDS:

John McKean: Curl – Reverse Grip 100#
John McKean: Bent Over Row 202#
John McKean: Pullover – Bent Arm 80#
Roger LaPointe: Snatch – Fulton Bar 99#
Roger LaPointe:  Clean and Press – Fulton Bar 127#
Roger LaPointe: Clean and Push Press – Fulton Bar 127#
Roger LaPointe: Snatch – From Hang 152#
Chad Ullom: Swing – Dumbbell, Left Arm 120#
Chad Ullom: Squat – Front 425#
Phil Rosenstern: Deadlift – Reeves 355#
(58 years old, 198# BWT)

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