Our tireless Records Director, Tony Lupo, has provided a records update through November 12, 2025. There are now 20,560 individual records and 382 team lift records. Up from 20,423 individual records and 379 team lift records on October 11, 2025.
Thank you Tony for your diligent effort and frequent updates!
Al Myers needs no introduction. He was the long-term Secretary of the USAWA and was the driving force behind all the wonderful content on the website. His articles are a constant inspiration to me when I try to type something clever to make sure the USAWA remains a friendly, welcoming organization for strength athletes and fans of historic physical culture.
Al has not been one for self-promotion. His 2016 induction into the Hall of Fame has no biography. He was awarded the Ciavattone Award in 2019 without much fanfare. He was the second winner of the Prechtel Contribution Award in 2016.
Randy Smith made the nomination for a Lifetime Membership by simply stating that “Al put a tremendous amount of time and energy into bettering the USAWA and keeping it going for years. The large number of excellent articles penned by Al on a regular basis made the website truly awesome. Plus his incredible support hosting meets, and traveling to run or help run meets that he did not host. I could go on and on
I do not believe that the USAWA would still be in existence if Al had not put the time and effort into it for the multiple years that he did”
Al holds (537) individual records stretching back to 2002. He shares (83) team lift records going back to 2007.
Al’s Dino Gym was named after Brooks Kubik’s “Dinosaur Training.” I had the pleasure of visiting the Dino Gym in 2024 and it is truly an homage to All-Round Weightlifting and physical culture. You will find York Deep Dish plates, globe dumbbells, a wall of history and countless awards and trophies. You will also see some amazing self-fabricated pieces as Al’s pursuit of strength would not be held back by the availability of commercial equipment. The Dino Gym Challenge could be considered a 9th championship.
On the topic of Championships, Al was the long-time host of the Grip Championship and won the event in 2011, 2012 and 2018. He has also hosted the Team Lift Championship and was on the winning team for 10 consecutive years from 2007-2016.
In addition to announcing and scorekeeping, Al promoted the National Championship in 2021, 2018, 2012, 2009, and 2006. As an athlete, he won the National Championship (9) times between 2006 and 2019.
He promoted the Gold Cup in 2016 and earned the Prechtel Award for best lift in 2019, 2015 and 2013.
He promoted the IAWA World Championship in 2019 and 2012, has (12) top ten finishes and was the overall winner in 2006.
His first USAWA position was as Vice President in 2007 and then Secretary/Treasurer from 2010-2021. He has been on the IAWA Technical Committee since 2012. He was the President of the IAWA from 2012 to 2024.
A point of order is that without all of the history and archiving Al performed, none of these accolades could be properly researched. They would be lost to stories, e-mails and newsletters. By my estimation, Al has posted 1,603 of 2,638 posts on the website.
This is only the 2nd Lifetime Membership awarded by the USAWA. The first was to Bill Clark in 2011 as part of a Lifetime Achievement Award. On behalf of the United States All-Round Weightlifting Association in recognition of his long-term contributions to the organization and guidance through its 35th Anniversary and beyond, we wish to present Al Myers the Lifetime Membership Award on November 1st, 2025.
October featured the IAWA World Championship, Q3 Postal Results and the Herman Goerner Deadlift Dozen. Denny Habecker earned lifter of the month with his massive 105kg Straddle Deadlift in the IAWA World Championship. Combined with impressive lifts across the board, Denny was the top USA finisher and 15th overall.
Denny is a 1997 Hall of Fame inductee and this is his 6th time being recognized as lifter of the month. He had been the long running president of the USAWA and is on the IAWA Technical Committee and serves as USA Vice President to the IAWA. He stands alone with over 600 records set in the 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, and 80 age groups including 17 ALL age class records and 23 NAT records. He is a regular on the United States and International circuit and a gentleman on and off the platform.
He has been promoting the Postal league, Memorial Record Day and President’s Cup. In 2026 he will be promoting the IAWA World Championship.
Congratulations Denny!
Do you know a USAWA member who should be recognized as a future Lifter of the Month? Send nominations to the acting Secretary at sanjiv_gupta@hotmail.com
By Chad Ullom
The 2025 Gold Cup in Derby, UK was one for the history books! Held at the outstanding University of Derby Sports Centre, the venue proved to be the perfect setting for a day filled with strength, camaraderie, and unforgettable moments.
Under the expert leadership of Steve Gardner and his dedicated crew, the meet ran like clockwork. With over 30 lifters competing across three groups on two platforms, the first attempts kicked off promptly at 10 AM and wrapped up by 1 PM—a remarkable feat made possible by the collective effort of lifters, loaders, and judges. Everyone pitched in, and the teamwork on display was nothing short of inspiring.
For some reason I chose the Middle Finger Straddle Deadlift and was happy to set a new 105KG record with a 141KG lift. Happily, my fingers came away unscathed 🙂
The day was packed with outstanding performances:
As always, the highlight for me was reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. These international meets are more than competitions—they’re reunions of a passionate and supportive community. I encourage all USAWA lifters to make the effort to attend an international event. You won’t be disappointed!
The day concluded with a wonderful banquet at Poms Restaurant, where every lifter received their Gold Cup. Several special awards were presented:
The 2025 Gold Cup was a shining example of what makes our sport so special—dedication, sportsmanship, and a deep sense of community. Congratulations to all the lifters, organizers, and supporters who made this event unforgettable.
Thank you, Steve Gardner, and thank you, Al Myers, for your unwavering commitment to the strength community
As we await the results of Hermann Goerner Deadlift Dozen Plus One, I wanted to revisit the Hermann Goerner Club. Al Myer’s dubbed the Hermann Goerner Club in 2011 for athletes that met Goerner’s standard of a 308.5-pound middle fingers deadlift.
As of an update in 2019, only (5) athletes had made the list:
Kevin Fulton 400 pounds – 1999 SuperGrip Challenge
Dan Wagman 316 pounds – 2017 Iron Warrior RD
Ben Edwards 315 pounds – 2016 USAWA Grip Championships
Chad Ullom 310 pounds – 2019 Dino Gym Challenge
Bill DiCiccio 309 pounds – 1994 IAWA Gold Cup
Since 2019, no new names have been added to the list. The highest recorded records by year are as follows:
2020 – Female – Amorkor Ollennuking (105 lb); Male – Lance Foster (205 lb)
2021 – Female – NA; Male – Bill Clark (75 lb)
2022 – Female – NA; Male – Chad Ullom (325 lb; moving up the list to #2)
2023 – Female – NA; Male – Jeff Wenzel (225 lb)
2024 – Female – Lisa Gore (75 lb); Male – Dan Wagman (316 lb)
2025 – Female – Lisa Gore (150 lb); Male – Denny Habecker (134 lb)
Personally, I am not a big fan of finger deadlifts. I respect the strength and pain tolerance required to perform these lifts, especially at a world class standard. My personal best middle fingers deadlift is a meagre 85 pounds.
Regarding Female lifters, the USAWA adopted the 1.33 gender adjustment at the 2024 Annual General Meeting. Taking 308.5/1.33 = 232.0-pound female equivalent of Hermann Goerner’s mighty feet. The highest recorded USAWA female middle fingers deadlift is 230 pounds by Mary McConnaughey in 2005. Had she known about the club and had the benefit of gender adjustment, I am certain she would have gone for 232 pounds.
Do you have a favorite lift or historic benchmark that deserves attention? Consider submitting an article to Sanjiv for publication on the website.