[Randy Smith]

Thank you for the comments. My interest is partly historical; how they did it once upon a time. And partly practical; I’m considered converting some lifting stones to Dinnie replicas.

On the pictures I found of the Dinnie Stones one looks like it has an eyebolt. The other I can’t tell.

Clint, did the maker of your stones run the rod entirely through the stone? Threaded? Use any adhesive?

[Randy Smith]

Hi Sanjiv. Farm supply stores have been best for me when trying to find parts for the heavy lift belts. I got hay baler conveyor belt from Tractor Supply. It can be cut with a utility knife. Rivets are often used, but I used short carriage bolts for my hip lift belt. I have found that farm supply store staff are often interested and very helpful when they find out what we are going to do with this stuff. They have had specific hardware suggestions that have been helpful not only for chain lifts but for other lifting applications such as optimizing adjustable kettle bell handles.

A steel fabrication shop should be able to help you with the bar. For a solid bar cold rolled 1045 steel was recommended because it is stiffer than 1038, but I don’t know what others in USAWA use for their bars. Diameter needs to be 1-15/16″. I think you will outgrow a pipe/hollow bar pretty quickly.

And hopefully you can find a local gym that will let you bring in your bar and lifting rig so you can load it up without having to invest in a bunch of hundred pound plates. You might even find others that are interesting in giving it a go.

Good luck with your project!

[Randy Smith]

Thank you for information about Louie. He’s a legend. I’ve been putting off watching “Westside vs. the World”, a documentary on that gym. I guess now it’s time. The guy that runs the strength/conditioning training for the university football team here is Westside Certified and knows Louie. RIP

[Randy Smith]

Thanks. I’d been thinking routing a groove in two 2×4’s, then bolting or clamping them to a bar. A pipe flange and a piece of pipe (1-1/2″ inside diameter/1.9″ O.D.) threaded at one end might avoid the need to weld.

[Randy Smith]

Al wrote a eulogy to him in 2016. Unless there’s another Tom Ryan? I know a Tom Ryan, but he’s alive and not into weightlifting.

[Randy Smith]

Also, Wow! Lots of ideas have mentioned that merit their own discussions to figure out how to implement.

Thom’s and ET’s comments about supportive gear probably deserve their own discussion. I’m wondering what supportive gear Thom would like to be able to use, and how “raw” the USAWA (and IAWA) would like to be.

Dan’s comments caused me to think about how I found out and got involved in all around lifting. First, I noticed brief recurring articles in Milo that mentioned Zercher, hip, hand and thigh, harness, etc lifts. Nobody up here knew what those were. I was curious. In 2001 or 2002 found a VHS tape of the USAWA 2000 Nationals sold by Roger LaPointe’s Atomic Athletic. I thought these were interesting lifts and decided to try them. I also found a weightlifting book from the 1950’s at the local library that described how to do several one handed lifts (with old records listed). At some point I found the USAWA website that had Bill Clark’s contact information, and ended up getting Bill “Strength Journal”. Then somebody locally encouraged me to go to the 2003 Nationals in Youngstown. While driving there I’m wondering why I’m going 500 plus miles to do this, but it was a great experience.

So, having some website links to videos of how to do our “core” or “classic” lifts (whatever those are) would make it easy for folks to see what we are really doing. A USAWA youtube channel is a nice idea, but my limited impression is that this would take a fair amount of work to set up. Maybe somebody in our organization is knowledgable and facile enough to set something like that up after getting some video footage (solicited from the membership, from a Nationals or record day, or ?).

5 lifts on record days? Probably merits another discussion (mostly by others because I’ve not been to a record day. Travel distance has dissuaded me.). My limited understanding is that the limit was set to ease the burden for the person keeping the record list up to date.

I decided I’m going to ask some of the personal trainers I know if any of their clients might be interested in this. Hopefully I can find somebody to do postal lifts with. We’ll see.

[Randy Smith]

Hmmm. I thought the link would come through. If you search “The Odd, the Old and the Original: A case for Atypical Lifting” should come up. [It looks like I don’t know how to properly add a link to a forum post]

[Randy Smith]

I came across this thread on Reddit

It looks like there are interested folks out there (including two posters that are and/or were USAWA members).

[Randy Smith]

Thank you! The last link worked.

[Randy Smith]

The only person I recall that was interested enough to checkout our website and start training some of the lifts (he really liked Zerchers) was probably in his 40’s and previously into high level Brazilian jiu jitsu competition. But he “disappeared” not long after COVID started. The other person who seems truly interested is a greco-roman wrestler who trains at the olympic training center. But he’s wrapped up in wrestling now. If he stays in the area he may be a candidate when he “ages out” of competition.

I have wondered if those of us who continue to get satisfaction and enjoyment from all round lifting for extended periods of time are “wired differently” than most folks, including most “weightlifters” (i.e., olympic, power, strongman, etc.). But, if so, I wonder what that really means and how we find those like minded people.

I am hoping that a few of the younger lifters at the gym where I work out get disenchanted with powerlifting or get bored with focusing on three lifts, but I’m not going to hold my breath.

It would be nice to find somebody who is interested enough to play with the postal lifts, but it hasn’t happened yet.

[Randy Smith]

I got a screen saying “Safari couldn’t open the page”

[Randy Smith]

Timo, Thank you for posting this. Very inspiring for this old rock climber.

[Randy Smith]

Any recommendations regarding places to stay in Macomb?

Randy

[Randy Smith]

Also, regarding women doing one arm pull ups: I vaguely remembered a woman circus performer who could do an unbelievable number of one arm chin ups. She was Lillian Leitzel (1892-1931). I just found her through John Gill’s website. She reportedly did 26 one arm chins, although apparently did some swinging to accomplish that feat. Still….. There is a video of her circus performance on youtube.

Randy

[Randy Smith]

Timo,

Your one finger one arm pull up is truly awesome! Once upon a time I was serious rock climber (1970’s to mid 80’s). John Gill was the first person I ever knew of doing this feat. His background was in gymnastics rather than weightlifting. He is now in his 70’s and is a retired college math professor living in Pueblo Colorado. In his day he was probably the most accomplished “boulderer” on the planet. He has a website, http://www.johngill.net , that has some things about competitive rope climbing and some body weight feats that may be of interest to USAWAers, as well as historical aspects of rock climbing and bouldering. I hadn’t thought about John in a long time. Your post prompted me to look him up and see what he’s up to.

Thank you,

Randy

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