National Records for Lifts at Vegas

by Al Myers

I know everyone has to be wondering what the National Records are for the lifts being contested at this years Nationals.  I sorted them off and included them in this blog (at the bottom).  Four of the five lifts have been contested at several past Nationals, but the Curl – Reverse Grip will be contested for the first time.  This means that the top lift in each weight class will be a NEW National Record in that lift! 

The One Arm Clean & Jerk has been contested at 6 past Championships (2010, 2008, 2005, 2004, 2002, 1994).  The best women’s National Record belongs to Carolyn Goolsby, who at the 2002 Nationals, performed a 1-arm C&J of 66 pounds.  The top men’s lift is held by Matthew Doster, who lifted 166 pounds at the same 2002 Nationals in Ambridge. Close behind is Barry Bryan, who lifted 160 pounds at the 1991 Nationals.

The One Arm Hack has been contested 5 times (2005, 2004, 2002, 2001, 1994), and is the 13th most represented lift at the National Championships. The best women’s mark belongs to Amorkor Ollennuking, who at the 2001 Nationals lifted 220 pounds!  That is an unbelievable lift!  The best men’s record belongs to Frank Ciavattone – who at the 2002 Nationals in Ambridge lifted 402 pounds with his right arm. That great lift is also the best one arm Hack of ALL TIME in the USAWA.  That’s one reason why Frank is the GRAND BEST LIFTER in the history of the USAWA – he has put up BIG LIFTS in BIG NATIONAL MEETS!

The Pullover and Press has been contested in three past Nationals (2009, 1998, 1996).  The top womens record belongs to Cara Collins, who lifted 77 pounds at the 1998 Championships.  The top men’s mark also is held by Frank Ciavattone, who lifted 336 pounds at the 1996 Nationals in Mansfield.  I’m close behind with 320 pounds at the 2009 Champs, followed by Chad Ullom at 311 pounds.

The Jefferson Lift has been contested 3 times as well (1994, 1993, 1992). As you can see, it has been several years since this lift has been in a Nationals, so it is nice to see the Jefferson Lift (or Straddle as some call it) has made it’s way back to the big stage. The top womens mark belongs to Jacqueline Caron/Simonsen who lifted 342 pounds in the 1993 Nationals, while the top mens record is held by Bob Hirsh, who lifted 634 pounds at the 1994 Nationals in East Lake.  Bob did this huge lifted while lifting in the 75 kilogram class!!! Other top lifts were by Bob Moore (1992) and Frank Ciavattone (1993).

I fully expect to see several National Records to be broken this year.  After all now we have an incentive to do so since these National Records will be available to give everyone something “to shoot for”!

NATIONAL RECORDS FOR THE 2012 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 

RECORD LIST – 2012 NAT

The GRAND BEST LIFTERS

by Al Myers

As promised the other day, I am going to announce the GRAND BEST LIFTERS (for both men and women) in the 25 year history of the USAWA.  This award is going to the lifters that currently have the most National Records (records set only at the National Championships).  To do this requires a lifter not only to be a GREAT LIFTER, but also has shown the committment to have competed in several championships, thus showing longterm support to the USAWA.  Just winning the OVERALL BEST LIFTER at a couple of championships won’t be enough.  Now the drumroll please…..

MEN’S GRAND BEST LIFTER – FRANK CIAVATTONE

WOMEN’S GRAND BEST LIFTER – NOI PHUMCHAONA

Frank has a total of 45 Nationals Records and Noi has a total of 53 National Records.  Those are amazing accomplishments!!  Both of these lifters are well-deserving of this title, the BEST of the BEST, as there are several other “worthy” lifters in the running.  With the men I’m thinking of guys like Bob Hirsh, Chris Waterman, John McKean, John Monk, Ed Schock, Bill Spayd, and others.  For the women, I’m thinking of Jacqueline Caron/Simonsen, Amorkor Ollennuking, Cara Collins, and others.

The National Record List contains 902 records covering 57 lifts (including single arm lifts) that have been contested in the National Championships.

WOMEN NATIONAL RECORD LIST
(for lifters that have 10 records or more)

RANK LIFTER RECORDS
1 Noi Phumchaona 53
2 Cara Collins 19
3 Jacqueline Simonsen 15
4 Amorkor Ollennuking 13
5 Jeanne Burchett 11
6 Kerry Clark 10
7 Cindy Garcia 10

MEN NATIONAL RECORD LIST
(for lifters that have 10 records or more)

RANK LIFTER RECORDS
1 Frank Ciavattone 45
2 Al Myers 30
3 Bob Hirsh 27
4 John Monk 26
5 Chris Waterman 23
6 Denny Habecker 21
7 (tie) Randy Smith 19
  John McKean 19
9 Jim Malloy 18
10 (tie) Joe Ciavattone 17
  Chad Ullom 17
12 (tie) Joe Garcia 14
  Bob Geib 14
14 (tie) Dennis Mitchell 13
  Bill Spayd 13
  Art Montini 13
17 John Vernacchio 12
18 Dale Friesz 11
19 Ed Schock 10

Osteoblasters Weightlifting Club

by Thom Van Vleck

The Osteoblasters Logo.

I work at A.T. Still University in Kirksville, Missouri (and we have a sister campus in Mesa, Arizona).  The University centers on several programs that are all healthcare related.  The “granddaddy” of them all is the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine which was founded in 1892 and produces some of the finest Doctors in the world!  I am the Director of Counseling and I really enjoy my work helping these students who will in turn help so many in their career.

For years, I have wanted to start a weightlifting type club.  We have a fine fitness center (Thompson Campus Center) run by Dan Martin who is very supportive of weightlifting and fitness in general.  Since I have worked here, I have had many students involved in the Jackson Weightlifting Club, my Scottish Highland Games, and in a few of the USAWA meets as well (last year Joe Costello, an ATSU graduate, competed in the Old Time Strongman Nationals).  Recently, I finally found a couple of motivated students who helped me get this done.   Their names are Mike McIntyre and Jared Nichols.  Out of that, the Osteoblasters Weightlifting Club was born.  The sports teams of the past at ATSU had a skull and crossbones as their logo and an “O” as their “letter”.  So I created a logo that had crossed barbells with a skull surrounded by an “O” as a tribute to the school’s past.  The world Osteoblaster comes from the name of a cell that helps break down bone to rebuild it stronger after stress (such as exercise).  That cell is called an “Osteoblast” (I can’t make that up!).  Plus, KCOM is an Osteopathic school so it just seemed right.

I had hoped we might get 10 or so to join the club. Imagine my surprise when over 50 joined!   We had a wide range of students from many different athletic backgrounds.  Some had been outstanding college athletes, some just weekend warriors, but they all had the common thread of using weightlifting to reach their goals and wanted something more than a weight room full of machines, benches, and squat racks.  They wanted to be able to do Olympic style lifting and training, strongman training, and more dynamic type stuff than is typically allowed in the average gym.  So, we got Dan Martin of the TCC to buy us some bumpers and other equipment and we utilize the basketball gym area by pulling out large rubber mats for platforms.  We started 4 sessions a week and this fall we will move to 6 a week!  We will go out back of the TCC and lift off the parking lot, throw Highland Games weights, toss kettlebells around, pull sleds, you name it and we’ve probably done it.  Today’s youth want to lift, but they don’t want to be boxed into powerlifting, weightlifting type meets.  They want variety, and I’m hoping the USAWA will give them some variety.

My hope is that the OWC will help the JWC when it comes to the meets that I do.  The JWC is hosting the Old Time Strong man Championships again this fall and I’m hoping that students will volunteer to help as well as compete! I am also hoping to sanction a meet for the OWC this fall!  This could be a beautiful relationship!     Plus, I can help these guys lift and train….and I”m “on the clock”!   Can’t beat that!

Curl – Reverse Grip

by Al Myers

One of the lifts that will be contested at Nationals this month, as well as at the IAWA World Championships in October, will be the Reverse Grip Curl.  However, I want to point out that at each of these meets this lift will be done in a completely different fashion!!  The reason for this is that the USAWA rules for the Reverse Grip Curl are completely different than the IAWA rules!  This makes this lift  “one of many” all round lifts in which for some reason the rules have been written differently for the USAWA than the IAWA – thus causing problems when one of these lifts is selected for an IAWA competition because USAWA lifters have been doing it differently.  Add in the issue that it completely makes World record keeping for these lifts impossible!!!

USAWA RULE

D8. Curl – Reverse Grip

The rules of the Curl – Cheat apply with this exception. The grip on the bar must be a reverse grip, with the palms of the hands facing down or towards the lifter.

D7.  Curl – Cheat

The bar begins on the platform, and at the lifter’s discretion, is picked up with a grip that has the palms of the hands facing up or away from the lifter. Feet placement and hand spacing is optional, but must remain the same throughout the lift.  The heels may rise during the lift. Once the lifter is upright in a standing position with the arms and legs straight, the bar on the thighs hanging at arms’ length, an official will give a command to curl. The knees must remain locked and the legs straight during the lift. The lifter is permitted to bend at the waist, sway the body, or drop the shoulders to gain momentum of the bar. The bar may be lowered prior to the beginning of the curl, including lowering the bar below the knees. The bar must be curled from arms’ length to touching the upper chest or neck in one motion. Any downward movement of the bar during the curl is a disqualification. Once the bar is motionless, and the lifter is upright, an official will give a command to lower the bar. The lift ends when the bar returns to the platform under control by the lifter.

IAWA(UK) RULE

E32     REVERSE CURL

The rules of performance for the rectangular fix apply, except that once the curled bar reaches the midway point, it does not stop fixed, but continues in one movement, until the bar is at the top of the sternum / neck configuration.

E3       RECTANGULAR FIX

The barbell should be held at arms length, resting across the lifters thighs with the legs and body upright and erect. With a hand grip spacing of no more than shoulder width, and with the knuckles facing the front, the referee will signal to start the lift. With the upper arms remaining held in contact with the torso, the lower forearms will raise, holding the bar firm (not sagging at the wrist) until they are at right angles to the body and parallel to the floor. No raising of the heels and toes, or swaying of the body is allowed. When the bar is held fixed and motionless in the finished position, the referee will signal to replace the bar.

Causes for Failure:
1. Starting the lift prior to the referees signal.
2. Failure to hold the bar in the fixed, finished position, forearms at right angles to the body and parallel to the floor, until the referees completion signal.
3. Any movement of the feet or swaying of the body during the lift.
4. Failing to keep the legs and torso braced, upright and erect during the lift.
5. Failure to keep the upper arms in contact with the torso throughout, or allowing wrists to sag.

As you can see from reading these two rule descriptions for the Reverse Grip Curl (or Curl – Reverse Grip if you are using USAWA lingo, or Reverse Curl if you are using the IAWA-UK name), this is obviously two completely different lifts!  The USAWA version follows the rules of the Cheat Curl while the IAWA(UK) version follows the rules of the Rectangular Fix.  The ONLY THING that is in common is that a reverse grip must be used.  Other than that, the USAWA version is as different as “night and day” from the IAWA(UK) version.   I wouldn’t even consider this the same lift. 

I’m writing this blog today so hopefully any lifter planning on competing at Nationals will know that the USAWA Rule will be followed there, as well as any lifter planning on competing at Worlds will know that the IAWA rule will be followed at that meet.  I have been to enough IAWA meets in the past where I was “surprised” by rule differences that I was not aware of previously, and I don’t want anyone else to be in this situation with the Reverse Grip Curl at either of these meets!

National Records

by Al Myers

The other day I was thinking about all of the records that have been recently set and established in the USAWA, and it got me a thinking, “what about National Records?”.  There has never been any list of records from our National Championships, and I think there should be.  So I took a little time and put together this list of records.  This list ONLY includes the best lifts in each bodyweight class in lifts that have been in our National Championships.  I didn’t break it down into age groups, because I feel the National Championships Records should be for the BEST RECORD regardless of age in each bodyweight class.  I designated these records as NATIONAL RECORDS.  To break one of these records requires you to lift in a Nationals – and then set the highest mark ever in your weight class in a lift that is part of the championships.  Now – that’s a record worth having!

It is easy to set a record at a record day versus setting a USAWA record at a major competition like the National Championships.  I consider it a “unlevel” playing field when a lifter breaks a record at a record day in their own gym that was previously set a big meet in a high pressure situation.  In a record day you can come in focused on any record in question – and not have to worry about things that create obstacles in competitions.  Add in the added stress of competing in a big meet where there is added pressure to perform well throughout the day, as your goal is getting the best total for the day, not a best lift in any particular lift.  In a record day, you can warm up perfectly for your max attempt whereas in a meet you are under the timeline of the meet schedule.  Plus in a record day, you are usually more familiar with the bar and weights you are using, as record days are typically held in one’s gym where the equipment the record is set on is the same as what the lifter has been training on.  Also, there is LOTS less pressure on you as a lifter versus competing in the National Championships!  I typically don’t take extra attempts at Nationals for records because record attempts don’t count in your day’s total – so what’s the point of it if your goal is performing the best you can for the day.  I consider it wasted energy in which you should be saving for your next meet lift.  Add in the drain it takes on you in traveling to the Championships, because rarely is the Nationals a close trip.

The point I’m trying to make is that setting records at Nationals is COMPLETELY a different standard, and the great lifts set by these lifters at this meet should be recognized separately from the other USAWA records.  However, I was surprised by several of the National Records being the same as the Overall Records.  This goes to show the exceptional lifting that takes place at our biggest meet of the year. 

LIST OF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH THE MOST NATIONAL RECORDS

MEET LOCATION NATIONAL RECORDS
2004 Nationals  Lansdale, PA 70
2005 Nationals  Youngstown, OH 58
1990 Nationals  Akron, OH 57
2000 Nationals  Lebanon, PA 56
1994 Nationals  East Lake, OH 54
1991 Nationals  Ambridge, PA 46
1998 Nationals  Mansfield, MA 45
1999 Nationals  Ambridge, PA 45
2003 Nationals  Youngstown, OH 45
1995 Nationals  Columbia, MO 43

COMING NEXT – The list of USAWA lifters who have the MOST National records.  The is the ultimate in determining who really is the best lifter in the past 25 year history of the USAWA.  I going to call this lifter the GRAND BEST LIFTER of the USAWA.  Every year a OVERALL BEST LIFTER is crowned at the National Championships – but this lifter is the BEST of the BEST – thus the GRAND BEST LIFTER of All-Time in the USAWA for his/her record setting performances at past National Championships.  I’m going to leave everyone in suspense here and wait to name this person in a latter Daily News Story.  So in the meantime I welcome “guesses” and comments in the USAWA Discussion Forum who this award goes to.

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