Tag Archives: Al Myers

Nationals Update

by Al Myers

Chad Ullom (left) has agreed to be the "PARTY PLANNER" for our National Championships in Las Vegas. I have traveled with Chad several times, and know from experience, that he knows how to have a fun time!

Plans for the 2012 USAWA National Championships in beautiful Las Vegas are underway. The date has been set (June 30th), the venue secured (Average Broz Gym), and entry forms have been available (on this website) for a couple of months now. Everything is going according to the plan I’ve laid out.  Now it’s time for YOU to send in your entry to me!! So far I have only two entries in hand – myself and Thom Van Vleck.  All details of entering are explained clearly on the entry form.  Just one thing I want to remind you of – make your checks or money orders out to the USAWA and not me.  This is a USAWA sponsored event and all income/expense is going through the USAWA bank account.

I have picked a place for our “host hotel”. It is the Silverton Hotel and Casino.  It is best just to go to their website to get the information for making a reservation.  Here is the link: http://www.silvertoncasino.com/

The Silverton is not part of “the strip”. It is located close to John’s Gym, which is the site of the meet.   I would guess it is only half a mile or so away.  So if you want to “loosen up” before the meet with a little light walking, the Silverton is close enough to the meet site that you can make the hike.  Chad and I are going to be renting a car while we are there, so if anyone needs a ride we can run a shuttle service back and forth.  Also, taxis are plentiful in Vegas which is another option to get to the meet and back.  We do not have a “package deal” with the Silverton so don’t ask for it. This is a large place and I didn’t even bother to check into any special arrangement for our small group.  I didn’t want them to laugh at me. Their rates are very reasonable (sixty nine during the week, and eight nine on the weekends).  This fee is for double occupancy and even includes breakfast!  (look on their website under “resort specials”).  They provide free shuttle transportation from McCarran International Airport as well.  The Silverton adjoins a huge Bass Pro Shop and has many restaurants within it.  I will pick a restaurant for our Friday evening meal and meeting, which I will announce at a later date.  I would recommend that you make your reservation as soon as possible to ensure this rate.  Of course if you want to stay somewhere else, that is your choice but if we all stay at the same place it will make it easier for us to “get together” throughout our stay.

Our USAWA Vice President Chad Ullom has “stepped up” to be our activity coordinator and PARTY PLANNER.  That’s what Vice Presidents are for – planning the fun!  Chad is working on several  “entertainment activities” that we can do as a group.  I know he is looking into a bus tour of Hoover Dam the day following the meet for anyone interested, and a special evening out Saturday night following the meet. This will be in place of the banquet.  He promised me that he will let me know when he gets these activities finalized and that he will write an announcement for the website with all the details.

I am working on the T-Shirt design at this time.  This is causing me lots of indecision. Since this is such a BIG EVENT for the USAWA, it being our 25th Anniversary and all,  I want it to be the PERFECT meet shirt and can’t make up my mind on the design. I have a few good ideas and think I will “lock on” to a design soon.  I have three criteria for the shirt – recognize 25 years of the USAWA, highlight Las Vegas, and make it a “lifter’s shirt” with a lifting logo.  I want this to be a favorite T-shirt of the lifters – the one you grab out of the drawer full of other T-shirts to wear.  The problem is that I’m not artistic in anyway, and have problems making things aesthetic in appearance. I’m not a “fluff guy”, so I may need to ask Thom his opinion on this.

I am getting excited about this year’s Nationals. It will be one that you DON’T WANT TO MISS!  I will give out more details as the plans come along.   But NOW’S the time to send me your entry form and book your Hotel reservations.

2011 Postal Series Final Ranking

by Al Myers

Al Myers was the overall best lifter in the 2011 USAWA Postal Series.

Last year the USAWA started a quarterly Postal Series that would “add up points”  for the 4 postal meets for a FINAL STANDING.   There were postal meets before these, but this was when the postal series started.  This series is a way to acknowledge the lifters who participated the most and best in the postal meets the USAWA offers throughout the year.

The Postal Series Ranking is done using this simple scoring system. Each lifter accumulates points based on their overall placing in each postal meet. For example, if there are 10 lifters entered, first place receives 10 points and the last place finisher receives 1 point. This way EVERY lifter at least receives some points toward their yearly ranking total. If more lifters are entered – more points goes to the winner. The National Postal Meet is worth DOUBLE POINTS since it is the most important competition in our Postal Meet Series.  Now for the final 2012 POSTAL SERIES RANKING:

WOMEN’S DIVISION

1. Karena Fobes – 2 pts
2.  Helen Kahn – 1 pt

MEN’S DIVISION

1.  Al Myers – 46 pts
2.  Orie Barnett – 39 pts
3. Joe Ciavattone Jr. – 31 pts
4. Joe Ciavattone Sr. – 24 pts
5. Denny Habecker – 21 pts
6.  Eric Todd – 18 pts
7. Chuck Cookson – 17 pts
8.  Chad Ullom – 16 pts
9.  Dave Beversdorf – 14 pts
10. John Wilmot & Randy Smith – 13 pts

Overall the participation was OUTSTANDING in the postal meets this year.  A record 26 lifters took part (24 men and 2 women).  Three lifters need special recognition for participating in ALL FOUR meets: Orie Barnett, Denny Habecker, and John Wilmot. The first quarterly postal meet (Eastern Open) drew the most participation of any postal meet to date – 19 competitors!

There are no awards for the final postal series standings.  Postal Meet Director John Wilmot sends certificates to the winners of the individual postal meets, but the series ranking is just an accumulation of the results from the individual meets and does not have awards.  This year at the National Meeting I am going to ask the membership to allocated some funds to the Awards Program to at least send out some small awards to the Postal Series Best Lifters.  I think having some awards for the “final standings” would provide a nice “closing touch” to a our great postal program within the USAWA.

World Championships

by Al Myers

MEET ANNOUNCEMENT
THE 2012 IAWA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Chad Ullom (left) and Al Myers (right) will be the co-promoters of the 2012 IAWA World Championships. As you can tell by this photo, these two "jokers" know how to have a fun time so put this meet in your plans as it's FOR SURE going to be a GREAT TIME!

It seems just  like the “other day” when Chad and I put in a bid for these World Championships at the 2010 Worlds in Pennsylvania, and now the meet is being OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED. I am very excited about this opportunity to bring the IAWA World Championships to my hometown.  Initially, Chad and I thought we might have this big meet in Kansas City, but after more thought, we decided it would be more fun to have this meet in the place where we do our training – the DINO GYM & TRAINING CENTER.  It’s no fancy Hilton ballroom, but I know it is a place where most all-round lifters would “feel right at home” lifting weights.  After the great show the Australians put on in Perth this past year, we have a “tough act to follow”!  I promise to everyone that we will do our best to make this an enjoyable Championships, and make your trip to Kansas worthwhile.  We don’t have the  pristine beaches to show off like Peter and Robin showed us in Perth, or any castles to show off like the English and Scots have, so please don’t get your expectations too high for any exotic vacation in Kansas!  At least this meet is in October so we will avoid the hot, dry 100 Degree F days of the summer.

Chad and I tried to pick a broad selection of all-round lifts for this meet. I know it is hard to pick lifts that please everyone, and after hearing all the “moans and groans” when I read this list of lifts at this past years meeting, I hope at least SOMEONE likes them.  The meet will be a 2-day meet.  The lifts are:

Day 1: Saturday, October 6th

Reverse Curl (Curl -Reverse Grip)
One Hand Clean and Jerk (Clean and Jerk – One Arm)
Pullover and Press on Floor (Pullover and Press)
Steinborn (Steinborn Lift)

Day 2: Sunday, October 7th

Two Hands Snatch – 2 Inch Bar (Snatch – Fulton Bar)
One Hand Hacklift (Hack Lift – One Arm)
Straddle Deadlift (Jefferson Lift)

I included both the IAWA official name (the first one) and the USAWA official name (the name in parenthesis) of the lifts to minimize confusion.  I plan for this meet to be a 2-platform, 2 session meet each day. I also want to mention that this World Championships will be a BIG ONE because it is the anniversary of the 25th IAWA World Championships. Several “special awards” will be given to recognize lifters that have made significant contributions to the  IAWA throughout our history. So for that reason alone, this is a meet you DO NOT want to miss.  More details will follow, but for now I just want to get the meet announced so everyone can make plans to join us at the Dino Gym the FIRST WEEKEND OF OCTOBER.

2012 IAWA Worlds Entry Form (pdf) –  2012 World Championship Entry Form

Dino Challenge Award Winners

by Al Myers

In the picture on the left, Al Myers (right) is presenting Chad Ullom (left) the Ambidextrous Award. In the picture on the right, Mike Murdock (left) is presenting Al Myers (right) the KLUTZ AWARD.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s meet report on the Dino Gym Challenge, a couple of BEST LIFTER AWARDS were presented.  The unusual thing about these two awards were that they had no bearing on overall performance as most best lifters awards do, but rather to honor (or make fun of!) the two lifters that were the most balanced, and most unbalanced,  between both arms in their lifts.  As I said, I was very intrigued just to see how the lifters would do in pounds lifted between each arm in the same lift.  Most of the time in All-Round meets when an one arm lift is contested, the lifter gets to chose which arm to use in competition, and often the other arm never gets any “meet action”. 

The Best Lifter Award for the most balanced lifter was titled the Ambidextrous Award.  It was based on a percentage of the weaker arm to the stronger arm in pounds lifted with both.  Surprisingly, four of the five lifters in this meet went over 90%.  The WINNER was also the winner of the Dino Gym Challenge, Chad Ullom. Chad had a rating of 96.2%.  Only competition lifts were used in this calculation (not extra attempts for record).  Even with this high percentage, Chad still had better lifts with his right arm in all five lifts, but his left was very close behind in each one.

Lifter  Left Arm Right Arm Percent
Chad Ullom 880 914 96.2%
Dave Glasgow 650 615 94.6%
Rudy Bletscher 315 335 94.0%
Dean Ross 345 380 90.8%
Al Myers 740 920 80.4%

Now for the WINNER of the most unbalanced lifter, the Ambisinistrous Award……. it went to ME!  And from the table above, no one else was even close to challenging me for this degrading award.  I have to say I was slightly embarrassed when Mike finished his calculations and I seen that it was me who had won it!  Before the meet I made this award up with someone else in mind – NOT ME!  Most don’t know that recently “Super Dave” Glasgow has had surgery on his right elbow to repair a nerve issue.  Dave’s not one to complain about ANYTHING, and most of the time doesn’t even mention to his family and  friends when he is having major surgery.  I was  a little surprised he even entered this meet because his surgery hasn’t been that long ago and his right arm is far from recovered.  So to say I thought he had the Ambisinistrous Award locked up beforehand was an “understatement”!  Well, that like joke sure backfired on me!  I even nicknamed the award beforehand “THE KLUTZ AWARD”, and had that stated on the certificate as well.  I’m sure to never live this one down!

Dino Gym Challenge

by Al Myers

Group picture from the 2012 Dino Gym Challenge. (front row left to right): Chad Ullom, Al Myers (back row left to right): Dave Glasgow, Dean Ross, Rudy Bletscher

MEET REPORT:

I didn’t think the “single arm challenge” would be this demanding, but as I sit writing this meet report today I’m feeling sore all over!  First of all, I want to thank everyone who showed up to compete or help yesterday.  Five brave lifters showed up to take on this decathlon of single arm lifts: Chad Ullom, Dave Glasgow, Rudy Bletscher, Dean Ross and myself.  The unique feature of this meet was that BOTH arms had to be contested in each single arm lift.  There was no way to hide any weaknesses!  I picked lifts that would test every body part – overhead stuff both quick lifts and pressing, benching, and deadlifting.  I was very curious to see the strength differences each lifter would have between arms.  I even played this up before the meet by having two certificates made up for BEST LIFTERS AWARDS.  One was the Ambidextrous Award, for the lifter that had the highest percentage of weight lifted between his weak arm and his strong arm.  The other award was for the opposite of this, or the Ambisinistrous Award, which was for the lifter that had the lowest percentage of weight lifted between his weak arm and his strong arm.  I nicknamed this award the “KLUTZ AWARD” just to add more insult to this prize which recognizes poor lifting ability. 

Dave Glasgow and his 315# USAWA record in the right arm Deadlift. Dave broke the record held by USAWA Hall of Famer Scott Schmidt in this lift.

It was a hard fought fight to the finish, but my training partner and good friend Chad edged me out in the last event, the one arm deadlift. I had the lead on him up till this last event.  It was interesting that we both weighed in the same at 251 pounds, but now something was different as Chad has just turned 40 and is now a masters lifter.  Not only did he beat me in the competition in the one arm deadlift, but he took both of my one arm deadlift records in the 40/115K class!   Chad finished the meet off with a personal record one arm deadlift of 451 pounds! It was a stellar lift and broke the overall record in the 115K class, previously held by Frank Ciavattone and his 426# effort.  There were many USAWA records broke at this meet, but this had to be one of the “highlight records” of the day.  Another record I would like to mention was Dave Glasgow’s right arm deadlift of 315 pounds.  That is the most I have seen Super Dave lift in the one arm deadlift, and it was quite impressive.  My best performance of the day was in the one arm snatch, where I lifted a personal best and ALL-TIME USAWA BEST  with a lift of 172 pounds. I have done over 170 pounds a few times in training, but this was the first time I have done it in competition.   I can’t say enough about Rudy and Dean and their lifting.  They both battled it out all day long, with Rudy edging Dean out in the end.  Dean is a real powerhouse, but this meet was more about finesse with all these one arm lifts, and it favored Rudy.  Mike Murdock sat this one out in order to help with judging and scorekeeping, but when the three of them compete with each other it makes for a very exciting competition.  I’m sure there will be many more square-offs between these seasoned (see – I didn’t say old!) guys in the future.

This is my 172# one arm Snatch. This is the top one arm Snatch that has been done in the history of the USAWA, beating the mark of 171# held by my brother-in-law Bob Burtzloff!

After the results were tallied and the awards handed out, we were treated to heaping bowls of homemade chili that was prepared by my wife Leslie.  Often when a meet is over, the lifters are ready to “hit the road” to make the long journey back home. But as Dean reminded  me when we were filling our gullets with tasty chili, it was when I mentioned it was HOMEMADE CHILI that EVERYONE decided to stay and eat before heading home.  We watched football, drank a few beers,  and told several stories about our friends who weren’t it attendance.  What a good way to end a great day!

Check back tomorrow to see who won the Best Lifter Awards.  That’s a news story in itself!

MEET RESULTS:

Dino Gym Challenge
The Single Arm Challenge
Dino Gym, Holland, Kansas
January 14th, 2012

Meet Director: Al Myers and the Dino Gym

Officials (1 official system used): Mike Murdock, Scott Tully, Mark Mitchell, Darren Barnhart

Scorekeeper: Mike Murdock

Loaders: Alan English, Chuck Cookson, Matt Cookson

Lifts: Snatch – Left Arm, Snatch – Right Arm, Clean and Jerk – Left Arm, Clean and Jerk – Right Arm, Side Press – Left Arm, Side Press – Right Arm, Bench Press – Left Arm, Bench Press – Right Arm, Deadlift – Left Arm, Deadlift – Right Arm

Lift             Chad Ullom Al Myers Dave Glasgow Rudy Bletscher Dean Ross
BWT  113.9  113.9  114.6  96.2  125.0
AGE  40  45  58  76  69
Snat-LF  150  120  105  45  55
Snat-RT  155  150  100  50  70
C&J-LF  120  120  90  40  35
C&J-RT  130  150  80  40  40
Side-LF  95  80  75  30  35
Side-RT  100  110  55  40  40
BP-LF  115  100  80  35  40
BP-RT  120  130  65  40  60
DL-LF  400  320  300  165  180
DL-RT  410  380  315  165  170
TOTAL  1795  1660  1265  650  725
POINTS  1435.5  1393.3  1188.2  770.4  712.6

NOTES: BWT is bodyweight in kilograms. All lifts recorded in pounds. Total is total pounds lifted. Points are adjusted points for bodyweight and age.

EXTRA ATTEMPTS FOR RECORDS:

Al Myers: Snatch – Right Arm 172#
Al Myers: Deadlift – Right Arm 410#
Chad Ullom: Deadlift – Right Arm 451#

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