USAWA

by Al Myers

After posting that picture last week of Joe Garcia and his 1400# Hand and Thigh Lift at the 2011 Heavy Lift Nationals, I got to thinking.  Just how many USAWA lifters have  lifted over 1400 pounds in the Hand and Thigh in official competition?  I have seen Joe lift over 1400 several times myself, so to me that is not an unusual or rare thing to see that much weight lifted in the Hand and Thigh.  But then again, Joe is the MASTER of the Hand and Thigh (WR and All-Time Record holder with a lift of 1910 pounds) and without a doubt more times over 1400 than any other lifter ever.  This “mark” of 1400 pounds seems like the “goal of excellence” in the H&T, and I “guessed” beforehand that probably not over a dozen USAWA lifters had ever achieved it. However, after I did my research I found the list much shorter than this, with only three lifters over 1500 pounds, and another 5 lifters over 1400 pounds.  Only one IAWA(UK) lifter has exceeded the 1400# mark, and that was Steve Angell with his H&T lift of 1500 pounds at the 1995 World Championships. 

USAWA Lifters in the 1400 H&T Club

Rank	Lifter	Age	BWT	Pounds	Event
1	Joe Garcia	43	240	1910	1997 Zercher
2	Frank Ciavattone	40	260	1610	1995 NE Strongest Man
3	Al Myers	43	251	1505	2010 Deanna
4	Eric Todd	27	261	1475	2002 Deanna
5	Jim Malloy	53	244	1400	1995  Worlds
6	John Carter	38	225	1400	1996 Zercher
7	Steve Schmidt	49	220	1400	2004 Backbreaker
8	Sam Huff	23	266	1400	2005 Deanna