Author Archives: Al Myers

Bylaws Updates

by Al Myers

We had our first bylaws change since the new USAWA bylaws were approved in 2010.  The bylaws outline how the USAWA operates as an organization, and are available for anyone to see.  They are included in the back of a printed Rulebook, as well as included in the Rulebook section on this website.  The changes that were made were:

1.  Add a new article to establish a USAWA Postal Meet  Director with this description:

                ARTICLE ##  – Duties of the Postal Meet Director

  1. Organize the quarterly Postal Meet Series for the USAWA, with the final postal meet being the USAWA National Postal Meet Championships.  This includes the selection of lifts for each competition and providing an entry form for each competition.
  2. Provide the tallied scoresheet of these meets to the USAWA Website Director for announcement of the results.

2.   Raise Club Dues and Sanction Fees to $30.

A Bylaw change requires a 2/3rd vote of the membership (versus majority vote for rule changes).  This didn’t make a difference as both of these changes received a unanimous vote in favor.  I was really for adding a Postal Meet Director as one of the directorships in the USAWA.  The USAWA Quarterly Postal Series has been very successful in the USAWA over the past few years, mostly due to the efforts of John Wilmot.  Immediately after this new bylaw was approved, I moved to name OFFICIALLY John Wilmot as the Postal Meet Director, which received full support from the membership.  He deserves that title, especially since he has been acting in that capacity for the organization.  I also included in the motion to have the USAWA Postal Series competition be sanctioned by the USAWA (so John won’t have to spend his money to promote these meets for the USAWA).  He’s doing enough the way it is. 

The other issue of raising club dues and meet sanction fees to $30 is long overdue.  We have been charging only $10 for this since the beginning, and that fee is wildly out of date!  In fact it has been so low, that I have wondered if that is the reason people sanctioning meets have not been taking this process very seriously.  From now on, sanctions will not be approved until I receive that $30 fee. 

These bylaws take effect immediately. Changes have been in these applications to reflect these increased rates.

Club of the Year Award

by Al Myers

Group picture of the Dino Gym members accepting the USAWA Club of the Year Award.

The Dino Gym won the USAWA Club of the Year for the second time since the USAWA Award Program started.  It was a great honor for the Dino Gym to win this award again, especially since the increased club activity within the USAWA these last couple of years makes it harder to win an award like this one now.  Denny Habecker of Habecker’s Gym presented us the award, as is the custom of the past Club of the Year Award winner.  One of the stipulations in winning this award is that you are not eligible the following year for it, but instead have the duty of presenting the next year’s winner, or “passing the crown” in a sense.

WINNER – DINO GYM

RUNNERUP – LEDAIG HEAVY ATHLETICS

I also was very glad that the Dino Gym was well represented at this year’s Nationals. I want to thank the guys who made this trip on behalf of the Dino Gym: Chad Ullom, LaVerne Myers, Dean Ross, Scott Tully, and Darren Barnhart.

The Ledaig Heavy Athletic Club accepting the Runnerup Club of the Year Award.

Runner up for the Club of the Year is the Ledaig Heavy Athletics.   The Ledaig Club has become a major force amongst USAWA Clubs the past couple of years.   Last year the Ledaig HA won the team title at the USAWA Nationals in Kirksville.  Team members Dave Glasgow and Larry Traub competed this year in Vegas as well.  Congrats to the Ledaig Heavy Athletics!

Repetition Records

by Al Myers

Another new rule that was passed at the USAWA National Meeting was a policy outlining repetition records.  Up till now, nothing was in place for this as a way of keeping track of these type of records.   Our USAWA rules have always stated that any official lift may be done for repetition, but a method for keeping track of these records was not defined.  The IAWA President Steve Gardner and I discussed this in length at the Worlds in Australia, and after several nights of “brainstorming” we can up with a good plan.  Included in this discussion was USAWA Prez Denny Habecker, Mark Haydock, Chad Ullom, and Art Montini.  So I feel that some of the greatest minds in the all-round lifting World was at work in coming up with this plan to deal with repetition  records (I just took notes by the way…). 

First, I want to outline some basic rules that have been in place in the Rule Book  for repetition records to give you a baseline:

K.  Repetition Lifts

Any approved lift may be done for repetitions, provided it is done according to the rules of the individual lift. Repetition lifts are allowed to be a part of any USAWA competition.

That’s it!!!  I’ve always seen how a “big problem” could arise if lifters actually got serious about establishing repetition records with this minimal rule.  Let me give this example: 

Lifter A: Weighs 190# and is 25
Performs a lift of 200 pounds for 9 repetitions

Lifter B:  Weighs 194# and is 33
Performs the same lift with 210 pounds for 8 repetitions

Which one should be the repetition record holder in the 90 Kilogram class???  Lifter A did more total reps, but lifter B used more weight on his lifts. Obviously some formula should be used to determine who gets “the spot” in the record list, because if you didn’t, you might as well list ANY repetition lift for record that is done, because of the infinite number of possibilities of choosing rep schemes with different poundages. 

Next I want to make a few comments (ok, my opinions) on how the IAWA deals with repetition records. In the IAWA rulebook there are only 8 lifts that can be officially done for IAWA repetition records.  These are: Repetition Cleans with Bodyweight, Repetition Presses with Bodyweight, Repetition Snatches with Bodyweight, Repetition Clean and Jerks with Bodyweight, Repetition Jerks with Bodyweight, Repetition Deadlifts with Bodyweight, Abdominal Raise for reps, Roman Chair Sit Up for repetitions. That’s the list – so you can see that the IAWA does NOT allow other official lifts to done for World Records. The first 6 lifts tell the amount of weight that must be used (bodyweight), but the last two do not specify anything (so it’s open-ended, with endless possibilities like the USAWA).  I can understand bodyweight deadlifts for repetition, but bodyweight snatches??? REALLY???  That’s most lifters goal for 1 rep in the USAWA/IAWA.  Obviously, there was not much thought put into the IAWA system for repetition records (my opinion), and is only a slightly better system than what the USAWA has (which is NOTHING, another opinion).

Now for the answer to “all this mess”.  This was the rule passed at the 2012 USAWA National Meeting to handle repetition records from now on:

Rule V. Records:  Records for repetition records will be kept for each official lift within the same weight classes and age groupings as individual records.  The method for keeping these records will be based on the bodyweight-corrected Lynch Points of the total weight lifted (reps times weight lifted), with the Lynch Points being used as the repetition record. This will allow the lifter to choose whatever weight and repetition scheme they desire in order to establish or set a repetition record.  The same weight must be used for each repetition.   There must not be any long pauses between repetition lifts, with this being based on the judgement of the official. The rules of the individual lifts apply, including the officials commands on each repetition.

It’s amazing all this can be resolved with one simple paragraph in the Rule Book.  This rule will be proposed at the IAWA World Meeting in October, so hopefully, the IAWA and the USAWA can be “on the same page” with this issue.  Now for the answer of who has the repetition record in the prior example:

Lifter A:  (200#) x (9 reps) x (.9199 Lynch Factor) = 1655.82 Lynch Points

Lifter B: (210#) x (8 reps) x (.9091 Lynch Factor) = 1527.29 Lynch Points

Lifter A gets the repetition record in the 90 KG weight class!!!!!  This method allows a lifter to make “the choice” of what weight and rep scheme they want to use – thus require a little strategy.  Each lift is different in the number of reps that can “comfortably” be done with more weight, and this decision is now left up to the lifter doing the repetitions.   

I listed the lifters age just to confuse you.  Age should not matter as all age groups should be represented in the repetition record list just like the individual record list, and the team record list. Records have never been age-adjusted, and they shouldn’t be.  I believe that the record list for repetition records should be a separate listing due to the uniqueness of it (just like with the team record list).  However, it will look EXACTLY like the individual record list in age categories and bodyweight divisions.  You may also notice that the rule calls for the lift to be done with the EXACT same rules as listed for the individual lift, including officials commands like the down command.  That’s the way it should be done – the right way!

The NEW Reverse Grip Curl Lift

by Al Myers

One of the new official lifts of the USAWA that was passed at the National Meeting  is the “Curl – Reverse Grip”.  This has caused some confusion (I’ve received a couple of emails on it already) as we already HAVE that lift as one of our official USAWA lifts!  The reason for this is a simple one – our rules for the Reverse Grip Curl has been drastically different than the IAWA rules for the Reverse Grip Curl!   A while back I wrote a blog stating the differences on this:  https://www.usawa.com/curl-reverse-grip/ .   The new Curl – Reverse Grip will go by this rule, which conforms to the IAWA rule for it:

Curl – Reverse Grip:   The rules of the Rectangular Fix apply, except that once the bar reaches the midway point it does not stop fixed, but continues to the finish position in one motion.

Need to reference this rule:

D24.  Rectangular Fix

This lift starts with the lifter standing holding the bar on the thighs at arms’ length, with the palms of the hands facing the lifter. Maximum hand spacing is shoulder width. Feet placement is optional. On a command by an official to start the lift, the lifter raises the bar by bending the elbows. The bar is raised to a position in which the lower arms are at a 90 degree angle to the body and parallel to the platform. The upper arms and elbows must maintain contact with the torso throughout the lift. The wrists must stay straight. Movement of the feet, raising the heels or toes, or swaying the body is not allowed. Once the bar is motionless, an official will give a command to end the lift.

Also in this proposal included a change of name for the “previous” Reverse Grip Curl that we have been doing in the USAWA.   It will now go by this name officially: Curl – Cheat, Reverse Grip.   All records will be preserved that have been set previously and this new name will be changed in the rulebook and record list.  However, the new Reverse Grip Curl is “now open” for any new records!  Interestingly, at Worlds this year we will be performing this lift according to the IAWA rules, thus the same rule as this new lift.  That is REASON NUMBER ONE we needed to approve this new lift.  You see, there are lifts that are official in the IAWA that are not official in the USAWA (even though the USAWA has several more that are not IAWA approved). It would seem odd to perform a lift at the Worlds on our own “home turf” that is not an official lift in the USAWA.   I know it seems confusing, but hopefully with time all of these differences will be reconciled.  Progress has been made on this over the past couple of years.

In summary, the Curl – Reverse Grip follows the rule of the Rectangular Fix and the Curl – Cheat, Reverse Grip follows the rule of the Cheat Curl.  The Executive Board briefly discussed calling this new lift the Curl – Strict, Reverse Grip  but decided against it.  Who knows – with time we might need that name if we ever decide to propose a Reverse Grip Curl following the rules of the Strict Curl???  Now THAT would make things confusing!!

Leadership Award

by Al Myers

TOP: Denny Habecker receiving the Runnerup Leadership Award (right), presented by Al Myers (left). BOTTOM: Chad Ullom "stepping in" to accept the Leadership Award in Thom Van Vleck's abscence (right). Again, the presenter is Al Myers (left).

Another very important award given out during the USAWA Yearly Awards Ceremony is the Leadership Award.  This Award is for individuals that have shown exceptional leadership qualities throughout the year in the USAWA.  Both of this year’s winners are indeed worthy of this award!  The Leadership Award Winners are:

WINNER – THOM VAN VLECK

RUNNERUP – DENNY HABECKER

It was a shame that Thom was not present in Vegas to receive this award, because of all that he has done for the USAWA it would have been nice for him to get this recognition first hand.  Thom has been very instrumental in helping with this website, as well as taking on the promotion of the USAWA Old Time Strongman Championships.  Last year he hosted the very first OTSM Championships and it was VERY successful. 

Denny should be a yearly candidate for this award because of the unselfish and unrelenting effort he constantly pours into the USAWA.  Being the USAWA President is a never ending job, and Denny performs it to perfection.  He deserves more credit than he often gets, so I was VERY excited to see him win this award and get this recognition.

CONGRATS THOM AND DENNY!!!

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