Author Archives: Al Myers

The One Arm Dumbbell Swing

by Al Myers

My training partner Chad Ullom and I just spent a training session training the One Arm Dumbbell Swing. This is a lift not well understood today, but at one time was a very popular lift among old time strongmen. One arm lifts were once trained as much as two arm lifts – but not anymore. The USAWA rules for the One Arm Dumbell Swing are quite simple – but certain things must be done for a Dumbbell Swing to be “legal”. These include:

– once the dumbbell leaves the platform it must be in continual motion until lockout

– the rod of the dumbbell must maintain a 90 degree angle to the body

– the non-lifting hand must not touch the lifting arm or dumbbell

– the arm must be straight in receiving the dumbbell overhead – in other words – NO PRESS OUT

– the lift ends on command once the feet are in line and the dumbbell is in control overhead

Al Myers with a 145 pound Dumbbell Swing.

There are two styles that are used the most when doing an One Arm Dumbbell Swing. I use the more traditional style of “swinging” the dumbbell between my legs once to gain momentum to propel it overhead. Chad uses a “snatch style” where he takes it from the floor overhead in one motion and drops under the dumbbell when he catches it overhead. This is difficult in the sense that the hand is turned different than a Dumbbell Snatch. The USAWA Rules allow the lifting arm to bend during the lift and the feet to move.

Top Ten All-Time USAWA One Arm Dumbbell Swings


1. 143 Pounds Chad Ullom
2.
 140 Pounds Mike McBride
140 Pounds Frank Ciavattone
4. 121 Pounds Al Myers
5. 120 Pounds Ed Schock
120 Pounds Jim Goviannini
120 Pounds Abe Smith
120 Pounds Robert English
9. 115 Pounds Scott Schmidt
115 Pounds Jason Weigle

Coming Soon – The Top Ten One Arm Dumbbell Swings of All-Time.

Will any of these USAWA lifters make the list?

Ben Edwards

by Al Myers

Ben Edwards performing a One Handed Thumbless Grip Deadlift of 230 pounds at the 2009 Dino Gym Record Day. Ben's best One handed Thumbless Grip Deadlift is 250 pounds, which is one of the best in the USAWA Record List.

Ben Edwards, the winner of the latest Quiz of the Week, has announced he intends to host an USAWA grip competition. There has not been a grip competition in the USAWA since Kevin Fulton hosted the annual Super Grip Challenges.  Ben has been a “grip specialist” and has competed in numerous grip competitions over the past several years.  He also holds several grip records in the USAWA. He has expanded his lifting to training all the all-round lifts and competed in this past year’s National Championships.  Ben intends to enter more all-round meets in the future.  The USAWA needs more energetic, young lifters like Ben Edwards!!!!

Top 5 All-Time One-Handed Thumbless Grip Deadlifts in the USAWA

1.  266 pounds   Mike McBride
2.  254 pounds   Tom Ryan
3.  250 pounds   Ben Edwards
4.  230 pounds   Al Myers
5.  225 pounds   Matt Graham

Ben Edward’s wins Quiz of Week

by Al Myers

The winner of this week’s quiz is  Ben Edwards, of Lawrence, Kansas.  He correctly identified the two USAWA lifters that have  lifted the Dinnie Stones as Frank Ciavattone, of Walpole Massachusetts,  and Kevin Fulton of Litchfield, Nebraska.

Frank Ciavattone lifting both Dinnie Stones in September, 1996

The Dinnie Stones are still located near their original place in front of the Potarch Hotel –  which is next to the Potarch Bridge that the River Dee runs under. They are located close to Aberdeen, Scotland.  They were originally weighed at 435 pounds and 340 pounds (for a total weight of 775#), but since have been reweighed by Gordon Dinnie in 1998 at 413 pounds and 321 pounds (a total weight of 734 pounds).

Kevin Fulton lifting both Dinnie Stones in October, 2001.

Donald Dinnie is said to have picked up both of these stones (at the same time) and walked the width of the Potarch Bridge – a distance close to 17 feet!!!

For a complete listing of those of have lifted the Dinnie Stones – Click Here

Roger Davis Lifts the Dinnie Stones

by Al Myers

Roger Davis lifting both Dinnie Stones at the same time!!

Congratulations to Roger Davis for finally reaching his longtime goal of lifting the Dinnie Stones. Roger is an all-round weight lifter from England who has competed in several IAWA World Championships, and has won many Championships. He is 39 years old and weighs only around 80 kilograms – which makes this feat all the more impressive!!

The Dinnie Stones are located just outside of Aberdeen, Scotland at the Bridge of Potarch. They were originally used as anchors for the bridge during the construction of the bridge. While helping his father repair the bridge in 1860, Donald Dinnie lifted both of these stones and carried them across the bridge, a distance of over 15 feet.

Roger commented, “It was a great feeling when I finally lifted the stones, especially as clan Chieftain David Webster as well as a large crowd of spectators witnessed it.” He added, “The lifting of the Dinnie Stones really has filled me with a positive attitude.”

I’m looking forward to seeing Roger this coming October in Lebanon at this year’s IAWA World Championships so I can hear first-hand his story about his amazing accomplishment of lifting the Dinnie Stones – a claim not many can make.

Congratulations to David Beversdorf!!!!

by Al Myers

David Beversdorf, of Clark’s Championship Gym, just recently bench pressed 630 pounds at a powerlifting meet that was part of the Missouri State Fair. This was done on August 16th, in Sedalia, Missouri. The meet was sanctioned by SLP. David is a 43 year old neurologist on the staff at the University of Missouri Hospital and Medical Center. David has been training at Clark’s Gym for about a year.

David Beversdorf, of Clark's Gym, benching 630 pounds. Notice Clark's Gym members James Foster (to left) and Joe Garcia (to right) spotting.

I met David at Clark’s Gym this past spring at the Deanna Springs Memorial. A few months earlier David had broken Steve Schmidt’s ALL TIME USAWA record in the Roman Chair Bench Press with a lift of 215 pounds at a Clark’s Gym Record Day.

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