Author Archives: KCSTRONGMAN

USAWA 2nd Quarter Postal

By Eric Todd

The USAWA Postal Series consists of 4 quarterly postal meets, with the grand finale being the USAWA Postal Series. These Postal Meets may be contested anywhere with the results being sent to the USAWA Postal Meet Director Denny Habecker. This allows any member of the USAWA to compete in an USAWA competition without the expense of traveling.

LIFTS

Crucifix
Curl-strict
Deadlift-No Thumbs

The basic rules for entering a USAWA Postal Meet are as follows:

Must be a CURRENT member of the USAWA
All lifts must be done on the same day
USAWA rules apply as outlined in Rule Book
3 attempts allowed with best attempt recorded
Bodyweight and Age apply as to the day of lifting
Must turn in official scoresheet by deadline
Record results on scoresheet in pounds
At least 1 certified official required for records
May enter with a non-certified judge but will not be eligible for records
Scoresheet must be fully filled out
No entry fee
USAWA 2nd Quarter Postal Meet

USAWA 1st Quarter Postal

By Eric Todd

The USAWA Postal Series consists of 4 quarterly postal meets, with the grand finale being the USAWA Postal Series. These Postal Meets may be contested anywhere with the results being sent to the USAWA Postal Meet Director Denny Habecker. This allows any member of the USAWA to compete in an USAWA competition without the expense of traveling.

LIFTS

Holdout – Raised
Swing, Dumbbell – One hand
Deadlift, 2 bars

The basic rules for entering a USAWA Postal Meet are as follows:

Must be a CURRENT member of the USAWA
All lifts must be done on the same day
USAWA rules apply as outlined in Rule Book
3 attempts allowed with best attempt recorded
Bodyweight and Age apply as to the day of lifting
Must turn in official scoresheet by deadline
Record results on scoresheet in pounds
At least 1 certified official required for records
May enter with a non-certified judge but will not be eligible for records
Scoresheet must be fully filled out
No entry fee
USAWA 1st Quarter Postal Meet

Members for 2022

By Eric Todd
I have updated the membership list to reflect who has already paid their dues for 2022. Please take a look at the updated list. If you think you should be on there and are not, please contact me so I can make the changes. Otherwise, get your membership applications and dues to me ASAP, so that you can enjoy a full year of competing in the USAWA.

Lift for Leroy III

The lifters for the "Lift for Leroy" record day, sans the Todd kids (Photo courtesy of Clint Poore)

The lifters for the “Lift for Leroy” record day, sans the Todd kids (Photo courtesy of Clint Poore)

By Eric Todd

This weekend past saw the third almost annual Lift for Leroy contested (last year was not contested due to the covid foolishness).  A host of lifters completed their national postal lifts, and then took on our record list in our third installment of “Lift for Leroy.”  I know Leroy was suffering from a unique degree of humiliation for having to forgo last year’s meet due to Covid one niner, so it was imperative that we lift his spirits this year. I think we did.  Al even had a special gift made up to help raise Leroy’s spirits.  Couple that with Leroy demolishing 5 national records, he should be feeling pretty darn good about himself for a while.

All weights are listed in pounds.  Bodyweight class is listed in kilos.  Clint Poore’s Bench Press-Feet in the Air used the 3 official system.  Phoebe and Everett Todd’s lifts all used the 3 official system.  All other record day lifts used the 1 official system. All lifts should have set or broken a national record.

Officials were: Chris Todd, Al Myers, Lance Foster, Eric Todd

Results are as follows:

Phoebe Todd Age division 13 weight class 55
Vertical bar, 1 bar, 2″  Left 68.5
Vertical bar, 1 bar, 2″  Right 81
Lurich Lift 200
Squat Lunge 50
Maxey Press 40
Everett Todd Age Division 13 weight class 35
Vertical bar, 1 bar, 2″  Left 28.5
Vertical bar, 2 bars, 2″ 77
Lurich Lift 160
Eric Todd Age Division 45 weight class 120
Clean and Press-Middle Fingers 100
Bench Press-Fulton bar 300
Press from rack-Behind the neck 175
Seated press from rack-behind the neck 155
Holdout lowered 85
Chris Todd age Division 40 weight class 125
Lateral Raise-standing 65
Snatch-dumbbell-left 75
Vertical bar, 1 bar, 2″  Right 146
Jackson Press 130
Deadlift-Dumbbell-Left 200
Clint Poore age division 45 weight class 110
Dumbbell Press-1 arm-left 85
Anderson Press 245
Anderson Squat 500
Lateral Raise-Standing 65
Bench Press-Feet in Air 365
Al Myers age division 55 weight class 105
Vertical bar, 1 bar, 2″  Left 200
Vertical bar, 1 bar, 2″  Right 200
Deadlift-No thumb-Left 200
Deadlift-No thumb-Right 200
Deadlift-Fulton-Ciavattone Grip 300

 

 

Steve Schmidt Backbreaker Pentathlon-PROOF THAT YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD

By Bill Clark

Clark’s Gym was the site of a major weightlifting competition on Saturday past and the occasion produced one of the most amazing performances ever.

The performer was Dave Hahn, the 84-year-old you met in this corner a couple of weeks ago. He was joined on center stage by Boone County Northern District Commissioner, Janet Thompson, who won the women’s title in the Steve Schmidt Backbreaker Pentathlon, a major competition in the International All-Round Weightlifting Association, which involves the five heaviest competitive lifts in the IAWA and its stateside affiliate, the United States All-Round Weightlifting Association (USAWA).

Janet Thompson warming up for the harness lift with 515 pounds. Photo by Gene Baumann

Janet Thompson warming up for the harness lift with 515 pounds. Photo by Gene Baumann

The five lifts – back lift, harness lift, hip lift, hand-and-thigh lift and the neck lift. None are usually associated with lifters on the far side of 80 years on this Earth.

Hahn, who weighed only 136 pounds, did a harness lift with 1,125 pounds, a hip lift with 950, a back lift with 900, a hand-and-thigh with 500 and a neck lift with “only” 350. He failed with 400, a weight he had done in his younger days of six weeks ago.

His competition included Harrisburg’s John Carter, the world record holder in the hip lift and one of the greatest chain lifters of all time; Abe Smith, the 2021 USAWA national champion; and Dave DeForest, who was a medalist in the three major IAWA/USAWA championship meets in 2021; plus a pair 20-somethings on their way up the championship ladder – Travis Luther and Nick Frieders.

Making his first start in this competition was Tony Lupo, a powerlifter in earlier days, who has become involved in the USAWA world, which counts at least 160 different lifts in its rule and record book. Lupo, who leads the Atmospheric Science Department at the University of Missouri and serves as the chairman of the Boone County Republican Central Committee and president of the state Pachyderm Club, had done only one of the five lifts involved and both survived the day and surprised himself with success in the back lift.

The 55-year-old weatherman made a back lift with 1,250 pounds, breaking the record in the 110-kilo class in the 55-59 age group held by none other than the guy writing this column. Ol’ Clark sat this one out and officiated and kept score and enjoyed seeing Lupo break his record. Records are set to be broken

Steve Schmidt, for whom the competition was named, served as the main official and lead storyteller. He also twisted a few horseshoes, bent nails, tore license plates with his teeth, and rolled up a brand new frying pan.

That frying pan became Hahn’s championship trophy. It will be presented to him Friday in Kansas City at a lunch gathering of old strength athletes. The rolled-up frying pan, which has a diameter hardly bigger than a broom handle, is a unique award.

Hahn, who seldom speaks during a competition, commented that he didn’t lift more weights than everyone there, thus he wasn’t the best lifter. The USAWA uses both a bodyweight and an age adjustment so that lifters can compete across the age and weight differences, using charts that are based on years of records and does an outstanding job of giving an old guy or a little guy a chance to compete with those who have the advantage of youth.

In the Backbreaker Pentathlon, Smith, age 40 and 180 pounds, had the highest raw total for the day – 6,510 pounds. Carter. age 63, weighed 214 and totaled 6,265 pounds. Hahn’s raw total was 3,825 pounds at 136 pounds. Luther, 29, and 165 pounds, was a very close third with a 6,195 total.

When the bodyweight coefficient was applied, Smith, who graduated from Hickman High School and the University of Missouri, still led the parade, barely ahead of Luther, with Carter third and Hahn next to last.

Then the age differential took over and Smith, at 40, received one per cent; Luther received nothing because age differential doesn’t begin until a lifter’s 40th birthday anniversary. Carter then used 24 percent of his total added back to that total and finished ahead of Smith and Luther.

The USAWA then adds two per cent a year for each year beginning with age 66. Hahn received a total of 63 per cent and with it – the title.

Image of Dave Hahn with an 805 opener in the hip lift enroute to 950. Photo by Gene Baumann

Image of Dave Hahn with an 805 opener in the hip lift enroute to 950. Photo by Gene Baumann

Well earned!

Here’s what Dave, an engineer who holds two masters’ degrees and a doctorate, had to say:

“I’m amazed that I was the winner of such a prestigious event as the Schmidt Backbreaker. It doesn’t seem fair to really strong guys such as John Carter and Abe Smith. Maybe the USAWA needs to re-think its handicap formulas.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the meet and I’m glad to see some young guys such as Travis Luther and Nick Frieders with great potential taking up the sport.”

Dave may have been surprised that he won, but he was the only one in the house that joined his line of thought.

Have you ever noticed how greatness is usually humble?

Following are the final standings:

The three official system is used for all lifts.

Officials: Steve Schmidt, Dave DeForest, Bill Clark, Abe Smith.

All lifts are recorded in pounds, as is the total. Adj is the adjusted score after Lynch and Age adjustment.  All national records set within the meet are denoted with an asterisk *. All lifts done in the record setting portion of the meet are assumed to be national records.

Name Age Age Category Bwt Weight Class Back Neck H&T Hip Harness Total Adj. total
Dave Hahn 84 80 136 65 900* 350 500* 950* 1125* 3825 7118.89
John Carter 63 60 214 100 1200 245 900 1705 2215* 6265 6586.45
Abe Smith 40 40 180 85 1350* 400 1085* 1500 2205* 6510 6216.92
Travis Luther 29 Senior 165 75 1650* 245 900 1400 2000* 6195 6200.57
Dave DeForest 61 60 192 90 1300* 400 855* 1200 1500* 5255 5894.62
Nick Frieders 21 Senior 154 70 1205 245 900 1100 1400 4880 5109.36
Tony Lupo 55 55 235 110 1100 200 501 950 1200 3751 3571.01
WOMEN’S DIVISION
Janet Thompson 64 60 155 75 300* 115* 190* 425* 515* 1655 1613.14
Successful fourth attempts:
Tony Lupo Backlift 1250

Record attempts outside of the meet:

Abe Smith

clean and press-Fulton Bar – 185

clean and push press-Fulton Bar – 205

clean and jerk-Fulton Bar – 225

snatch-Fulton Bar – 165

CLEAN & PRESS, REVERSE GRIP- 190

 

Dave DeForest

Zercher-1 arm-right -160

Zercher-1 arm-Left-175

Deadlift-Inch Dumbbell-right-88

Hack Lift-1 arm-Right-165

Curl-cheat-2 dumbbells- 100 lbs

 

Some of the world’s best in the chain lifts at Clark’s Gym. Front row (l-r): Abe Smith, Dave Hahn, Tony Lupo, Bill Clark. Back row (l-r) – Steve Schmidt, John Carter, Nick Frieders, Dave DeForest, Travis Luther. Missing – Janet Thompson. Photo by Gene Baumann

Some of the world’s best in the chain lifts at Clark’s Gym. Front row (l-r): Abe Smith, Dave Hahn, Tony Lupo, Bill Clark. Back row (l-r) – Steve Schmidt, John Carter, Nick Frieders, Dave DeForest, Travis Luther. Missing – Janet Thompson. Photo by Gene Baumann

 

 

 

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