[Al Myers]

Then that 1″ all thread will work just fine. I really like those handles made out of all thread. The plates go on tight and can be secured tightly with a nut, and the all thread gives a great grip when covered with a little tape. Al

[Al Myers]

ET, I plan to bring a couple of db handles to your meet for the dumbbell to shoulder. If you use ANY db handle with a 1″ handle it will probably end up bent before the event is over. At Thoms we used a handle that was 2″ and it worked great for this event. Now the Cyr press is limited to a handle of 1.5″ so that is different. Al

[Al Myers]

Just looking at that photo makes me want to go to the gym and do a forearm workout!!! Thanks for including that pic Dan.

Casey Viator was one of the few that have unreal genetics to grow lean muscle mass. Regardless of how else he may have been aided, very few could “pack on the pounds” of muscle like that from the Colorado Experiment. I have cattle clients that wished their fat steers gained like that. I know he had been injured at work before this “experiment” and suffered a serious hand injury along with a bad reaction to an anti-tetanus shot, which lead to a dramatic muscle loss before the study. This allowed some of the muscle mass to be regained more quickly. (Dan, and I believe there have been scientific studies that have looked at muscle hypertrophy following periods of atrophy? Am I right here?)

Here’s something I have experienced myself, that occurred after one of my bicep ruptures. The period of having a cast on my arm for two months resulted in my upper arm atrophying four inches. Once I resumed training my arm grew exactly one inch per month for 4 months (original size), but then stopped getting bigger despite my training was the same. I know this was not in 28 days like the Colorado Experiment, but still surprised me. I could literally FEEL my arm increasing in size following every training session. I thought it would take much longer since I had trained for years to build the muscle I had previously. I also went to a bench press meet 6 months to the day following the surgery, and set a personal record in the bench at the time. It goes to show that a temporary set back might not derail your long term progress!!!

[Al Myers]

It’s on a Sunday champ.

[Al Myers]

Fantastic story today!!!!

[Al Myers]

Jesse, I will be there – but only in administrative capacity! haha I’m looking forward to seeing your gym, as I know you have lots of toys to play with. Al

[Al Myers]

Timo,

those pullovers are very solid and with good technique, you should have no problem with those being passed!!!!

As for the arms coming down at different speeds and touching at different times, that is not an infraction as the lift is only “being judged” during the lifting phase after the “LIFT” command is given.

I predict you at 50-55 kg for max. Al

[Al Myers]

Timo, Its all LEVERAGES LEVERAGES LEVERAGES, and having gorilla length arms does not enhance things in the straight arm pullover!

Dan –

I know I take a more simplistic approach to this – by applying simple laws of physics. Biological systems are much more complex and interact in complex, sometimes impossible to fully understand, ways. I absolutely agree with you on that. Applying mathematics and physic formulas to a lift are straight forward , but in doing that assumptions often have to be made that may not be accurate (but James does “shorten his fulcrum” in performing his straight arm pullovers).

[Al Myers]

I wish I had more material on Noi, so I could include more information about her on the website.

I never had the opportunity to meet her. She is, without a doubt, the most acclaimed women lifter in the history of the USAWA in regards to titles won.

I wish I could find someone to write her Hall of Fame bio for the website. She still doesn’t have one. I did most of the bios off of a question/answer sheet I sent to each Hall of Famer a few years ago. I never received a response from her.

[Al Myers]

Chad –

but how come the only picture that exists from that day of us working out is the one of YOU CURLING IN YOUR SQUAT CAGE!!! hahaha

I’m saving it for the day that I write the story, “how the champ trains when he’s at home.”

[Al Myers]

James –

I thought you might have problems with the SA Pullover before you did it, but then after watching you I realized why you were so good at it. Your extraordinary shoulder flexibility actually helped you. You were able to rotate your shoulders inward to such a degree that it allowed you to initiate the lift using your upper back muscles instead of using the deltoid muscles, like everyone else. Watch yourself again on video and you will see what I’m talking about. Most everyone else can not get their shoulders in that position to begin with. It’s all about leverage – and your flexibility in this instance helped that.

Now take me as the opposite example. There is a difference between having flexibility (the ability of muscles, including ligaments and tendons, to extend over a distance) and range of motion limited by your skeletal system. I was worried that I would not even be able to get into the starting position prior to this meet, as I had not been able to in training. My left should is very limited in range of motion due to degeneration. My recent surgery helped this, but I am “bone on bone” when my arm is extended in an overhead position. However, after that loud audible “pop” during the clean and press beforehand, something loosened up and allowed me to perform the lift! I have not been able to since then. I did very well in the SA Pullover at the meet only because of the force developed by the compressive forces from bone contact in my shoulder, as I was beyond my skeletal range of motion. The most difficult part of the lift at the meet for me was forcing myself into the starting position, which actually got easier as I had more weight on the bar. The upward lift was easy, and I could have done more and possible could have exceeded my best of 60 kg, which was done when I was push pressing well over 300 pounds and my shoulders were healthy. My shoulder strength is now far from that!!!

My take on this lift is that the extremes are what help you: 1. either great shoulder flexibility, or 2. poor range of motion. Everyone always focuses on muscular strength, whereas leverages are probably more important in determining how much weight you can lift in individual movements. My years of studying engineering in college taught me that. Al

[Al Myers]

Dan –

The USAWA Rule for the Pullover – Straight Arm is as follows:

D24. Pullover – Straight Arm
The lift begins with the lifter lying face up on the platform, with legs straight, and arms straight above the head. The bar is gripped with the palms of the hands up with hand spacing a maximum of shoulder width. Maximum diameter of the plates on the bar is 11 inches. The legs must remain straight and flat to the platform during the lift. An assistant may hold the feet down. The bar may be held above the body and lowered to the platform prior to the start of the lift. However, the bar must be paused on the platform prior to receiving a command from the official to begin the lift. Once the lifter is in this position with the plates resting on the platform, an official will give a command to start the lift. The lifter must raise the bar until the arms are at a 90 degree angle to the platform. The arms must remain straight during the lift or it will be a disqualification. The bar must not be lowered during the lift. Once the bar is motionless, an official will give a command to end the lift. Spotters may assist in lowering the bar.

The IAWA(UK) rule is what was given before in this discussion, and YES, it does not include a statement saying the lifter is allowed to START with the bar above the chest and able to lower the bar into the start position. This was brought to my attention at the 2009 IAWA Worlds when this lift was contested, as I watched a few of the veteran lifters performing it this way. Of course, I didn’t know that was even allowed at that point as it was not specified in the rulebook. When I asked – the response was it has always been that way.

Gee – don’t you think that would have got changed in the IAWA(UK) rulebook by now???????

Al

[Al Myers]

Timo,

Dan’s answer is “spot on” on the benefits of allowing the lifter to start with the bar in the position above the chest, which is allowed in the rules.

However, it doesn’t always help a lot in regards to weight lifted in competition because there is a good pause at the platform which causes some of the “stretch reflex” to be lost.

The big issue you are probably having is that you are not “tight” at the beginning of the lift. Is that the way you feel? I know you have good shoulder flexibility. Try tightening up your lat muscles prior to pulling on the bar. Also do not get too wide with your grip – a shoulder width grip is the best. The hips MUST stay on the platform the entire time, but a slight rise of the hips (while maintaining contact) will help in getting the lift initiated. Make sure your feet are anchored (either by an assistant, or braced under something). Al

[Al Myers]

I bet it will “ruffle his feathers”.

[Al Myers]

HA HA HA HA HA

or should I say “cluck, cluck, cluck”?

[Author]

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