[Al Myers]

Thom, Thom, Thom..

I have no idea how you function at all during the day.

I just spent “about 5 minutes” reviewing your past officiating in the USAWA, and I’m sure I now know more about your own experience than you do. Let’s take a look at the meets you served as an official:

2013 Dino Gym Challenge
2012 IAWA World Championships
2012 Battle in the Barn
2012 OTSM Championships
2012 Macomb Record Setter
2011 Dino Strongman Challenge
2011 Deanna Meet
2011 Heavy Lift Championships
2011 National Championships
2011 Ledaig Record Day
2011 OTSM Championships
2010 Deanna Meet
2010 JWC Straight Weight Postal
2010 JWC Record Breaker
2009 Team Championships
2009 National Championships
2009 Clarks Record Day
2009 JWC Record Day
2007 Dino Challenge
2006 National Championships
2006 Dino Challenge
2006 Dino Record Day
2005 Dino Challenge
2004 Dino Challenge
2003 Dino Challenge

And I KNOW you’ve judged more meets than what I’ve recorded here. I didn’t include any small postals. You have been involved as an official in the USAWA for 10 YEARS, and have officiated many championship events, 3 National Championships, and at a World Championships. You are one of the most experienced active USAWA officials in the organization.

Now do I need to tell you what to do with this information I just revealed as well?????haha

[Al Myers]

Where’s the test?????

On the website of course! It’s in the same place on the website as it’s always been.

It’s even in 4 different formats so there’s no reason anyone should not be able to access it. It’s in a pdf, word (new), word (version 97-03), and even in a simple text for those that don’t have word or a free adobe download.

And again – you only need a 90% or better to pass. Considering this is an open book test with unlimited time to take it – well if you don’t pass it – you are not taking it serious at all or a , ok, I won’t say it.

Good luck Thom!!! And I promise there are no trick questions on it either.

[Al Myers]

Denny just seems to “get better with age”!

Most don’t know this but now since Denny is in the 70 age group he has broke several USAWA records in that age group belonging to guys like Rex Monahan and Howard Prechtel. Both of those guys are legends in the all rounds, and were outstanding lifters in their 70s. Breaking any of their records is quite an accomplishment!

Great job Denny! Al

[Al Myers]

Thom – Cause it’s a different test now!!!! haha Al

[Al Myers]

Another point I want to make:

Those that are Level 1 experience qualified officials will be automatically renewed with a 3 year officials card. The rules on this state, “Level 1 experience qualified offiicals will receive an officials card that is valid for 3 years and will be automatically renewed unless the official has been inactive as an official during the previous three year period, in which a new officials card will not be issued unless the individual makes a written request to the officials director.”

I looked over the list of Level 1 Experience qualified and there is one individual that has been inactive over the last 3 years as an official in the USAWA and will be removed unless he makes the written request to the officials director. Al

[Al Myers]

Thanks Mike for pointing that out (and for getting your recertification done in time!). Those do need to retake the rules test soon to avoid lapse in certification. Al

[Al Myers]

I can really relate to ET’s story. My past approach to training has been pretty much the same as his, and now I’m “paying the price” for it. Lots of the physical issues I’m dealing with now has to do with overtraining, training thru (meaning WITH!) injuries, and competing way too often with no rest periods. But then again – I wouldn’t do it any other way if I had to do it again!

And to top it off – I often knew the science wasn’t behind some of my training methodologies. But I really wasn’t concerned about that if I was improving and getting either stronger/bigger/or throwing farther. That was the measuring stick for me. I often would feel I could “will” myself to improve – all it took was more commitment, more effort, and more sacrifice. Those factors were within my control.

Dinoman

PS if anyone is interested I have a good story I can tell about ET’s intensity and how he scared a restaurant full of people.

[Al Myers]

Dan, where you able to get much of a taper to it?? That’s the only thing I didn’t like about Thoms 2×6 cabers, they seemed too straight to me without much of a taper factor. The good “goal” for taper factor is .75 for cabers. Al

[Al Myers]

Outstanding! It goes to show that All Rounders are indeed “all round” strength athletes. Al

[Al Myers]

That’s a good question on what is the heaviest Bent Press done on a bar with a revolving sleeve – hard to say because of the lack of heavy bent pressing in the last 100 years. I do know Bob Burtzloff did 275# using an old Olympic bar 20 years ago. I would venture to guess that Arthur Saxon COULD have done over 300 pounds with revolving sleeves though, based on the fact that he, on several occasions, bent pressed over 350 on his “special bar” in front of many witnesses. Especially if he had the opportunity to train on one and get used to the different “feel”.

Maybe a Fulton Bar would enhance the best Bent Presses, but NOT the one arm clean and jerk. The difference being that the bent press can be taken to the shoulder using both hands, but the One Arm Clean and Jerk requires a clean using only one hand!!! That would be the limiting factor – it takes a great grip to clean a 2″ bar one handed. And even more so doing it to the side and not in front. Most would be limited in their “max” using the fulton bar compared to a regular bar because of the issues with the one arm clean. Al

[Al Myers]

That’s a good question on what is the heaviest Bent Press done on a bar with a revolving sleeve – hard to say because of the lack of heavy bent pressing in the last 100 years. I do know Bob Burtzloff did 275# using an old Olympic bar 20 years ago. I would venture to guess that Arthur Saxon COULD have done over 300 pounds with revolving sleeves though, based on the fact that he, on several occasions, bent pressed over 350 on his “special bar” in front of many witnesses. Especially if he had the opportunity to train on one and get used to the different “feel”.

Maybe a Fulton Bar would enhance the best Bent Presses, but NOT the one arm clean and jerk. The difference being that the bent press can be taken to the shoulder using both hands, but the One Arm Clean and Jerk requires a clean using only one hand!!! That would be the limiting factor – it takes a great grip to clean a 2″ bar one handed. And even more so doing it to the side and not in front. Most would be limited in their “max” using the fulton bar compared to a regular bar because of the issues with the one arm clean. Al

[Al Myers]

Dan, You for sure want to use the 16 footers. 10 and 12 are way too short to simulate the caber event. I know Thom has built cabers out of 2×6’s, so hopefully he will give his input here. Al

[Al Myers]

James, With the bent press you want as minimal sleeve rotation as possible (same as the one arm clean and jerk). So your Werksan bar WOULD make that lift more difficult. By first glance one would think using a high quality Olympic bar would make the lift easier – but not for all lifts!!

Ever wonder why old time strongmen used objects other than a rotational bar to bent press?? Answer: No rotation = no windmilling and more weight lifted. Arthur Saxon used an extra long bar that was slightly bent for his bent presses, with no sleeve rotation, and used it to his advantage. A bent bar (or cambered) would decrease the windmill effect on a bar, and keep it in the proper alignment for the bent press, as you know is very important. Al

[Al Myers]

James, With the bent press you want as minimal sleeve rotation as possible (same as the one arm clean and jerk). So your Werksan bar WOULD make that lift more difficult. By first glance one would think using a high quality Olympic bar would make the lift easier – but not for all lifts!!

Ever wonder why old time strongmen used objects other than a rotational bar to bent press?? Answer: No rotation = no windmilling and more weight lifted. Arthur Saxon used an extra long bar that was slightly bent for his bent presses, with no sleeve rotation, and used it to his advantage. A bent bar (or cambered) would decrease the windmill effect on a bar, and keep it in the proper alignment for the bent press, as you know is very important. Al

[Al Myers]

Well James – I kinda made an assumption that one WOULD NOT be using a high quality Olympic bar (like your Werksan) for ANY lift other than a Snatch or a Clean and Jerk!!!! I would give a good cussin to anyone in the Dino Gym if one of my quality bars were being used in a way it was not intended to be used!!! And high-end Olympic bars should only be used with bumpers, and for the Olympic lifts or slight deviations of the Olympic lifts.

But back to the issue of rotation that you addressed. You want to use a bar that has some sleeve rotation (as you need to develop speed on the platform to reach your chest if you have a thick chest, thus the plates must be able to spin), but not TOO MUCH as then the plate rotation will not stop when the bar comes into position on the chest, and will interfere in the push part of the lift. Unless if you use the “roll and pound” technique that I use which uses the rotation to your advantage in gaining momentum going into the push since everything happens in one motion.

Plate rotation on the one arm clean and jerk is even more critical to control. Bob Burtzloff early on told me to pick the WORSE BAR in the gym in regards to sleeve rotation to do this lift. Plate rotation causes the bar to want to “windmill” on you upon lockout of the jerk. Less rotation = less windmilling, and that’s a good thing because you WILL NOT receive the down command until the bar is motionless. Al

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