By Christopher Lestan
MEET ANNOUNCEMENT
2019 New England USAWA PowerLift Meet
Hosted at 447 Grove Street, Canton, Massachusetts
Date: August 31st, 2019
Lifts:
Squat 12″ Base
Deadlift 12″ Base
Bench Feet in the Air
Contact Christopher Lestan at christopherlestan@gmail.com for entry and questions.
by Thom Van Vleck
Slim “The Hammer man” Farman doing a sledge hammer leverage exercise with added weight. Slim did a total of 56lbs on 31″ handles
Some of the old timers may have heard of Slim “The Hammerman Farman”. He was famous for being able to lever very heavy sledge hammers. He had incredible forearm development.
I always wanted big muscles and big arms were at the top of my list. My Uncle Wayne had 20 inch arms and did a standing press of 370 pounds back when it was still one of the Olympic lifts. My Uncle Phil was a bodybuilder and a great arm wrestler. He had huge forearms. I wanted to be like them.
But my arms are long and spindly. I started out with 12″ arms when I first started lifting. My forearms were even smaller. I started my quest then to find exercises to develop the forearms and I came across Sledge Hammer Levering in an article in the old Peary Radar IronMan magazine.
The photo above of Slim illustrates the first exercise. The arms are held straight. You can do one arm with one sledge or two arms with two sledges. The arms are kept straight and the sledges are lowered only bending the wrists until you touch the face. Then the wrists are straightened lifting the sledges back up. I used this exercise regularly.
The second exercise I call the “Crucifix. It is similar to the basic lever but with the arms out to the side. Like the first exercise it could be performed with one or two hammers. Slim had several other feats he performed with sledge hammers. Over the years I did leverage wrist work off and on. Including Weaver Stick type exercises.
Then about 20 years ago, me and some friends started a “Strongman Evangelism” show along the lines of what Paul Anderson used to do. Performing feats of strength while delivering a Christian message. Paul learned early on that the average person wasn’t impressed with just lifting weights. They had no context. So he started performing strongman stunts. We did the same and one of the first “feats of strength” I thought about was the sledge hammer lever.
Another feat of strength done with a sledge hammer.
I had a splitting maul that weighed 16lbs. A splitting maul is a sledge hammer on one side and an ax handle on the other. At the time I could lever a 12lb sledge hammer. But I wanted to be able to do the 16lber with the ax blade pointed down! How do you train for that!
Part 2: How I trained for the Sledge Hammer Lever.
by Al Myers
MEET ANNOUNCEMENT
2019 USAWA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
The date for the USAWA Team Championships has been set – September 8th (Sunday). I started promoting the Team Championships in 2007, which features “team lifting”, a combination of 2 lifters on a bar lifting the weight together. This makes for a very exciting event as the 2 lifters must be in coordination with each other to make a successful lift!
MEET DETAILS:
Meet Director: Al Myers
Meet Date: Sunday, September 8th
Meet Time: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Location: Dino Gym, 1126 Eden Road, Abilene, KS 67410
Sanction: USAWA Membership required
Weigh-Ins: Noon the day of the meet
Divisions: 2-Man, 2-Person (man & woman), and 2-Women
Entry Fee: None
Lifts:
Curl – Strict, Reverse Grip
Snatch – From Hang
Deadlift – No Thumbs, Overhand Grip
Jefferson Lift – Fulton Bar
Registration: There is no entry form or entry deadline, but please let me know ahead of time if you plan to attend so I can make the proper preparations. I can be reached at amyers@usawa.com
By Eric Todd
MEET ANNOUNCEMENT –
2019 Old Time Strongman Championship
The Old Time Strongman Championship is usually a rather popular meet among all-rounders. It has been around since 2011, when Thom Van Vleck hosted the first one in Kirksville, MO. He went on to host the 2012 and 2013, before it moved to the big tin can somewhere in the neighborhood of Turney, MO to be hosted by yours truly. The men’s division has been won by a total of 6 lifters, with Chad Ullum (last year’s winner) and myself both winning twice. The women’s division has been won by a total of 3 ladies, with Heather Tully taking home the title the past 3 years.
As always, I hope for a big turnout for this meet; however, I do not want to do so by the means of deception. You will not be competing in an arena or nice gym, but rather a large metal Quonset with gravel floors. There is not air conditioning, so it has the possibility of being hot in September. The facilities come in the form of an outhouse out back. I plan on knocking down all of the wasp nests and sweeping out the spider webs prior to your arrival for your comfort. And while the weights at one time were painted pretty colors like black and gray, they now are mostly marred by a brown rust coloration. There is a distinct possibility that whilst lifting in my facility, you may get dirt on your costume, so I would persuade you not to come in your good school clothes or your Sunday finest.
That being said, I hope to have a good turnout with lots of great lifting. It is what has become the norm for this meet.
MEET DETAILS:
Where: ET’s House of Iron and Stone
10978 SW Pueblo Dr
Turney, MO 64493
When: September 7, 2019
Weigh ins: 9:30
Rules: 10:00
Meet Starts: 10:30
Events: Apollon’s Lift
People’s Deadlift
Hackenschmidt Floor Press
Dinnie Lift
Entry Fee: $25. Checks payable to Eric Todd. Entry and check can be sent to me at the above address.
Entry Deadline: August 24, 2019. Please be prompt in entering, as it helps me plan accordingly for the best possible meet
Awards: There will be awards for this meet
ENTRY FORM – OTSM Entry
By John McKean
SCHMIDT BARBELL CLUB RECORD DAY 2019
Beth Skwarecki performed several record Bent Presses at the Record Day.
On the most beautiful, bright blue sky summer day of the year in this rain laden Eastern sector, my grandson Andraes, newcomer mother-of-three Beth Skwarecki, and I arrived at Scott and Kathy Schmidt’s beautiful Ohio home for their first annual record day meet. Scott was just leaving for a vitals run for the meet picnic later, but we were greeted by the always friendly & welcoming Rev. Peeter Pirn. Peet was all set to lift, but was summoned away with the joyous news of his grand daughter being born ,right before his opening attempt! So, our hostess Kathy Schmidt opened the meet with some great record lifts, before scurrying back to the kitchen,to prepare us a feast !!
Scott’s home gym proved to be a fantastic venue for an all-round meet, with enough equipment and sound lifting platform for all our needs. Even had a big open door to breathe the fresh morning air, and to listen to the soothing sounds and refreshing smell of neighbors mowing their lawns!Old USAWA pals Stevan Santangelo from Kentucky and Cleveland’s stalwart Dennis Mitchell soon arrived to add to the growing excitement and spirited conversation.
Lady lifters Joanna Jones and Beth Skwarecki dazzled us with their picture perfect form on world record lifts, despite both being newcomers to the USAWA! Johanna, a long time mover& shaker of the Ohio Olympic lifting crowd, executed an extremely efficient women’s world record snatch-from-the-hang of 52.5 k ,among several other great pulls &pushes. Thirty Eight year old Beth, just over the 60K weight class, amazed everyone by electing to begin with the tricky James lift, then the bent press! Her years of competition in the rugged sport of Roller Derby has given her perfect balance, flexibility, and coordination, because her picture-perfect bent press even had ole pro bent presser Dennis Mitchell falling out of his official’s chair! I believe it was the highest IAWA bent press ever performed by a female, yet Beth will soon be closing in on a bodyweight attempt!
Can’t forget the teen lifters -as grandson Andraes won’t let me!! At 13 ,taking a break from summer training with jr high football, Dra wanted to join the lists of his Dad,Sean, and Uncle Rob, when they lifted in the 13 and under category, and actually outdid the (now) “old men” of the family!Heck, these days the little lad (well maybe not so little at 212 pounds bwt!) can even outdo the granddad patriarch (yeah, that’d be me!) of the family!
Of course, our master age lifters put on their usual exciting shows! Newcomer 66 yr old Klaus Gondosch did some excellent overhead lifting, and meet director Scott (hard to believe this youthful looking ,always smiling guy is even master’s age!!), looking trim and fit, just bulldozed a few more records! Stephen Santagelo took the morning off from the organic farm in Kentucky to smash special grip lift records, showing the power that can be developed from daily milking the chickens, and such ! Dennis Mitchell defied age(87!) ,as usual, to place 5 more record lifts in the books!
The Schmidt meet picnic in a spacious back yard, under tall cooling trees, only added to the great mood and fellowship that we all enjoyed! I had to apologize to Beth and Dra on the drive home for my non stop talking (yeh, I know none of you can believe that of ME !) due to the high adrenaline level that Scott’s contest supplied! Hopefully this will be the first of many Schmidt events -even inspired me to maybe restart USAWA record days in our Pittsburgh vicinity!
MEET RESULTS:
2019 Schmidt BBC RD
Schmidt’s Barbell Club
Weslake, Ohio
July 13th, 2019
Meet Director: Scott Schmidt
Officials (3-official system used): Scott Schmidt (meet directer and USAWA official) , Dennis Mitchell (IAWA Tech Chairman and USAWA official), John McKean ( IAWA official and past IAWA General Secretary). All lifts recorded were passed with all three white lights!
Beth Skwarecki age 38 bwt 62.5 k div female 65 k
James Lift 71 Pounds
Bent Press (pulled up two handed) LEFT hand 55 Pounds
Bent Press (two hand pull) RIGHT hand 77 Pounds
Two hands pullup (overhand chin-up) 33 pounds hanging at waist
Dennis Mitchell age 87 bwt 62.95 k div M ,85+, 65k
Stiff leg deadlift 60K
Vertical bar Deadlift, 1 inch bar, 66.5 pounds (right hand)
Vertical bar deadlift ,1 inch bar, 66.5 pounds (left hand)
One hand Dumbbell swing (right) 25 pounds
One hand Dumbbell swing (left) 25 pounds
John McKean age 73 bwt 69.7k div 70k 70+
Lurich lift 304 pounds
Peoples deadlift 304 pounds
Stephen R. Santangelo age 67 bwt 72.05 k div 65+ 75k
One hand pinch grip strict left 52 pounds
One hand pinch grip strict right 62 pounds
Pinch Grip deadlift left 142 pounds
Pinch grip deadlift right 142 pounds
Two hands pinch grip deadlift 310 pounds
Klaus Gondosch age 66 bwt 75.0 k div 75k 65+**
Clean and press 125 pounds
Snatch from hang 99 pounds
Deadlift 12 inch base 253 pounds
Dumbbell (right) clean & jerk 65 pounds
Dumbbell (left) clean & jerk 65 pounds
Kathy Schmidt age 61 bwt 85.0 k div female 60+ 85k**
strict reverse barbell curl 50 pounds
Barbell straddle lift 114 pounds
Andraes McKean age 13 bwt 97.2 k div 13 & under, 100k
2 hands cheat curl 88 pounds
deadlift with 12″ heel spacing 210 pounds
power row 142 pounds
reverse grip bench press 110 pounds
alternate grip bench press 130 pounds
Scott Schmidt age 66 bwt 101.0 k div 65+ 105k
2″ vertical bar (left) 70 k
2″ vertical bar(right) 70k
bent over (power) row 105k
Joanna Jones age 43 bwt 103.9k div female 40+ 105k
continental to chest 70k
bench press hands together 83.6 pounds
snatch from hang 52.5 k
2 hands anyhow 80 pounds
Rev. Peeter Pirn “best trophy” of the meet, had to leave early on the birth of his grand daughter!!