Dear Dino Man

by Al Myers

I get HUNDREDS of questions per month from individuals pertaining to weight lifting or other matters since I have been webmaster of the USAWA Website. I guess that goes along with making your email address publicly known on a website. People are always looking for free advice and the internet provides plenty of it – some good and some not so good. I try to respond to most questions, but there are lots I don’t get around to. I hate to deprive the USAWA Daily News readers of these “email exchanges” so I’ve decided to start an advice column to share some of these questions and my responses. Maybe it will answer a few questions that I repeatedly receive, and cut out having to answer the same question over and over again. I have decided to name this column Dear Dino Man. I am leaving off the names of the email senders – to insure confidentially and possible embarrassment.

Dear Dino Man,

How do I go about learning these all round lifts?

The best place to start is by reading the USAWA Rulebook, located in its entirety on the website. The USAWA Rulebook contains not only the rules of the lifts, but also descriptions in how they are performed. Several of the lifts have been highlighted on the website in the past that give more details. This information can be found by doing a search on the website. We also have a YouTube account that has videos of many of the lifts. It is also linked to the website. However, the best way to learn about the USAWA is to just go to a competition and meet lifters who have experience in all-round weightlifting. All the members of the USAWA are more than willing to help someone new. Of course, if you have specific questions I would be happy to answer them!

Dear Dino Man,

What types of bows are allowed in the USAWA?

You have the wrong USAWA. The one you’re interested in is the United States Association of Wingshooting Archers located at usawa.org. We are All-Round Weightlifters and that is why, at the top of our website, we have a logo of a weightlifter instead of an archer. I just want to mention that in case that was confusing you.

Dear Dino Man,

Sorry my check for my membership dues bounced. The next one is in the mail and it’s good.

Sure it is and I’m planning on deadlifting 1000 pounds tonight.

Dear Dino Man,

When I look at the pictures of some of the lifts on your website, I can’t believe they are real. Is it possible some were done with fake plates? Those pictures of Steve Schmidt lifting all that weight can’t be real.

All lifts in the USAWA are done with real plates by real lifters. There is nothing fake about Steve’s 2000 plus pound Hip Lifts or his 3000 pound plus Harness Lifts – just hard to believe. I have seen Steve Schmidt lift first hand and he’s the “real deal”. And trust me, I’m a doctor.

Dear Dino Man,

Why can’t we wear knee wraps and super suits in the USAWA?

Because the USAWA is about REAL STRENGTH and not FAKE STRENGTH! Plus wearing that gear makes you look like a goofball instead of a weightlifter.

Dear Dino Man,

How do all the guys in your gym get so big and strong? I weigh 150 pounds and can’t seem to gain weight. Someday I hope to weigh 300 pounds of solid muscle.

Because we are on the Seefood Diet. If we see it – we eat it.   Add in an extra helping of daily heavy weight training and someday you will reach your goal.

Dear Dino Man,

Does your dino gym ever get tired of whooping it up on the JWC?

And does a kid ever get tired of eating ice cream??? NO – CAUSE IT TASTES GOOD!!

Dear Dino Man,

I just love it when you put pictures of the Champ on the website. He is so good looking and sexy!!  I would love to meet him and hopefully date him cause he’s built like a real man. Do you know if he is single?

Sorry, I’m afraid not. STUDS like THE CHAMP don’t stay on the market long.  But if you are interested, I could send you the details about joining his fan club.  He is a real All-Round Weightlifting celebrity and has the ego to match it – which you should have been able to guess by the fact that he calls himself  “The Champ”.

(WEBMASTER COMMENT:  All these are real questions with real answers.  The rumor that the Dino Man makes up stories and stretches the truth is incorrect, and is probably being propagated by jealous rivals who lack the witty repertoire of humor that bestows the Dino Man. )

Goerner Club

by Al Myers

Ben Edwards is now part of the "Goerner Club" with his 310 pound Middle Finger Deadlift at the 2011 USAWA National Grip Championships.

It’s not everyday that a lifter can break a mark done by the famous German Strongman Hermann Goerner.  This past weekend at the USAWA National Grip Championships Ben Edwards joined, as I’ve termed, the “Goerner Club” for exceeding Hermann’s best reported lift in the Middle Fingers Deadlift.  Ben lifted 310 pounds.   David Willoughby in his book The Super Athletes listed Goerner as having done a MF deadlift of 140 kilograms (308.5 pounds) around 1925.  I have always considered this the mark to beat to be outstanding in the middle fingers deadlift.  Now, compared to what Hermann has reported in his other finger lifts, this lift of his seems to be a sub-maximal effort.  None the less, it is a very good lift (and is actually believable compared to some of his other claims).   However, this 308.5# middle finger deadlift is not listed in Hermann’s autobiography by Edgar Mueller’s Goerner the Mighty.  I have read this book several times, and I don’t ever remember seeing this lift listed.  Mueller does talk in one chapter about the wide deviations of grips that Hermann uses for his deadlifts, and mentions a middle finger overhand grip  deadlift (of which he lists Goerner as having worked up to 220 pounds), but nothing about using an alternate grip as we allow in the USAWA for the Finger Deadlifts.

Just how many USAWA members are part of this “Goerner Club” for the Middle Finger Deadlift??

The list is quite small.  Only TWO other USAWA members (besides Ben)  have ever exceeded 309 pounds.  The KING OF the MIDDLE FINGER is none other than Kevin Fulton.  Kevin has the best middle finger deadlift of ALL-TIME in the USAWA with a lift of 400 pounds.  This lift was no fluke, as Kevin has exceeded 309 pounds in the MF deadlift several other times as well in official competition.  He set this HUGE MF deadlift at his own 1999 SuperGrip Challenge (which was the first year this meet was held).   The other lifter that is a member of the “Goerner Club” is USAWA Hall of Famer Bill DiCiccio.  In 1994 at the Gold Cup, Bill matched Hermann’s effort with a 309 pound lift.  Now that’s it!!!  I have spent a few hours looking back at past meet results over the past 20 years and I couldn’t find anyone else!!   Congratulations Ben – you are now part of a very small club in the USAWA.  Hermann would have been proud of you.

Check out the YouTube Video of Ben performing the Middle Fingers Deadlift (located on the upper right side of this website).

Records Go Down Last Weekend

by Al Myers

I’m finally able to relax and reflect upon the great weekend of lifting this past weekend at the Dino Gym.  It’s surprising how much needs to be done AFTER a competition – equipment needs fixed and put away, the gym cleaned and picked up, meet reports and results written for the website, and of course nursing all the aches and pains I self-inflicted upon  myself  once again.

Mike Murdock, of Ledaig Heavy Athletics, sets the most USAWA Records over this past weekend at the Dino Gym.

If anyone notices any mistakes in the meet results please let me know.   It is easy to fix – and I PREFER for everything to be correct.  It is very easy for a mistake to happen – poor handwriting that I can’t read, a lift written down wrong, etc.  I know of instances in the past (before this website) where mistakes got recorded and never changed, and thus these “errors” go down in history as “the fact”.   What are you saying Al??? Yes I said it  –  some RECORDS in the Record List are not legit!!!  With this website, and the ability to post results immediately and correct them immediately if needed,  those type of mistakes are not tolerable anymore.

Now on to more pleasant things.  I finally got the weekend record count done. WOW – as the Daily News Story says, “Records Go Down Last Weekend” – that is an understatement.  On Saturday at the USAWA National Grip Championships a total of 32 new USAWA records were set.  On Sunday at the Dino Gym Record Day, a total of 113 USAWA records were set by the 11 participants (105 individual records and 8 team records).   That’s a LOT!!!  Joe G (the USAWA Record Keeper) will have to burn the midnight oil getting all that in the list!!  The top record day in the  USAWA last year belonged to the JWC Record Breakers last October where 109 USAWA records were set. (I’m not saying we topped them, but I DID have to mention this fact because I’m a forthright news reporter).  This year’s Dino Gym Record Day now becomes the TOP record day in the history of the USAWA in regards to number of USAWA records broken in a record day.  The TOTAL USAWA records for the weekend was an amazing 145 records.  Mike Murdock lead the way for the weekend with a total of 27 records set.  Mike started the weekend off as 70 years old and ended the weekend at 71 years old.  What a great weekend of lifting he had to celebrate his birthday.

Denny Habecker, of the 2010 USAWA Club of the Year Habecker's Gym, deserves a rest after a busy weekend of setting records. Denny has the MOST records in the USAWA with 399.

Denny Habecker now has a commanding lead over Art Montini in the RECORDS RACE.  With the 18 records Denny set this past weekend, he now leads Art 399 to 370.  If only Denny knew he needed only 1 more record to hit the 400 barrier I’m sure he would have done it!!

USAWA Records from  the National Grip Championships –  2011GripChamps

Individual Records from the Dino Gym Record Day – 2011DinoGymRD

Team Records from the Dino Gym Record Day – 2011DinoRDTEAM

Quiz of the Week

by Al Myers

Which 5 USAWA members have been members since the beginning of the USAWA??

The first USAWA memberships were issued in 1988.  Since that time, only FIVE have been members every year since.  This is what you call LOYAL membership!!!  These five definitely need recognized – and that is the reason for this quiz.   To get the correct answer you need to give me all 5 correct names.  I will even give you a hint if you want to guess.  These 5 are listed in the 2011 membership roster.  You see – they don’t even wait to get signed up for their yearly membership!

As with all Quiz of the Week the rules are the same:  first correct answer I receive wins, only 1 try per day, and send you answer to this email address – amyers@usawa.com.    The winner will receive a  USAWA Patch!

We have 2 WINNERS!

Last night I received TWO correct answers to this quiz!!!

Joe Garcia and Tom Ryan provided the names I was looking for.  The five USAWA members that have been members since the beginning (1988) are Bill Clark, Joe Garcia, Casey Clark, Art Montini and Dale Friesz.  During all these years, these members NEVER let their membership lapse.   I had lots of people make guesses on this quiz, and I want to thank everyone for their participation trying to answer this difficult question.

Catherine Brumback aka Sandwina

by Dennis Mitchell

Sandwina breaking a chain, which was a common act in her performances.

Catherine Brumback was born in Viena, Austria in 1884.  She was the first of fourteen children born to Philip and Joanna Brumbach, who were acrobats who performed in circuses and theaters in Europe.  Her father stood six feet tall and weighed 260 pounds, and had a 56″ chest.  Her mother had 15″ biceps.  Her father could snatch 80 kilograms with one hand, which was a very good lift in the 1800’s.  At the age of fourteen Catherine, who was now called Kathe, stood 5’7″ tall, and weighed 167 pounds.  She had been performing with her parents for quite some time.  She could clean and jerk 50 kg with one hand, and 70 kg with two hands.  By age of sixteen she had also become a very good wrestler.  Her father offered 100 German marks to any one who could defeat her.  At one performance a young 19 year old strong man named Max Heyman accepted the challenge, thinking the publicity would help his career.  Max was rather slight, weighing only 155 to 160 pounds.  Kathe had no trouble quickly defeating him.  Afraid that she had hurt him, she picked him up and carried him to her tent, a most unusual way to start a romance.  Three years later they were married.  They performed together under the name of Les Sandwenes.

As time passed Kathe grew to 5’9″, weighed 200 pounds, had a 44″ chest, a 29″ waist, 16 ” calves, and 14″ arms.  She could bend bars, brake chains, and juggle cannon balls.  She could support a 1200 pound cannon on her shoulders.  Another one of her acts was to lie on a bed of nails while someone from the audience would pound an anvil she supported on her chest.  She was earning $1500 per week.  For a time she had an act with her three sisters, Eugenie, Marie, and Barbara. They performed under the name of the Braselli Sisters.  At a performance in New York City she challenged anyone in the theater to a weightlifting contest.  Eugene Sandow was in the audience and accepted the challenge.  Kathe cleaned and jerked 300 pounds.  Sandow could only  lift it to his chest.  After this contest Kathe changed her name to Sandwina, which said was a feminine version of Sandow.  During her career she performed with several circuses, the most notable being the Barnum and Bailey circus.  After she retired from preforming she and Max opened a cafe in Queens New York . She passed away January 21, 1952.

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