Strength Through Variety (Part 1)

(Webmasters comment: The following is part of an interesting article written by All-Rounder John McKean several years ago. John has won many All-Round National and World Championships in his weight class, and has written articles for Muscular Development, Hardgainer, Strength and Health, Ironman, Powerlifting USA, and MILO)

by John McKean

John McKean demonstrating the Pullover and Push with a thick handle, old style barbell. The Pullover and Push was done by old time strongmen before the days of the Bench Press.

Competition can certainly bring out the beast in you. An almost fanatical drive to excel, improve, and outdo the other guy always yields an unmatched training intensity. Yet even the most diehard lifter occasionally finds himself bored stiff with the same old squat, bench press, snatch or jerk, workout after workout. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to find the incentive to add this competitive fire to shoot for maximum poundages on a lot of movements rather than just a few? How would you like the challenge offered by a huge variety of exercises which can instill tremendous total body power?

Well . . . welcome to the wonderful world of all-round weightlifting.

Simply put, all-round weightlifting consists of almost anything but the powerlifts or two Olympic lifts. In our IAWA (International All-Round Weightlifting Association) meets we perform many recognizable events such as dumbell and barbell presses, strict and cheat curls, hack lifts, leg presses, pullovers, weighted situps, etc. Also contested are forerunners of modern weightlifting which include one-arm snatches, one-arm clean and jerks, push presses, continental cleans and snatches, and jerks behind the neck. Early powerlifting forms are represented by the straddle lift, lying pullover and push, front squat, stiff-legged deadlift, and Steinborn maneuver. And a few ultra-heavy harness events, favored by old-time professional strongmen, are employed via the hip lift, hand and thigh, and back lift.

Lest any potential all-round trainee be intimidated by this awesome variety, let me be quick to explain that never are our listed 150-plus lifts all included in one contest. Generally, for a major contest, 8-10 of the more popular lifts are done over two days. For instance, the 1992 US National meet held in Boston, Massachusetts, featured the neck lift, Jefferson, continental snatch, press behind neck, pullover and push, Zercher, Steinborn, hip lift, hand and thigh, and one-hand deadlift. Local meets usually offer 3-5 movements or are “record days” where a competitor can select his own choice of lifts for record purposes. A few times, however, zealous promoters have posted lists of 15-20 lifts for grueling two-day affairs – believe me, a total body-numbing experience.

Ben Edwards

by Al Myers

Ben Edwards performing a One Handed Thumbless Grip Deadlift of 230 pounds at the 2009 Dino Gym Record Day. Ben's best One handed Thumbless Grip Deadlift is 250 pounds, which is one of the best in the USAWA Record List.

Ben Edwards, the winner of the latest Quiz of the Week, has announced he intends to host an USAWA grip competition. There has not been a grip competition in the USAWA since Kevin Fulton hosted the annual Super Grip Challenges.  Ben has been a “grip specialist” and has competed in numerous grip competitions over the past several years.  He also holds several grip records in the USAWA. He has expanded his lifting to training all the all-round lifts and competed in this past year’s National Championships.  Ben intends to enter more all-round meets in the future.  The USAWA needs more energetic, young lifters like Ben Edwards!!!!

Top 5 All-Time One-Handed Thumbless Grip Deadlifts in the USAWA

1.  266 pounds   Mike McBride
2.  254 pounds   Tom Ryan
3.  250 pounds   Ben Edwards
4.  230 pounds   Al Myers
5.  225 pounds   Matt Graham

Ben Edward’s wins Quiz of Week

by Al Myers

The winner of this week’s quiz is  Ben Edwards, of Lawrence, Kansas.  He correctly identified the two USAWA lifters that have  lifted the Dinnie Stones as Frank Ciavattone, of Walpole Massachusetts,  and Kevin Fulton of Litchfield, Nebraska.

Frank Ciavattone lifting both Dinnie Stones in September, 1996

The Dinnie Stones are still located near their original place in front of the Potarch Hotel –  which is next to the Potarch Bridge that the River Dee runs under. They are located close to Aberdeen, Scotland.  They were originally weighed at 435 pounds and 340 pounds (for a total weight of 775#), but since have been reweighed by Gordon Dinnie in 1998 at 413 pounds and 321 pounds (a total weight of 734 pounds).

Kevin Fulton lifting both Dinnie Stones in October, 2001.

Donald Dinnie is said to have picked up both of these stones (at the same time) and walked the width of the Potarch Bridge – a distance close to 17 feet!!!

For a complete listing of those of have lifted the Dinnie Stones – Click Here

Roger Davis Lifts the Dinnie Stones

by Al Myers

Roger Davis lifting both Dinnie Stones at the same time!!

Congratulations to Roger Davis for finally reaching his longtime goal of lifting the Dinnie Stones. Roger is an all-round weight lifter from England who has competed in several IAWA World Championships, and has won many Championships. He is 39 years old and weighs only around 80 kilograms – which makes this feat all the more impressive!!

The Dinnie Stones are located just outside of Aberdeen, Scotland at the Bridge of Potarch. They were originally used as anchors for the bridge during the construction of the bridge. While helping his father repair the bridge in 1860, Donald Dinnie lifted both of these stones and carried them across the bridge, a distance of over 15 feet.

Roger commented, “It was a great feeling when I finally lifted the stones, especially as clan Chieftain David Webster as well as a large crowd of spectators witnessed it.” He added, “The lifting of the Dinnie Stones really has filled me with a positive attitude.”

I’m looking forward to seeing Roger this coming October in Lebanon at this year’s IAWA World Championships so I can hear first-hand his story about his amazing accomplishment of lifting the Dinnie Stones – a claim not many can make.

Congratulations to David Beversdorf!!!!

by Al Myers

David Beversdorf, of Clark’s Championship Gym, just recently bench pressed 630 pounds at a powerlifting meet that was part of the Missouri State Fair. This was done on August 16th, in Sedalia, Missouri. The meet was sanctioned by SLP. David is a 43 year old neurologist on the staff at the University of Missouri Hospital and Medical Center. David has been training at Clark’s Gym for about a year.

David Beversdorf, of Clark's Gym, benching 630 pounds. Notice Clark's Gym members James Foster (to left) and Joe Garcia (to right) spotting.

I met David at Clark’s Gym this past spring at the Deanna Springs Memorial. A few months earlier David had broken Steve Schmidt’s ALL TIME USAWA record in the Roman Chair Bench Press with a lift of 215 pounds at a Clark’s Gym Record Day.

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