Tag Archives: All-Round Weightlifting

Seven Priniciples for Cleaning and Pressing Dumbbells

by John McKean

Mark Mitchell, of the Dino Gym, holds the Overall Record in the Clean and Press - 2 Dumbbells in the 125+ KG Class with a lift of 230 pounds (this is a picture of that record). This record was performed in the 2004 IAWA Postal Meet.

1.) Principles of cleaning and pressing barbells apply. You need an easy clean. If you’re stumbling all over as you rack the dumbells, or have to muscle them in over the last few inches, your chances of making a maximum single, triple, or even a set of five are slim.

2.) Concentrate on speed when you clean dumbells. You have to turn the dumbells over fast which requires getting the elbows to move rapidly. Remember, you’re not doing hammer curls.

3.) Dumbell cleans are easier if one uses ‘bells with thin, flat-style plates. I prefer 12½’s myself, the fewer plates the better. Hexagon-shaped dumbells are noticeably harder to clean, at least 90’s and up.

4.) For home training, spiral-lock dumbells are best. They can be changed quickly, and you never have to worry about the collars falling off and causing potential injury.

5.) For pressing heavy dumbells it’s essential to have a solid base. Total-body work comes into play here as you must maintain tight thighs and hips.

6.) When pressing the heaviest dumbells, I prefer palms facing each other, with elbows facing forward and angled slightly outward (as opposed to elbows to the sides).

7.) Keep dumbells directly over the shoulders and concentrate on driving them straight up, always being attentive to prevent the ‘bells from wandering out to the sides.

The Farmers Walk

by Al Myers

Big John Conner of the Dino Gym training the Farmers Walk with 405 pounds per hand!!

One of the most physically taxing exercises you can train is the ole’ fashioned FARMERS WALK.  All it takes is two identical implements to carry. Just pick them both up at the same time and start walking.  This event is very popular among strongmen and is contested at many strongman competitions. I think it is also a good training exercise for All-Rounders.  It works the entire body – and when you are finished with a WALK your legs, back, shoulders, and arms will be exhausted.  The Farmers Walk is an excellent last exercise (or often called “the finisher”) to your workout.  I would recommend you do it last because if you “push it hard” you will have had enough!  Brooks Kubik made this comment regarding the Farmers Walk in his book Dinosaur Training, “if you do this exercise the right way, you won’t have anything left for any other exercise.”

Like I said, you can carry about anything in the Farmers Walk.  If you don’t have special made FARMERS IMPLEMENTS – use dumbbells.  If you don’t have dumbbells –  use 5 gallon buckets filled with sand, water or rocks. When I was a young 12 year old kid my Dad would make me carry 5 gallon buckets of milk to feed the calves. I would have to carry these buckets over 100 yards from the milk barn to the calf shed.  Sometimes, I would have to come back for more milk-filled buckets!  I remember when I started doing this chore I HATED it and considered it HARD WORK, and thought my Dad was mean spirited making me work like that. But Dad knew what was best for me, and he kept making me do this every day after school. Soon afterwards, I felt stronger and in better shape, and I had suddenly developed muscles I didn’t have before. I’m sure this is one of the reasons that first got me interested in weight training.  I could feel myself getting stronger carrying the buckets, and soon it became easy – and I LIKED the way it made me feel!  My Dad knew farm work like this would make a young boy strong, and I got to thank him today for introducing me to progressive weight training using the FARMERS WALK the FARMER’S WAY (in which the Farmers Walk includes productive hard physical work)!

Give the FARMERS WALK a try in your training program.  If you are like me, you could use a little more cardio work in your training program!  This exercise is very challenging and easy to improve on.  You can always add a little more weight to your carry, go a little faster, or maybe go a farther distance.

My Toys

by Roger Davis

"Thought you might like a picture of some of my toys...bet you just want to hop on a plane and come round to play. The globe dumbbell is 40 kg, and has a 2" handle. At a sponsored charity event later this year, I want to lift it overhead 40 times in 40 minutes to mark by 40th birthday" - Roger Davis

(webmasters comment:  Thanks Roger for sending along these pictures of some of “your toys” – and YES I would like to “play around” with them.  If anyone else has special training implements, please send me a picture with a short writeup and I will share it on the website.)

Harness Lift:Part 2

by Thom Van Vleck

Thom Van Vleck getting "Down and Dirty" to judge the Harness Lift with a helper!

My own story on the Harness lift goes like this.  After that 2006 USAWA Nationals mentioned in part 1: Harness Lift, I got one of the harnesses and heavy bars Al made special for that meet.  I brought it home but did not have enough weight to load it!  So I contacted my good friend, Bob McConaughey with the BNSF railroad and he set me up with a pair of railroad car wheels.  I thought the RR car wheels would be cool to lift and we could also use them in our strongman evangelism shows.  I’ll never forget our conversation when he asked me what size I wanted:

Thom:  “So, what size do you have?”

Bob:  “Well, they can range from 1000lbs and up to 4000lb”

Thom: “Apeice!!!!……uhhh…what’s the smallest you can get me?”

Bob (laughing):  “I think we could find you some coal car wheels that are in the 800lb range!”

So, it was off to Galesburg, Illinois to pick up some surplus steel!  I took my half ton truck to pick up a ton and a half of steel.  John O’Brien went along for the ride and upon arriving, the trainmaster took us down to the yard to get them loaded.  They were on a palate and I’ll never forget when the trainmaster asked the loading dock guy for help loading them and the loader looked at the wheels and at us and said, “Don’t you think a fork lift would be easier”!?  As he walked off to get the fork lift, the trainmaster mutter under his breath a more crude version of “NO CRAP”!!!  My poor pick up has hauled a lot of crazy stuff over the years, but you should have seen the it sink under that weight!

I got them home, and realized as I got them into my gym that these things were so heavy they were actually extremely dangerous, if they tipped over they could sever whatever was under them.  But, I got them modified and loaded on to my heavy bar.  My Dad had come over and helped me slip the harness on and I made my adjustments.  Finally, I had them adjusted and with an estimated 1700lbs, I began to pull….an pull….and pull.  It was then I realized that when you do Heavy Lifts, you have to have a whole new mindset!  Upon proper mental approach which involves pain tolerance and the feeling that something is going to rip in any given joint in your body, I lifted it.  I then loaded it to an estimated 2000lbs and after a couple of attempts, got that, too.  I was elated!!!  Later, I took my shirt off to shower and looked in the mirror and realize I had blood blisters all over my shoulders and hips.  I looked like I had been bull whipped!  The next day I felt some serious joint and muscle soreness, but a lasting satisfaction that I had “lifted a ton”!

If you want to get started in Harness Lifting, my recommendation is you need to work into it slower than I did and get some coaching by someone that knows what they are doing….it will save you some time and maybe injuries!  Since you aren’t going to buy a harness or Heavy Bar at the local sporting goods store, I would take a good look at a Harness before making one and ask guys who have them how they made them.  They have made all the mistakes for you and can tell you the best way to go about it.

Finally, you are always welcome to stop by the JWC Training Hall and give the Harness lift a shot!

It’s time to get your National Entry in

by Al Myers

2010 USAWA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
JUNE 26 & 27, 2010
LEBANON SENIOR CENTER
LEBANON, PENNSYLVANIA


The deadline is approaching fast for this year’s USAWA National Championships, hosted by our USAWA President Denny Habecker.  The deadline is May 26th.  Please help Denny prepare by getting your entry in on time.  Considerable time and energy is spent in preparing for a competition like this, and a meet director needs to know how many competitors will attend so arrangements can be done accordingly. Planning for TShirts, awards, and food requirements have to be done way ahead of the meet date, so it is very important to get that entry in on time.  I know the USAWA has in the past been pretty lenient on this, but you never know, this year may be different if entry numbers are up.  Why take that chance??  Just fill out the entry form today and send it to Denny!

Denny had these words to share about this year’s upcoming Championships, ” I am looking forward to a great meet this year. I am expecting some very good new lifters this year, in addition to the great lifters from past years, which should make this a very good and exciting meet.  I hope every member that can make it will come and help make this the best meet ever. I know a lot of lifters liked the two day format, and the cookout in my yard after the meet will be very informal and I hope enjoyed by all.”

Below are the entry forms for this year’s National Championship:
2010 USAWA Nationals – info page

2010 USAWA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

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