Tag Archives: Art Montini

USAWA Teeth Lifting

by Sanjiv Gupta

Classic Advertisement (from USAWA website)

The teeth lift is a USAWA Special Equipment Lift which originated from old-time performing strongmen.  Per a USAWA website article, Warren Lincoln Travis performed a 350 pound teeth lift with his hands behind his neck.

The current record list shows 15 USAWA athletes with records on the books.   Mary McConnaughey leads the women with a 130-pound lift in 2005, followed by RJ with a 54-pound lift in 2017.  The somewhat more crowded men’s field has Steve Schmidt in the lead with a 390-pound lift in 2005, followed by Eric Todd with a 300-pound lift in 2023.  The other 11 athletes in the books have records between 13 and 203 pounds dating back to 1999.  Art Montini has the most records in the book with 8 records (all 100 pounds or more) set in the 70-90 year old age classes.

Art Montini with his Teeth Bit (from USAWA website)

The last time it was contested in a meet was the 2022 Dino Gym Challenge, where among the 4 athletes participating only one had a successful teeth lift, Dean Ross at 39 pounds.

The teeth lift is essentially a neck exercise, but you still have to be hold onto the weight with your teeth.  Similar to a deadlift, your grip may fail before your posterior chain can no longer lift the weight.

The teeth bit is a very personal device.  Not because of the design or the shape of athlete’s choppers, but more because it is difficult to sanitize and kind of familiar to share un-sanitized.  Most of the designs I have seen are made from leather.  Leather is pliable enough to bite your teeth into, but also sturdy enough to hold 300 pounds.

I fabricated one based on the classic dog-bone template, folding the leather back on itself, gluing the two halves together to secure a D-ring and adding some additional leather and rivets for more security.  I did not use any specific medical grade of food safe glue.  I just used whatever Tandy Leather had on hand that I could borrow.  This seemed to be the traditional design.  If I made another one, I would not include the riveted section.  On one teeth lift, the bit slipped in my mouth and put a lot of pressure on my front tooth.  It would have been better to have the bit just freely escape my mouth.

The author’s teeth bit

I have heard horror stories about people having so much pressure on their teeth that they felt the roots of their teeth shifting or worse.  Alternatively, the USAWA website claims that Art Montini’s 107-pound lift in 2013 at 85 years of age was successful even though he has false teeth.  Personally, I am not the picture of dental health.  I have had wisdom teeth removed, teeth removed for braces and three teeth removed and replaced with two implants due to gum disease.  That said my oral surgeon could not endorse teeth lifting but did claim my implants were stronger than my natural teeth.

Whether or not you want to set records in the teeth lift, this might be worth playing with just to appreciate the grit it would take to lift over 100 pounds.  Here is a youtube video where I used a washcloth as a teeth bit and loaded it to 25 pounds.  I feel like the washcloth I was using could hold over 100 pounds, but I have no intention of finding out.

Dino Gym Challenge

By Al Myers

MEET ANNOUNCEMENT –

DINO GYM CHALLENGE featuring a “tribute to Art Montini”

Art Montini was a very dear friend to me.  It’s hard to believe that this spring is coming upon 4 years since his death.  I had the opportunity to travel with Art to many overseas IAWA competitions and spent many a nights rooming with him.  Art was a very intriguing man.  One thing I know for certain – he loved the USAWA and all round weightlifting. He was always looking forward to his next meet and continued to train daily until his passing.

I have decided to make the Dino Gym Challenge this year as a tribute to Art.  I picked several of Art’s favorite lifts for the competition.  He was truly an all rounder and liked most all the lifts, but I feel these were his favorites as he often picked them for record days and his Gold Cup lifts.   I just had to include a heavy lift in the meets lineup as Art loved his “chain lifts” and made it to many Heavy Lift Championships.  I would say the Hip Lift was his favorite.  He always had a heavy bar in Ambridge BBC all loaded up for the Hip Lift.

Of course, a meet in Art’s honor wouldn’t be complete without the Arthur Lift. Most would give credit for this lift to another Arthur, but Art did bring it to the USAWA so I’ll always say the Arthur Lift was named after Art Montini!!!

After the meet I will have food available so please make plans to stay awhile to grab a bite before you head home.  Art just loved his Italian food so that’s what the menu will be.

Please let me know if you plan to be here so I can make proper arrangements.  I’m hoping there will be many stories told about Art  throughout the day.  I know I have my share!!

 

MEET DETAILS:

Meet Director:            Al Myers and the Dino Gym 785-479-2264

Meet Date:                 Saturday, January 15th, 2022  1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Location:                    Dino Gym, 1126 Eden Road, Abilene, KS 67410

Sanction:                    U.S.A.W.A Memberships cards can be purchased on meet day

Weigh-ins:                  12:00 -1:00 PM the day of the meet

Divisions:                   Juniors, Women, Masters, and Open

Awards:                      None

Entry:                         None – but please notify me in advance if you plan to attend

Lifts:

Teeth Lift

Deadlift – Fingers, Middle

Deadlift – One Arm

Hip Lift

A teeth bit and a hip harness will be available to use, but if you want to bring your own that is preferred.  A “shared” teeth bit probably wouldn’t meet any COVID precautionary protocols so if you got one please bring it.

After the meet there will be an exhibition Arthur Lift competition to honor Art and his legacy in the USAWA.  It will not count towards the meet total, but will have a special prize for the overall winner in the Arthur Lift based on adjusted points and an overall winner based on total pounds lifted.

The next day (Sunday) there may be a scheduled time for record day lifts, but that will depend on the interest.

2018 Year in Review

By Al Myers

coverscanI have just finished the 2018 USAWA Year in Review.  Every year since I have been secretary of the USAWA I have done this Review Book.  I take all the information that has been put on the website (blogs, meet results, past history archives, etc) and copy it into a book, which is printed off.  I also include this book as a digital file on the website if someone wants to look at it that way or print it off themselves.

I do this for one reason primarily – and that is to preserve the history of the USAWA in paper form.  It always surprises me by the amount of information that this website accumulates every year. This year the Year in Review is 381 pages long and contains 76,491 words!  It would take a few evenings to get all that read.

If anyone wants a printed copy of the Year in Review please let me know.  I plan to take it to the printer’s next week.  The cost is $50, made out to the USAWA.

Wizard of Weights: USAWA’S Art Montini

By John McKean

Low rumbles in the dawn sky no longer worry me about an impending storm; they merely remind me that Art Montini is continuing his early morning daily lifting workouts up above, and always gently replacing the barbell to the platform in his disciplined, controlled manner!

Yes, a key feature of Art’s long time success with heavy weights can be attributed to his never-miss-a-daily-workout habit, along with his constant start at 4 AM. Well, actually just after 4, as he ALWAYS opened his day with a stop at famed Mac’s Donut Shop in his hometown of Aliquippa, probably the best home-owned bakery in Pennsylvania! Art was well known for his love of the sweet pastries, even though he only tried to imbibe when he thought no one was looking!  So, I took it upon myself to call owner & manager of the sweet shop, JW, to get the real low down on Art’s daily breakfast. EVERYBODY at Mac’s knew Art, because he was their first customer each morning for years; they loved the ever cheerful ole rascal and considered him as part of their family (I guess like we ALL did!). Yet what always impressed JW and the waitresses was that Art desired to discipline himself for weightlifting, and only ever ordered COFFEE!! The tempting aromas at that opening time must have been unbelievable, but Mac’s staff insist that Art remained steadfast in his commitment to the iron game. However, their coffee must be as potent as it is tasty, because Montini never had a bad workout!!

Art always insisted that his early start insured that he’d train hard & heavy, because there was nothing else to do at that time anyway! (The 90-year-old had more & better quotes than Yogi Berra ever did!) But he was sincere in stating that, after training, he was energized to handle whatever the rest of the day would throw at him! Over the years many lifters asked Art about taking a workout with him, yet upon learning that it was NOT 4 PM for scheduled training, virtually not one of these sleepyheads ever mustered the initiative to visit and lift during the wee hours (they probably never knew about Mac’s coffee!).

The Ambridge VFW Barbell Club’s “senior citizen” maintained rather solid views on exactly what was needed to build strength. He was everything that embodies heavy weightlifting, and “old time” training tactics. He never jogged, did aerobics, or had a single cross-“FIT”! In fact, he didn’t warm up at all! He’d start right in with his particular lifts of the day, and single up in a manner best described as heavy, heavier, and heaviest! Not that he’d go to limits every session, just up the scale enough that he knew he’d thoroughly worked the event (I almost said”exercise,” but he didn’t do exercises – this Wizard of Weights powered his way through LIFTS!).

One time at a power meet, Art and I met a very talented, experienced powerlifter; the interested young man wondered aloud how we could start with big poundages using no warmups at all. Of course, a well knowing, and always helpful Art was quick to point out that one could get all the warmup needed during the FIRST ATTEMPT on the platform, and tried (in vain) to get the guy NOT to do a really FULL workout (many, many sets & reps, from light to heavy) before hitting the official platform. Sure enough, that well meaning, yet overly dedicated trainee was too worn out to succeed with 2nd and 3rd attempts, and finished far behind us for the overall best lifter award! He did promise, though, to begin experimenting with very limited warmups in the future!

As to lifts themselves, Art had a simple plan; he’d select about 24 All-Round events that were likely to show up at contests, and do 4 of them each day (he’d take Sunday off – even JW at Mac’s donuts noted that Art always arrived “late” for coffee & newspaper on Sundays – at 6:30 AM !!). Yep, that would be about 12 singles per workout, then he was outta there! Now, if a meet was imminent, he’d concentrate more on the particular events involved, but he really did enjoy and prefer the larger variety of all-round events in his general weekly sessions. Every Monday morning he’d start his list all over again. This way, the ole Wiz believed, he was always ready for anything that popped up for competition.

One time the gang over at the Jumpstretch gym in Ohio decided to conduct a “wildcard” contest; that is, they planned to draw by random the names of 4 lifts, from a selection of 18, that would then be performed by all lifters. Someone at our VFW Barbell Club asked Art how you could possibly train for such a contest? “Easy,” laughed Montini, “just do ’em ALL over the next couple of weeks!” Yep, Art won that contest!

Even back in the “old days” Art had the handle on variety in training and using heavy stuff exclusively. One of his fellow competitors back then was long time pro wrestling world champ Bruno Sammartino (he also passed away a few weeks ago), who would get a huge smile from fond memories whenever I’d mention Art. During the 50s, even before official powerlifting, they’d have “odd lift contests” (varied, but often bench presses, squats, curls, press behind the neck, etc.), which both Bruno and Art would compete in (way different weight classes,  of course). I’d often run into Bruno, as he only lived about a mile away and I’d taught his sons in the Junior High school near their home, and took delight in reminding this warm, always friendly, humble behemoth how little ole Art once took him to task in the curl at one of those events. Bruno would laugh and spout out, “That little pipsqueak never beat me in ANYTHING!” Then, reconsidering, meekly said, “Hmm, well maybe he did, ONCE!”

Yet it was always common sense methods, careful observation, overwhelming confidence, and 70 years of competitive experience that carried Montini to consistent achievement. He knew, for instance, and often proclaimed when performing any record level deadlift type “Anything I can even barely get off the floor, I’ll finish for a successful attempt!” And he’d prove that time and again – maybe attributed to one period where he worked to nearly 600 pounds with deadlifts off low blocks (or maybe as Bill Clark always quipped, “He has the longest arms with the shortest legs of any human I’ve ever seen!!”). There’s only one time I can remember that Art was upset about a lift he was well prepared for. During his early 20s he completed a perfectly executed military press with, I believe, 230 pounds (a personal record at the time -a source of great excitement for the youngster), only to have it turned down by officials. Back then, a lifter had to slowly press in coordination with the head official’s barely moving rising finger & the head honcho claimed Art pressed a hair too fast! (Head judge was Bob Hoffman(!!) so our hero couldn’t argue – though from that time on, never a fan of the “Father of Weightlifting”!).

Even in his daily habits, Art was the model of consistency, he never found the need to OVER-do anything; slept well (except for those awful awakening hours!), saw no need to “live” in the gym, attacked the weights rather than stress over poundages, and used common sense in eating habits. I’ll always remember being amazed at his belief for obtaining morning protein – just a single egg would do him well! And very little or nothing ever in the way of expensive supplements. He was completely healthy with fresh vegetables grown in his own garden, the mentioned egg, coffee (of course!), and some simply cooked chicken, fish, or beef. Oh yeah, he absolutely LOVED ice cream at times and the occasional donut (which he claimed he only ate during his annual Birthday Bash meet! But I suspect even that was only when we caught him redhanded with a ringed goodie in hand or telltale white powder coating completely surrounding his lips!!).

Some of us always stress over travel to meets. Not Art, he’d just mention that all ya had to do was merely SIT there, no matter how many hours were involved, and just relax! (Though just before he left us, he tried hard in a telephone conversation to pitch to me that the trip to this year’s Nationals could be very easy ’cause it was only a 6 hours drive away, being in NORTHERN Florida; he refused to believe  the computer which mentioned 1100 miles on the road from Western PA!!). And I always laugh when recalling him going to a sport’s store recently to buy a new singlet for meets – all they had that was close to our lifting outfits were wrestling singlets, so Art had the salesman get him one in his size. Puzzled, the salesman asked if the suit was for a grandson or great grandson; “Nope,” Art replied without further explanation,” It’s for ME, I’ll be using it this weekend!” That poor employee is probably still wondering how the 90 year old “wrestler” made out!

Not to mention his few hospital stays (replaced hips,etc) ; On one discharge,the Doc told him to go right home and get some needed pure rest. Of course Art drove directly to the gym for what he deemed was an even more needed WORKOUT! Other docs also told him, knowing it would be futile to advise this iron man otherwise, that he could train LIGHT to insure recuperation; on a follow-up consultation they about “blew a gasket” to learn Art was hip lifting with 800 pounds!! (“We told you to go LIGHT”, they howled. “It WAS light!” smirked ART !)

Well, I could probably write an entire book on this absolute legend of the game! He actually only varied from other “big names” of the 50s and 60s (when he started and lifted among them) by competing far MORE than any of them,setting more World & National records, and staying world-class-strong longer! Heck, most of today’s kingpins could not even heft the weight total of Art’s trophy collection over 70 years of truly hard core competition! We can all discuss many more stories, though, at this year’s slightly renamed “Art’s Memorial Birthday Bash” (USAWA) in October. Please try to attend, we want this one to be BIG! After all, it’s really not like Art has ever left – he will always be there lifting alongside us!

Art’s Birthday Bash

by John McKean

MEET REPORT –

ART’S 90TH BIRTHDAY BASH

What does an original USAWA lifter do when he turns 90? Merely hefts the highest poundage lift of anyone attending his own birthday meet! Yep, ole Art snuck in an easy 450# hip lift to outdo the crowd of one of the most well attended big contests of the year, even besting 4 of the top USAWA record holders present (only one other out of the top 5 was claiming jet lag or some lame excuse, and stayed home!!).

It was a fitting birthday for the glowing Mr. Montini, super cheerful and looking fit and healthy thanks to his large family traveling up and throwing him a huge party the night before! Naturally many of those youngsters enjoyed lifting at the meet on Sunday morning; between the kids & parents milling around, there were more Montinis than cockroaches in the old VFW gym!

Not that generations of Art’s family were the only long distance travelers – Dean Ross was his usual busy self, driving in from Oklahoma, finishing his record setting marathon early, then driving the huge mileage back so he could work on Monday morning! Our hard working president, Denny Habecker, hit the turnpike from across state, bringing with him the ever witty and tremendous long time lifter, Barry Pensyl. And from nearby Cleveland, Ohio, came Scott Schmidt (savior of this year’s National USAWA championships!) and the always dependable Dennis and Flossy Mitchell. Heck, I even coerced my grandson, Andraes, just turned 12, to travel down for the weekend and begin his “official” entrance into the record books (tho’ he actually thought it was merely going to be a donut eating contest between him & Art!).

Despite chalk dust flying, boundless youthful enthusiasm, and many records shattered, the meet wrapped up just around 1 PM. We’ve sponsored great birthday meets in the past, but this one may go down as the most FUN contest of all. As one visiting lifter was so amazed and excited over Art’s lifting & longevity, she requested to take a photo of him while he was so vital and alive; naturally some wag called out “better take it QUICK!”

MEET RESULTS:

ART’S 2017 BIRTHDAY (90 ) RECORD DAY MEET
Duss Ave Ambridge,PA
Ambridge VFW Barbell Club
Oct. 15, 2017

Meet Director: Art Montini

A 3 Official (IAWA/USAWA registered officials used) judged contest. Officials in attendance : Denny Habecker, Dennis Mitchell, Art Montini, Scott Schmidt,  John McKean

Lifters’ results:

Jason Montini II    bwt 52 K   age 11  (55k, under 13)
teeth lift  25 pounds
crucifix  30 pounds
jerk behind neck from rack  25#
One arm clean & jerk dumbbell right arm  30#
one arm dumbbell clean & press left arm  20 pounds

Dennis Mitchell  bwt 147#  age 85 (70K, 85+)
Left hand deadlift 60K
Right Hand Deadlift 60K
Thumbless deadlift  70K
Straight arm pullover  42.5 Pounds

Barry Pensyl  bwt 150# age 69 (70K, 65+)
hands together bench press  120 pounds
2″ vertical bar lift right arm  99#
dumbbell swing right arm  55#
straight arm pullover  60#
Thor’s Hammer  24#

John McKean  bwt 150 1/2 pounds age  71 ( 70K, 70+ )
right arm dumbbell deadlift  182 pounds
left arm dumbbell deadlift  152#
2″ bar (Fulton) hack lift  178#
2″ bar (Fulton) Jefferson lift  258#
Kennedy lift  410 #

Art Montini  bwt 178#  age 90 ( 85K, 90+)
abdominal raise  30 pounds
Zercher  120#
teeth lift  130#
hand & thigh  300#
Hip lift  450#

Annabelle Montini  bwt 178 1/2 #  age 10 (85K, under 13,female)
trap bar deadlift 165#
Arthur lift  20#
hand&thigh  160#
Right hand clean & jerk (dumbbell) 15#
2 hand deadlift  88#

Andraes McKean  bwt 179#  age 12  (85K,under 13)
left hand dumbbell deadlift  86#
right hand dumbbell deadlift 102#
bentover row (power row)  118 #
2″bar (Fulton) hack lift  108#
2″bar (Fulton) Jefferson lift 128#

Robyn Montini  bwt 179# age 17 ( 85K,16-17,female)
Hand & thigh 180#
Trap bar deadlift 175#
Arthur lift 20#
Dumbbell clean& jerk right arm 35#
2 hand deadlift  154#

Denny Habecker  bwt 191#  age 75 (90K,75+)
bench press alternate grip  155#
crucifix  50#
Ciavattone deadlift 258#
One Dumbbell press left arm 45#
press behind neck from rack  110#

Benson Montini  bwt 93K  age 13 (95K,13-)
trap bar deadlift 275#
hand & thigh  250#
crucifix 30#
dumbell press right arm 25#
jerk behind neck from rack  50#

Dean Ross  bwt 233#  age 74  (110K,70+)
bent arm pullover  75#
straight arm pullover  55#
one arm hack lift,left hand  80#
half Gardner 18#
good morning 115#

Scott Schmidt  bwt 235# age 64 (110K,60+)
2 hands clean and seated press behind neck 55K
clean&jerk  2 dumbbells 40K
continental clean  72K

Beth Bulebosh  bwt 280# age 49  (130K,45+,female)
Jackson press 75#
Left hand dumbbell press 35#
right hand dumbbell press 35#
2″ vertical bar lift, left hand 114#
2″ vertical bar lift , right hand  114#

Jason Montini  bwt 141.5K  age 38 (145K,open)
2 hand seated dumbbell press  90#
middle fingers hack lift 108#
ring finger hack lift 88#

Christopher Montini  bwt 148.5 K  age 39 ( 150K ,open)
Teeth lift  135#
trap bar deadlift 425#
jerk behind neck from rack  135#

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