Tag Archives: Bench Press – Fulton Bar

NEW LIFT – Bench Press with the Fulton Bar

by Al Myers

It is always exciting to get new lifts in the USAWA.  At the Annual National Meeting in Las Vegas, this new lift was passed by the membership: Bench Press – Fulton Bar.  It was presented to the Executive Board for review last spring by Dino Gym member Scott Tully.  A year ago it was passed by the membership that ALL new Fulton Bar lifts MUST be approved to become official lifts of the USAWA, just like any other new proposed lift.   Scott just wondered why the common Bench Press was not represented, as several of the other common lifts (ie Snatch, Clean and Jerk, Deadlift, Clean and Push Press Continental to Chest, Maxey Press, etc)  were represented in our official lifts listing.  He made a great point – so now welcome the Bench Press to the list of Fulton Bar Lifts.

The official Fulton Bar lifts now stand at 13 lifts and include a good representation of all round lifts.  For those not familiar with the fulton bar terminology, the fulton bar is defined in the USAWA Rulebook as a 2″ bar with these specifications:

  • The diameter of the bar must be a minimum of 1 15/16 inches.
  • The bar may be a pipe or a solid steel shaft.
  • There must be no rotation to the sleeves of the bar.
  •  The minimum distance between the inside collars is 51 inches.
  • The maximum distance between the inside collars is 58 inches. 
  • The minimum total length must not be less than 7 feet.
  • There must not be any knurling on the bar.
  • The weight of the bar must be clearly marked.
  • The bar must be straight.

Now for the Official USAWA rule on the Bench Press – Fulton Bar:

Bench Press – Fulton Bar: The rules of the Bench Press apply except a Fulton Bar is used.

That’s it!!!  Pretty simple rule.   The only confusion may arise concerning whether the feet should “be in the air” (following the rule of the Bench Press – Feet in Air), which they do not.  If fact, that would be technically illegal to perform this new lift that way, as the rules of the Bench Press require the feet to be flat on the floor without movement.  Now let’s add some records to the Record List in the Fulton Bar Bench Press!!!!