Tag Archives: Middle Fingers Deadlift

Updated Goerner’s Club

By Al Myers

Chad Ullom lifting 310 pounds in the Middle Fingers Deadlift, and joining the USAWA Goerner's Club.

Chad Ullom lifting 310 pounds in the Middle Fingers Deadlift, and joining the USAWA Goerner’s Club.

I always notice outstanding lifts from meet results when I’m updating the Record List.  Every meet has a few that stand out amongst the rest. At the Dino Gym Challenge a few weeks ago Chad Ullom made a lift of 310 pounds in the Middle Fingers Deadlift.  It was done on a fourth attempt so it would be easy to miss as it’s hidden in the “footnotes” of the meet results.  Of all the Finger Deadlifts I’ve considered the Middle Finger Deadlift as the KING of the finger deadlifts as the most weight can be lifted with this long strong digit.

Years ago I’ve dubbed a GOERNER’S CLUB and have kept track of the lifters that are in it.  Chad’s great MF DL at the Dino Challenge gets him into this exclusive club of finger gripsters.

I have written blogs in the past about the Middle Fingers Deadlift and the famous old time German Strongman Hermann Goerner. I want to share again part of a story I’ve written before.

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.

I’ve always considered  Goerner’s Middle Finger Deadlift of 308.5 pounds as the mark to be considered outstanding at this lift. Only a handful of USAWA lifter’s have achieved it in USAWA competition and are part of the USAWA “Goerner’s Club”.  This is the short list:

1. Kevin Fulton 400 pounds – 1999 SuperGrip Challenge
2. Dan Wagman 316 pounds – 2017 Iron Warrior RD
3. Ben Edwards  315 pounds – 2016 USAWA Grip Championships
4. Chad Ullom 310 pounds – 2019 Dino Gym Challenge
5.  Bill DiCiccio 309 pounds – 1994 IAWA Gold Cup

On a sidenote of Chad’s 310# Middle Finger Deadlift, is that it broke an outstanding record held by Joe Garcia of 305 pounds.  I hated removing Joe’s name from the record list as he was so close to being in the Goerner Club – and now his great lift will be left unremembered (except for me and him of course!). I feel for you Joe as I was close once with a 300# MF lift that got removed from the Record List as well by James Fuller.

The ALL TIME master of the Middle Finger Deadlift in the USAWA is Kevin Fulton.  In addition to his 400 pound lift, he is without a doubt the man who exceeded 309 pounds in competition more than anyone else.  I tried to count all the times he has done it, and after I got to six I gave up as no one else is remotely close!

 

Timo – The Man with Strong Middle Fingers

By Al Myers

Timo Lauttamus, Finland, pulling the TOP ALL TIME Middle Fingers Deadlift at the 2014 IAWA Gold Cup.

Timo Lauttamus, Finland, pulling the TOP ALL TIME Middle Fingers Deadlift at the 2014 IAWA Gold Cup.

I can’t complete my epitome on the Middle Fingers Deadlift without mentioning the BEST Middle Finger Deadlifter in IAWA history.  This man is the Finland Strongman, Timo Lauttamus. Timo has been a regular in IAWA international competitions these past few years.  Anyone who has been to recent Worlds and Gold Cups know him.  He has been putting on amazing shows at Gold Cups with the strength he has in his fingers.

Timo hold the TOP IAWA World Record in the Middle Fingers Deadlift with an astounding lift of 183 kilograms (403 pounds).  This was done in front of several witnesses and top level IAWA officials at the 2014 Gold Cup in Burton Upon Trent, England.  I was glad that I was there to see it as well! Timo at the time was 35 years old and weighed in at 98.7 kilograms.

Often when saying someone in the best at something all time it is a debatable issue.  This is not the case with Timo and his Middle Finger Deadlifting in IAWA. I can’t see anyone arguing with me on this!

IAWA(UK) Goerner Club

By Al Myers

Past IAWA President Steve Gardner hoisting up a big Middle Finger Deadlift at the 2000 IAWA Gold Cup!

Past IAWA President Steve Gardner hoisting up a big Middle Finger Deadlift at the 2000 IAWA Gold Cup!

It’s only appropriate that I do a followup on the Goerner Club and the IAWA(UK) as there have been many great Middle Finger Deadlifters in the IAWA(UK) as well as the USAWA.  Finger lifting has always been very popular in England and Scotland.  At every IAWA Gold Cup someone from the IAWA(UK) does some sort of finger lift.  I’ve mentioned that the USAWA has 17 different finger lifts but the IAWA(UK) Rulebook has 22 different lifts done with the fingers! Overall the IAWA(UK) has many less official lifts than the USAWA but not when it comes to the fingers!

So how many IAWA(UK) lifters are there in the Goerner Club?  Does the number exceed the USAWA? Well, I did some checking into this. I recieved help from the finger specialist himself, Steve Gardner, to make this list.  I hope it’s complete, but if anyone is left off the list please let me know and I’ll give you the recognition you deserve.

IAWA(UK) Goerner Club

1. David Horne, England 402.2 Pounds, June 29, 1994
2. Steve Gardner, England 352.5 Pounds, Feb 8, 1992
3. Andy Tomlin, Scotland 352.5 Pounds, Nov 3, 2012
4. John Gardner, England 330.5 Pounds, May 12, 2007
5. M. Street, England 330.5 Pounds, Jan 13, 1994
6. Steve Sherwood, England 330.5 Pounds, Feb. 8th, 1992

That’s SIX LIFTERS. It looks like the USAWA has some catching up to do!!!  But amongst the Goerner Club members who are from the USAWA and the IAWA(UK) the BEST ALL TIME  Middle Fingers Deadlifter is not included.  If anyone knows the answer to this please let it  be known in the Discussion Forum. Anyone who has been involved at all in the last few years should know who it is as it’s pretty obvious.  I plan to do a feature on this lifter in the near future because he is WITHOUT A DOUBT the best finger lifter in IAWA history.

Deadlift – Middle Fingers

By Al Myers

Our USAWA President Denny Habecker getting getting a good stretch on his middle fingers doing the Middle Fingers Deadlift at the 2011 Grip Championships.

Our USAWA President Denny Habecker getting getting a good stretch on his middle fingers doing the Middle Fingers Deadlift at the 2011 Grip Championships.

The THIRD lift contested at the USAWA Grip Championships is the Deadlift – Middle Fingers.  This is a “love or hate” lift for most lifters. It’s one that has been contested before at the Grip Championships. A USAWA Grip Championship wouldn’t be complete without at least one finger lift in it. A lot of other grip competitions ignore the finger lifts as grip lifts, but not the USAWA!  Out of our over 200 officials lifts, 17 are done with an individual finger/fingers (I’ll give a prize to anyone that knows them all).

The USAWA Rule for the Deadlift – Middle Fingers is:

B7. Deadlift – Fingers, Middle

The rules of the Deadlift apply except only the middle fingers of both hands may be used. The middle fingers of both hands may grip the bar in an alternate manner. The thumb must not be in contact with the lifting fingers.

Pretty simple – just hook your middle fingers around the bar and pull!  The key is to block out the pain and the rest is easy.  I’ve written several past blogs on the Middle Finger Deadlift (you can search and read them on this website if you want to), and in a few of them I’ve mentioned what I like to call the USAWA Goerner Club. The great German Strongman Hermann Goerner claimed to have lifted 308.5 pounds in the MF Deadlift around 1925. I consider this mark the ultimate goal for the Middle Finger Deadlift. Only a few USAWA Lifters have accomplished this. This is the short list for the USAWA Goerner’s Club.

1. Kevin Fulton 400 pounds – 1999 SuperGrip Challenge
2. Ben Edwards 315 pounds – 2016 USAWA Grip Championships
3. Bill DiCiccio 309 pounds – 1994 IAWA Gold Cup

That’s IT – only three lifters.  Several others have been very close to making it in official USAWA competition (Joe Garcia 305#, Myself 305#, James Fuller 303#, and Chad Ullom 300#). But being close doesn’t get you in the club!  It doesn’t even get you a pat on the back. As much as I hate the Middle Fingers Deadlift, it really intriques me as I admire any lifter who wants to punish themselves for the fun of it.  I’ve looked through most all past USAWA meet results (but still may have missed something), so I’m pretty confident that the USAWA Goerner Club stands at three.

But yesterday I got to thinking about how much the pre-USAWA All Rounders loved the MF deadlift.  They also did the MF DL in official competitions so their results are not just some “gym story” of someone doing a big MF deadlift in training somewhere.  The precusor and inspiration for the All Rounds came from the early Missouri Valley Weightlifting Association, whereas Bill Clark promoted Odd Lift competitions for many years. Lets see how the modern age USAWA lifters match up against these old timers! The following is a list I developed from old record lists and meet results from the early days.  I only listed marks that have exceeded Goerners famous 308.5# lift.

1.  Ken McClain, Missouri 350 pounds – 1984
2.  Bill Broadnax, MSP 350 pounds – 1981
3.  Joe Nanney, USP 345 pounds – 1961
4.  Daryl Johnson, Arkansas 335 pounds – 1980
5.  Wilbur Miller, Kansas 320 pounds – 1983

That’s FIVE LIFTERS that I found! There were probably more.  It looks like the USAWA has some catching up to do.  Let’s make that happen at this weekend’s Grip Championships.

Deadlift-Fingers, Middle

by Al Myers

The Middle Finger Deadlift has always been part of the Goerner Deadlift Dozen at Clark's Gym. You can see the pain in my face performing this lift at the 2009 Goerner's.

The Middle Finger Deadlift has always been part of the Goerner Deadlift Dozen at Clark’s Gym. You can see the pain in my face performing this lift at the 2009 Goerner’s.

This lift probably has been in the USAWA Grip Championships more than any other and each time it’s in the meet I’m asked by lifter’s — WHY?  Well, maybe because I just love to watch the pain in your face as you are pulling with all your might using only your middle fingers!  And because the USAWA Grip Champs HAS to have at least one painful lift in it.

The rules for the Middle Fingers Deadlift is as follows:

B7. Deadlift – Fingers, Middle

The rules of the Deadlift apply except only the middle fingers of both hands may be used. The middle fingers of both hands may grip the bar in an alternate manner. The thumb must not be in contact with the lifting fingers.

I have written blogs in the past about the Middle Fingers Deadlift and the famous old time German Strongman Hermann Goerner. I want to share again part of a story I’ve written before.

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.

I’ve always considered  Goerner’s Middle Finger Deadlift of 308.5 pounds as the mark to be considered outstanding at this lift. Only a handful of USAWA lifter’s have achieved it in USAWA competition and are part of the USAWA “Goerner’s Club”.  This is the short list:

1. Kevin Fulton 400 pounds – 1999 SuperGrip Challenge
2. Ben Edwards  310 pounds – 2011 USAWA Grip Championships
3.  Bill DiCiccio 309 pounds – 1994 IAWA Gold Cup

I’m hoping someone else will join this list at the 2016 USAWA Grip Championships!

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