Tag Archives: Steve Schmidt

Hall of Fame Biography – Steve Schmidt class of 1993

Steve Schmidt holds the All-Time record in the USAWA in the Back Lift, with a lift of 3050 pounds.

Steve Schmidt was born on August 22nd, 1955 in Franklin County Missouri. He still lives there and is self-employed in the fertilizer business and as a farmer. Steve is married with two grown sons and 3 grandchildren. He started lifting in 1977 as a powerlifter. He got involved with the USAWA from the very beginning. In fact, he held the very first membership card issued. Steve has spent most of his time training at home in an old building with no heat, electricity or doors, but at times trains at Clark’s Gym in Columbia Missouri and represents Clark’s Gym when he competes. Steve was the Overall Best Lifter at the first two National Meets in 1988 and 1989. He was the Open Best Lifter in 1991. He was the Overall IAWA Best Lifter at the 1989 World Championships in Plymouth Meeting Pennsylvania. He has promoted the Backbreaker Meet 7 times, which consists of the Neck Lift, Hand and Thigh Lift, Hip Lift, Harness Lift and the Back Lift, in the late 80’s and early 90’s. It was held at his farm. Today, Bill Clark hosts this meet at his gym every year and it is now named the Schmidt’s Backbreaker Pentathlon, after Steve. He has won the Backbreaker 14 times and the Zercher Meet 8 times. Steve’s favorite lifts are the Harness Lift, Back Lift and Teeth Lift. He holds the overall USAWA record in the Harness Lift at 3515 pounds and the overall USAWA record in the Back Lift at 3050 pounds. Steve holds nearly every repetition record in the Hip Lift, Harness Lift and the Back Lift. He holds the Total Poundage record using the Back Lift, doing 8,087,095 pounds in 2 hours and 50 minutes!! He also holds the Teeth Lift record with a lift of 390 pounds, with his hands held behind his back! Steve has also done numerous strength shows in which he pulls heavy loads with just his teeth!! He is also a World Class Bender and has performed at the AOBS Banquet where he did 10 repetitions in the Hip Lift with 1800 pounds! Steve has very calm demeanor when he lifts and often makes impossible lifts look remarkably easy. When asked why he likes all-round lifting, Steve replied, “It’s the best!!” Steve has always been a man of few words and just lets his outstanding lifting accomplishments speak for themselves.

Quiz of the Week

by Al Myers

In the USAWA, lifts done for repetitions may be contested in competition and for records. The ultimate record for repetitions is the TOTAL POUNDAGE, where the lifter may choose any lift and rep/set scheme, to lift the most weight within a given time frame.  The standard for this record was initially set by the great Warren Lincoln Travis in 1927 when he Back Lifted 5.5 million pounds in 3 hours, 9 minutes. This was done by doing 5500 reps with 1000 pounds.

Name the TWO USAWA LIFTERS who have exceeded this, along with their TOTAL POUNDAGE.

Steve Schmidt setting the all-time record for TOTAL POUNDAGE on December 14th, 2002

Congratulations to the Winner of this week’s quiz –  Tom Ryan of Acworth, Georgia – who correctly identified the two USAWA lifters as Steve Schmidt and Howard Prechtel. Tom had an advantage in this quiz, as he was a witness and assisted in the counting of repetitions during Steve Schmidt’s record. Howard Prechtel initially broke Travis’s record in 1982 by Back Lifting 6,066,060 pounds in 3 hours, 9 minutes. It was accomplished by doing 5460 reps with 1111 pounds. This was then upped by Steve Schmidt, on December 14th, 2002 at Clark’s Gym, in which he lifted 8,087,095 pounds in 2 hours 50 minutes. Steve was 48 years old at the time and weighed only 209 pounds. He accomplished this by lifting 1,115 pounds a total of 7253 times, using the Back Lift. Bill Clark was the official judge and counter of this Herculean effort. I was fortunate to also have witnessed this event and can attest to the stamina Steve exhibited in accomplishing this feat.  He was performing 45 reps per minute, which gave him only about 30 seconds rest per minute.  He maintained this pace for two hours!!!!  Steve broke Howard’s record in 1 hour, 57 minutes.   The conditioning required for something like this must be much the same as that of a marathon runner. I was amazed how quickly Steve recovered following this endurance record, as he did not seem out of breath at all afterwards and even joined in with us on some other record lifts.  Will this TOTAL POUNDAGE record be broken in the next 100 years?   Only time will tell…..

Dino Gym Challenge

by Al Myers

Steve Schmidt sets USAWA Back Lift Record!

Steve Schmidt with a 3050# Back Lift.

Steve Schmidt became the first man to Backlift over 3000 pounds in the an official USAWA meet. His 3050# Backlift record was set at the Dino Challenge in Holland, Kansas on January 17th. He lifted in a record session prior to the meet which was judged by Bill Clark, Al Myers, and Chad Ullom. He broke the previous record of 2920# three times with lifts of 2930#, 3000# and finally his new record of 3050#. Steve has been training the back lift over 20 years to achieve this hard earned record. Steve owns nearly ever rep record with the back lift, including his famous 8 million pound rep record in 3 hours set in 2002.

The Dino Challenge drew 4 lifters to compete in a meet that tested not only strength, but flexibility and agility. Chad Ullom, of Topeka Kansas, came out on top winning 3 of the 5 events. He surprised everyone with his 200# Zeigler Clean, which is a clean done balancing a 2.5# plate on your head!!! Chad also won the Dino Challenge last year. Rudy Bletscher, at 73 years old, showed everyone that he still has the athleticism to complete this selection of difficult lifts.

FULL MEET RESULTS:

2009 Dino Challenge
January 17th, 2009
Dino Gym, Abilene, Kansas

Lifts: Kelly Snatch, Zeigler Clean, Judd Clean & Jerk, James Lift, and the Allen Lift.

Meet Director: Al Myers

Official (1 official system used): Bill Clark
Loaders: Mike Murdoch and Mark Mitchell


Lifter BW
 AGE Kelly Ziegler Judd James Allen Total
Chad Ullom 231 37 70 150 150 125 35 530
Al Myers 251 42 50 100 100 85 45 380
Scott Campbell 303 34 25 65 120 125 25 360
Rudy Bletscher 222 73 25 85 50 55 2 217

All Lift Results in Pounds.
Extra lifts for record
Chad Ullom, Zeigler Clean:  200#

Record Session:
Steve Schmidt, Age: 53, BW:230;  Backlift: 3050#

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