Tag Archives: USAWA

Clark’s Gym Meet Schedule

by Al Myers

Bill Clark has promoted over 100 USAWA competitions. This is a record no other USAWA Meet Director is even remotely close to approaching. (photo credit: National Masters Weightlifting Newsletter, 1989)

Bill Clark has just revealed the dates for the five sanctioned USAWA Events during the upcoming lifting season in Clark’s Gym.  All of this will begin with a gym record day on October 24th, and ending with the annual Deanna Springs Memorial Meet on March 27th.  In between these two events will be the long standing Zercher Strength Classic (January 29th) and the prestigious Hermann Goerner Deadlift Dozen plus One ( December 4th).  Bill Clark has received the 2010 sanction from the USAWA Executive Board to host this year’s Heavy Lift National Championships, which will be held in conjunction with the Steve Schmidt’s Backbreaker on November 6th.

As per tradition of events directed by Bill Clark, no entry fee is charged to enter, and all competitions will be held in Clark’s Gym in Columbia, Missouri.  What a deal!  There is not many things you get for free in today’s World,  so plan on making at least one of the competitions on the Clark’s Gym Meet Schedule.  You will get your money’s worth!!  Bill has put on more events than any other meet director in the history of the USAWA, and Clark’s Gym has been a USAWA Club Member since the inception of the USAWA.

Clark’s Gym Meet Schedule

October 24th, 2010 – Record Day.

November 6th, 2010 – USAWA Heavy Lift National Championships and Schmidt’s Backbreaker.

December 4th, 2010 – Hermann Goerner Deadlift Dozen plus One.

January 29th, 2011 – Zercher Strength Classic.

March 27th, 2011 – Deanna Springs Memorial Meet.

No entry forms are available for these competitions, but YOU MUST send a confirmation to Bill Clark prior to attendance. The deadline is the Tuesday before the event.  Bill may be reached by telephone: 573-474-4510, Fax: 573-474-1449, or mail: Bill Clark, 3906 Grace Ellen Drive, Columbia, Missouri, 65202.  It is very important to contact  Bill prior to attending so he can adequately plan for the competition day-  and it is the LEAST you can do for a meet director that is promoting a meet without charge.

All of these events are listed in the USAWA Future  Events Calendar on the website, where more detailed information about each meet can be found.

USAWA Discussion Forum

by Al Myers

We now have over 100 registered members for the USAWA Website that have access to the USAWA Discussion Forum.  If you are not a  website member yet (which has NOTHING to do with USAWA membership) take the time to join.  All you got to do is follow the instructions given on the website to register, and after I “approve” your registration you are issued a password to “login”.  And this is FREE!!!  By being a registered member of the website, you will have access to the USAWA Discussion Forum, which is the ONLY forum on the internet dedicated to ONLY All-Round Weightlifting.

A few words of advice for the less computer savvy lifters out there.  The password that is issued to you is computer generated by the software of the website.  I do not know what it is – so please don’t lose it.  Once you login with it, you can change it to something that you can remember easier.  Also, if you register and don’t think you received your password, check your spam filter.  This “computer email” will often get lost by the spam filter.  The password has to be used EXACTLY as it is sent to you – so use capitals where indicated and don’t mess up 1’s for i”s.  If you do, it will not let you in.  The easiest thing to do is “copy and paste” it into your login.  And of course if you have any questions, just email me and I’ll help you through it.  I have had to do that for others so don’t worry about it being an imposition on me!

But – all of this “hassle” will be worth it.  The USAWA Discussion Forum contains information about the USAWA and All-Round Weightlifting that is BEYOND what is found in the USAWA Daily News.  You can ask questions if you want, or just read the information available.  Your level of involvement is left up to you.  Often, discussions involve the latest Daily News story,  more detailed information about upcoming meets, or just general talk about training.   I have “loosened” the requirements for the forum compared to what I had previous – now you do not need to post with your real name if you want to remain anonymous,  registration is more visible, and I do not require full disclosure in identity when registering like I did previous.  I am hoping this will encourage new interest.  Of course,  bad behavior will not be tolerated on this forum!

Register now  and join the USAWA Discussion Forum, so you will be “in the know” on the latest news involving All-Round Weightlifting!

JWC Straight Weight Postal

Heavyweights Battle it out in Postal Challenge

By Thom Van Vleck

Team Dino Gym wins the Straight Weight Postal Challenge. Pictured from left to right: Scott Tully, Al Myers, and John Conner

Two teams participated in the challenge and the Dino Gym pulled out the victory.  This meet was a new concept for a USAWA meet and we will see if it catches on.  The idea being there would be no formulas used, the winners decided on who lifted the most weight…period.  I proposed the idea of the “straight weight” meet to get some of the bigger guys to come out and participate and as a result, some big boys showed up.  The Dino Gym had a combined weight that was a “Big Al Bacon n’Eggs style breakfast” short of a half ton at 991lbs.  The JWC was a relatively svelte 915lbs.  The average weight of the lifters involved was 318lbs!  I can only guess what that weight would have been had Al not had to replace his original team member, Mark Mitchell, who had to withdraw with a back injury!  Al’s paltry 255lbs brought the average way down!!!

I hope this meet was taken as intended:  Just another alternative and one that the Big Boy’s could embrace as their own.  I know my guys had fun doing it and hopefully it will motivate them to do some more USAWA lifting!  Oh, and one more thing, I calculated the age and weight factors just to see the outcome….and the Dino Gym doesn’t want to know those results!

Full Meet Results:

Officials for Dino Gym Team:  Al Myers and Scott Tully

Official for JWC:  Thom Van Vleck

Dino Gym Team: Al Myers (44 yrs, 255lbs), Scott Tully (34 yrs, 344lbs) John Conner (25 yrs, 392lbs)

Jackson Weightlifting Club: Thom Van Vleck (46yrs, 295lbs), John O’Brien (42 years, 285lbs), Josh Hettinger (29yrs, 335lbs)

Push Press – From Rack

  1. John Conner 380lbs
  2. Josh Hettinger 335lbs
  3. John O’Brien 300lbs, Scott Tully 300lbs, Al Myers 300lbs
  4. Thom Van Vleck 255lbs

DG: 980lbs & JWC: 890lbs

Vertical Bar Deadlift – 2 bars, 1″

  1. John Conner 500lbs
  2. Scott Tully 420lbs
  3. Josh Hettinger 400lbs, Al Myers 400lbs
  4. John O’Brien 380lbs
  5. Thom Van Vleck 280lbs

DG: 1320lbs & JWC: 1060lbs

Continental to Chest

  1. John Conner 385lbs
  2. John O’Brien 335lbs
  3. Al Myers 325lbs, Scott Tully 325lbs
  4. Thom Van Vleck 315lbs
  5. Josh Hettinger 275lbs

DG: 1085lbs & JWC: 925lbs

Cheat Curl

  1. John Conner 250lbs
  2. John O’Brien 235lbs
  3. Thom Van Vleck 215lbs, Josh Hettinger 215lbs
  4. Al Myers 201lbs
  5. Scott Tully 181lbs

JWC: 665lbs & DG: 632lbs

Shoulder Drop

  1. John O’Brien 95lbs, Josh Hettinger 95lb
  2. Thom Van Vleck 85lbs
  3. John Conner 45lbs, Al Myers 45lbs
  4. Scott Tully 30lbs

JWC:  275lbs & DG:   120lbs

Totals: 1st Place: Dino Gym 4087lbs, 2nd Place: JWC 3835lbs

Zercher Strength Classic

MEET ANNOUNCEMENT – Zercher Strength Classic

Meet Director:  Bill Clark

Date:  Saturday, January 29th, 2011

Venue:  Clark’s Gym, Columbia, Missouri

Weigh-ins:  8-9 AM

Entry Fee: None

Entry Form: None

Awards:  None

Membership:  Must be a current USAWA Member

Lifts:  Leg Press, Deadlift – One Arm, Deadlift – Heels Together, Hack Lift, Continental Clean and Jerk, Clean and Press – Heels Together, Zercher Lift, Steinborn Lift, Neck Lift, Hip Lift, Harness Lift, Hand and Thigh Lift, and Bench Press – Feet in Air

To enter, a confirmation must be sent to Bill Clark by the Tuesday preceding the meet.  Bill can be reached by phone: 573-474-4510, Fax: 573-474-1449, or mail:  Bill Clark, 3906 Grace Ellen Drive, Columbia, Missouri, 65202.

To Be Young and Strong!

by Al Myers

Colby Duranleau, of the Dino Gym, shown training the log last weekend in the gym. Colby is 19 years old, and at 6'6", 320 pounds bodyweight has a bright strength future ahead of him. His current training personal best with the log is 315 pounds.

It is always exciting to me when some new, young lifter joins the gym that shows great promise.  A few months ago Colby Duranleau started training at the Dino Gym and has made unbelievable progress in his training since then.   Those of us that have been around the iron game for quite a while (I hate to admit it – but that includes ME!) have the responsibility to help guide the “next generation” into the sport.  I think of those that helped me get started many years ago.  If it wasn’t for their guidance and encouragement, I might not have stayed after training and competing.

This is so true with our organization, the USAWA.  The other “veterans”, like myself, need to take the time to teach new, younger lifters how to do the All-Round Lifts.  We aren’t going to be around forever, and the younger lifters are the future of our sport.  Just look at our USAWA President Denny Habecker and his protege Kohl Hess as an example.  Kohl is “only 16” and already has great proficiency in the technique of many of the all-round lifts, due to the instruction given by Denny.  I was so impressed with Frank Ciavattone at the USAWA Nationals, where he and his son Frankie both participated.  It is obvious that Frank is doing his part in “passing down the tradition” to his son, who someday I predict will be one of the best lifters in the USAWA, the same as Frank has been for many years.   The USAWA will grow if each one of us takes the time to teach and mentor just one new lifter in the sport of all-round weightlifting.

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