Photos 2003

Photos from 2002 and Early 2003

   I prefer dynamic photos rather than static pictures like bent wrenches and so forth.  Hence, that's why this recent photo section starts with this photo of a "torch" hold with a 51.5-pound "club."  I'm using the Ironmind Olympic loading pin loaded with 45-pounds of plates and two collars.  The collar between the 10-pound plates and the 5 pound plate is a PDA locking collar. If you should decide to try this you must use a locking collar (like Ironmind's bulldog or PDA's nut-buster).  What makes this lift difficult is a combination of things.  First, the two inch handle makes it hard to grasp as the weight is basically snatched to this position.  Torque exists as the weight is swung, and there is no knob on the end helping my grip on the handle.  Second, the weight is not centered above the body as in a dumbbell lift, thus creating torque with my arm as the moment arm.  Finally, any movement of the handle to balance straight up creates torque at 10" x 51.5-pounds x sine (angle).  My goal here was to not tilt the handle, thus this torque would be zero with the handle straight up. (February 15, 2003)

Here's the club loaded to 54-pounds.  This was swung "to order" and held for about 5-seconds.  I did 55-pounds as well but didn't get a good picture.  While the tilt may look slight there's a good deal of torque here.  From the center of gravity of the weight to the top of my hand is 10-inches, thus the torque would be 10" * 54-pounds * sin(~25-degrees) = 228- Inch Pounds.

By comparison, if Scott Sonnon's 45-pound clubbell has a center of gravity about 12 inches from the base of the hand the corresponding torque would be 45 * 12 * sin(25-degrees) = 228 Inch-pounds.  If the clubbell is more like 13 inches from the base of the hand it would be around 247 Inch pounds of torque.  Thus, holding this "club" at 25-degrees would be very similar in torque to the big 45-pound clubbell.  Merely holding the 54-pound club to order perpendicular to the ground, however, is actually harder for the following reason.  Holding the weight out would be Weight * length of my arm.  54-pounds being heavier than 45 would imply that holding the weight is more difficult, with two different torques to take into account.  Of course, my goal here was not to leverage the weight but hold it out after the swing up.  I also did this weight with my arm perpendicular to the ground, but the look on my face was really weird so I didn't use it! (February 15, 2003).

I discovered just today that I could manage 27.5-pounds on the plate wrist curl.  I've been doing 25-pounds for a few reps in the gym, as well as training with simply holding out the weight at the point of highest torque, which is basically where the plate is in this picture.  The 2.5-pounds is a plate-mate magnet, placed farthest from my hand to create the most amount of torque.  This is a deceptively difficult lift, all because of the torque placed on the fingers.  This feat really needs a video, showing that the plate starts perpendicular to the floor and finishes almost perpendicular on the top.  Once beyond the point in the picture the lift starts to be easier. February 16, 2003

     This wrench I bent about an inch in late 2001.  I had it hanging on my display of good bends after I bent the other two wrenches.  I was a little disappointed that I couldn't finish it off, but if you look carefully you will see that this is a "name brand" Allen wrench.  It was like bending a spring, I think it bent 3" and snapped back to the 1" that was the final bend.  Well, after the other wrenches I looked at this thing a little differently one day and finished it off!  I did need to brace, however, placing my forearms on my thighs while finishing it off. (Nov 2002).

This picture isn't so much a feat of strength as it is a training idea.  What I am doing is lifting around 225-pounds on the PDA "Inch" replica handle (~2.47" wide) but I am focusing on lifting the near end only.  I try to lift it up so that it balances on the far end and then try to "pop" it off the floor so that it swings away from center (forward).  (December 17, 2002)

The pinch lift is definitely not my strong suit, but with persistence I am doing well.  Here I am doing 58-pounds total weight with a 3.5-inch thick piece of wood.  This width is difficult for my because my hands are relatively average sized (look how wide I'm stretching).  On Olympic sized plates (about 2.5" total width) I can do about 68-pounds with a pin through the center of 25-pound plates to add weight, frustrating close to two 35-pound plates.  The two inch width is the best for me, with my best being around 90-pounds.  This should illustrate the difference width can make on the pinch width.  (December 14, 2002).

Copyright February 2003

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