2026 National Championship & What's Next

Saturday, June 27, 2026

Columbia, MO

1000

2026 USAWA National Championship

Sanjiv (208.2 pounds; 55 years old)

• Deadlift, No Thumb, Overhand Grip - 285, 305, 315 PR, established age record
• Clean & Press, Heels Together - 105, 115, 135 - Age record (beat Al Springs)
• Lateral Raise, Lying - 20, 26, 30 - established age record
• Jefferson Lift - 315, 335, 345 - could not best Larry Traub at 529 pounds

What's Next?

With Deka.Fit, Muddy Dash and the All-Round wrapping up a busy 4 week stretch, it is now time for some reflection.

Upcoming events:

7/13-7/16 - Colorado Safety Summit - Grand Junction - Mon-Thurs - SUCCESS

7/18 - Elizabeth Celtic Festival or Dub's Grip Classic - Saturday - DUB'S

7/23 - Paint D'Evelyn Parking Spot - Thurs-Fri - DELAYED

8/8-8/12 - Trip to Canada - Saturday-Wednesday - SUCCESS

8/15 - Colorado Heritage Games - Registered - SUCCESS

8/19 - Tuesday Nisha first day of school - SUCCESS

8/21 - Drop Diya off at WashU (classes start 8/24) - WIFE DROPPED OFF - SUCCESS

8/23 - Wellington Swim Run - Need to register - SUCCESS

8/29 - GSI Regionals - Nisha and I Registered

9/12 - Littlefoot Triathlon - Saturday - Registered

9/19 - Colorado Scottish Festival - SKIP

10/3 - IAWA World Championship, Lebanon, PA - Saturday - BOOKED

10/25 - Hurling Tournament, Phoenix, AZ? Friday-Sunday - TBD

I also intend to do some scuba diving in the local quarries (usually Saturday/Sunday) and maybe hit some golf balls.  I feel like I need to focus on grip and a little swim-bike-run.  I should also throw at least one day a week if I want to make it to the Colorado Scottish Festival.  

Highland Games Gear

Scottish Highland games throwing equipment $160.

Used condition as shown.  

Price is for all three implements together.  

NOT SOLD INDIVIDUALLY.

Mens 16 pound light hammer (serial # 203).

Mens 56 pound weight for height (actual weight 58 pounds). 

Mens 28 pound light weight for distance (made from half a 50# dumbbell and actual weight 26 pounds).  

CASH ONLY.  

Please contact me if you need any additional pictures or info. 

Located in SW Denver metro near Morrison at C470 / 285 (Hampden). 

Thank you.

I saw this listing from Patrick Caber just a few miles from my house and had to drive over.  The hammer head has some history and was made from a known manufacturer.  The 58 pound weight for height was made locally.  The 26 pound weight for distance was made locally also.  The two weights have a comfort grip handle that can be removed.

Current Prices (Black Sheaf)

16# Hammer - $100

28# WFD - $130

56# WFH - discontinued, 42# is $160)

--

$390 worth of equipment plus another $100 in shipping.

I would say the implements ended up at 

16# Hammer - $50

28# WFD - $40

56# WFH - $70

I may sell the WFH for $100?

UPDATE 8/24/2026 - Sold 56# WFD for $80 (listed for $100, and took the first offer).  Plan to keep hammer and light weight.  Would love to trade the 16# hammer for a 22# hammer.

Bench Press - Grip Testing

Monday, June 22, 2026

Basement Gym

1230

Bench Press (3x12)

8x45

8x95

12x100

12x105

12x105

Bandbell 

3x8x50

Grip Testing

Grippers - Up to 73# Left (failed 85#)

FBBC Grab Ball - Up to 80# Left

FBBC Double Barrel - Up to 37.5# Right

Otevoima Finnish Ball - 30# Right

40 minutes total

USAWA Nationals Prep

Sunday, June 21, 2026

Garage Gym

1100

Warm Up

Reverse Hyper

Crossover Symmetry

Hip Hammy Flow

Strict Press

8x45

6x75

5x95

5x95

5x95

Jefferson Lift

5x95

4x135

3x225

2x275

2x295

Competition Retrospective

While dabbling in a lot of individual and team sports over the years, I wanted to put together a little compendium inspired by the Massenomics crew who has competed in 20 different strength sports competitions.  My strength sports clocked in at (8) Strongman, Powerlifting and Highland Games events.  I could add another (8) Grip Sport events.  After that, most of my personal competition has been endurance sports (swim-bike-run) and the CrossFit Open.  I have dabbled in team sports in intramurals, corporate and rec leagues (basketball, softball, flag football).  I have recently tried Ultimate Frisbee and Hurling.  I have a well documented SCUBA history and have been skiing off and on since I moved to Colorado.

I have never participated in an Archery or Tennis tournament despite participating there also.

Strongman

• 2023 Littleton’s Strongest
• 2026 Beasts of Buckley

Powerlifting

• 2023 AFA
• 2023 Lakewood

Highland Games

• 2023 Colorado Scottish Festival
• 2023 Thornton Celtic Festival
• 2024 Elizabeth Celtic Festival
• 2024 Colorado Scottish Festival
• 2026 Colorado Heritage Games

Grip

• 2019 King Kong
• 2023 King Kong
• 2024 Rolling Hills Grip Challenge
• 2024 Dub’s Grip Challenge
• 2024 Rocky Mountain Grip Sport
• 2024 King Kong
• 2025 King Kong
• 2026 Worldwide Grip Battle
• 2026 Dub's Grip Challenge III

Other

• 2023 Tough Mudder
• 2023 Deka Mile
• 2024 Deka Mile
• 2025 Hyrox Las Vegas
• 2026 Deka.Fit
• 2026 Muddy Dash

Mono-structural Swim/Bike

• MS150 rides (Memphis, Estes, Colorado Springs)
• StorageTek Coal Miners Classic Criterium
• 2011 Racing Underground 1.2 mile OWS
• 2012 Racing Underground 1.2 mile OWS
• 2013 Denver Metric Century
• 2013 Cancer Sucks Swim
• 2014 Denver Half Century
• 2014 BAM Bare Bones Swim
• 2019 Winter Park Sunrise to Sunset MTB

Mountain Bike Race Series

• 2001 Hill Climb Kick-Off (Winter Park)
• 2001 Fruita Fat Tire Festival
• 2001 Rage In the Sage (Gunnison)
• 2001 Keystone
• 2001 Bear Creek Trail Race

Countless running from mile to marathon

• 2002 Austin Marathon
• 1998 Bolder Boulder
• 2001 Bolder Boulder
• 2002 Bolder Boulder
• 2003 Bolder Boulder

Multisport

• 1989 Memphis In May Triathlon
• 2009 Stroke & Stride
• 2009 5430 Sprint
• 2009 Rattlesnake Sprint
• 2010 Stroke & Stride (2)
• 2010 5430 Sprint
• 2010 West Side Duathlon
• 2011 Stroke & Stride (2)
• 2011 Big Sky Duathlon
• 2012 Stroke & Stride (2)
• 2012 Westside Duathlon
• 2014 West Side Duathlon
• 2014 Summer Open Sprint
• 2014 Stroke & Stride
• 2014 YOLO Triathlon
• 2015 Stroke & Stride
• 2015 My Way or the Tri Way
• 2022 Littlefoot Triathlon
• 2023 Littlefoot Triathlon
• 2024 Littlefoot Triathlon

Back Squat - Metcon

Friday, June 19, 2026

CrossFit Forever (Coach Eli)

0930 (4 of us)

Warm Up

Row

KBS

Goblet Squats

KB Push Press

Bootstrappers

Cossack Squats

Static Leg Stretches

Modified Kang

Back Squat warm-up - 45, 95, 135, 155

Strength

3 Sets

3 Back Squats + 3 Vertical Jumps

Aim for 83-93% of 1RM

I went with 185-195-205 pounds and moved well.  Vertical jumps were reasonable, about 8 inches

Conditioning

"In Too Deep"

For Time:

10 Thrusters

500 meter row

8 Thrusters

400 meter row

6 Thrusters

300 meter row

4 Thrusters

200 meter row

2 Thrusters

100 meter row

(135/95)

I scaled to 75 pounds and was moving well.  I was able to do the thrusters unbroken and finished in 11:07 (against a 15 minute cap).  

CrossFit Forever is a family business.  I was greeted by the owner and learned the gym was recently purchased from CrossFit Watchtower.  It is clean and well organized.  They use CompTrain programming.  In addition to standard crossfit equipment, there is also strongman equipment, some bodybuilding and some recovery equipment.

There were four of us in the 9:30 class which is about what I expected.  DeSean is 60, Rob is a wheelchair user and a female athlete.  Everybody was friendly and the space is good to easily accommodate 12-15 athletes in the main coaching hall.  The facility is clean and well maintained.  $195 for an unlimited monthly and $250 for a 10 punch drop in is fairly expensive.  After the Hyrox Sim, I will probably go back to Westbound CrossFit.

Squat - Grip

Saturday, June 14, 2026

Basement Gym

1600

Warm Up

5 min bike erg

hip hammy flow

Back Squat

10x45

8x95

6x135

4x165

2x195

2x195

2x195

Finnish Ball

30

32.5

35 - not quite

30

Deadlift - EMOM

Thursday, June 11, 2026

Garage Gym

1800

Warm Up

Reverse Hyper

Crossover Symmetry

Deadlift

8x135

6x185

4x225

3x255

2x285

1x305

1x325

EMOM 10

1 - 1 pull-up

2 - 10 KBS

This was a good effort that took about an hour.  I really needed to deadlift, but wanted to add in some conditioning.

1000 yard Pool Swim

Friday, June 5, 2026

Carmody Rec Center

1100

Pool Swim

1x500 FR

1x200 BR

1x200 BA

1x200 FR

--

1100 yards total in 35 minutes

Squat - Grip Testing

Sunday, May 31, 2026

Basement Gym

1630

Back Squat

10x30

8x80

5x120

5x150

4x170

4x170

4x170

Grip Testing

Napalm 2-3/8" One Hand - 105 pounds (left)

Napalm 3x3 Two Hand - 90 pounds

Inch Pinch - 30 pounds

Jug - 100 pounds (right)

USAWA Q2 Postal plus Testing

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Garage Gym

1500

2nd Quarter Postal

207.7 pounds BW

54 years old

Cheat Curl - 45, 75, 85

Deadlift, No Thumb, One Hand (Left) - 105, 125, 145

Clean & Push Press - 135, 145

Testing

Clean & Press, Heels Together - 105, 115

Deadlift, No Thumbs, Overhand Grip - 225, 275

Jefferson Lift - 275, 275, 275

40 minutes total workout

USAWA Testing

Monday, June 1, 2026

Garage Gym

1700

Steinborn

45

65

85

100

110

Lateral Raise Lying

40

45

55

Dinnie

180

270

320

370

With Carnival and Nationals coming up, I wanted to test some lifts to determine openers.

Carnival

• Steinborn - 110, record is 200
• Goerner Stroll - ?, record is open
• Dinnie - 370, record is open
• Fulton DB Press - ?

Nationals

• DL, No thumb, overhand - ?, open, All is 402
• Clean & Press, heels - ?, record is 132 (Al Springs)
• Lateral Raise, Lying - 55, record is open, All is 96
• Jefferson Lift - ?, record is 529 (Larry Traub)