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Arm Wrestling |
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The Battle of the Atlantic tournament has produced it's first challengers for the Champions. The Champion and Challenger will face off May 3 at Doolys in New Minas. We have run our last 4-way competition to determine our number 1 contender. To become the number 1 contender you will have to challenge your way to that spot. If your not on the Battle of the Atlantic list then you must challenge the last place person. If you are on the list then you can challenge up to 2 positions above you. We will run these challenges off during Monday Night Wars where possible.
The Atlantic Canadian Championships is the next big competition. This will take place at Credit Union Place, a brand new $15 million sporting arena in Summerside, PEI. We will be part of the grand opening. Many dignitaries will be on hand for this event including Premier Robert Ghiz, and armwrestling's own PEI MLA, Charlie McGeoghegan. I hope everyone makes an effort to attend this competition as there is sure to be much media following the Premier. Training Tips
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The 2007 year was a very trying year for the Nova Scotia Arm Wrestling Association as
we tried many new things. Monday Night Wars and Battle of the Atlantic are just 2 examples of the different types of competitions that we are experimenting with. The reason for this is to give you the arm wrestler a new and exciting challenge. However this has also been a challenge for us to keep up with the logistics of the different challenges. We are getting a handle on this now and as we move into 2008 we should have all the kinks worked out. This year has also been a strain financially as we went into the red with a number of one-time charges. This should also work itself out in 2008 and by 2009 we should be back in great financial shape. However this will not stop us from pursuing new ventures. We are also presently working on some sponsorship packages to entice companies to invest in us. One of my main goals for 2008 is to have some high school challenges throughout the province. To make this happen I need more people that can referee matches. I already have some schools ready to go but because of the Nova Scotia School Athletic Association we can only do schools within their own boundaries. This is until we prove ourselves which will not be a problem as we've had to do this many times over the past 24 years. Eventually my goal is for a Provincial High School Championship. Annual General MeetingElections results:Rick Pinkney - President Ed McLellan - Vice President Chris Scott - Treasurer The following was voted on: To keep the new grip for Battle of the Atlantic. - Passed Only allow people to pick up team points that have competed previously in the year. - Passed Year End AwardsArm Wrestler of the Year - Mark MacPhailRookie of the Year - Brad Deveau Most Sportsmanlike - Shawn Ross Most Dedicated - Ed McLellan Most Improved - Will Sarty |
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A problem that occurs with almost everyone is that of losing your wrist. Sometimes you lose it because your opponent is a very good top roller and rolls over your hand. Predominantly the reason the majority of people lose their wrist is the give it away themselves. Most don't recognize the fact that they gave it away; they think that their opponent overpowered them. This usually happens when a person changes moves, such as going from top rolling to throwing your shoulder behind in an attempt to pin. How do I stop this from happening? First you need to figure out what is causing you to lose your wrist. Are you changing moves when this happens, or are you just short of the pin pad and making a hit to finish off your opponent? If it is the first then there are a couple things to try. Firstly slow down the transition from one move to the next. If you are top rolling and you want to wheel your shoulder behind your hand don't try to do it in one blazing move. Slowly move your shoulder up behind your hand. If you feel your wrist starting to cave, go back to your top roll position again. Now try again. This time concentrate on your hand. Your wrist should already be bent in your favour so keep that bend as you move your shoulder into place. Before you start to move, make sure your hand is in a good position. You should have a firm grip on your opponent and your fingers should be high on their hand. If you are gripping too low it will make it easy for your opponent to roll you out unless you have a strong hand and can prevent this. Make your move in stages. The first stage will depend on where you start. If your shoulder is down by the table, move it half way up. Do this as if you were doing a chin up. Use your opponent as the chin up bar and pull yourself to the hands. The second stage would be to move your shoulder even with the hands. A problem I notice with many people when they are top rolling is they leave their fingers behind. By this I mean that your hand is in a position where the wrist is up and facing toward you and your fingers are down on your opponent's hand. This allows your opponent to finger-walk over your hand to get the advantage on you. There are several things you can do to avoid this. The first and main reason this happens is lack of concentration. You concentrate so hard on pulling your wrist back that you totally forget about your fingers. When you start your back pressure pull with your index finger as well as your wrist. Most of your trouble begins with too much pulling with your wrist and not enough pulling with your hand. To do this keep watching your index finger to make sure that it is facing you at all times. This may take considerable practice. Bad habits are hard to break. You may not be able to get this move down off the start. It may take some practice. If you can't get this move down make sure you can recover with your next move. The main thing is to know is that you are going into this position, and either stop getting deeper into trouble or being able to get out of it. If you see that your index finger is starting to point toward your opponent then you need to bring it back to facing you. This can be done by finger-walking. Remember when you move your fingers not to open your hand, let up finger pressure slightly and slide them over your opponent's hand. Adding plenty of side pressure is a useful tool in stopping your opponent from getting over your hand. Another way to get your hand back is by using your elbow. Slide your elbow from the back of the pad to the front. Use lots of side pressure when making this move. As your elbow slides ahead your fingers slide over your opponent's hand. This move should be made with one quick movement without letting up much pressure. Don't be afraid to give up some ground as long as you regain hand control. If you let off on your pressure you may end up losing complete control and losing the match. However with practice this is a very good move to get back hand control. One note: when you slide your elbow ahead make sure it doesn't slide out the front of the pad. The last stage is where people typically lose their wrist - moving the shoulder behind the hands. When you do this try to elevate yourself. Get up on your toes if you need be. You are less likely to lose your wrist if your shoulder is higher than your hand. When the shoulder is lower than the hands you have a tendency to push with your wrist whish collapses the wrist. When the shoulder is high than the hands you are more likely to push with your hand. To pin your opponent from this position you need to "lock" everything together. Keep a space between the hands and your shoulder, brace your hip into the table, tighten your tricep and drive everything to your corner. Everything works as one. The distance between the hands and your shoulder stay the same all the way through. As you go down try to push your hand through your opponent's hand so your opponent ends up almost holding onto your wrist. Practice this one step at a time. Have your training partner hold on as you go through the movements very slowly. As you become more comfortable doing this move they will take up more pressure. They also need to let you know if you are letting up pressure as you go through the motions. You can't have any lapses in pressure or your opponent will blow through easily. |
2007 Final Point Standings |
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Team PointsHalifax - 102pts South Shore/Valley - 101 New Brunswick - 53 Prince Edward Island - 45 |
IndividualMark MacPhail - 44Mark Crouse - 23 Jim McGeoghegan - 18 Tim Wrigley - 17 Ed McLellan - 16 |
2006 Year End Rankings |
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Right Lightweight (Under 187lbs) 1) Ed McLellan, Hilden 2) Mark Crouse, Beaconsfield 3) Ryan Purdy, Halifax 4) Artie MacMaster, Truro 5) Jason Lavigne, Moncton, NB 6) Ralphie Bayers, Ship Harbour 7) Will Sarty, Halifax 8) Rick Pinkney, Sackvile 9) Jim McGeoghegen, Belfast, PEI 10) Steve Bayers, Ship Harbour |
Right Heavyweight (Over 187lbs) 1) Shawn Ross, Kingston 2) Charlie McGeoghegan, Belfast, PEI 3) Chris Scott, Sackville 4) Mark Rockwell, Mt Uniacke |
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Left Lightweight (Under 187lbs) 1) Jim McGeoghegen, Belfast, PEI 2) Mark Crouse, Beaconsfield 3) Ryan Purdy, Halifax 4) Tim Wrigley, Middleton 5) Matthew Purdy, Malagash 6) Darren Taylor, Middleton 7) Gary Laird, Torbrook 8) Artie MacMaster, Truro 9) Will Sarty, Halifax 10) Christopher Scott,Sackville |
Left Heavyweight (Over 187lbs) 1) Mark MacPhail, Ben Eoin 2) Shawn Ross, Kingston 3) Charlie McGeoghegan, Belfast, PEI 4) Chris Scott, Sackville 5) Mark Rockwell, Mt Uniacke |
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Right Elite 1 Greg Harnish Mark MacPhail David Sanipass Charlie McGeoghegan Shawn Ross Right Elite 2 Alfred Babineau Edouard Bourque Sylvio Bourque Steven Broad Perry Bruhm Morgan Clinton Mark Crouse Cecil Fahey Wayde Graves Cody King Rob McNamara Pat McGeoghegan Shane O’Leary Melvin Peach Rick Pinkney Ryan Purdy Right Heavyweight Artie MacMaster Jim McGeoghegan Will Sarty Trever Weatherbee Sean Weaver Tim Wrigley Right Lightweight Joyce King Stacy Hill |
Left Elite 1 Sylvio Bourque Steven Broad Cody King Charlie McGeoghegan Mark MacPhail Chris Scott Shawn Ross Left Elite 2 Edouard Bourque Joey Connell Mark Crouse Morgan Clinton Wayde Graves Artie MacMaster Jim McGeoghegan Melvin Peach Pat McGeoghegan Tim Wrigley Left Heavyweight Perry Bruhm Vince McKinley Ryan Purdy Sean Weaver Left Lightweight Joyce King Stacy Hill |
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| Another Nationals has come and gone and again the Maritmes proved that we have many of the best pullers in Canada. When you look at the results and see the number of guys and girls that were up on the podium it was truly amazing. Congratulations to everyone that not only stood upon the podium but had the fortitude to go to the Nationals and complete against the best in Canada. Congratulations are also in order to Team New Brunswick for taking the team trophy from Ontario. Also a special thank you to Al and Joyce King and all the sponsors and volunteers that helped make this a fantastic National Championship. A job well done |
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The last two tournaments of the year are shaping up to provide some exciting arm wrestling action. The "Battle of the Atlantic" is an invitation only competition that pits the top four armwrestlers in three categories right and left to capture the "Battle of the Atlantic" Title Belts. Even if you are not participating this will prove to be a competition worth watching. Our last competition of the year is our annual ranking tournament. This is always one of the favourite events of the year. Seeding of the competitors and triple elimination makes this competition a lot of fun and some fantastic pulling. |
| You train, and train and train. However, come a big tournament you suck up a storm and get your butt kicked. How can that be? Are the ones that beat you that much better or are they training that much harder. Sometimes the problem doesn't lie within the muscles and tendons of your arm but within the cranium. When competing at the top levels of this sport many times a person's losses have as much to do with mental preparedness as it does with arm power. Getting your head into the game is not always an easy thing to do. Everybody has their own way to prepare for their match. Some like to sit quietly and meditate while others like to fire themselves up. What works best for you is something that you will have to discover for yourself. |
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The main thing you need to remember is that you must be able to think and react to any changes that your opponent is making. If you are firing yourself up to where you are not thinking clearly then you need to rethink your strategy. Armwestling like any sport requires clear thinking, planning and execution of specific moves. Having your head clouded by hollering or banging on the table may fire up your adrenaline, but if the extra strength you think that you are creating is not directed in the right manner then all is for not. In the next couple paragraphs I'll be singling out certain individuals. I mean no disrespect toward them as I have the greatest respect for them and have used them in past training tips to detail what to do to become a better arm wrestler. However we all have bad tournaments or make bad judgments during matches which is why we lose. |
2007 Point Standings |
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IndividualMark MacPhail - 44Mark Crouse - 23 Jim McGeoghegan - 18 Tim Wrigley - 17 Ed McLellan - 16 |
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2006 Year End Rankings |
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Right Lightweight (Under 187lbs) 1) Mark Crouse, Beaconsfield 2) Ryan Purdy, Halifax 3) Jim McGeoghegan, Belfast, PEI 4) Tim Wrigley, Middleton 5) Ed McLellan, Hilden 6) Trever Weatherbee, Stewiacke 7) Jason Lavigne, Moncton, NB 8) Daniel Martel, Montague, PEI 9) Brendan Samuel, Dartmouth 10) Will Sarty, Halifax |
Right Heavyweight (Over 187lbs) 1) Mark MacPhail, Ben Eoin 2) Shawn Ross, Kingston 3) Charlie McGeoghegan, Belfast, PEI 4) Chris Scott, Sackville 5) Rick Pinkney, Sackville 6) Wayde Graves, Bedford 7) Brian Knockwood, Indian Brook 8) Larry Roi, Minto 9) Cody King, Hainesville, NB 10) Roger Donelle, Moncton, NB |
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Left Lightweight (Under 187lbs) 1) Jim McGeoghegan, Belfast, PEI 2) Tim Wrigley, Middleton 3) Melvin Peach, Halifax 4) Brendan Samuel, Dartmouth 5) Adam Sarson, Truro 6) Matthew Purdy, Malagash 7) Ryan Purdy, Halifax 8) Daniel Martel, Montague, PEI 9) Pierre Campbell, Dartmouth 10) Darren Taylor, Middleton |
Left Heavyweight (Over 187lbs) 1) Mark MacPhail, Ben Eoin 2) Cody King, Hainesville, NB 3) Charlie McGeoghegan, Belfast, PEI 4) Shawn Ross, Kingston 5) Wayde Graves, Bedford 6) Chris Scott, Sackville 7) Roger Donelle, Moncton, NB |
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Right Elite 1 Greg Harnish Mark MacPhail David Sanipass Charlie McGeoghegan Shawn Ross Right Elite 2 Alfred Babineau Edouard Bourque Sylvio Bourque Steven Broad Perry Bruhm Morgan Clinton Mark Crouse Cecil Fahey Wayde Graves Cody King Rob McNamara Pat McGeoghegan Shane O’Leary Melvin Peach Rick Pinkney Ryan Purdy Trever Weatherbee Right Heavyweight Artie MacMaster Jim McGeoghegan Will Sarty Sean Weaver Right Middleweight Jim McGeoghegan Tim Wrigley Right Lightweight Joyce King Stacy Hill |
Left Elite 1 Steven Broad Cody King Charlie McGeoghegan Mark MacPhail Chris Scott Shawn Ross Left Elite 2 Edouard Bourque Sylvio Bourque Joey Connell Mark Crouse Morgan Clinton Artie MacMaster Melvin Peach Pat McGeoghegan Chris Scott Wayde Graves Left Heavyweight Perry Bruhm Jim McGeoghegan Vince McKinley Ryan Purdy Sean Weaver Tim Wrigley Left Lightweight Joyce King Stacy Hill |
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2006 Point Standings |
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TeamNorthern NS - 75Valley - 70 Halifax - 68 New Brunswick - 53 Prince Edward Island - 45 IndividualMark MacPhail - 32Jim McGeoghegan - 18 Tim Wrigley - 17 Mark Crouse - 16 Charlie McGeoghegan - 15 Cody King - 14 Ed McLellan - 14 |
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2006 Year End Rankings |
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Right Lightweight (Under 187lbs) 1) Mark Crouse, Beaconsfield 2) Ryan Purdy, Halifax 3) Jim McGeoghegan, Belfast, PEI 4) Tim Wrigley, Middleton 5) Ed McLellan, Hilden 6) Trever Weatherbee, Stewiacke 7) Jason Lavigne, Moncton, NB 8) Daniel Martel, Montague, PEI 9) Brendan Samuel, Dartmouth 10) Will Sarty, Halifax |
Right Heavyweight (Over 187lbs) 1) Mark MacPhail, Ben Eoin 2) Shawn Ross, Kingston 3) Charlie McGeoghegan, Belfast, PEI 4) Chris Scott, Sackville 5) Rick Pinkney, Sackville 6) Wayde Graves, Bedford 7) Brian Knockwood, Indian Brook 8) Larry Roi, Minto 9) Cody King, Hainesville, NB 10) Roger Donelle, Moncton, NB |
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Left Lightweight (Under 187lbs) 1) Jim McGeoghegan, Belfast, PEI 2) Tim Wrigley, Middleton 3) Melvin Peach, Halifax 4) Brendan Samuel, Dartmouth 5) Adam Sarson, Truro 6) Matthew Purdy, Malagash 7) Ryan Purdy, Halifax 8) Daniel Martel, Montague, PEI 9) Pierre Campbell, Dartmouth 10) Darren Taylor, Middleton |
Left Heavyweight (Over 187lbs) 1) Mark MacPhail, Ben Eoin 2) Cody King, Hainesville, NB 3) Charlie McGeoghegan, Belfast, PEI 4) Shawn Ross, Kingston 5) Wayde Graves, Bedford 6) Chris Scott, Sackville 7) Roger Donelle, Moncton, NB |
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Right Elite 1 Greg Harnish Mark MacPhail David Sanipass Charlie McGeoghegan Shawn Ross Right Elite 2 Alfred Babineau Edouard Bourque Sylvio Bourque Steven Broad Perry Bruhm Morgan Clinton Mark Crouse Cecil Fahey Wayde Graves Cody King Rob McNamara Pat McGeoghegan Shane O’Leary Melvin Peach Rick Pinkney Ryan Purdy Trever Weatherbee Right Heavyweight Artie MacMaster Jim McGeoghegan Will Sarty Sean Weaver Right Middleweight Jim McGeoghegan Tim Wrigley Right Lightweight Joyce King Stacy Hill |
Left Elite 1 Steven Broad Cody King Charlie McGeoghegan Mark MacPhail Chris Scott Shawn Ross Left Elite 2 Edouard Bourque Sylvio Bourque Joey Connell Mark Crouse Morgan Clinton Artie MacMaster Melvin Peach Pat McGeoghegan Chris Scott Wayde Graves Left Heavyweight Perry Bruhm Jim McGeoghegan Vince McKinley Ryan Purdy Sean Weaver Tim Wrigley Left Lightweight Joyce King Stacy Hill |
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March 2007Letter From The PresidentThis is our very first web based newsletter. After 20 years of having a newsletter delivered to your door we have decided to change with the times. I want to thank all the people who had a hand in putting it out. Many hands were involved over the years from writing articles to designing, printing, folding and mailing it out you. However with the cost of printing and mailing it out along with the time it took to put it all together we decided that this was the best way to go. Most of the info in the newsletter was already on the website. Also this gives us more flexibility on what we can do. In the future we will be adding pictures and video with the training tips. I hope you like it and feel free to contribute your thoughts. I can be contacted by email: Rick Pinkney This year is off to a great start. Both tournaments so far have had very good turnouts and the challenge matches have been a huge success. The fact that you can challenge someone who you've had very little chance to compete against on a regular basis is great for helping to elevate your game. The fun part is that of challenging someone to a hook, strap or straight up matches.
Training Tipsby Rick PinkneyPeak PerformancePeak performance is the art being at your very best at the correct time of year. I say it is an art due to the fact that this is not an absolute science. There are many trainers that can get their some of their athletes to peak at the right time but not all. The one that comes to mind mostly is that of Don Ptaff (Donovan Baily's trainer). Donovan Bailey was always at his highest performance for the premiere events in his sport(100 metre dash). He destroyed his competition at the 1996 Olympics but prior to and after the Olympics he was mediocre. Then when the next big race came around again he won. This is what you want. Hit your highest performance when it counts most. Don't worry about the small meets in between. You need to determine when you want to excel at your very best then tailor your training to make sure that you are at your best then. If your goal is to win a National Championship then that's when you want to peak. If it's the first of September you don't want to be in top form in June or November. You want your best performance that day. In today's World the difference between first and 5th could be as little as 5% strength difference. Therefore if 4 people are at their top performance and you are not then you could be that 5th place finisher instead of standing at the top of the podium. How you peak at the right time will be a mater of trial and error unless you have the advantage of a professional coach. A good coach will put you on a program that will have a series of intensities. There will be varying degrees of workouts from light weight to very heavy weight. You will build from the light to the heavy then back to the light when your best is needed. You cannot expect to be at 100% if the week before you are doing exercises at 100% your 1 rep max. When you have "broken down" your muscles they need time to recuperate. How long depends on the individual which is why this isn't an absolute science. You cannot be 100% if you are the least bit broken down. Peak performance is being 100%. Therefore you need to "train down" to get your body up to 100%. Training down means that you will back off the heavy training and start doing lighter workouts leading up to your big event. Peak performance also requires other factors. Diet. If you are starving your body of needed nutrients then again you can't be 100%. Sleep. One of the most overlooked aspects of training. If you push your body and push your body to achieve optimum performance without proper sleep you are robbing your body much the same as if it isn't getting enough nutrients. It also affects the brain and it's capacity to think properly. If you aren't thinking you're not reacting quickly enough to changes that are happening on the table. In a sport that requires fast reflexes you need your mind to be as sharp as possible. There are many books and knowledgable people on this subject. Seek out these resources and figure out what you need to do to be at your very best when it counts.  Upcoming TournamentsApril 21- Atlantic Canadians - Carriage House, Port HawkesburyJune 30 - NB Provincials, Minto Coal Mining Festival, Minto, NB July 14 or 21 (not confirmed)– NS Provincials, Heart of the Valley Festival, Middleton Aug 4-5 – Nationals - Fredericton, NB Sept. 29 - Oct. 7 - Worlds - Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria
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