Derek Poundstone at the 2010 World’s Strongest Man competition.
This is from 2010. The Apollon Axle (train wheels stuck on a bar) weighs around 366 lbs. The Circus Dumbell weighs 202 lbs.
Doyle Kenady setting the world record in 1983:
“No one has ever written adequately about Doyle’s incredible feats of strength.”
More comments about Doyle:
- “What can you say but incredible! Love powerlifting back then.”
- “Doyle and his friends moved incredible weight around like toys.”
- “One of the most powerful men that ever lived.”
- “The prototype for all that came after him!!!”
- “Doyle Kenady was a world class lifter and a outstanding person.”
- “I doubt that the circus called powerlifting today will ever get back to the prestige that it held back then.”
- “Got to love Doyle Kennedy, that is what a powerlifter should look like!”
- “Doyle was a man among boys, I wish I would have had the opportunity to train with him in Salem.”
- “I agree with what you said about Doyle Kenady. He was a friend of mine in the last years of his life and a very nice person. He died too young if ask me (50). We used to cut wood together every year for 3 years and he would work my 22 yr old butt under the table. We used harvest Xmas trees too, and that was damn hard work, which he was never scared of.”
- “I had the honor and good fortune to train at Doyle Kenady’s gym in Salem, Oregon for several years. He was a genuine, soft spoken, ‘gentle giant’ who not only was a top powerlifter and recordbreaker, but also trained a whole team of nationally ranked powerlifters as well. I remember ‘Deadlift Day’ was saturday. They started about 1pm and were there for about 5 or more hours that day. Talk about serious training! I had one of his team tell me that Doyle trained far heavier than his record breaking deadlift. Although I never saw it personally, I was told that he pulled 1100 using wrist straps. The world lost a good man and I lost someone I considered a friend when Doyle died. He will be forever missed by those who knew him.”
Doyle was a close friend of my dad and a generous man.
You can watch Doyle compete in the 1983 World’s Strongest Man competition: Part 1. Part 2.
A couple good articles about Doyle. Here. And here.
His Wikipedia page. Check out all the championships.
Synapses 
How does Doyle make that lift look so easy? At least when he starts to pick it up off the floor, before that, whew, I didn’t know if he’d be able to do it!! A point of interest… Dad and I founded Huhn’s Fitness Center on River Road in the 70s… I believe it was Doyle Kenady who bought it! It was a nice, large building that we put a dressing room and showers in! Do you remember it?
I do remember it! Fairly clearly, for some reason. I liked going there. It was a block away from Keizer Faith Center.
Yes, it was! 🙂 It had athletic figures painted around the walls (about midway up) and was a nice, un-crowded place to workout. Men’s days were 3 days a week with Dad; and ladies’ days were 2 days a week with me!