Tag: Archie Vanderpool

If you want to practice heavy partial deadlifts or hand-and-thigh lifts, you’ll want a setup like Archie Vanderpool here. The strongman (and proud member of the York Barbell Club) from Woodbine, Iowa, specialized on a number of unusual — and very heavy — lifts. For example, his record in the lift shown was 1840 pounds. He also liked to do things like shouldering a 1100 pound railroad rail and then going for a walk.

He also reported carrying a barbell loaded to 400 pounds for a distance of 80 feet. If this looks and sounds familiar, it’s because Archie was good friends with Steve Justa’s father.