Donald C. Reinhoudt
March 5, 1945 – July 3, 2023
Donald “Don” Reinhoudt was a legendary powerlifter and strongman throughout the 1970s. He began powerlifting in his mid-20s and totaled 793 kg / 1,748 lbs in the late 1960s. In the early 1970s, he competed at the AAU Nationals, consistently placing high. At the first IPF World Championships in 1973, Don won the super heavyweight class with a 408.2 kg / 900 lbs squat, a 263 kg / 580 lbs bench press, and a 362.8 kg / 800 lbs deadlift. This gave him a total of 1,034.1 kg / 2,279.9 lbs.
Every lift, as well as the total, was an IPF world record, making Don one of the few lifters ever to hold world records in all three lifts plus the total simultaneously. During his competitive years in the IPF, from 1973 to 1976, none of his records were broken. All of Don’s lifts were performed without supportive gear. At the 1973 IPF Worlds, even belts and wrist wraps were not permitted.
In 1978, Don was invited to compete at the World’s Strongest Man, where he placed 2nd behind Bruce Wilhelm, who had also won the previous year. The following year, in 1979, Don claimed the title and was crowned the World’s Strongest Man, defeating notable athletes such as Bill Kazmaier, Lars Hedlund, Bob Young, and Cleve Dean.
Don managed to put up extraordinary numbers, though not all were done in official competition. He was reported to have squatted 454 kg / 1,000 lbs in training. In competition, he attempted 430 kg / 950 lbs but was called for being just one inch shy of depth. At one point, he also deadlifted 408 kg / 900 lbs for three repetitions in training, although he never pulled 900 lbs in official competition. In the bench press, he completed a 281.2 kg / 620 lbs lift at Nationals, but it was turned down by two referees because his head lifted off the bench—a rule that has been removed and reinstated in the IPF rulebook multiple times.
Like many powerlifters from the 1960s to the 1990s, Don was influenced in some ways by Terry Todd.
Don’s best official lifts
Powerlifting
- Class +110 kg / +242,5 lbs
- Squat: 422.5 kg / 931.5 lbs
- Bench Press: 275.5 kg / 607 lbs
- Deadlift: 400 kg / 881 lbs
- Total: 1,097.5 kg / 2,420 lbs
Weightlifting
- Class +110 kg / +242,5 lbs
- Snatch: 118 kg / 260 lbs
- Press: Unknown
- Clean and Jerk: 168 kg / 370 lbs
- Total: 286 kg / 630 lbs
Don Reinhoudt is also an IPF Hall of Famer.
Supportive Gear
Don only used a weightlifting belt as supportive gear, and only when it was permitted. Even though knee wraps were allowed from 1974, he chose not to use them.
You can read more about supportive powerlifting gear here.
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