'Little Arnie' Kyle Kane Held The Deadlift World Record For 12 Years Until 2022
There's something primitive and raw about the sport of powerlifting. While participants aren't jumping throughout hoops, scoring touchdowns, or performing any sort of elaborate method of physical exhibition that one beholds at something like an NFL game, it takes immense ability to pick up a massive amount of weight and maintain proper form in doing so. Of course, much of the sport's art lies in the notion of relativity: is it more impressive for a 300 pound man to lift 500 pounds, or for a 100 pound man to life 215 pounds? That's over twice one's body weight. You do the math.
In 2010, a 12-year-old boy proved just how mind-boggling the sport of powerlifting can be after he deadlifted over twice his body weight at a charity event in Great Britain, setting a new world record and demonstrating the miraculous potential of the human body in the process (via Daily Mail).
Kyle Kane, the deadlift champ
"At 12 years old to have a world record, it feels phenomenal because not many people my age can lift this weight," Kane shared after lifting 308 pounds while weighing only 140 pounds himself, according to BBC. "I love it because I want to get really muscley and Britain ain't had a champion for years now." Following his remarkable display of strength, Kane earned the moniker "Little Arnie," as BBC News reports (no doubt in relation to bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger).
The World Association of Benchers and Dead Lifters recognized his remarkable feat and noted Kane's drive to utilize his physical strength in helping children in the world of fitness. "I want to be the next champion and promote fitness for kids," he said. Even at the age of 12, Kane was nearly twice as large as most boys his age (per Daily Mail), and according to Local Today, he held the record for 12 whole years before the title was usurped by a Wisconsin boy in 2022.
Peyton Jacobsen, the new Little Arnie
In August of 2022, 12-year-old Wisconsin seventh-grader Peyton Jacobsen deadlifted 345 pounds at a local gym, setting a new deadlift record for boys his age. According to Local Today, Jacobsen had lifted 335 pounds beforehand, but the 10-pound upgrade seemed to be no match for the Herculean middle schooler. "It felt fantastic," he said. "I'm so motivated to keep setting new goals for myself."
Jacobsen's original 335-pound lift — which technically set a new record itself — was also caught on camera, but you can watch him stand up straight with 345 pounds in his hands here. "Considering his age and the fact that we only started training two months ago, Peyton's raw talent is about one in a hundred," Alfonzo "June" Spencer, who owns the gym where the record was set, shared. Spencer was also training Jacobsen personally at the time (via Local Today).