EX-STRONGMAN Derek Poundstone has been dubbed the 'World's Strongest Police Officer.'
The now 41-year-old Connecticut native was one of the USA's most successful Strongmen of the late 2000s.
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Poundstone's journey to becoming one of the world's strongest men began as an eighteen-year-old.
Speaking to the New York Post in 2008, he explained that after years of powerlifting, "I watched the World’s Strongest Man competitions on TV and found I was interested in them.
"So I just gave it a shot and started competing. In 2001, I won my first Strong Man competition, and in May [2007] I won America’s Strongest Man."
'5,000 TO 7,000 CALORIES A DAY'
Weighing in at 341pounds during his competing days, as per Giants Live, Poundstone told the Post he ate "anywhere from about 5,000 to 7,000 calories a day, mostly made up of proteins.
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"Just think of what a regular person eats and then multiply that by ten.
"For breakfast, for example, I’ll have a twelve whole-egg omelet with a baked potato, and then eight equally big meals throughout the day."
DEDICATION
And in order to burn this impressive diet off, Poundstone would work out every weekday "for about two hours at a time," doing "weight lifting and squats.
"Three of those days I do cardiovascular exercises. On Saturdays I train specifically for the events, which requires me to perform mini-competitions."
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Poundstone's dedication paid off, winning the Arnold Strongman Classic twice and finishing runner-up twice more.
He also finished a career-best second at the World's Strongest Man in 2008, won America's Strongest Man three times, Giants Live three times, and the Strongman Super Series three times.
INJURIES
Not that it was all smooth sailing for Poundstone, who suffered numerous gruesome injuries during his career.
Perhaps most notable, in 2006 he suffered a herniated L4/5 disc in his spine.
Poundstone explained that "In October of 2006, I was bench-lifting 500 pounds when I felt a shooting pain down my lower body.
"I couldn’t stand up straight, I wasn’t able to walk, and the doctor told me I had a herniated disc and wouldn’t be able to lift anything heavy ever again.
"But I didn’t accept that and slowly built up to lifting again, focusing more on my lower-back strength.
"By February, I was back in competition. The doctors were astounded by my recovery."
And not only does being 6'1" and 341pounds have an effect on your health, but also on your day-to-day life.
'WORLD'S STRONGEST POLICE OFFICER'
Poundstone currently works as an Administrative Lieutenant for the Naugatuck Police Department in Connecticut, which he joined in 2004 per his LinkedIn.
he said that his patrol car had to be specially altered.
Dubbed the "World's Strongest Police Officer," Poundstone told the Post that he had to have his patrol car specially altered, saying: "For years I drove without a cage, and then my chief said I needed a caged car.
"They took out the backdoor panels and moved the cage back a couple of inches so I can fit comfortably."
He also said that if people attempt to fight him, he also has "to adapt a little bit and change the way I deal with them, because I’m 315 pounds.
"I have to practice restraint more than normal-size cops to avoid causing any serious injuries."
WAS IT WORTH IT?
But ultimately for Poundstone, it seems that all the pain and inconvenience that the sport has put him through was worth it.
Speaking on the Big Loz YouTube channel, he explained that he has asked himself whether it was worth it - namely a "Destroyed back, I've got banged-up muscles, and two torn quads and a torn bicep."
And upon reflection, Poundstone said: "It absolutely was worth it cause I learned a lot of lessons.
"But retirement has shown me that I can't turn my back on the sport, because it's like a relationship.
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"Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, but I choose to be in the relationship and if I just walk away at this point it's all for nothing."
With this in mind, he emphasized the importance of somehow 'giving back' to the sport that ultimately means so much to him.
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