By week his focus is on neurological cases but to the weekend and after hours his attention turns to the passion of powerlifting for Dr. Levi E. Kenny D.C.
Dr. Kenny is a 2010 graduate of Wayne High and earned his degree from Wayne State College three years later. He has since been the chiropractor for Wayne Sport & Spine at 214 N. Pearl Street since 2017.
But in 2021, the sport of powerlifting was introduced to him by his chiropractic consultant who has been a powerlifter his whole life.
"The first day I did it, they put me in a bench shirt, so you use equipment," said Dr. Kenny. "I did 500 pounds to a 'three-board' which if four and a half inches from your chest."
"My blood vessels in my eyes blew out, I was sore for two weeks, my back and my hamstrings were the sorest part even though I was benching," Dr. Kenny added. "I was hopelessly hooked. It gives you a huge brain high after doing it from all the pressure."
He's always lifted weights in junior high for sports and has enjoyed lifting even after high school.
Powerlifting gives him goals, more competition and world records to aspire.
This past weekend, Dr. Kenny traveled to York, PA (home of the famous gym equiopment abricator York Barbell) for the World Competition (World Cup) and competed on Amateur Day.
Kenny won the middleweight championship on Nov. 8 (242 lb and lower, 198-220 lb division) with the combined weight of 1,906 lbs.
He achieved his PRs in squat (804), bench (551), total weight and glossbrenner score (around 490). His deadlift was also 551 lbs.
To be compete on Pro Day, invites are sent to those with a 550 glossbrenner score and higher. It depends on who accepts invites where 20 individuals are invited in multi-ply powerlifting.
Kenny is close to qualifying for Pro Day.
"That's my next goal is to qualify for the WPO," said Dr. Kenny. "The epitome of equip powerlifting would be to win the WPO."
The next WPO will be Oct./Nov. 2026.
Prior to this past weekend's trip to PA, Dr. Kenny traveled to Columbus, Ohio a month ago and then previously was in Montana during the Summer of 2024.
Right now, Dr. Kenny trains every other Saturday with Big Iron Compound out of Council Bluffs, IA to lift heavy.
"It's not the right set up in town that is the same as the competitions," said Dr. Kenny. "So you want to train like you have to lift on competition day."
He has been learning from others who have been lifting their entire life.
Multi-ply allows competitors to use supportive gear made of multiple layers of thick, stiff material which provides more pressure.
"You kind of feel like your head is going to blow off your shoulders a lot more than if you did the same weight without the equipment," said Dr. Kenny. "That's actually where you get your brain-high. All that pressure, all that blood just rushing into your brain."
Competitors are given up to three attempts to record their best lift in squat, bench and deadlift which is then added up to their total weight. Formulas also factor in your body weight then multiply your total to acquire a glossbrenner score.
At the top powerlifting competitions, the individual who has the highest glossbrenner wins which allows those who weigh less but can still lift heavy an advantage.
"Say two people lift 3,000 pounds total, which is an amazing total," said Dr. Kenny. "One weights 300 pounds and the other one is 250 pounds. The guy that is 250 pounds is going to win."
Powerlifting allows you to use any equipment you wanted to lift the most weight. It doesn't matter what type of shirt, suite or wraps you wear competing against people who choose to use equipment or not.
What's been popular in recent years (late 2000's, early 2010s) is raw powerlifting where you don't use any equipment in it's own category.
Dr. Kenny enjoys the sport version of using equipment in powerlifting.
"With raw lifting you can do what you can do," said Kenny. "You're not going to have a great day and put up bigger numbers it's just how strong you are. But with equipment you can set it all just right and hit a 50 to 100-pound personal record if you just have one really good day."
Dr. Kenny also shared that lifting with multi-ply powerlifting is much more community oriented.
"Like you need someone to wrap your knees, you're not going to wrap your knees before a squat," said Dr. Kenny. "You need someone to pull your straps tight because it's so constrictive it's hard to move your arms to set your straps right."
Dr. Kenny approaches it with the mindset of not until the weights are going up before finding a competition. He has lifted more weight in practice but it only counts on the platform in competition.
For Dr. Kenny, it's the brain rush he gets when powerlifting which pales in comparison to drinking alcohol, chewing tobacco or even going to the bar with friends.
"I feel like bad habits can easily be replaced because you're getting your rush in a healthier fashion," said Dr. Kenny. "I don't use steroids at all. It's just lifting weights and seeing how the body grows and reacts."
Wayne Sport & Spine first opened in 1992 being ran by Dr., Robert Krugman.
Dr. Kenny also has a satellite clinic in Wakefield.
In a couple months, he'll be opening a gym in Wakefield with a focus on powerlifting but also be open to the public. Dr. Kenny received the blessing from Hall of Fame powerlifter Jim Grandick in Council Bluffs to use the name being a Big Iron gym in Wakefield.
There is also a Big Iron gym in Sioux City, IA ran by Hall of Fame powerlifter Shawn Frankl.
