Todd began as a weightlifter in 1956, and won the Junior Nationals in Olympic weightlifting in 1963. He then turned to powerlifting, and won the first two national championships in 1964 and in 1965 (the first official Senior Nationals) as a superheavyweight. At the 1965 Nationals, Todd became the first man to squat more than 700 lbs. in competition, by squatting 710 lbs. at a bodyweight of 335 lbs.
