3 times heavier than the average gym bunny would even consider doing. If you truly want to be strong, nothing less will suffice. Basically the other guys were helping to keep the man in question from doing something they themselves are too afraid to do. To have to do something like a max dead lift, many of the current crop of lifters would run for cover. A lifter who wants to be big and brutally strong must see the adding of weight as the most important factor of his training.
Sure diet is important.
If you don't have fractional plates, probably not. But you will be able to shoot for one more rep. You will shoot for carrying that sandbag for another 20 feet. Because they strive to add weight to the bar. Some men, with a large amount of drive and determination, can literally add weight to the bar every time they train.