In what has become a yearly celebratory tradition on his birthday, co-owner of Kabuki Strength Rudy Kadlub deadlifted 237.2 kilograms (523 pounds) raw on April 11, 2022. The now 73-year-old shared the video on his Instagram page wherein he locked out over two and a half times his competition bodyweight while wearing a lifting belt in a sumo stance with a mixed grip.
However, Kadlub did not just roll up to the barbell and pull 523 pounds without warming up. First, he locked out 228.2 kilograms (503 pounds) and then took a “Georgia shot” — meaning double shot — of Calumet, a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Check out below of Kadlub’s birthday deadlifts in the video below:
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On his 71st birthday in 2020, Kadlub loaded 226.8 kilograms (500 pounds) on a barbell and lifted it on his front porch. A year later, he upped the ante to 235.8 kilograms (520 pounds) and successfully locked it out again. Apparently, even into his 70s, Kadlub is getting stronger with age and his coach, Brandon Senn, supports that progress reflected in his birthday lifts:
It’s heavier than he did last year. He’s a year more mature.
According to Open Powerlifting, Kadlub’s birthday lift exceeded his competition-best raw deadlift is by 2.2 kilograms. His best lift in a sanctioned meet was 235 kilograms (518.1 pounds) at the 2020 United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) Drug Tested North American Championships, where he ranked first overall in the 110-kilogram weight class of the Masters 70-74 division.
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Senn’s assessment of Kadlub’s strength seems pretty accurate, proven not only by weight on the barbell but also by results in sanctioned competition. In 2021, Kadlub set four International Powerlifting League (IPL) world records at the 2021 USPA Drug-Tested National Championships:
2021 USPA Drug-Tested National Championships | Rudy Kadlub, 110KG
- Squat — 195 kilograms (429.9 pounds)
- Bench Press — 139.7 kilograms (308 pounds)
- Deadlift — 227.3 kilograms (501 pounds)
- Total — 562 kilograms (1,238.9 pounds)
Assuming Kadlub continues his trajectory of significant strength gains over the next year, we’ll see how much heavier the deadlift on his 74th birthday in 2023.
Featured image: @rudykadlub on Instagram