Every late April, powerlifter and strength icon Rudy Kadlub celebrates his birthday in one of the most appropriate ways — he bests his personal record (PR) deadlift. Each year, Kadlub adds one pound to his loaded barbell to mark the occasion. He stayed true to his word after his latest triumphant revolution around the sun.
On Apr. 28, 2023, Kadlub’s 74th birthday, he shared an Instagram video of himself capturing a 237.7-kilogram (524-pound) raw deadlift for a PR. When added together, the five and two in “524” comprise the seventh-decade portion of Kadlub’s latest birthday. After taking a hearty sip of whiskey, the athlete made his first rep look so smooth onlookers urged him to crush another repetition, which he accomplished with relative ease. Kadlub wore just a lifting belt to help with his lift and achieved his PR from a conventional stance with a mixed grip.
At his age, Kadlub lives a life dedicated to fitness and strength. He is the co-owner and CEO of Kabuki Strength, a fitness equipment manufacturer based in Oregon. Kadlub’s business partner, Chris Duffin, referred to Kadlub’s birthday PR deadlift as a “Kabuki annual event.”
As a competitive powerlifter, according to Open Powerlifting, Kadlub has officially featured on sanctioned lifting platforms in various Masters divisions since November 2006, when he began competing at 57 years old. The athlete’s most recent ventures have been as a 100-kilogram athlete in the Masters 70-74 division since May 2019. Kadlub’s most notable performance might have been a World Record-laden result with wraps at the 2021 International Powerlifting League (IPL) Drug Tested World Championship.
Here’s an overview of Kadlub’s top stats with wraps from that contest:
Rudy Kadlub (100KG) With Wraps | 2021 IPL World Championships
- Squat — 204.9 kilograms (451.9 pounds) | All-Time World Record
- Bench Press — 142.5 kilograms (314.1 pounds) | All-Time World Record
- Deadlift — 232.5 kilograms (512.5 pounds) | All-Time World Record
- Total — 577.9 kilograms (1,274.2 pounds) | All-Time World Record
A longer video shared on Kadlub’s page details his personal journey en route to his latest deadlift PR. The clip showcases Kadlub’s training facility for other athletes. It also features Kadlub hitting a massive 233.1-kilogram (514-pound) raw deadlift while apparently saddled with an undisclosed illness just one week before his birthday PR.
At this stage of his fitness career, Kadlub probably has little else he needs to transcend in terms of expectations. As he says in the video of his latest PR pull, the powerlifter may well shift things around, in terms of goals for Spring 2024.
Featured image: @rudykadlub on Instagram
