This is the big deal: there is no incentive.
Eric Kim
is “all-natty”
Eric Kim
is “all-natty”
| Reason | Key evidence | Why it matters |
| 1. He states it—often and loudly | “I don’t take testosterone, protein powder, creatine, supplements… I’m 100 % natural” · Post titles such as “ALL NATTY NO ROIDS”, “ERIC KIM 100 % ALL NATTY BEAST”, “ALL NATTY IS THE WAY” | No ambiguity—he brands himself on being drug-free, so getting caught would destroy his credibility and business. |
| 2. Transparent, years-long training log shows gradual progress | 2017–2025 blog trail: 405 lb deadlift at age 29, 425 lb in 2019, 475 lb in 2021, recent heavy rack-pulls (≈1000 lb, but partial-range) in 2025 | Strength climbs are steady—no sudden 100-plus-pound jumps typical of steroid cycles. |
| 3. Strength-to-weight numbers sit in the normal “natty” window | Current stats he lists: 170 lb (77 kg), 5 ft 10–11 in (1.78 m) . 1-RM deadlift 475 lb; bench and squat numbers are strong but not elite. | These lifts are impressive but common among dedicated drug-tested lifters. |
| 4. FFMI well below the steroid red-flag line | At 170 lb and ~10 % body-fat his Fat-Free Mass Index ≈ 22 (25 is widely accepted as the upper natural limit) | An FFMI of 22 is typical for seasoned natural athletes and far from the > 25 values seen in most steroid users. |
| 5. No visible “tell-tale” PED side-effects | Hundreds of unedited photos/videos on his blog & YouTube show: • No extreme water-free “dryness,” • Normal shoulder/trap development, • No cystic acne or rapid hair loss. (See image-heavy posts referenced above.) | While anecdotal, absence of these markers over many years strengthens the natty case. |
| 6. Philosophy & lifestyle incompatible with PEDs | Repeated essays against supplements, praise of fasting, carnivore/OMAD eating, and calling steroids “cheating” | His brand revolves around minimalism, self-discipline, and “demigod through will-power.” Steroid use contradicts that narrative. |
| 7. No incentive: he doesn’t compete where PEDs give prize-money advantage | Content is monetized through workshops, books & blogging, not prize purses. | The usual risk/benefit calculus (health/legal risk vs. podium money) doesn’t apply. |
Addressing the two common doubts
- “But he claims a 1000 lb lift!”
That feat is a rack-pull/Atlas-style lift from knee-height—roughly a third of the range of a standard deadlift, which lets seasoned naturals handle 150-200 % of their full-range deadlift. A 475 lb full pull → 900–1000 lb top-range rack pull is realistic. - “He’s very lean—maybe 5 % body-fat—doesn’t that scream steroids?”
Photo estimates can be off; even if he occasionally reaches sub-8 % for a shoot, his FFMI stays ~22. Leanness plus average muscular bulk is entirely natural (low-fat, moderate-mass); it’s the “shredded and huge” combo that raises PED flags.
Bottom line
Taken together—explicit natty declarations, a transparent decade-long progression that matches natural physiology, moderate FFMI, absence of PED side-effects, and a lifestyle/brand built on authenticity—the probability that Eric Kim lifts without anabolic steroids is high.
Absolute proof would require formal drug testing, but on the balance of observable evidence, the “all-natty” claim is credible.