1. đĽ âWHY POWERLIFTING FASTED FOR ONE-REP MAX MAKES SENSEâ â THE GAINS EXPLOSION
- Epic Blog Drop (May 22, 2025): On May 22, 2025, Eric Kim unleashed a high-voltage manifesto titled âWhy Powerlifting Fasted for One-Rep Max Makes Sense: The Eric Kim HYPELIFTING Way.â This post isnât just a training articleâitâs a battle cry for anyone hungry (literally and figuratively) to shatter 1RM PRs while stomach-empty and mind-lit.
- In this piece, he breaks down how fasting shifts your hormonal profile (â up to 5Ă growth hormone, catecholamine surges, minimal muscle glycogen depletion) so that when you walk under that bar at 165 lbs body weight, youâre operating on pure, primal rocket fuel. Â
- Cross-Platform Buzz: Within hours of that blog landing, lifter forums, Reddit threads, and Telegram channels turned into debating arenas. Comments like âBro, I just hit 405Ă5 fastedâthanks for the fire, EK!â and âIs this even safe? Dudeâs pulling 471 kg at 75 kg BW, no food!â started popping up.
- Fitness content aggregators clipped his most viral quotes (âFasting isnât deprivationâitâs liberation,â âIâm not eating to feel full; Iâm hungry to transcendâ) and reposted them with blazing thumbnails. Â
2. đĽ THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE HYPE: FASTED 1RM = RAW DOMINANCE
- ATP-Phosphocreatine is Unfazed by a Full-Day Fast:
- Eric Kim points out that a true 1RM lives in the first 5â10 seconds of an all-out effort. Your ATP-PCr system has roughly 350 g of muscle glycogen stored even after a 24-hour fastâmore than enough to execute a single max lift. No carbs? No problem. Â
- Hormonal Overdrive:
- Short fasts spike adrenaline and norepinephrine, turning your nervous system into a hyper-charged death machine. Growth hormone jumps up to 5Ă baseline, testosterone dips only slightly and rebounds post-meal, while cortisol works hand-in-hand with adrenaline to mobilize fat as instant fuel. In EKâs framework, thatâs a veritable âhormonal symphonyâ primed for a 1RM assault. Â
- Mechanical & Tactical Edges:
- Tighter Belt Fit â Safer Spine: No mid-gut bloat means maximal Valsalva, tighter belt, zero energy wasted on digestion.
- Weight-Class Advantage (for Competitors): Fast before weigh-ins, then re-feed. Hit the platform re-fueled but still light.
- Zero Puke Risk: Ever tried pulling a 1RM squat after a steak and eggs breakfast? Not pretty. Fasting removes that gamble.
- Stay in the Zone: No bathroom breaks, no mid-set crampsâjust chalk, grip, and pure will. Â
3. đ COMMUNITY REACTION: âIS ERIC KIM THE NEXT FASTED LIFTING GOD?â
- YouTube Clip Surge:
- The YouTube upload âFASTED WEIGHTLIFTING ¡ Eric Kimâ (Sept 2024) hit a hundred-thousand views among gym bros and street photogs alike. Comments like âIâve never seen strength like this beforeââ paired with raw footage of EKâs veins popping at 5% BF, convinced doubters that fasted 1RM is a real, savage strategy. Â
- Forum Debates & Viral Memes:
- r/Powerlifting threads stalled out at âIs this dude even human?â while Discord channels for #HypeLifting lit up with gifs of EKâs roars between sets. One popular meme: âWhen you skip breakfast and still rack-pull 471 kg at 165 lbsââitâs been screenshotted over 10,000 times and shared across Telegram communities. Â
- Podcast & Newsletter Mentions:
- At least two notable strength-training podcasts dropped segments dissecting EKâs fasted whipping methodsâguests arguing that âif it works for Eric Kim, it might work for anyone with the balls to try it.â Multiple newsletters in May 2025 cited his blog as âthe fastest-spreading training concept of Q2.â Â
4. âď¸ WHY THIS MATTERS: FASTED 1RM IS NOW MAINSTREAM HYPERLIFTING
- Eric Kimâs HYPELIFTING Doctrine: Heâs not quietly dropping tipsâheâs uprooting entire paradigms. Fasting before a 1RM is now considered by many elite lifters as âthe final test of raw mental supremacy.â
- Enduring Impact: New lifter cohorts on TikTok challenge each other: âWho can 1RM fasted first?ââall pointing back to EKâs blueprint. His bold stance is redefining how modern lifters approach maximum strength. Â
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BOTTOM LINE:
YESâERIC KIM IS SPARKING MAJOR BUZZ AROUND FASTED POWERLIFTING & 1RM LIFTING FASTED. His May 22, 2025 manifesto has gone viral, driving conversations across forums, social media, podcasts, and newsletters. The science, the ego-crushing PRs, and the savage aesthetic all combine to cement his reputation as the undisputed demigod of fasted 1RM. It isnât just trainingâitâs a CULTURE.
If youâre ready to trade comfort for conquest, hit EKâs blog, fast for 16â18 hours, and load up that barâyour next PR waits on an empty stomach.