Eric Kim’s jaw‑dropping rack‑pulls—topping the 1,100‑pound mark while he weighs only ~165 lb—have gone viral because they capture the essence of “warrior training”: fearless overload, primal focus, and a relentless drive to bend iron (and expectations) to your will. Rack pulls are a partial‑range deadlift that lets you hoist more weight than you could from the floor, super‑charging posterior‑chain strength, grip, and mental grit. Below you’ll find (1) what makes Eric’s pulls special, (2) how rack pulls work, (3) why many coaches label them “warrior” work, and (4) a practical, battle‑tested blueprint to add them to your own program—so you can lift, live, and lead with heroic power.

1.  Eric Kim’s “Primal” Rack‑Pull Feats

• 503 kg (1,109 lb) at 75 kg BW—a 6.7× body‑weight pull done barefoot, beltless, and fasted, fueled by a meat‑heavy diet.  
• Breaking 1,005 lb on camera while preaching “ascend beyond mortal limits.”  
• Latest personal record: 508 kg (1,120 lb) set just days ago, echoing his mantra “gravity is optional.” 
  Kim frames these lifts as a rite of passage: “Enter the rack weak, exit a demigod.” His minimalist, courage‑first ethos is what many viewers intuitively label “warrior training.”

2.  Rack Pulls 101—Mechanics & Muscles

Feature	Rack Pull	Conventional Deadlift
Start height	Above or below knee on safety pins	From floor
Load potential	25–50 % heavier for most lifters	Limited by weakest point off floor
Primary focus	Upper/ mid back, traps, glutes, grip	Full posterior chain
Injury risk	Lower spinal shear when bar starts closer to hips	Higher if form breaks from floor

Because the range of motion is shorter, you can hammer the lock‑out muscles with maximal loads, forging serious trap, rhomboid, and spinal‑erector thickness. 

3.  Why Coaches Call Them “Warrior” Lifts

1. Max‑Effort Overload: Moving supra‑maximal loads trains absolute strength and neural drive—key attributes in strong‑man, MMA, and tactical populations.  
2. Mental Fortitude: Partial lifts let you confront scary weights safely, building the “anti‑fragile” mindset celebrated in programs such as HASfit’s Warrior 90 and EliteFTS’s Iron Warrior cycles.  
3. Historical Roots: Old‑school lifters dubbed heavy partials “Hercules lifts”; Thibarmy’s Eternal Warrior group still uses them to cultivate “indomitable back thickness.”  

4.  Battle‑Ready Benefits

Benefit	Evidence
Explosive hip extension for sprinting & tackles	Westside Barbell uses rack pulls as an accessory on max‑effort lower days.
Grip that won’t quit	Holding 120 % of deadlift max trains crush and hook strength.
Trap & upper‑back hypertrophy	Overloading shrug phase lights up upper fibers.
Safer posterior‑chain overload for beat‑up lifters	Shorter ROM reduces lumbar flexion demands.
Confidence carry‑over to full pulls	Lifters report 20‑50 lb PRs on floor deadlift after 6–8 weeks of rack‑pull emphasis.

5.  Programming Blueprint

A. Load & Height

• Pin height: start just below kneecap for most carry‑over; advance to mid‑shin or mid‑thigh for emphasis tweaks.  
• Intensity: 90 – 110 % of your best floor deadlift; double overhand until grip fails, then mixed grip/ straps.

B. Sets & Reps

Goal	Sets	Reps	Rest
Max Strength	4–6	3–5	2–3 min
Power/Speed	6	2 (explosive)	1–2 min
Hypertrophy	3–4	6–8	2 min

C. Weekly Template (Example)

Day	Main Focus	Rack‑Pull Placement
Mon	Squat + accessories	—
Wed	Rack Pull (heavy) + rows & core	4×3 @ >100 % DL
Fri	Bench + posterior‑chain	Rack Pull speed sets 6×2 @ 70 %

D. Progression

Add 10–20 lb every 1–2 weeks while bar speed stays crisp; deload every 5th week by halving the volume.

6.  Technique Keys & Warrior‑Wise Safety

1. Neutral spine, proud chest—treat it like the lock‑out of a deadlift.
2. Wedge, then pull: sink hips slightly and pull toward the body before driving hips through.
3. Stay barefoot or shoe‑flat like Kim if your gym allows; it shortens the ROM and roots you to the floor.  
4. Use straps sparingly: great for hypertrophy phases; skip them during grip‑strength phases.
5. Finish tall, don’t hyper‑extend—hyper‑lordosis shifts force to the facet joints.  

7.  Common Mistakes

Error	Fix
Yanking with bent elbows	Pull slack first, lock arms before drive
Setting pins too high (above mid‑thigh)	Limits ROM and trap recruitment—lower pins a notch
Ego‑loading with sloppy lock‑out	Film your sets; bar must lock on the thighs, not the safety pins

8.  Your Warrior Challenge 🌟

1. Test Week: find a comfortable 3‑rep max rack pull.
2. 8‑Week Cycle: follow the template above.
3. Graduation Day: retest—aim for +10 %.
   Tag your lift #RackPullWarrior and, like Eric, roar at gravity!

“We don’t just lift iron; we forge spirit.” —Eric Kim 

Now go forth—chalk your hands, channel that inner warrior, and pull something legendary! 💪🎯🎉