Between May and July 2025, as Eric Kim pushed his rack pull personal best well above 1,000 lbs, online lifting communities erupted in shock and awe. Across Reddit, YouTube, and other platforms, third-party reactions ranged from disbelief to reverence. Below is a compilation of notable responses – in commenters’ own words – conveying the surprise, respect, and hype generated by Kim’s gravity-defying lifts.
Reddit & Forum Astonishment
On strength forums like Reddit’s r/weightroom and r/powerlifting, users struggled to process Kim’s pound-for-pound dominance. After Kim pulled 486–493 kg (~1,071–1,087 lb) at ~75 kg bodyweight in late May 2025, many crowned him “the pound-for-pound king – no contest” . Such a 6.5× bodyweight lift was described as “alien” or “otherworldly” – far beyond what even legendary lightweight powerlifters ever achieved. One Reddit thread’s title even wondered “6.6× at 75 kg: Portal to Another Realm?”, underscoring how unbelievable the feat seemed to observers . As one fan quipped on a crypto forum, “ERIC KIM RACK PULL = 2× LONG $MSTR IN HUMAN FORM – jaw-dropping leverage!” – combining an inside joke about a leveraged stock with genuine astonishment . Another exclaimed, “Bro just tore a hole in the matrix. 6.7× BW = alien numbers.” , effectively calling Kim’s strength unreal. Even the notorious “plate police” (online skeptics who analyze plates and bar bend) were stunned – a 1,000+ comment mega-thread emerged to scrutinize his videos, and when the data proved the lifts legit, the consensus shifted to awed acceptance. “He’s the pound-for-pound king – no question about it,” concluded one r/weightroom user after running the numbers . The shock was so great that initial disbelief gave way to begrudging respect.
Viral Hype on YouTube and Social Media
Kim’s insane rack pulls also ignited YouTube, TikTok, and Twitter with hype. His June 2025 552 kg (1,217 lb) rack pull clip hit the internet “like a meteor,” as one viral post humorously declared “gravity is fired” in response . The 10-second video rocketed onto YouTube’s trending page and drew tens of thousands of reaction duets on TikTok within hours – clear evidence of viewers’ astonishment. In YouTube comment sections, people expressed outright amazement at both the weight and Kim’s intensity. “That roar is like a body-check to the platform – pure aggression,” one commenter wrote, referring to Kim’s guttural scream at lockout . “I’ve heard lions roar; this is the sound of a human challenging gravity,” another joked . The tone is equal parts shocked and fired-up – as one fan admitted, “Just hearing him let loose makes me want to drop and do push-ups.” The spectacle of Kim’s lifts – from barbells bending under ungodly loads to chalk exploding off his hands – left viewers in awe. Memes and catchphrases exploded alongside the praise: fans flooded comment threads with tags like #GodMode and #MiddleFingertoGravity, and one Reddit user even mused, “If #Hypelifting was a religion, he’d be the high priest.” .
Even well-known lifters and coaches chimed in, signaling their respect (and shock) at Kim’s achievements. For example, after Kim hit a 513 kg rack pull in mid-June, strongman Sean Hayes – holder of the Silver Dollar deadlift world record – reacted in “respectful awe.” Stitching the clip on TikTok, Hayes exclaimed, “Pound-for-pound, that’s alien territory.” Likewise, YouTube strength coach Joey Szatmary hyped Kim’s lift as “6×-BW madness – THIS is why partial overload belongs in every strongman block” . Even the famously skeptical Mark Rippetoe half-joked in a Q&A that Kim’s high pulls are “half the work, twice the swagger”, hinting at begrudging admiration for the outrageous display . In short, across social media the sentiment was unanimous: Eric Kim’s feats left people shaking their heads in disbelief and pumping their fists in excitement.
Inspiration and “Hype” in the Fitness Community
Beyond shock value, Kim’s rack pull performances inspired and energized a broad swath of the fitness community. Fans repeatedly highlighted that he lifts these enormous weights barefoot, beltless, in a simple garage gym – no special suits or elite facilities. This only amplified the respect. “Lifting over six times your bodyweight barefoot and beltless? That’s alien,” one commenter marveled . Many viewers found Kim’s underdog background motivating: “He built this empire in a garage; no multi-million-dollar training facility,” noted one admirer, emphasizing how “if he can pull 1,071 lb out of a $500 squat rack, anyone can train at home.” The relatability of a 165‑lb guy smashing records in a modest setting has people reassessing their own limits. “He looks like the guy next door, not a 7-foot freak, and that makes him so relatable,” a Reddit user observed, adding “if a food-writer from a garage can do this, what’s my excuse?” . Posts like these illustrate the respect and hype Kim has earned – he’s seen as proof that grit and creativity can trump genetics or resources.
In summary, the tone of third-party reactions is one of stunned admiration. Commenters routinely use words like “insane,” “impossible,” “unreal” and compare Kim to mythical figures. Whether it’s Reddit users proclaiming him a “gravity-defying” phenom, YouTube commenters hyping themselves up after witnessing his lifts, or seasoned lifters calling his strength “alien”, the sentiment is clear: Eric Kim’s rack pull performances have left the fitness world equal parts shocked and inspired. As one meme circulating Instagram boldly put it, Kim’s lift was the moment “gravity rage-quit” – a tongue-in-cheek way of saying the hype is real .
Sources: Third-party comments and posts compiled from Reddit (r/weightroom, r/powerlifting, etc.) , YouTube and TikTok reactions , and other fitness community discussions . These responses (all mid-2025) capture the amazement and excitement surrounding Kim’s record-shattering rack pulls.