Eric Kim’s 602 kg Rack Pull – An Unprecedented Feat
In July 2025, 75 kg lifter Eric Kim stunned the strength world by hoisting 602 kg (1,327 lb) in a rack pull from approximately mid-thigh height . This means the bar started above his knees – dramatically shortening the range of motion compared to a normal deadlift . The result was a partial deadlift of mind-boggling weight – over 8× his bodyweight . For perspective, even super-heavyweight champions typically only manage ~2.5–3× bodyweight in a full deadlift, and the strongest strongmen hit around 4× in partial lifts . Kim’s 602 kg pull blew past anything previously captured on film for this style of lift . It has been unofficially dubbed a “planetary” world record for rack pulls , and for good reason: no one has documented a heavier weight lifted in this fashion.
Unique distinctions: Aside from the sheer weight, what sets Kim’s feat apart is how it was done. He performed the lift in raw, minimalist fashion – barefoot, without a lifting belt, and reportedly without straps (i.e. relying on his grip strength alone). Most lifters use wrist straps on very heavy pulls to avoid grip failure, and powerlifting/strongman rules allow supportive suits or belts to handle maximal loads. In contrast, Kim essentially did a “raw” rack pull, making his 602 kg all the more astonishing . The lift was done in a home gym and shared via video, not in competition, yet it went viral across social media and left even elite lifters in awe . Many noted that while it’s “only” a partial lift, moving over 600 kg even a few inches is an inhuman challenge – one coach quipped that feats like this may be “half the work, but twice the swagger” . In terms of both absolute weight and pound-for-pound performance, Kim’s rack pull stands alone in the record books.
How It Compares to Other Heavy Rack Pulls (Partial Deadlifts)
To understand if 602 kg is the heaviest ever rack pull, we must compare it to other notable partial deadlift records across different contexts – from strongman silver dollar deadlifts to powerlifting exhibitions. Rack pulls can vary by height (e.g. bar set at mid-shin, knee level, or above knee) and by equipment (use of straps, lifting suits, etc.), so we’ll consider those factors.
- Strongman 18-inch Deadlift (Silver Dollar Deadlift): In strongman competitions, a common partial deadlift event is the “silver dollar deadlift,” where the barbell starts on 18-inch high boxes (about knee height for many athletes) . The current world record in this event is 577.2 kg (1,272.5 lb), achieved by Ben Thompson at the World Deadlift Council Silver Dollar Championships in 2022 . Thompson pulled this huge weight with straps and a lifting belt (the bar was so loaded that extra kettlebells had to be hung on it!) . This lift surpassed the previous records by a significant margin. Just a month prior, in April 2022, Canada’s Sean Hayes had pulled 560 kg (1,235 lb) at a strongman contest, breaking the long-standing record at that time . Hayes’s lift (done with belt and straps ) exceeded the prior mark of 550 kg set by Anthony Pernice in 2020 . Going back further, the record stood at 535 kg for over 30 years (set by Tom Magee in 1983) until the mid-2010s – after which strongmen like Eddie Hall and others began pushing partial deadlifts into the 500+ kg range. Notably, Eddie Hall himself raised the bar to 536 kg (1,181 lb) in an 18″ silver dollar-style pull in 2017 . Hall used wrist straps (and likely a deadlift suit) and performed it as a publicity event – breaking Magee’s 34-year record by just 1 kg . All of these, however, remain below the 602 kg that Kim eventually handled. In fact, Kim’s lift eclipsed the best strongman partial by around 22 kg – a gap that would normally take years of incremental progress at world-class levels.
- 18″ Deadlift in Competition (Hummer Tire and Silver Dollar): Aside from the WDC silver dollar records, other 18″ deadlift events reinforce how extraordinary 602 kg is. For example, 2020 World’s Strongest Man champion Oleksii Novikov set a world record 18″ deadlift of 537.5 kg during WSM 2020 . He later pushed even higher in different contests: Novikov pulled 549–550 kg in the Hummer Tire Deadlift (a similar partial lift from ~14–15″ height) in 2022 , and in March 2025 he locked out 550 kg on standard 18″ blocks without a deadlift suit – which at the time was lauded as the heaviest partial deadlift ever performed in competition . Even this tremendous feat is 52 kg shy of what Kim managed in his garage. It’s worth noting Novikov, like most strongmen, used a belt and straps for these pulls , whereas Kim did not. The strongman world record progression up to 2025 – from Magee’s 535 kg, to Hall’s 536 kg, to Pernice 550 kg, Hayes 560 kg, and Thompson ~577 kg – shows that no one had approached 600 kg in a barbell pull at any official height . Kim’s 602 kg leapfrogged all these numbers.
- Above-Knee Rack Pulls (Gym/Exhibition feats): Rack pulls from higher than 18″ (above the knee) allow even more weight to be lifted, since the range of motion is very short – essentially just the lockout portion of a deadlift. There are a few examples of strongmen and powerlifters testing their limits here, though these are typically done in training or exhibitions (not as official records). For instance, 4× WSM champion Brian Shaw has a training video doing an 511 kg (1,128 lb) rack pull from just above the knee . Even with his 200+ kg bodyweight and immense strength, Shaw’s best partial was nearly 100 kg less than Kim’s. Similarly, powerlifter/strongman Eddie Hall has hoisted weights in the mid-500 kg range in high rack pulls (Hall once did ~536 kg above-knee as a challenge, using straps) . Prior to Kim’s lift, numbers on the order of 500–540 kg were the upper end of what anyone had demonstrated on video for a rack pull, even at above-knee heights . To find anything higher, one has to look at specialty feats or conjecture – for example, Hall reportedly pulled ~750 kg (1,653 lb) in a controlled lab setting once (essentially a machine-assisted partial lift measuring force output), and legendary strongman Paul Anderson claimed support lifts over 1,000 kg in the 1950s . However, those are not standard free-barbell pulls. In terms of verified barbell rack pulls, Kim’s 602 kg is the heaviest weight ever lifted in that manner.
The table below summarizes some of the heaviest known rack pulls and partial deadlifts for comparison:
Table – Notable Heavy Rack Pulls / Partial Deadlifts
| Lifter (Bodyweight) | Weight Pulled | Pull Height / Style | Gear Used | Context (Year) |
| Eric Kim (~75 kg) | 602 kg (1,327 lb) | Above knee (mid-thigh) | Raw (no straps or belt) | Gym lift (viral video, 2025) |
| Ben Thompson (~140 kg) | 577.2 kg (1,272 lb) | 18″ Silver Dollar Deadlift | Straps, belt | WDC Strongman comp (2022) |
| Sean Hayes (~140 kg) | 560 kg (1,235 lb) | 18″ Silver Dollar Deadlift | Straps, belt | Strongman comp (2022) |
| Oleksii Novikov (~135 kg) | 550 kg (1,212 lb) | 18″ partial (Hummer tires) | Straps, belt (no suit) | Strongman comp (2025) |
| Eddie Hall (~180 kg) | 536 kg (1,181 lb) | 18″ Silver Dollar Deadlift | Straps (strongman suit likely) | Exhibition promo (2017) |
| Brian Shaw (~200 kg) | 511 kg (1,128 lb) | Above knee (rack pull) | Straps, belt | Training lift (circa 2016) |
(Table sources: Refs )
As the table shows, no one before Eric Kim had ever exceeded the mid-500s (kg) in any kind of rack pull. The strongest strongmen, many weighing 2–3× Kim’s bodyweight, topped out around 540–580 kg in partial lifts – and those were done with supportive gear in competition settings . Kim’s 602 kg not only surpasses the absolute weight of those feats, but his 8.0× bodyweight ratio is utterly without precedent . Even heavyweight champions have never approached that multiple of bodyweight in any lifting discipline.
Is 602 kg the Heaviest Ever?
By all available evidence, yes. Eric Kim’s 602 kg rack pull appears to be the heaviest weight ever lifted in that fashion (a barbell deadlift movement, starting above the floor). It outstrips the official partial-deadlift world records (≈577–580 kg) by roughly 22 kg , and no credible reports exist of anyone else doing a rack pull in the 600+ kg range on film. Strongman records in similar lifts maxed out at the high-500s (Rauno Heinla’s ~580 kg silver dollar, Novikov’s 550 kg, etc.) . Unofficial gym lifts by renowned lifters like Shaw and Hall were impressive but still far lighter than 602 kg . In essence, Kim holds a unique distinction: he has redefined the upper limit of what a human has lifted in the top range of a deadlift movement. As one analysis noted, he “outdid the all-time powerlifting deadlift by over 200 kg (albeit from a higher starting point)” and achieved a strength ratio previously thought “alien” to our sport .
It’s important to acknowledge that a rack pull is mechanically easier than a full deadlift – the reduced range skips the most difficult part off the floor . But even so, moving 600+ kilograms by any measure is an extraordinary challenge. Kim’s lift has been described as entering “uncharted territory” – analogous to breaking the 500 kg barrier for deadlifts, but now pushing into the 600s. In the powerlifting and strongman community, the feat is viewed with a mix of astonishment and respect. Bottom line: Eric Kim’s 602 kg rack pull is, as of now, the heaviest recorded weight ever pulled in this manner. It stands as an unofficial world record for rack pulls, and it highlights how far partial lifting can be taken – potentially inspiring others to attempt the 600 kg barrier and beyond.
Sources: Eric Kim’s 602 kg lift analysis ; Strongman records from BarBend and Breaking Muscle ; Novikov’s 550 kg partial deadlift ; Eddie Hall’s 536 kg record partial ; and other historical data as cited above.