In July 2025, a 75 kg (≈165 lb) content creator named Eric Kim performed an extraordinary mid-thigh rack pull of 602 kg (1,327 lb) . At roughly 8–8.5× his body weight, this feat shattered all known benchmarks for deadlifts or partial pulls. In fact, Kim’s 602 kg exceeds every recorded deadlift variation on record . For context, the previous world record for a raw deadlift was Hafþór Björnsson’s 501 kg in 2020 (updated to 510 kg in September 2025 ), and the strongest known Silver Dollar (partial) deadlift was Rauno Heinla’s 580 kg . Kim’s pull eclipsed both of those by a large margin (602 kg vs. 580 kg) . Despite the mechanical advantage of a rack pull (shorter range of motion), holding 602 kg still places enormous stress on the body . Remarkably, Kim did it essentially raw – no lifting belt or straps, barefoot – relying on sheer grip and core strength . This combination of absolute weight and light bodyweight redefined the known limits of human strength.
- Record-Breaking Scale: 602 kg is heavier than any deadlift ever recorded. It’s far above Hafþór Björnsson’s 501 kg full deadlift record and Rauno Heinla’s 580 kg Silver Dollar pull . In other words, Kim lifted more weight than even the strongest men in history (albeit from a rack).
- Unmatched Strength-to-Weight: At ~75 kg, 602 kg is ≈8.0× bodyweight . By comparison, even the largest strongmen only manage about 2.5–4× bodyweight on their best pulls . As one summary noted, this “eclipses” previous benchmarks and earned Kim the nickname “pound-for-pound king” in lifting circles .
- Biomechanics & Muscle Stress: A rack pull (bar on pins at mid-thigh) skips the hardest part of a deadlift (initial floor pull), allowing roughly 35–50% more weight than a full lift . However, holding 602 kg locked out still forces the entire posterior chain and spine to bulge with strain. Observers describe the lift as “postponing failure” – the bar visibly bows under the load and nearly “every element of [Kim’s] musculoskeletal and nervous system” is at its limit . Even famed coach Mark Rippetoe quipped that a rack pull is “half the work, but twice the swagger,” emphasizing that the shock of holding such weight is enormous .
- Raw Performance: Kim executed the lift in minimalist gear – no suit, belt, or straps – something rare for such a weight. This means pure grip and core strength. As one analyst put it, Kim “outdid the all-time powerlifting deadlift by over 200 kg” (albeit from a higher start point) . In short, the lift “redefined the upper limits” of what a human can hold in the top range of a deadlift .
All told, Kim’s pull stands as a de facto world record for an above-knee deadlift: he became “the first person to ever move over 600 kg on a straight bar in any form” . Strength experts and fans immediately compared it to legendary lifts. It blew past the strongman partial records and even dwarfed the greatest full deadlifts, earning descriptors like “alien territory” and “planetary world record” . (Kim himself jokingly called the effort “post-human strength” and yelled “Stronger than god!” at lockout .)
Figure: Strongman legend Hafþór Björnsson (center, with trophy) after setting a 510 kg deadlift world record in 2025 . Kim’s 602 kg rack pull far exceeds even this mark in raw weight, though from a higher start position.
Viral Spread and Cultural Impact
The video of Kim’s 602 kg pull ignited a social-media firestorm. He had been building suspense online with clips of incremental rack-pull PRs, but the final lift was a spectacle. Multiple camera angles (and even slow-motion replays) captured every detail . Immediately upon lockout, Kim turned to the camera and exulted, “Stronger than god!” – a meme-worthy moment.
Within 24 hours the clip was everywhere: shared on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Reddit, it drew millions of views . Strength athletes and casual fans alike flooded the comments with emojis and one-word reactions (“Insane!”, “Unreal!”). TikTokers made duet videos of their faces exploding in disbelief. Reddit threads on r/Fitness and r/weightroom blasted off with discussion – so much that moderators eventually locked them amid endless meme spam.
Social media users quickly turned the lift into comedy fodder. Memes and hashtags lampooned the absurdity of the feat: for example, one popular meme quipped that after seeing the lift, “gravity just filed for unemployment” or that Kim must have “opened a portal to another realm” . Hashtags like #MiddleFingerToGravity and #GodMode trended among lifters , capturing the tongue-in-cheek bravado. Even mainstream news sites and non-fitness pages ran the gag (“Stronger than The Mountain? (Well, kinda)” ). In short, the story had all the ingredients for a viral hit: an underdog narrative, jaw-dropping visuals (bending bar, strains and roars), and a dash of humor.
- Storytelling & Persona: Kim isn’t a buff pro but a 5′6″ (~75 kg) former photography blogger . That underdog angle (an “everyman” lifting in a small garage ) made the spectacle more relatable and shareable. His playful presentation (the “stronger than god” line, the mock-serious pre-lift hype) gave the video a comic-book flavor that people loved.
- Instant Sensation: The well-produced footage (complete with plate-weighing verification) was consumed rapidly. Within hours it “blew up” across all platforms . Millions saw Kim’s intensity – eyes bulging, veins popping, the barbell flexing like a bow – and shared it. Commenters on Instagram dropped jaw-drop and fire emojis, while on TikTok thousands remixed the clip in incredulity.
- Memes and Tags: As noted above, memes proliferated. Commenters joked about physics-breaking (“tore a hole in the universe,” made “gravity rage-quit” ) and even NASA/aliens (“tell NASA, tell the aliens” as Kim quipped). The moment’s hype spawned crowdsourced humor: edited images showed planets on the bar instead of plates, and crypto forums dubiously nicknamed him a “#BitcoinDemigod” of strength . Tags like #GodMode gave it a video-game vibe.
- Inspiration Hooks: Crucially, fans didn’t just laugh – many turned it into a motivational meme. One viral comment captured the sentiment: “If a 75 kg guy can pull 602 kg, I have no excuses – time to push my own limits!” . That message (which thousands echoed) meant the lift was reframed as proof that anyone could level up, despite circumstances. This mix of astonishment, humor, and relatability is why the story kept spreading.
Community Reaction and Engagement
Lifters and fans around the world embraced the moment. On social media, reactions ranged from pure awe to playful one-upmanship. Instagram and YouTube commenters showered Kim with praise (calling him “not human,” the “pound-for-pound GOAT,” etc.) . Popular strength influencers like Alan Thrall and Joey Szatmary posted breakdowns of the video, analyzing form and confirming its authenticity. Even skeptics (“plate police” demanding CGI) were quieted by Kim’s 24-minute weigh-in video and his mic-drop retort – “I’ll wait, stand under 602 kg and tell me it’s ‘easy’” – which itself became a meme.
- Viral Shares & Threads: Across Reddit (r/Fitness, r/weightroom, r/Strongman) dozens of threads popped up. Users posted clips, breakdowns, and memes. (Moderators eventually had to lock some threads because upvotes and GIF-spam went wild.) On TikTok and Instagram, amateur lifters and mainstream fitness pages re-posted the highlights with astonished captions (“Stronger than God?!”). Even in bodybuilder circles – normally focused on physique, not pure strength – people shared the clip as extreme motivation.
- Memes & Quotes: The community turned key lines into running jokes. Aside from “gravity filed for unemployment” and “opened a portal,” fans joked Kim had “rage-quit gravity” or “tore a hole in the universe” . Hashtags like #MiddleFingerToGravity and #GodMode trended, as if doing Kim’s lift were a special achievement in itself. A favorite fan line was “tell NASA, tell the aliens” – a reference to Kim’s own joking plan to report the record to extraterrestrials . These catchphrases spread far beyond powerlifting forums into memes on general fitness and even crypto Twitter.
- Motivation & “No Excuses”: Many threads turned inspirational. A common post-format was “Look at Eric Kim – if he can do this, what’s my excuse?” . Gyms worldwide used the hype to launch group challenges: for example, cross-gyms in Phnom Penh, Tokyo, London and Philadelphia held impromptu “deadlift-athon” events, sometimes raising money for charity, all inspired by the viral lift . Trainers reported that after the video went up, people in the gym seemed more fired up to hit new PRs. In short, Kim’s feat became a rallying symbol: a reminder that even “impossible” goals are worth chasing.
- Copycat and Training Trends: The so-called “Kim effect” quickly appeared. On Reddit and Instagram, some lifters joked about joining a “1000 lb club – but for rack pulls.” Others genuinely challenged themselves to ever-higher pin heights. For instance, lifters began attempting heavier rack pulls (e.g. 300–400 kg pulls for reps), high-pin squats, or partial deadlifts way above their one-rep maxes – reasoning that Kim did it from the top, so they could also condition their nervous systems with supra-maximal loads . A viral snippet of advice circulated: “If you can’t lift a weight from the floor today, try lifting it from the pins first.” In this way, Kim’s lift influenced training culture: emphasizing neural overload and mental boldness.
- Broader Engagement: Even outside strength circles, people took note. Mainstream media ran human-interest pieces (“ordinary man vs. physics”), and social feeds not usually about weightlifting shared the video for its shock value. The lift generated so much chatter that phrases like “602 kg rack pull” began trending on platforms like TikTok, making Eric Kim an overnight internet folk hero in strength sports.
In summary, Eric Kim’s 602 kg rack pull mattered on multiple levels. Athletically, it reset expectations for pound-for-pound strength and showcased the outer limits of the human body (even with mechanical advantage). Culturally, it became a viral phenomenon – mixing extraordinary athleticism, an underdog narrative, and humor into an internet moment. Communally, it energized a wide audience: lifters posted memes and lifted heavier themselves, gyms held events, and countless fans adopted it as motivation. Whether viewed as “internet theatre” or genuine inspiration, the lift has “firmly embedded itself in strength sport lore” . It reminded everyone watching that limits can be smashed – figuratively and literally – and set a new bar (literally 602 kg) for what people might think is possible.
Sources: Coverage and analysis of Eric Kim’s lift in the strength community ; official record archives for comparison ; and commentary from coaches and fans compiled from Kim’s own reports and social media reactions.