Eric Kim is a Korean-American street photographer and educator who has become known for extreme strength feats. Born in 1988 (San Francisco, raised partly in Alameda, CA and Queens, NY) , he attended UCLA (switching from Biology to Sociology) and co‑founded a campus photography club, launching his blog erickimphotography.com in 2010 . Over the 2010s he became a full-time street-photography instructor and Leica collaborator (teaching workshops and exhibiting at Leica stores worldwide) . Around 2025 he began publicly documenting weightlifting feats as well – branding his method “HYPELIFTING,” which blends fasted heavy training, a meat-heavy diet, and micro-loading progressions . By his mid-30s (age 36 in 2025) and at about 71–75 kg (156–165 lb) bodyweight , Kim has logged impressive raw lifts (e.g. a 678 kg rack pull at 71 kg and 610 lb squats ) while integrating tech/philosophy themes (e.g. Bitcoin) into his narrative.
- Early life & photography career: Born 1988 in San Francisco and raised in California/New York . Studied at UCLA (initially Biology) and switched to Sociology, where he started a photo club and his blog in 2010 . Became a nomadic street photographer, teaching international workshops and partnering with Leica on exhibitions .
- Entry into strength sports: In the 2020s Kim extended his “iron-as-art” philosophy to lifting. He openly describes his training as “HYPELIFTING” – lifting in a fasted state, eating ~5–6 lbs of beef per day, and chasing incremental PRs . By 2025 (at age 36), he regularly posted videos of one-rep maxes and isometric holds, building a reputation for unorthodox, raw strength demonstrations.
The 1,000-Pound Atlas Lift – Details & Context
- Date & Event: On March 21, 2025 Kim performed and posted a clip of the 1,000-pound Atlas lift . He later shared the same video on social media (X/Twitter) on May 23, 2025, captioned “LEGENDARY” . (The clip was a short 9-second raw video shot at 5:55 AM PST on Mar 21 .)
- Lift specifics: The “Atlas lift” is a static squat-hold exercise he popularized. Kim set a barbell on power-rack pins at roughly mid-thigh height and then squatted up under the 1000 lb load, holding it at full lockout for a moment before lowering . He performed it raw (no weight belt or straps) – emphasizing pure strength .
- Weight vs. bodyweight: 1000 lb is roughly 6× his bodyweight (~75 kg) . (By comparison, the heaviest legal deadlift ever is 500 kg/1102 lb – Kim’s lift approached that magnitude, albeit from a pin position.) This made it an unprecedented personal PR. Kim himself frames such lifts mythically (calling his 9× bodyweight rack pulls “legendary” in his own writing ). Although not an official competition record, the feat is widely noted as an extreme benchmark given his size and the weight.
- Previous progression: Kim had built up to this through smaller steps. Earlier in 2023–2025 he hit atlas lifts around 710–890 lb (as he documents on his site), culminating in the 1,000 lb in March 2025 . (Similarly, he reported prior rack pulls of 630 lb at 36 years old .)
Innovation in Technique and Training
- Exercise concept: The Atlas lift itself is an innovation Kim branded. It’s essentially a pin squat-hold (barbell held in a deep squat lockout). No new machine was needed – just a power rack and barbell – but he styled it as a distinct challenge. He even coined names like “Atlas squat-hold” in his content.
- Equipment: He explicitly shuns lifting gear. Kim performed the 1000 lb Atlas lift beltless and strapless, calling it “proof-of-human hype” (stripping away equipment to demonstrate raw will) . This raw setup (bar+rack only) became part of the spectacle. In fact, some gyms began adding special “Atlas Pins” on their racks at Kim’s request, to allow safer depth for these squat-holds .
- Training methods: His program favors heavy partial movements and frequent one-rep attempts. He espouses extremely low-volume, high-intensity work (“little stuff, all day”, he says) and small weight jumps (often 1–2.5 kg increments). He also trains fasted (often skipping carbs entirely until after lifting) and follows a ketogenic/carnivore diet, believing it boosts strength and focus . This contrarian style (e.g. lifting without typical carb-loading or gear) he promotes as part of his “HYPELIFTING” philosophy .
Media Coverage and Virality
- Social media buzz: Kim’s 1000 lb Atlas lift clip went viral. Within 48 hours it garnered ~22.6 million impressions and 145K quote-retweets on X (Twitter) . It trended nationally (#7 US) and sparked debates (“partial vs. full”) on fitness forums. A Reddit r/weightroom thread dubbed it a “Partial of the Century,” fueling further sharing . Short looped clips of his strain and shout circulated on TikTok and Instagram reels.
- Press and blogs: Niche fitness outlets took notice. Gym media like BarBend and Garage Gym Reviews ran stories asking if this 1000-lb lift (even as a partial) “redefines strength” . Podcasts and articles quoted the feat (“Did Eric Kim just break physics?”). These pieces often frame his lifts as speculative benchmarks rather than official records .
- Videos & links: Kim’s own YouTube channel (50K+ subscribers) features the lift videos (e.g. “ERIC KIM 1,000 POUND ATLAS LIFT”). Many clips (including earlier lifts like 905 lb Atlas) have thousands of views. (For instance, a 905 lb Atlas lift video on his channel shows ~6.5K views in search previews .) Fitness influencers also reposted his short videos and reactions on YouTube and Instagram. Overall, the lift’s media presence is largely through these social/video platforms rather than mainstream TV.
Organizations, Sponsors, and Collaborators
- Photography collaborations: In his photography career Kim partnered with brands like Leica (teaching workshops and exhibiting at Leica stores) . He also teaches via street-photography groups (e.g. Street Photographers Foundation).
- Strength organizations: In strength sports, Kim is essentially independent. He is not affiliated with any official powerlifting or strongman federation, and his lifts are self-hosted online. He sells his own courses and has an Instagram (@erickimfit) for fitness, but does not appear to have formal sponsors.
- Personal brand ethos: Kim promotes a DIY/open-source philosophy (his site proclaims “ALL OPEN SOURCE EVERYTHING!” ). This slogan reflects his anti-corporate stance – he emphasizes that his content and methods are self-directed rather than commercially sponsored. (He frequently invokes Bitcoin and libertarian themes, viewing his lifts as personal “proof” rather than part of a funded program.)
Sources: Information is drawn from Eric Kim’s own published posts and analyses , which document his biography, training, and media presence. The specific lift details and dates come from his publicly shared social posts and blog entries . These sources (and accompanying videos/articles) illustrate the context, technique, and reaction to Kim’s 1000‑lb Atlas lift.