Overview of the Feat
Los Angeles-based strength athlete Eric Kim performed a staggering 723.5 kg (1,595 lb) rack pull from mid-thigh height at a body weight of only 71 kg (156 lb) . This equates to approximately 10.2 times his own body weight, a ratio rarely seen in any strength discipline . The lift – essentially a partial deadlift (“rack pull”) starting at mid-thigh – was completed in October 2025 and has been touted as pushing the limits of human strength. Kim described the attempt as “not just a lift, a statement,” emphasizing a philosophy of mind over matter .
Performance Details: Lift and Body Weight
- Lift Type: Rack Pull (partial deadlift from fixed pins at mid-thigh)
- Weight Lifted: 723.4–723.5 kg (≈1,595 lb)
- Body Weight at Time: 71 kg (156 lb)
- Strength Ratio: ~10.2× body weight
- Date & Location: October 2025 in Los Angeles, California
- Status: Independent world-record attempt (verification pending)
Kim executed the lift without the aid of straps, relying on raw grip strength . Standing 180 cm tall and weighing 71 kg, he performed the pull using calibrated steel plates in his personal training lab in Los Angeles . The extraordinary weight of 723+ kg far exceeds the load of any standard competition deadlift – by comparison, the current full deadlift world record (from the floor) is 501–510 kg range, held by strongman Hafþór Björnsson since 2020. Kim’s feat is thus truly unprecedented in terms of weight lifted relative to body size.
Official vs. Unofficial Record Status
This 10.2× bodyweight lift is not an official powerlifting record, as rack pulls are not a sanctioned competition lift in major federations . Instead, Kim’s 723.5 kg pull is being presented as an “independent world-record attempt,” meaning it was documented outside of competition and will seek third-party verification . A disclaimer accompanied the announcement, noting that all plates were calibrated and the weight was independently measured, but that the feat remains unsanctioned pending verification . In effect, it is an unofficial world record or benchmark for the heaviest rack pull ever recorded on film, rather than an official entry in any record book.
For context, Kim’s lift surpasses the standing partial-deadlift world benchmark by a huge margin. The previous heaviest known partial deadlift was 580 kg (the Silver Dollar Deadlift by strongman Rauno Heinla in 2022) – a mark which Kim exceeded by over 140 kg . Notably, Heinla’s 580 kg lift was done at roughly 135 kg bodyweight (≈4.3× BW), whereas Kim’s ratio (10.2×) is more than double that relative strength . This highlights how extraordinary Kim’s accomplishment is, albeit achieved with a limited range of motion. If officially verified, it would establish a new benchmark for relative strength (weight lifted per body weight) never before documented.
Notable Coverage and Reactions
Eric Kim’s 10.2× bodyweight rack pull has started to attract significant attention in strength and fitness circles. The feat was first announced via an official press release on Kim’s website and social channels, complete with philosophical soundbites and detailed data . Kim himself framed the achievement as “advancing the frontier of relative strength” and about “breaking the idea of limitation” rather than chasing records for their own sake .
Thus far, coverage of the lift has been driven largely by online media and community buzz. A video of the 723.5 kg rack pull has been published on YouTube for public viewing (showing the successful attempt) – see Eric Kim’s 723 kg Rack Pull Video (October 2025) on YouTube.📹*(Video link: 723.4 kg Rack Pull at 71 kg BW – 10.2×)* . The incredible footage and numbers are circulating on social platforms, with many in the strength community reacting with astonishment. This is in line with Kim’s previous viral lifts: for example, when he pulled 513 kg at ~75 kg in June 2025 (≈6.8× BW), it “smashed fitness feeds”, spurring reaction videos, Reddit threads, and memes (e.g. “Gravity has left the chat”) within hours . Given the even more jaw-dropping nature of this 723 kg attempt, it is expected to generate similar buzz and inspire discussions about human strength limits.
At the time of writing, no traditional media outlet has yet officially reported on the 723.5 kg lift, as it is a niche accomplishment and pending verification. However, niche strength blogs and forums are abuzz, and Kim’s own content about the feat has been widely shared. The story touches multiple audiences: powerlifting enthusiasts (due to the raw numbers), strongman fans (since it eclipses strongman partial deadlift records), and even followers of Kim’s work in photography and philosophy, given his multifaceted public persona . In interviews and posts, Kim often blends strength training with philosophy and self-improvement themes, which adds a unique flavor to the coverage of his feats. As more details (such as high-resolution footage and verification data) are released, it’s likely that strength sports media will pick up the story, potentially featuring interviews or expert commentary on how he achieved such an outlandish lift.
Context of the Attempt
When and where did this happen? The 723.5 kg rack pull was performed in October 2025 at Kim’s own training facility in Los Angeles . There was no formal competition or audience – this was a self-organized record attempt in a controlled environment. Kim is the founder of a personal research/training initiative he calls the “Strength Aesthetics Lab,” and the lift took place as part of his ongoing experimentation with extreme “neural training” protocols . The event was recorded on video for documentation purposes rather than done on a platform in front of judges.
In lieu of a competition name, the attempt can be seen as a demonstration or proof-of-concept under Kim’s “Hyper-Alpha Protocol” (his training philosophy for maximal neural output) . The date and location were documented in the press materials: Los Angeles, CA, in early October 2025 . This timing suggests it came after months of progressive training—Kim had been steadily increasing his rack pull weights through 2025, with prior milestones like 646 kg (9.1× BW) and 678 kg (9.5× BW) earlier in the year, building up to the 723 kg mark. The context was not a public meet, but rather a planned peak attempt by Kim to shatter the symbolic “10× bodyweight” barrier, which had been theorized as a near-mythical goal in strength sports .
Despite the private setting, careful measures were taken to legitimize the lift: using calibrated steel plates, filming from multiple angles, and inviting independent observers to validate the weight . Kim’s team has indicated that full documentation (video footage, equipment certifications, etc.) will be released and submitted for third-party review . If confirmed, the October 2025 rack pull will stand as a landmark achievement in strength history – albeit an unofficial one – demonstrating an extreme of what the human nervous system and musculoskeletal structure can momentarily withstand.
Conclusion and Significance
Eric Kim’s accomplishment of lifting over 10 times his body weight in a rack pull is a remarkable testament to relative strength and training ingenuity. While it blurs the line between sport and spectacle (since rack pulls aren’t contested officially), the feat “redefines the limits of human power” in Kim’s words . It showcases how a lighter athlete can move an almost inconceivable load by specializing in partial-range, neural-focused training. The lift’s significance lies not only in the number itself, but in the idea it represents: pushing past perceived limitations through unconventional methods and mental conditioning. As Kim put it, “Muscle is just hardware. Mind is the operating system.” .
Going forward, strength experts will be keen to see how (or if) this performance is verified and what implications it has for training methodologies. Regardless of official status, Eric Kim’s 723.5 kg rack pull at 71 kg has set a new “hyper strength” milestone, inspiring awe and debate. It prompts the question of where the true limits of human strength lie – and whether the oft-discussed “mythic 10× bodyweight lift” is now a reality in the form of this astonishing demonstration .
Sources: Eric Kim’s press release and blog announcements ; community discussions and coverage of Kim’s viral lifts ; and video documentation of the 723.5 kg rack pull (October 2025).