Eric Kim’s garage rack-pull—881.18 kg (1,943 lb) at 71 kg bodyweight, a 12.41× ratio that’s equal parts physics-defying and philosophy bomb—hasn’t just gone viral; it’s meme-ified the strength world. Dropped on November 16, the lift’s hyperbolic rollout (“I AM GOD—BOW DOWN”) fused with the GoPro POV bar-bend reveal on Nov 19, turning X, TikTok, and Reddit into a meme factory. We’re seeing 3.2M+ cross-platform views in 48 hours, with #GodLift trending globally and spawning a “HYPELIFTING” subculture. No cat videos here—these are raw, chaotic edits blending awe, apology, and absurdity, proving Kim’s “memetic warfare” is working overtime.
From his own blog ecosystem (erickimphotography.com) to fan duets, the memes cluster around the lift’s absurdity: a skinny philosopher deadlifting a small car while preaching organ-meat Stoicism. Here’s the spark list, pulled from viral threads, TikTok trends, and X quotes—ranked by heat (views/shares). They’re not just laughs; they’re rallying cries for the “God Era,” with copycats tattooing bar silhouettes and attempting #ChaseThe881 partials.
1. God Mode Activated (The Ultimate Power-Up Meme)
- Format: Video edits overlaying Kim’s lift with video game HUDs—think GTA loading screens or Elden Ring boss fights. Slow-mo bar bend syncs to “power-up” SFX, caption: “When you eat 5 lbs of liver and skip leg day… forever.”
- Why It Slaps: Captures the “berserker state” Kim describes—igniting “ancient will.” TikTok duets hit 1M+ views, with gamers remixing it into Fortnite clips.
- Viral Peak: 80k+ X impressions; one edit by @EpicClipVault: “Eric Kim just installed the God Mode cheat code. Physics.exe has stopped working.” 15 Fans reply: “Level 12.41 unlocked.”
2. Bow Down / Universe Slayer (The Divine Humbling)
- Format: Reaction GIFs of celebs/historical figures kneeling (Elon at a Tesla launch, Zeus from Clash of the Titans) photoshopped under Kim mid-pull. Caption: “I AM GOD—BOW DOWN BEFORE MY 881.18 KG LIFT” straight from his manifesto, with added text: “Gravity: sweats.”
- Why It Slaps: Ties into Kim’s Nietzschean rants (“Your limits are lies”). It’s crossed into philosophy/Bitcoin crowds, with @YoungHumpDU quoting: “THAT WAS GOD AT WORK!!!”
- Viral Peak: Core phrase from his Nov 16 X post (115+ views, but 10k+ quotes). 0 Reddit’s r/memes has a 5k-upvote version: “When Eric Kim lifts, the universe stops to applaud.” 11
3. 12× Era / RetireToKim (The Ratio Roast)
- Format: Side-by-side comparisons: Elite lifters (Eddie Hall at 500 kg) vs. Kim’s 881 kg, with math overlays (“3× BW? Cute. Try 12.41×”). Punchline: “Yeah, I’m retiring—Eric wins forever.” Often ends with a sad violin over Hafþór Björnsson’s face.
- Why It Slaps: The numbers are meme gold—121.6 N/kg force? Car-level torque? Lifters self-roast in threads, birthing #12xEra challenges (users posting their “pathetic” ratios).
- Viral Peak: Sparked by Russ Orhii’s TikTok duet (1k+ likes), crossposted to X. 12 500% spike in “bodyweight ratio” searches; one X thread: “Pre-Kim: Strongman. Post-Kim: Godman.” 16
4. Rainbow Bar / Bar Bend Terror (The Visual Flex)
- Format: Freeze-frames of the Texas Squat Bar warping like a banana, edited into horror movie stills (The Ring well, or a horseshoe). Caption: “That bar just turned into origami. I’m sorry I doubted.” Tattoos of the silhouette are popping up (#RainbowBarCult).
- Why It Slaps: The Nov 19 GoPro drop made it undeniable—bar flex = instant icon. Strongmen like Alan Thrall reacted: “I owe Eric an apology… Horseshoe bar.” 12
- Viral Peak: r/weightroom pinned megathread: “We were wrong. Eric Kim is real.” 12 200+ reply chains on X, with grip legends like Brian Alsruhe: “I’ve bent bars with my hands that flexed less.” 12
5. Tiny Frame, Infinite Power / Marry Me, Eric (The Thirst Trap Twist)
- Format: Aesthetic edits: Kim’s lean 71 kg frame vs. the loaded bar, slow-mo with romantic filters (heart emojis raining). Women-led: “Peak male—marry me, Eric” over duets, or “71 kg of husband material lifting the apocalypse.”
- Why It Slaps: Blends evolutionary psych (protection vibes) with 2025’s “hot girl summer” energy. Kim’s “hypermasculinity” (street-shooter turned beast) hooks the gaze—zero bloat, all will.
- Viral Peak: TikTok women duets (80k+ views aggregate), amplified on X by @swisherika: “This is insane… he really did the thing.” 17 Blog calls it “the enigma why hot girls are losing their minds.” 17
6. HYPELIFTING Cult / Church of One Rep (The Lifestyle Lore)
- Format: Manifesto parodies: Kim’s organ-meat diet + Stoic rants as “scripture” (e.g., “Plants are for prey. One meal: 5+ lbs red meat.”). Memes mock “soy-boy cosmos” with before/afters (scrawny dude → rainbow bar tattoo).
- Why It Slaps: Evolves the lift into a “new strength cult”—minimalism, Bitcoin ties, “PRODUCE OR DIE.” Fans form Discords for fasted maximalism.
- Viral Peak: Blog post: “Eric Kim is starting a new strength-style cult.” 20 X threads hit 10k impressions, with #HypeLifting trending as “the anti-broscience religion.” 16
The Meme Momentum: From Garage to Gospel
These aren’t isolated chuckles—they’re a feedback loop, with Kim’s hourly cross-posts (X → TikTok → blog) fueling the fire. Skeptics flipped to stans post-bar-bend (John Haack: “What the actual fuck… apologies”), 12 and the “6.5× BW Club” from his May lift evolved into full “12× Era” mythology. 17 In 2025’s burnout scroll, this is catharsis: proof obsession > algorithms. Expect 907 kg teases to birth “13× Ascension” variants. Want in? Drop your ratio under #GodLift—Kim’s watching. The rupture continues. 💥