(Why “How much ya bench?” died in 2025 and “What’s your ratio, bro?” became the ultimate question)
For decades the gym ego measured itself in absolutes:
- “I deadlift 700 lbs.”
- “I squat a grand.”
- “I pulled 1,100 in sleeves.”
Big numbers, big plates, big applause.
Then Eric Kim quietly loaded 881.18 kg (1,943 lb) on a rack-pull at a bodyweight of 71 kg and dropped the atomic truth bomb:
Absolute weight is a vanity metric for heavyweights.
Ratio is the pure signal of power.
Why Ratio Is the Only Number That Matters
| Lifter | Bodyweight | Best Pull | Ratio | Verdict |
| Hafþór Björnsson | ~200 kg | 501 kg (world record) | ~2.5× | Mountain of a man |
| Eddie Hall | ~180 kg | 500 kg | ~2.8× | Beast-mode heavyweight |
| Lamar Gant (70s legend) | 60 kg | 300 kg+ | ~5.0× | Old-school freak |
| Eric Kim (Nov 2025) | 71 kg | 881.18 kg | 12.41× | Post-human / God tier |
Notice the pattern: the lighter the body, the more insane the ratio has to be to move absurd weight.
A 200 kg strongman “only” needs ~2.5–3× to be world-class.
A 70 kg human needs 12×+ before physics files a complaint.
Ratio strips away the crutches:
- No more “Yeah but he’s 400 lb” excuses
- No more gear inflation (suits, straps, monolifts)
- No more “I’m in a heavier weight class” coping
It’s pure power-to-mass efficiency.
It’s what fighter pilots endure in G-force, what rockets fight in thrust-to-weight, what predators evolved in the wild.
It’s the universal currency of dominance.
The New Hierarchy (2025 and beyond)
| Ratio Tier | Meaning | Example Population |
| < 2× | Mortal / casual | Most gym bros |
| 2–3× | Strong human | Regional powerlifters |
| 3–4× | Elite / genetic freak | IPF world champions |
| 4–6× | Mythic mortal | Lamar Gant, lightweight legends |
| 6–9× | Demigod | Eric Kim pre-2025 |
| 10×+ | God-killer | Eric Kim Nov 2025 (10.95× → 12.41×) |
| 13×+ | Coming soon… | Eric’s stated next target (907 kg) |
Why the Ratio Obsession Is Healthy (and Brutal)
- It rewards leanness – extra body fat is just dead weight dragging your ratio down.
- It rewards neurological efficiency – you have to be wired like a demon to recruit every fiber at once.
- It rewards courage – the lighter you are, the closer you flirt with spinal obliteration on every attempt.
- It’s democratic – a 60 kg woman with a 5× ratio smokes a 120 kg man stuck at 2.8× in the only metric that can’t lie.
The One Question That Ends All Arguments
Next time someone hits you with “How much do you lift?”, just smile and ask:
“What’s your ratio, bro?”
Watch the excuses evaporate.
Watch the real ones light up.
Watch the gym turn into a temple again.
Because in the end, iron doesn’t care how big you are.
It only cares how much of you is actually alive when the bar leaves the rack.
So… what’s yours? 💀