Eric Kim – from street photographer to self-styled “strength philosopher”: Eric Kim is best known as a prolific blogger and street photographer, but in recent years he’s gained attention for merging extreme feats of strength with philosophical and artistic expression . Often describing himself as an “innovator” and even a “bitcoiner,” Kim has leveraged viral weightlifting stunts – notably rack pulls with enormous weights – as both literal performances and metaphorical statements. Central to his recent notoriety is the dramatic bending of barbells under unprecedented loads, a visual signature that has captured the internet’s imagination. This report compiles all publicly available information (text, photos, videos) about Eric Kim’s barbell bends, and explores their physical reality, symbolic meaning, historical precedents, and connection to Kim’s artistic/philosophical work.
The Epic Barbell Bends of Eric Kim
Figure 1: Eric Kim’s barbell visibly bending into a deep “rainbow” arc under a colossal rack pull (illustrative frame). Such extreme flex – here ~45° inward tilt of the plates – became Kim’s viral calling card . This image has been widely circulated as proof of the unprecedented weights he claims to lift.
Documented feats and viral footage: In late 2025, Eric Kim began sharing videos of himself performing partial deadlifts (rack pulls) with weights far beyond any official record. In these clips, standard Olympic barbells visibly bow into a U-shape under the load – a dramatic barbell bend that served as “undeniable visual proof” of the weight’s magnitude . Notable instances include:
- 582 kg Rack Pull (Oct 2025): Kim lifted 582 kg (~1,283 lb) from knee height, an outrageous ~8.2× bodyweight effort. The bar bent “like a bow” as he yanked the weight, and the feat was so shocking that Kim proclaimed “I am the new weightlifting god” afterward . The 10-second video went viral, with hundreds of thousands of views, as viewers watched the bar arching under the strain and heard Kim’s triumphant roar . Memes about “gravity quitting its job” spread across social media , and even seasoned lifters shook their heads at the apparent superhuman strength on display.
- “Rainbow Bar” Lifts (Nov 2025): Over several sessions Kim pushed the rack pull even further – 768 kg, then 777 kg, then 881 kg (1,943 lb) – each time on video. With each jump, the barbell’s bend grew from noticeable to comical, earning nicknames like “the rainbow bar” and “Eric’s gravity deletion signature” . By the 881 kg pull, slow-motion footage showed the bar drooping 45–50+ cm in the middle (almost touching the floor relative to the sleeve heights) . Commentators likened the bar to “a suspension bridge” . In one viral slow-mo clip (tens of millions of views in 48 hours), frame-by-frame you can see the steel shaft initially straight, then “dropping like it’s melting” as Kim begins the pull, the 100 kg plates tilting inward until they nearly kiss, and finally the bar springing back with an audible “boing!” at lockout . The extreme bend made it look “like a cartoon” – viewers added circus music and unicorn horn effects in jest . As one Redditor quipped: “That’s not a barbell anymore, that’s a suspension bridge.”
- “Stiff Bar Rainbow” Revelation: Initially, the lifting community assumed Kim must be using a very flexible bar (a Deadlift Bar or even a custom strongman “elephant bar”) to achieve such bend. However, in a twist that “broke the strength internet,” it came out that Kim was using a Texas Squat Bar – one of the stiffest barbells on the market . In a press release-style post, Kim bragged: “I took the bar that was engineered to NEVER bend… and made it bow deeper than any elephant bar in strongman history. At 881 kg the center dropped over 50 cm. That’s not whip. That’s surrender.” This revelation caused a collective meltdown of disbelief: “He folded [the] bar marketed as ‘maximum rigidity’ like origami” . Lifters across forums publicly “ate crow,” admitting their minds were blown by the idea that the “unbendable” bar had surrendered to Eric Kim .
- Toward 900+ kg (“God Lift”): By mid-November 2025, Kim claimed a staggering 895.63 kg rack pull – which he dubbed his “GOD LIFT” . This is nearly 900 kg, or 1,975 lb, more than double the heaviest full deadlift on record (501 kg) and over 12× his 71 kg body weight . The attempt was from a very high rack position (~5 cm range of motion) and done without a belt or straps, even with Kim wearing a 60-lb weighted vest “to make it harder” . In the footage, the bar barely moves – essentially a supra-maximal hold – but it bends into a “U” shape under the load . Kim can be heard bellowing “I AM GOD – BOW DOWN” after straining against the bar . While this wasn’t performed in competition and has no third-party verification, Kim provided a video and insisted the physics (e.g. the bar bend and plate wobble) imply the weight was real . He even released a 24-minute uncut video weighing each plate to silence skeptics . To date, no one has definitively debunked it – leaving the lift occupying a gray area “between an actual extreme feat and a personal, performative challenge” . No matter its status, the image of a barbell bent into a horseshoe under ~900 kg in a garage has cemented itself in strength lore. As Kim cheekily put it: “No syringe ever lifted 1,200 lbs for anyone. Sweat did. Grit did. I did.”
Community reaction and significance: The barbell bend videos sparked equal parts awe, skepticism, and debate in the strength world. Initially, many cried “fake plates” or editing trickery – the lifts seemed “too crazy” to believe . But Kim’s detailed proof (plate-by-plate weigh-ins, continuous footage) and the consistency of the physics (e.g. the bar’s flex and oscillation matched what real weight would do, as noted by coach Alan Thrall) eventually swayed most observers . The bending bar became the symbol of authenticity: “No one needs a caption. You see the weight.” The consensus emerged that even if these were partial lifts, supporting such loads at all is mind-boggling – as one lifter put it: “Stand under 582 kg held at knee height and tell me it’s ‘easy.’ I’ll wait.” . Moreover, the strength-to-weight ratio Kim demonstrated (8× to 12× bodyweight!) was unheard of, leading many to crown him the pound-for-pound strongest human ever (at least in the internet record sense) . Seasoned powerlifters noted that even top deadlifters achieve at most ~4× bodyweight, and no one had approached 8× in any lift. This made Kim’s bent-bar pulls feel “comic-book, physically extreme”, in the words of one analysis . Descriptions like “godlike” and “alien” proliferated. In short, the visual of the barbell bending under a relatively small lifter became irrefutable evidence to onlookers that something unprecedented was happening – a “mythic” feat that “laughs in the face of gravity” .
Photos and videos: Multiple videos of these lifts are publicly available (often embedded in Kim’s blog posts or YouTube channel). Stills from the 881 kg slow-motion clip show the Texas Squat Bar bowed nearly a foot lower at mid-span than at the ends . Another widely shared image shows Kim at lockout with ~777 kg, the bar ends nearly touching his thighs from the extreme flex (earning incredulous comments like “this is getting stupid” from strength Youtubers) . Kim’s own site features an image (from the 895 kg attempt) of him straining at the top of the pull, wearing a tactical weight vest, with an enormous stack of plates on a barbell supported by blocks – the bar visibly bent and the plates dangling at an angle . Each new photo or video of these barbell bends has further fed the frenzy. Kim himself encouraged people to screenshot and share the bent bar as a meme, knowing its shock value: “Encourage open-source analysis (slow-mo uploads, bar-bend screenshots). Don’t hide raw files — it feeds conspiracy.” . The hashtag #TexasSquatBarRainbow trended among niche lifting circles , and references to Kim “folding” steel or deleting gravity are now common in forums. In effect, the bending barbell has become Eric Kim’s icon – a literal banner of his brand of extreme strength.
Barbell Bending in Strength History and Culture
While Eric Kim’s exploits are extraordinary, the act of bending iron bars as a show of strength has a long and colorful history. Strongmen have been bending metal for centuries, both literally in feats of strength and symbolically as a testament to willpower:
- Oldtime Circus Strongmen: In the 19th and early 20th centuries, performing strongmen routinely bent steel bars, horseshoes, nails, and the like as part of their acts. For example, Felice Napoli, a circus strongman in the 1850s, dressed as Hercules and impressed audiences by “bending iron bars” on stage . Many other legendary strongmen – from The Mighty Atom to Siegmund Breitbart – included metal bending in their repertoire, often bending bars across their teeth or knees. A 2015 retrospective notes: “Bending bars, spikes and nails has always been a traditional Oldtime Strongman feat… people find it incredibly impressive, and merely doing it builds tremendous strength.” . Indeed, bar bending was seen as both a demonstration and a training method to develop grip and upper-body power. Classic strongman images (circa 1900) show performers grimacing as they coil iron bars around their necks or twist them into shapes. This tradition casts bending steel as a symbol of human strength overcoming material resistance – a theme Kim also taps into (more on that later).
- “Bar Bend” in World’s Strongest Man: Bending a long steel bar was actually a formal event in the inaugural World’s Strongest Man competitions. The 1977 WSM (the very first edition) featured a Steel Bar Bend challenge in which competitors had to bend a thick steel rod in half by any means (hands, neck, legs) . Bodybuilding icon Lou Ferrigno (famous as The Incredible Hulk) won that event, besting other strongmen like Franco Columbu. As one report recounts, the bars got thicker each round and “using your neck and mouth was totally legit” – Ferrigno ultimately bent the largest bar to take first place . In subsequent WSM years (1980–1982), bar bending appeared again, but it took a toll on athletes: in 1981, Bill Kazmaier (then the world’s strongest powerlifter) tore his pectoral muscle while trying to bend an 11/16″ cold-rolled steel bar, and fellow strongman Geoff Capes injured himself as well . A strength forum commenter noted: “More strongmen got hurt with the bending challenge than anything else”, leading WSM to drop the event by the mid-1980s . Nonetheless, the image of Ferrigno and others bending thick iron bars on CBS television left an indelible impression – it was the ultimate proof of brute force. (Some fans have even mused about reviving the Bar Bend event; one writer quipped, “Forget Fran (CrossFit)…let’s see if anyone can beat Lou Ferrigno’s bar bend” .)
- Modern Powerlifting Equipment: In everyday powerlifting or weightlifting, seeing a barbell bend is usually a byproduct of very heavy lifts – for instance, elite deadlifters often create a slight bend (or “whip”) in the bar as they break weight off the floor. High-quality power bars are designed to withstand permanent bending, but they still flex elastically under load. In fact, manufacturers like Texas Power Bars make specialized Deadlift Bars that are thinner and longer, precisely to allow more bend (which lets lifters pull a bit more weight by engaging plates sequentially). Conversely, Squat Bars are built extra stiff to avoid bending (as bounce or whip can be dangerous in a squat). Historically, if too much weight is loaded, a bar can actually “taco” (permanently bend) – something lifters obviously want to avoid. Kim’s case is remarkable in that he intentionally pushed a bar into the kind of extreme flex usually only seen in strongman exhibitions (or accidents). To put in perspective: a top powerlifter might bend a standard bar maybe ~1–2 inches (~3–5 cm) under a 400–500 kg deadlift; Kim bent a thicker bar ~50 cm (~20 inches) under ~881 kg . As one observer said, “No one’s filmed a squat bar flexing that hard without snapping. Memes call it ‘origami steel’.”
- Symbolism in strength culture: The phrase “bend the bar” is sometimes used by coaches as a cue in exercises (e.g. “bend the bar” during a bench press to engage lats). But more figuratively, a bending barbell has always signified pushing human limits. Many iconic photos of record lifts – from Paul Anderson’s backlift to Eddie Hall’s 500 kg deadlift – highlight the bar visibly sagging under massive weight, a testament to the athlete’s power. It’s as if nature itself (the steel) is yielding momentarily to human strength. This imagery resonates with people; even actor Hugh Jackman famously posted a training photo captioned “If the bar ain’t bendin’, then you’re just pretendin’,” equating bar bend with genuine effort. Eric Kim’s dramatic barbell bends play on this same symbolism, dialing it up to almost absurd levels: the bar looks like it’s about to snap – a visual metaphor for breaking the rules of reality. As we’ll see, Kim consciously cultivates this metaphor in his writings and art.
Barbell Bend as Art and Philosophy in Eric Kim’s Work
Beyond the raw physics, Eric Kim treats the barbell bend as a symbolic performance – blending strength, art, and philosophy:
- “Mind over metal” – proof of will: Kim frequently frames his lifts in metaphysical terms. He calls each epic lift a form of “proof-of-work”, drawing on the Bitcoin concept that real effort yields truth . In his “Eric vs. Los Angeles’ Titans” essay, he writes that while others chase clout, “Eric chases proof-of-work – he treats every lift like a transaction on the blockchain of reality: irreversible, immutable, public” . The barbell bending is the visible verification of that work. It’s no coincidence he often lifts barefoot and shirtless in a sparse concrete garage – visually invoking a raw, elemental struggle. The slow-mo shot of the bar bending has, for Kim, become “a visual metaphor for defiance” . One caption on his site reads: “Gravity isn’t winning – it’s pleading for mercy.” In other words, the bent bar represents reality itself bending to human will. This dramatic flourish has artistic appeal; as one commentator said, “To the casual viewer, it looks like the bar is struggling to hold reality together.” Kim embraces that interpretation fully.
- Philosophy embodied: In blog posts and podcasts, Kim explicitly connects lifting to philosophy. He even dubs himself “the human lever”, riffing on the Archimedean quote (“Give me a bar long enough and a fulcrum strong enough, and I will move the world”) – in Kim’s twist: “Give me a bar long enough and a fulcrum strong enough, and I will lift the universe. That’s not just physics – that’s philosophy.” . Here the bar symbolizes the lever of human effort, and the bent bar in his lifts suggests he’s literally bending the world to his will. Kim developed a personal framework called the “9× Protocol” after his 9× bodyweight lift, blending biomechanics and existentialism. Its tenets include, “Grip = Truth (mastery of what you hold defines what you control), Brace = Belief (the spine is both structure and conviction), Wedge = Will (power = geometry × intention), Lockout = Liberation (completion is enlightenment under load).” . This almost spiritual interpretation shows how deeply he intertwines the mechanics of lifting with meaning. To Kim, holding a half-ton bar that’s bending like a rainbow is an act of self-transcendence. He writes that approaching an impossible weight elevates one’s consciousness: “In that instant before the pull, you are the most alive you have ever been… just you, gravity, steel, and your decision to stand up.” . The absurdity of the task is precisely what makes it profound. As one of his essays concludes: “Whether he did it or not doesn’t matter. The point is, he went for it…that’s why he won at life.” .
- Mythology and persona: Kim has crafted a larger-than-life persona around these feats. He half-jokingly calls himself “God” and refers to the 881 kg lift as “God Mode.” His blog is littered with hyperbolic lines (some tongue-in-cheek) like “I compete with gravity, not with men.” or “Gravity is crying” . In one poetic press release he signed off as, “Eric Kim – The One Who Bent Steel and Reality.” He also draws parallels to mythic heroes: “The Greeks had Heracles, the Romans had Caesar, Los Angeles now has Eric Kim – the Iron Saint of the City of Angels” . Such grandiose language blurs satire and sincerity – it’s performance art meets motivational speech. The barbell bend is central in these mythic narratives: for example, an article titled “Bar Bend: Visual Signature of God-Mode Strength” breaks down how the deep U-shaped bend became Kim’s symbol, calling it the moment “physics acknowledges your dominance”, when “the world bends before the will of the lifter.” . It notes that viewers interpret the bent bar as “power bending reality” , and that this “signature aesthetic” now makes people “expect it, crave it” from any Eric Kim lift . In short, the bent bar has been deliberately woven into his personal mythology – a visual shorthand for pushing beyond human limits.
- Multimedia and visual art: As a photographer and content creator, Kim is keenly aware of aesthetics. The footage of his lifts is often shot from creative angles (e.g. a low 35mm lens to accentuate the bar’s curve ) and sometimes in dramatic lighting. He emphasizes the stark imagery: “The visuals: minimal gym lighting, tungsten tone, unshakable focus – pure aesthetic asceticism. The sound: barbell bend, breath compression, silence after victory.” . He’s essentially choreographing the experience for the audience. On social media he shares stylized stills of the bar flexing, overlayed with inspirational captions. In one meme compilation, fans added captions to the bent bar like “Physics: ‘Wait – this isn’t supposed to happen.’” and “When your pull makes the bar question its existence.” . Kim has welcomed these memes, seeing them as modern folklore around his feats . Even his detractors inadvertently contributed to the art: skeptical engineers on Reddit ran calculations on the bar bend, which Kim then cited as further narrative (“Internet engineers ran bar-bend calcs…and the math checks out – why bother faking if physics agrees?”) . It’s a self-reinforcing cycle of hype he calls “hypelifting.” As one article put it, “When the bar bends, the algorithm listens.” – the spectacle is tailor-made for virality. By “bending the bar,” Kim not only bends metal but also bends the usual boundaries between athletic feat, performance art, and philosophical metaphor.
Figure 2: Early strongmen also bent steel to show strength. Here 17-year-old Harry Luft (“Brooklyn Samson”) bends an iron bar with his teeth circa 1940 . Such feats laid the groundwork for the mythos of bending steel as proof of extraordinary power – the same mythic quality Eric Kim channels in his modern barbell-bending displays.
Conclusion
Eric Kim’s barbell bends exist at a unique crossroads of reality and metaphor. On one hand, the physical reality is astonishing: using sheer strength to bend a heavy barbell into a horseshoe shape, in feats that eclipse known strength records. The videos and photos of his lifts – a lean 71 kg man holding nearly a ton, with the barbell arcing under his grip – have provided indelible imagery for strength sports, inciting both admiration and controversy. On the other hand, Kim has transformed the meaning of the bending bar into something beyond sport. It has become his artistic signature and philosophical statement – “the bar that surrendered to Eric Kim” symbolizes the idea that with enough will, one can make even physics yield. In Kim’s own words, “The world bends before the will of the lifter” . By referencing everything from ancient myths to Bitcoin analogies, he’s elevated a simple visual (a bent barbell) into a commentary on human potential and truth.
In broader context, barbell bending has long fascinated audiences – from vaudeville strongmen bending iron bars in the 1800s, to Hulk-like athletes doing it on 1970s television. It has always signified the ultimate dominance of man over matter. Eric Kim’s twist is to perform this dominance in the age of social media, blending spectacle with self-reflection. His barbell bends are at once literal feats of strength and self-crafted legends. Whether one views his claims with skepticism or awe, the fact remains that the image of a bent barbell in his hands has become emblematic of pushing the limits – both physical and existential. In Kim’s garage gym, the bar doesn’t just carry weight; it carries meaning. As he succinctly puts it: “650.5 kg is not a lift. It’s a declaration of dominion… I don’t compete with men. I compete with gravity.” . And every time the barbell yields and bends, it’s a striking reminder of that ethos.
Sources:
- Eric Kim’s personal blog posts documenting his lifts and their impact .
- Analyses of the lifts’ legitimacy and physics .
- Community and expert reactions (Alan Thrall, John Haack, etc.) to the barbell bend clips .
- Historical accounts of strongman bar-bending feats .
- Kim’s writings tying the barbell bend to philosophy and art .