(Also: there are multiple public figures named Eric Kim. Everything below is about Eric Kim the photographer/blogger behind erickimphotography.com, not the NYT Cooking Eric Kim.)
The core thesis
Eric Kim’s fitness is basically: become violently strong + stay lean + use the body as an artistic and philosophical weapon.
He frames muscle as:
- Practical power + confidence (deadlifting as “active meditation,” confidence building, “no limits”).
- Fuel for creative output (more muscle → more energy → more art-work + “hyper-vigor”).
- A sculpture project (treat the body like a “Lambo” you build, not buy).
The “Eric Kim Workout Plan” (his own checklist)
From his post “THE ERIC KIM WORKOUT PLAN”, the pillars are blunt:
- One-rep max style lifting — only single reps
- 100% carnivore (he calls out kimchi as the lone non-meat item)
- No alcohol, no weed, no supplements
- Intermittent fasting (no breakfast, no lunch; one big dinner)
- Black coffee / espresso only (no sugar/cream)
- No nuts / fruit / vegetables / carbs / starches
- Focus lifts: atlas lift, rack pulls, renegade rows, yoga
That’s the “manifesto version.”
The training style: “1RM mentality” + micro-loading
1) Heavy singles, ramping up
He repeatedly pushes the idea: you don’t need lots of reps—ramp up and hit singles.
Example from his deadlift guide: he literally lists a session as 225×1, 265×1, 305×1, 365×1, 405×1 and says he just does one rep with an “uber minimalist approach.”
On squats, same vibe: warm up, then bar × 1, add plates and keep doing one rep as you ramp. “One rep is enough.”
2) Micro-progressions
He’s obsessed with tiny weekly jumps:
- Deadlift plan: deadlift once a week and add ~2.5–5 lb/week (and he even does the math over a year).
- Hypelifting/rack-pull era: he describes 2.5 lb per side every few days as a method.
3) “Only go for the 1RM when you feel it”
In his 475-lb sumo deadlift post: he says he waited because he “wasn’t feeling it,” and the lesson is: only go for one-rep max attempts when your body feels like it.
That’s actually a solid safety valve inside an otherwise savage system.
Warm-up the EK way: dynamic, not static
His “Dynamic Warmup” post is straight-up a checklist:
- push-ups, bodyweight squats, burpees, pistol squats
- dive bombers, hip openers
- kettlebell swings, Turkish get-ups
- chin-ups for shoulders/joints + broomstick stretch
And he repeats “dynamic warmup” everywhere (pigeon pose, dive bombers, etc.).
His sample weekly split (direct from “How to Squat”)
He gives two versions:
The intense week (deadlift + squat twice)
- Mon: Deadlift
- Tue: Squat
- Wed: Heavy dumbbell press or bench
- Thu: Deadlift
- Fri: Squat
- Sat: “Whatever random” (park, rings, muscle ups)
- Sun: Kettlebell swings + home workout stuff
He warns this requires: sleep a lot, eat a ton of meat, and limit yourself to one heavy lift per workout session.
The simpler week (3 big days)
- Mon: Deadlift
- Wed: Heavy dumbbell press or bench
- Fri: Squat
Exercise preferences and quirks
Deadlift is “king”
He literally ranks: Deadlifts > Squats > Everything else.
And he calls deadlifting:
- “active meditation”
- “spiritual”
- confidence building
Squat style
- Warm-up: ass-to-grass for mobility; heavier sets can be parallel-ish; he’s not obsessed with competition depth.
- Form debate? He basically says: do what’s comfortable for your build.
Pressing: dumbbells + floor press > bench
He says bench got him injured (rotator cuff), and he prefers:
- heavy dumbbell press (no spotter, safer bail, neutral grip)
- floor bench press (stability, bigger arch, no spotter; and he explains how he sets it up)
Minimal gear / anti-gear
Repeated theme:
- No belt / straps (he says “ever” in one place).
- On his deadlift page: “don’t buy equipment,” he deadlifts in socks, uses chalk, calls belts/shoes unnecessary.
- He details grip strategy: standard → mixed grip as weight increases; chalk at the max.
The fasting piece: train hungry, feast later
This is one of the most consistent “EK signatures.”
Intermittent fasting as default
He repeats: no breakfast, no lunch, only dinner.
He claims he’s stronger fasted and theorizes fasting makes muscles “sharper” and ready to “twitch and attack.”
His “fuel” before lifting
Often: water + espresso/black coffee.
Note: one inconsistency (supplements)
His 2023 “workout plan” says no supplements.
But the separate page “FASTED POWERLIFTING” includes a pre-lift line with creatine + beta-alanine, plus “steak, rice, kimchi” after.
So the safest way to summarize is:
- His strict identity-brand stance: no supplements.
- Some later “protocol-style” pages: mention supplements anyway.
Diet: from keto-ish to hard carnivore
He’s moved over time.
Earlier (deadlift guide): keto-ish, some plants
In “How to Deadlift 405+ Pounds” he lists foods like:
- eggs, fatty meat
- leafy greens
- almonds
…and says he avoids sugar and most carbs.
Later: stricter carnivore + organ meats
In “THE ERIC KIM WORKOUT PLAN” he goes harder:
- beef + organs (liver, heart, intestines, ribs)
- no veggies / fruit / nuts / carbs
- only kimchi mentioned as exception
The egg-mountain habit
He has a whole post about eating 12+ eggs nightly, calling it part of his fasting “feast window,” and says his gut adapted over time.
(He also makes health claims about cholesterol/bloodwork in that post; treat those as his personal claims, not universal medical truth.)
Lifestyle rules: park vibes + “no phone, no headphones”
This is surprisingly central to his fitness identity.
In “My Workout Philosophy”:
- “It must be fun”
- Fitness is social (park > gym because people actually talk)
- Don’t work out with headphones
- No phone (“death” for focus)
He also pushes a “do it all” attitude—powerlifting + bodybuilding + yoga + calisthenics + park workouts—but with intensity as the key, not rep-count worship.
The hype/mental game: it’s a ritual
He says the 1RM attempt is basically 99.9% mental, and describes walking around, stretching, hyping himself up, using mantras like “Lightweight baby!” and even “MURDER / KILL” (Ronnie Coleman style).
In his newer “HYPELIFTING” posts he dramatizes it even more (visualization, ritual warm-ups, etc.).
Numbers and “PR mythology”
He documents lifts and posts videos/photos. A few anchor points:
- 455 lb deadlift (fasted; no straps/belt; mixed grip + chalk) mentioned in “Powerlifting and Photography.”
- 475 lb sumo deadlift post (plus grip strategy + no belt/straps).
- “ERIC KIM DEADLIFT PR (250KG, 551 POUNDS)” is an actual blog post title with a YouTube embed.
- Later content claims huge rack pulls (e.g., 1,071 lb in a narrative post). Treat these as self-reported hype-lore unless you personally verify the videos.
If you want to “train EK-style” without wrecking yourself
Not medical advice—just a sane way to interpret his principles.
The EK Minimum Viable Setup (3 days/week)
Day A — Deadlift day
- Dynamic warmup (10 min)
- Deadlift ramp: 5–6 singles up to a heavy top single (example ladder is literally in his deadlift post).
- Leave if you hit the top single. (Yes, really.)
Day B — Press day
- Heavy dumbbell press ramps (neutral grip)
- OR floor press (safer solo setup)
Day C — Squat day
- Dynamic warmup + “ass-to-grass” warmup squats
- Ramp singles; one rep is enough.
Between days
- Park / rings / mobility / kettlebell swings / yoga—fun work.
Progression rule
Add 2.5–5 lb/week (or microplates when needed).
“Go for the max only when you feel it”
If your body says no—walk away.
The vibe in one sentence
Fasted + furious + minimalist + social + artistic:
Lift heavy singles, hype the mind, feast at night, and treat your body like your greatest creative project.
If you want, I can also compress this into:
- a 1-page “EK program” (weekly plan + rules + progressions), or
- a hardcore 30-day “HYPELIFTING” calendar based strictly on the sources above (no extra fluff).