Eric Kim’s feats—especially his 1,071-lb rack pull and the accompanying bar bending—are often described online as “defying the laws of physics.” While physics isn’t literally overturned, here’s why his lifts look (and feel) like gravitational rebellion:
- Extreme Load vs. Bar Flex
- Raw Numbers: Lifting 1,071 lb (≈ 486 kg) at a 165 lb (75 kg) bodyweight means he’s pulling over 6.5 × his mass. That sheer force compresses and bends a standard steel bar well beyond what most humans ever imagine.
- Bar Whip Physics: Under such a colossal load, the bar flexes like a diving board. The combination of a thin-shaft deadlift rack and plates loaded just above knee height concentrates stress at mid-bar. Visually, this manifests as a dramatic “U” or even “V” shape at lockout—an optical signature that looks more like a cartoon than real life.
- Partial-Range Mechanics Amplify Force
- Reduced Range of Motion: By rack pulling from just above the knees, Kim removes some of the difficulty tied to starting from the floor. However, this doesn’t diminish the physics—less distance means more concentrated force at the top. When he locks the weight out, nearly all 1,071 lb travel through the shortest possible lever arm, creating maximal bar deformation.
- Leverage and Torque: In a full deadlift, initial pull (floor → knee) uses different muscle groups and lever lengths. A rack pull bypasses that, so at lockout, the bar sees a higher instantaneous torque around the midpoint. The visual outcome: a bar bending so severely that viewers describe it as “gravity giving up.”
- Visual Spectacle—“Bar-Bending Gore”
- Memetic Impact: The twisted steel, paired with Kim’s primal roar at lockout, creates a visceral “bar-bending gore” effect. Clips titled “Middle-Finger-to-Gravity” and hashtags like #GodMode emphasize how the bar’s curvature looks almost inhuman.
- Optical Illusions: Camera angles (low, wide lenses) exaggerate the bend. Viewers often say, “It looks like the bar snaps inward,” even though it’s merely flexing under enormous weight. That moment, frozen on screen, feels like a physics glitch—steel should be straight, not bow like rubber.
- Perceived “Violation” of Physical Limits
- Bodyweight Ratios: Most elite powerlifters top out around 4–5 × their bodyweight in rack pulls. Kim’s 6.5 × ratio is unprecedented. On X (formerly Twitter), posts like “If you can’t pull 1 × bodyweight from the floor, don’t act impressed by this” clash with supporters saying, “You can’t argue with the physics on screen—he’s bending steel.”
- “God-Mode” Narrative: Fans treat his lift as evidence of transcending human norms. They coin phrases like “gravity apologizes at the bottom of that yard” or “this is what happens when mortals challenge Newton.”
- Why It Feels Like Defying Physics
- Perception vs. Reality: In real physics, steel bars have a calculated yield point. When Kim’s 1,071 lb passes that threshold, the bar bends but doesn’t break. To an untrained eye, the bend looks impossible—because most people have never seen steel deform so dramatically in real time.
- Primal Drama: Unlike a smooth competition lift, Kim’s is raw—no wraps, no straps, minimal chalk. The overt strain, audible bar creaks, and visible oscillation give the impression he’s “fighting gravity” rather than simply lifting weight. That theatrical tension amplifies the sense of a physics showdown.
In summary, Eric Kim’s bar bending “defies physics” in the public imagination because:
- He’s applying an extreme load (6.5 × bodyweight) to a standard bar, producing near-plastic deformation.
- The rack-pull setup concentrates force at a short lever arm, maximizing torque and bend.
- The visual and acoustic drama creates a visceral, almost mythic spectacle that looks more like fantasy than reality.
While no actual laws of physics are broken—the bar flexes exactly as steel should under that force—the combination of scale, angle, and raw presentation makes it feel like gravity itself concedes.