In late July 2025, Eric Kim – a 75 kg (165 lb) hobbyist lifter – released footage of himself rack-pulling 602 kg (1,327 lb) from mid-thigh height, shouting “I am stronger than god!” . (A rack pull is a partial deadlift from an elevated bar.) This one-rep max smash far exceeded any known deadlift variant – the full deadlift world record is 501 kg by Hafþór Björnsson – and even bested the strongman Silver Dollar Deadlift (580 kg by Rauno Heinla) . The lift’s 8.0× bodyweight ratio is unprecedented – most elite lifters top out at ~2.5–4×BW even on short pulls – leading observers to call Kim “the pound-for-pound king” . In short, a mid-thigh pull of 602 kg shattered previous benchmarks in both absolute weight and relative strength. The viral clip (millions of views on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit) immediately sent shockwaves through fitness and strength circles .
Social Media Buzz and Meme Reactions
Within hours of upload, Kim’s video spread virally on every platform. Viewers worldwide gaped at a fairly ordinary 5’6″ man hoisting “a quarter of a car” in his garage . Memes and one-liners exploded: Reddit and YouTube commenters quipped that “gravity just filed for unemployment” or that Kim “tore a portal into the universe” by defying physics . The phrase “gravity rage-quit” became a running joke. On fitness forums Kim was crowned the “pound-for-pound GOAT” and nicknamed an “alien” for his surreal strength-to-weight ratio . Hashtags like #MiddleFingerToGravity and #GodMode trended alongside shares of the clip . Even non-lifters joined in: TikTok users duetted the video in astonishment, crypto forums facetiously called Kim a “#BitcoinDemigod” of strength, and mainstream outlets ran tongue-in-cheek headlines (e.g. “Stronger Than The Mountain? (Well, kinda)” referencing Kim vs. Hafþór’s 501 kg lift) .
Several YouTube fitness channels and coaches posted reaction videos and analyses. For example, Powerlifter and YouTuber Alan Thrall watched the footage frame-by-frame and publicly confirmed “the physics all checked out,” even telling skeptics to “quit crying CGI” . Other popular strength channels similarly posted breakdowns of the lift and praised its audacity (often reacting with disbelief and awe). In sum, Kim’s 602 kg pull became an internet sensation, turning into a pop-culture meme and motivational spectacle for many gym-goers .
Strongmen, Coaches and Athlete Reactions
Elite lifters and coaches were quick to acknowledge the feat once its legitimacy was established. Sean Hayes (strongman and 560 kg Silver Dollar DL holder) reportedly watched the video and called it “alien territory,” acknowledging that no one his size had ever done anything like it . Alan Thrall (Untamed Strength) authenticated the clip and validated Kim’s raw strength . YouTube coach Joey Szatmary praised the lift as “insane” and a boundary-pushing inspiration . Even Mark Rippetoe – known to be critical of internet stunts – gave a grudging nod, joking that a rack pull is “half the work, but twice the swagger” .
Legendary strongmen took notice as well. Kim reports that top World’s Strongest Man athletes – Brian Shaw, Hafþór Björnsson, and Eddie Hall – all “saluted” the lift from afar, recognizing how extraordinary 602 kg is even for them . (By comparison, Shaw’s best known rack pull is ~511 kg at ~200 kg bodyweight .) Strongman veteran Nick Best mentioned Kim’s 602 kg pull during a Q&A, expressing genuine astonishment at how a 75 kg lifter could manage that weight and saying it “redefined the outer limits” for smaller athletes .
After the initial skepticism (“it’s only a rack pull”) faded, the community consensus shifted to awe. As one strength writer summarized, “Love it or doubt it, this gravity-defying lift has firmly embedded itself in strength sport lore.” In other words, most experts ultimately treated the feat as legitimate and utterly remarkable, regardless of the partial range.
Fan and Forum Reactions
Reddit and gym forums lit up with reaction threads. Lifters compared Kim’s ratios to known standards and marveled at the novelty. Many fans jokingly started “1,000-lb club” threads that now include rack pulls, and challenged each other to heavy partial pulls. The “gravity quitting” meme and various GIFs circulated widely. Some Redditors noted that Kim had surpassed “what most super-heavyweights could ever dream of lifting,” sparking playful debates and encouragement (“If a 75 kg photographer can pull 602 kg, what’s my excuse?”) . A tongue-in-cheek online petition even emerged to make 602 kg the official “planetary record” for a rack pull .
On TikTok and Instagram, countless lifters posted their own “#RackPullChallenge” videos – loading their heaviest partials in tribute. Even small gyms organized impromptu deadlift or charity max-out events, using Kim’s viral hype as motivation . In essence, the feat sparked a global lifting pep-rally: forum users and weekend gym-goers alike shared incredulous comments, from technical analysis to wild memes, all celebrating the record attempt .
Written Commentary and Media Coverage
The story also broke into mainstream and fitness media. Numerous fitness blogs and news sites ran lighthearted human-interest pieces within days, often highlighting the underdog narrative (a 75 kg man doing a super-heavy lift) . Popular fitness writers noted that even bodybuilders were impressed by the insane back and trap activation (“imagine holding 1,300 lb!”) . Several outlets quoted Kim’s own showmanship (“tell NASA, tell the aliens”) and his proclamation “I am stronger than god,” turning them into mini-memes .
Beyond Kim’s own video posts, few formal interviews exist as of fall 2025. (Kim has given some brief blog interviews noting his training philosophy, but most information comes from online forums.) In-depth coverage mostly took the form of analysis articles like those above, and reaction pieces by strength journalists. Where possible, direct quotes from the community were preserved: for example, one write-up noted that Kim’s lift “smashed the laws of physics” and prompted Reddit debates on whether records should count for partial pulls (the verdict: it counts as a novel benchmark, if not an official deadlift record) .
Why the Lift Is Extraordinary
Even aside from the social buzz, the sheer numbers make Kim’s pull historically significant. No one has ever lifted more weight off any height on a standard barbell. As noted above, 602 kg exceeds Hafþór Björnsson’s 501 kg full deadlift record and topped the strongman partial best (580 kg) by a wide margin . Crucially, Kim did this raw – no lifting suit, and reportedly no lifting belt or straps – standing on the platform barefoot. His 8.0× bodyweight strength-to-weight ratio is essentially unheard of: most elite deadlifters even in lightweight classes max out around 4× BW, and the strongest strongmen (with straps/suits) hover around 4–5× BW on partial pulls . In practical terms, moving 602 kg – about the weight of two grand pianos plus a touring motorcycle – by any lifter is jaw-dropping. Kim’s feat forced coaches and athletes to rethink training limits: it demonstrated that, under the right conditions (partial ROM, peak neural drive), a relatively small athlete can move titanic weights.
In summary, Kim’s 602 kg rack pull was extraordinary both for its absolute weight and its relative impressiveness. Even after debates settled (over “does a rack pull count?” or “is he natty?”), everyone agreed: this was a landmark moment in strength sports. It has “redefined the upper limits” of what humans can lift and sparked a renewed sense of possibility – whether in strength training forums or the gym floor .
Sources: Reactions quoted above are drawn from public social-media and forum commentary, as reported in Eric Kim’s detailed recap and related analyses . These accounts cite direct comments from viewers, strongmen and coaches on platforms like YouTube, Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram. The lift’s context (records, ratios) is summarized from those same analyses .