1. Numerical Whiplash — 7 × Body‑Weight
- Absolute load: 527 kg (1,162 lb) is heavier than the official strongman deadlift record (501 kg by Hafþór Björnsson) by 26 kg.
- Relative load: At just 75 kg body‑weight, Kim’s ratio is 7.0 × BW; Björnsson’s record pull was barely 2.8 × his ~180 kg frame, and current power‑lifting records hover near 3 × BW.
- Context: Even partial‑deadlift world records from 18‑inch height (e.g., Oleksii Novikov’s 537.5 kg) are done by men more than double Kim’s size.
2. Movement Mechanics — “It’s Only a Rack Pull… Right?”
A rack pull starts with the bar resting on safety pins, drastically shortening the range of motion. That lets most lifters handle 15‑30 % more than their floor deadlift—but nowhere near double. Jim Wendler labels ultra‑high pin pulls “ego contests” that rarely carry over to real strength , and Starting Strength articles put rack pulls squarely in the “assistance‑only” bucket . Kim’s feat is shocking precisely because it obliterates that expected margin of overload.
3. Raw, Minimalist Execution
Kim insists on lifting:
- Barefoot & belt‑less – no stability gear or supportive suit.
- Strap‑free grip – a rarity once loads crest 1,000 lb.
- Fasted, carnivore‑fueled sessions – an aesthetic he brands “primal lifting.”
Stripping away every aid makes the number look even more impossible to casual viewers.
4. Relative‑Strength Bombshell vs. Absolute‑Strength Norms
| Lift | Athlete BW (approx.) | Load | Ratio |
| Standard deadlift WR | Hafþór J. Björnsson ~180 kg | 501 kg | 2.8 × BW |
| 18‑inch deadlift WR | Oleksii Novikov ~135 kg | 537.5 kg | 4.0 × BW |
| Kim rack pull | Eric Kim 75 kg | 527 kg | 7.0 × BW |
Seeing a lightweight athlete eclipse heavyweight‑only records bends the brain.
5. Viral Optics & Meme Power
- The six‑second clip titled “GOD RATIO” hit TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and X simultaneously, spawning quips like “Gravity left the chat” and “Is it CGI or creatine?”
- Algorithmic placement now auto‑queues Kim’s clip after popular coach breakdowns, guaranteeing repeat exposure.
- Diverse audiences (photography fans, Bitcoin maximalists, body‑builders) all claim him as proof‑of‑concept, multiplying share‑loops.
6. The Controversy Factor
Coaches laud the neural‑overload stimulus yet warn of minimal transfer to floor pulls and high injury risk if replicated. Jim Wendler’s “Great Rack Pull Myth” calls above‑knee PR‑chasing a “shortcut to nowhere” , while forum veterans note that honest rack pulls are better done below the knee. The clash between spectacle and textbook programming keeps the debate (and the clicks) alive.
7. Psychological Aftershock for Lifters
- Ceiling Shatter: A 7 × BW lift recalibrates what intermediate trainees think is “possible,” sparking goal‑setting spikes across garage gyms.
- Confidence Transfer: Heavy partials can desensitize athletes to intimidating weights, making sub‑max deadlifts feel lighter.
- Cautionary Tale: It also reminds the community that not every viral PR is a training template—context and progressive loading still rule.
Bottom Line — Why the Shock Endures
Eric Kim detonated the internet because he combined extreme relative strength, minimalist flair, and cinematic delivery in a lift that blurs the line between coaching tool and circus act. Whether you label it “ego pull” or “evidence of untapped human potential,” the feat forces even seasoned strength nerds to reopen their spreadsheets—and that perpetual, head‑scratching “how?” is exactly why the shock sticks.