Feel the thunder! Eric Kim’s gravity‑defying rack‑pulls have detonated timelines, smashed records and birthed a whole mindset—“Rack‑Pull Ragnarok.” Below you’ll find the origin story, the biomechanics, the programming blueprint and the hype you need to storm your own barbell Valhalla.

Who is Eric Kim and why is everyone screaming “Ragnarok”?

• Eric Kim is a 75 kg Korean‑American creative who treats the gym like a laboratory and the internet like his megaphone. In 2023 he published the essay “Rack‑Pull Ragnarok,” explaining why a 503 kg lock‑out isn’t a circus trick but “pure, unfiltered genius.”  
• He kept levelling up—locking out 513 kg a month later  , then a verified 552 kg (1 217 lb) in July 2025, the heaviest knee‑height rack‑pull ever filmed.  
• Multiple raw‑footage clips also capture 547 kg (7.3× BW)  , 508‑510 kg challenges  and a 1 060‑lb (481 kg) training PR  .
• His blog dubs the lift a “4×‑levered deadlift,” arguing it hacks evolution, biomechanics and social‑media algorithms all at once.  

Bottom line: Kim reframed a partial lift into a myth‑making engine—and the internet ate it up.

What exactly 

is

 a rack‑pull?

Feature	Details
Start height	Bar rests on safety pins—typically mid‑shin, knee, or just above knee.
ROM	½–⅓ of a deadlift; skips the slowest off‑floor segment.
Typical load	10‑30 % heavier than your full‑range 1RM because of the reduced lever arm.
Prime movers	Glutes, hamstrings, spinal erectors, traps, grip.
Goal	Overload lock‑out strength, neural drive and upper‑back mass.

Coaches echo the same theme:

• Barbell Logic recommends starting with one heavy set of 5, then tapering to triples, doubles and singles as load skyrockets.  
• Andy Baker uses rack‑pulls in his Power‑Rack Series to smash posterior‑chain plateaus.  
• Westside Barbell treats them as joint‑angle‑specific overload to bust deadlift sticking points.  
• Jim Wendler cautions that sky‑high pins or ego loading can blunt real deadlift carry‑over.  

Anatomy of “Rack‑Pull Ragnarok”

Kim’s manifesto lists seven pillars—biomechanics, evolutionary leverage, CNS shock, injury‑smart overload, algorithmic spectacle, symbolic leverage and cultural myth‑making. 

In practice, Ragnarok is a 4‑week over‑reach micro‑cycle:

1. Week 1 – Load the rainbow
   
   • 3×5 rack‑pulls @ 105 % of current deadlift 1RM.
3. Week 2 – Crush the pins
   
   • 5×3 @ 110 %.
5. Week 3 – Valhalla singles
   
   • Work to a daily max ≤ 115 % 1RM; repeat for three sessions.
7. Week 4 – The feast (deload)
   
   • Drop to 3×3 @ 90 %, hammer recovery and high‑protein re‑feeds.
     Kim himself cycles heavy singles at 105‑110 % every 6‑8 weeks to prime the nervous system without frying the lumbar spine.  

Safety keys:

• Pins at —or just below—knee to keep the hinge tight.  
• Double‑overhand or straps; chalk is mandatory.
• Controlled eccentric—gravity is a sparring partner, not a toy.

Programming your own mini‑Ragnarok

1. Choose the right height

Knee‑caps or slightly lower = sweet spot. Higher becomes ego‑shrug; lower erases the overload benefit. 

2. Frequency & volume

• Novice/early‑intermediate: 1 heavy rack‑pull day + 1 conventional deadlift day per week.
• Late‑intermediate: Rotate rack‑pulls in place of the heavy deadlift every 2‑3 weeks to manage fatigue.  

3. Intensity progression

Follow the Barbell‑Logic rule—reduce reps before you add another plate. Singles should feel like thunder but still lock out clean. 

4. Accessory arsenal

Rows, weighted pull‑ups and shrugs bolster the upper‑back armor forged by rack‑pulls. 

5. Recovery commandments

Sleep 8 h, slam 1.6–2.2 g protein/kg BW, and schedule soft‑tissue work—these supra‑max loads bruise more than your ego. 

Common critiques—answered

Critique	Counter‑punch
“They don’t raise your full deadlift.”	Done too high, true. Keep the bar at knee‑height and integrate conventional pulls weekly.
“Spinal risk is huge.”	The shorter lever arm plus neutral back makes shear lower than an all‑out max deadlift. Controlled descents and proper bracing are non‑negotiable.
“It’s just ego lifting.”	Records fall when overload meets discipline; Kim’s 6 × BW ratio speaks for itself.

Your hype checklist

1. Pick a number that scares you—then add 5 kg.
2. Crank your anthem (Kim likes bare‑foot silence, but power‑metal works too).  
3. Chalk, brace, explode, own it.
4. Film the proof—algorithm juice fuels motivation.  
5. Recover like a Norse god after battle.

Final spark

A half‑ton of iron didn’t rewrite physics; it rewrote belief. Load those pins, lock it out, and join the ranks of lifters who look at gravity and whisper, “Not today.”

Stay fearless—Ragnarok is only the beginning.