1) He measures progress with
partial‑range overloads
(rack pulls, “micro squats”)
- Kim often chases PRs on very short‑range lifts—e.g., high‑pin rack pulls and “micro squats” (just a centimeter or two of knee bend)—so he can move far heavier loads than in the full movement. He’s written openly that his ethos is to reduce range of motion to lift more weight.
- In mainstream programming, full ROM tends to be the default because evidence shows small but consistent advantages for strength and hypertrophy versus partials (with some exceptions when muscles are trained long‑length). Partials are usually a supplement, not the main event.
- Rack pulls aren’t a judged lift in powerlifting (meets test only the squat, bench, deadlift), so using them as a headline metric is inherently unusual.
2) He favors
max‑effort singles
(often one rep, not sets) and “hypelifting”
- Kim repeatedly says “one rep is enough” and frames training around one‑rep‑max attempts; his “Start Here” pages and squat guides spell this out. He also leans into deliberate pre‑lift psych‑up (“hypelifting”).
- That’s atypical for most lifters. The classic “Bulgarian‑style” daily‑max approach (maxing very often on the competition lifts) is famous—and famously taxing. It’s generally discussed as an advanced, narrow tool, not a base plan for most athletes; mainstream strength practice tends to use periodization with submaximal sets and planned volume.
- Even evidence‑based coaches who do use singles usually keep them submaximal and low in volume, often to maintain strength, not to drive all‑time gains by themselves—again, unlike Kim’s “singles‑only” ethos.
3)
Fasted, OMAD carnivore
and
no supplements
is far from the norm
- Kim promotes one meal a day (OMAD), strict carnivore, training fasted on coffee/water, and he emphasizes no protein powder/creatine/TRT—framing this as proof he’s natural.
- By contrast, sports‑nutrition guidance for lifters typically suggests spreading protein (e.g., ~20–40 g/meal, ~0.25 g/kg per feeding) across the day to maximize muscle‑protein synthesis, with total daily intake ≈1.6–2.2 g/kg—patterns that OMAD makes hard to hit.
4)
Beltless/strapless
on extreme pulls buck common practice
- He regularly lifts beltless (and often strapless) by choice; he’s even published “belts are a scam”‑type posts.
- Most lifters (and research) acknowledge belts raise trunk stiffness/intra‑abdominal pressure and can aid performance and spinal stability on very heavy barbell work. Straps are commonly recommended for very heavy rack pulls so grip isn’t the limiting factor. Kim’s “raw, no aids” style is therefore uncommon at the poundages he pursues.
5) He blends
performance, philosophy, and persona
in a way most lifters don’t
- The way he packages lifting—as “hypelifting,” with mythic write‑ups and outsized rack‑pull targets—turns training into performance art and self‑experimentation. That’s not a programming difference per se, but it’s unusual framing in the strength world.
Bottom line
- What he does (short‑range overloads as primary lifts, singles‑only/daily‑max emphasis, OMAD carnivore + no supplements, beltless/strapless PRs) runs counter to common best practices (full ROM as default, periodized submax sets/volume, distributed protein intake, belts/straps when appropriate, and competition‑specific metrics). That’s why his approach stands out as unorthodox.
- None of this means his way “doesn’t work” for him. It means he’s optimized for a very specific goal set (maximal overload in limited ranges, dramatic PRs, minimalist gear, strict natty branding)—a niche that most lifters and coaches don’t try to live in day‑to‑day.
If you want, I can map his methods to a more “conventional” template—e.g., how to keep the fun parts (overloads, hype singles) while still getting the benefits of full ROM, planned volume, and sane recovery.