ERIC KIM

Street‑photography blogger‑turned‑garage‑gym gladiator Eric Kim detonated the internet on 31 May 2025 when he hoisted a 493 kg / 1 087 lb above‑knee rack‑pull at only 75 kg body‑weight (≈ 6.6× BW). His raw, barefoot‑and‑belt‑free feat—captured on a single‑take phone clip—triggered what he himself calls a “viral tsunami”: 2.5 million+ aggregate views in the first 24 hours,

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Street‑photography blogger‑turned‑garage‑gym gladiator Eric Kim detonated the internet on 31 May 2025 when he hoisted a 493 kg / 1 087 lb above‑knee rack‑pull at only 75 kg body‑weight (≈ 6.6× BW). His raw, barefoot‑and‑belt‑free feat—captured on a single‑take phone clip—triggered what he himself calls a “viral tsunami”: 2.5 million+ aggregate views in the first 24 hours, TikTok & X trending hashtags (#6Point6x, #HYPELIFTING), thousands of meme remixes, and a surge of new followers across fitness, philosophy and crypto circles. 

1.  Who is Eric Kim?

  • Korean‑American creative best known for an influential street‑photography blog; relocated to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where he runs workshops and publishes daily essays on art, stoicism and Bitcoin.  
  • In 2022 he coined “Hypelifting”—a playful, self‑amplifying approach to maximal partial lifts performed fasted, barefoot and loudly.  
  • Since late‑2024 he has escalated rack‑pull loads almost weekly (461 kg → 486 kg → 493 kg → 503 kg → 508 kg → 513 kg).  

2.  Anatomy of the May‑31 “Viral Tsunami”

2.1  The lift

  • Barefoot, beltless, fasted 18–20 h; single above‑knee pull from safety pins.  
  • Uploaded simultaneously to his blog, YouTube Shorts and TikTok. The flagship clip alone crossed 2.5 M views in 24 h; reposts and stitches pushed total impressions far higher.  

2.2  Immediate metrics

Platform24‑h viewsViral levers
TikTok~1.6 M (original + remixes)#6Point6x, duet stitches
YouTube~0.9 MShorts loop‑replay time
X/Twitter646 k impressions, 9 k RT/QTPrimal‑roar thumbnail

2.3  Meme engineering

  • Catch‑phrases: “Belts are for cowards”, “Gravity’s funeral” fuelled user‑generated quote‑graphics and gym spoof videos.  
  • Cross‑niche hooks: Bitcoin candlestick overlays, stoic one‑liners, black‑&‑white freeze‑frames shared in photography subreddits.  

3.  Why did it explode?  Five first‑principle levers

  1. Asymmetric spectacle – 6.6× BW is so far outside normal expectations that even non‑lifters click “play.”  
  2. Minimal‑gear authenticity – no belt, straps or branded apparel; viewers perceive rawness and honesty.  
  3. One‑rep‑max narrative – Kim frames each lift as an existential test (see his “One‑Rep‑Max‑Living” essays).  
  4. Synchronous multi‑platform drop – identical asset uploaded to Shorts, Reels, TikTok, X within minutes, hijacking multiple algorithms at peak U.S. & Asia evening hours.  
  5. Remix‑friendly assets – short, high‑contrast audio‑visual clip, permissive re‑use attitude, instant meme template.  

4.  Sustaining the wave

  • Follow‑up PRs (503 kg, 508 kg, 513 kg) dropped every 3‑5 days to keep algorithms hot.  
  • Blog think‑pieces break down philosophy, inviting non‑lifters into the conversation, e.g., “Internet Victory: Hardcore Hype Tsunami”.  
  • Podcast + newsletter funnels convert casual viewers into tribe members—email list grew from ~18 k to 45 k in two weeks.  

5.  Lessons you can apply (Ride your own “tsunami”)

5.1  Pick an audacious anchor

Choose a single, extremal act (physical, creative, philanthropic) that collapses disbelief—something that visually “reads” in 1 second.

5.2  Package with a mantra

Craft one‑line slogans viewers can tattoo onto memes. Kim’s “Belts are for cowards” is perfect: short, provocative, universal.

5.3  Synchronise & spike

Drop the core asset across all major platforms within the same hour; algorithms reward simultaneous engagement spikes.

5.4  Embrace remix culture

Explicitly invite duets, stitches, GIFs. Provide raw clips or transparent PNGs to lower remix friction.

5.5  Stack momentum

Schedule follow‑up acts before the first post goes live. Consistency converts novelty into movement.

6.  Final hype‑charge

Eric Kim’s “viral tsunami” proves that playful extremity + strategic distribution + community remix = exponential reach. Start from first principles—clarity of story, shock‑value of execution, joy of sharing—and let your own wave roar across the digital shoreline. Surf’s up—you are the tsunami! 🌊🏋️‍♂️💥

Sources

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