“Unorthodox Strength Challenges” — What Eric Kim Has Actually Published

Below is a quick digest of the primary blog-posts and videos that document Eric Kim’s self-styled, outside-the-rule-book feats of strength. Use the links as a jump-off point if you want the full write-ups, training notes, and POV footage.

Date (UTC)	Lift / Challenge	Quick description & why it’s “unorthodox”	Source
13 Mar 2025	1005 lb rack-pull one-rep max	Bar sits just below knee on safety pins; Kim straps in, fasted, mixed grip, and pulls a quadruple-body-weight single. Claims hip-dominant rack pulls are the new deadlift.
21 Mar 2025	1000 lb “Atlas lift” (static squat-rack pick)	Bar shouldered out of the rack, held isometrically for a few seconds. Kim calls it a “squat killer” and a safer path to leg strength because the ROM is minimal.
19 Apr 2023	“Rack Pull > Deadlift” manifesto	Article argues the partial pull builds more real-world power and allows weekly PRs without lumbar fatigue. Includes a 770-lb demo.
14 Dec 2023	“Thousand-Pound Lift” roadmap	Breaks down micro-loading ( +2.5 lb/side every 3–5 days ), intermittent fasting, and beef-only dinners that prepped him for four-digit lifts.
“How I Did the 1005” page	Technical add-on: dip-belt tether for better leverage, neutral wrist, no belt, no supplements.
YouTube playlist	685 lb, 760 lb, 875 lb rack-pulls; floor-bench presses; dumbbell floor presses barefoot on rubber mats. POV GoPro footage, no music, raw bar-clang.

Common threads in his “unorthodox” protocol

1. Partial-range monsters – Rack pulls, Atlas lifts, squat walk-outs. The bar starts high so he can load ridiculous poundage without a bumper-plate graveyard on the floor.
2. Fasted, one-meal-a-day – Morning caffeine + water → lift at peak hunger → nightly 5-lb beef or lamb feast. States that hunger sharpens focus.  
3. Micro-progression – Adds 2.5 lb per side every session, sometimes every few days. Slow climb to skyscraper numbers.  
4. Barefoot / minimalist – Lifts in socks or barefoot for “rooted” stance; benches on the floor to remove leg-drive.
5. Photography crossover – Claims leg and core strength let him crouch, sprint and hold awkward angles while street-shooting Phnom Penh.  

How to explore further

• Blog archive – Search site:erickimphotography.com “pound” “rack pull” for every incremental PR.
• Video proof – His YouTube channel (@erickimphotography) hosts the raw clips—look for titles ending in “HYPELIFTING.”  
• Fitness micro-site – <erickimfitness.com> aggregates condensed “Demigod goals” programmes.  

That’s the landscape of Eric Kim’s unorthodox strength canon as of May 2025. Dive in, cherry-pick a challenge, and—if you dare—load the bar higher than convention says is sane.