(Also: there are multiple public figures named Eric Kim. Everything below is about Eric Kim the photographer/blogger behind erickimphotography.com, not the NYT Cooking Eric Kim.)

The core thesis

Eric Kim’s fitness is basically: become violently strong + stay lean + use the body as an artistic and philosophical weapon.

He frames muscle as:

  • Practical power + confidence (deadlifting as “active meditation,” confidence building, “no limits”).  
  • Fuel for creative output (more muscle → more energy → more art-work + “hyper-vigor”).  
  • A sculpture project (treat the body like a “Lambo” you build, not buy).  

The “Eric Kim Workout Plan” (his own checklist)

From his post “THE ERIC KIM WORKOUT PLAN”, the pillars are blunt: 

  1. One-rep max style lifting — only single reps
  2. 100% carnivore (he calls out kimchi as the lone non-meat item)
  3. No alcohol, no weed, no supplements
  4. Intermittent fasting (no breakfast, no lunch; one big dinner)
  5. Black coffee / espresso only (no sugar/cream)
  6. No nuts / fruit / vegetables / carbs / starches
  7. Focus lifts: atlas lift, rack pulls, renegade rows, yoga

That’s the “manifesto version.” 

The training style: “1RM mentality” + micro-loading

1) Heavy singles, ramping up

He repeatedly pushes the idea: you don’t need lots of reps—ramp up and hit singles.

Example from his deadlift guide: he literally lists a session as 225×1, 265×1, 305×1, 365×1, 405×1 and says he just does one rep with an “uber minimalist approach.” 

On squats, same vibe: warm up, then bar × 1, add plates and keep doing one rep as you ramp. “One rep is enough.” 

2) Micro-progressions

He’s obsessed with tiny weekly jumps:

  • Deadlift plan: deadlift once a week and add ~2.5–5 lb/week (and he even does the math over a year).  
  • Hypelifting/rack-pull era: he describes 2.5 lb per side every few days as a method.  

3) “Only go for the 1RM when you feel it”

In his 475-lb sumo deadlift post: he says he waited because he “wasn’t feeling it,” and the lesson is: only go for one-rep max attempts when your body feels like it. 

That’s actually a solid safety valve inside an otherwise savage system.

Warm-up the EK way: dynamic, not static

His “Dynamic Warmup” post is straight-up a checklist:

  • push-ups, bodyweight squats, burpees, pistol squats
  • dive bombers, hip openers
  • kettlebell swings, Turkish get-ups
  • chin-ups for shoulders/joints + broomstick stretch  

And he repeats “dynamic warmup” everywhere (pigeon pose, dive bombers, etc.). 

His sample weekly split (direct from “How to Squat”)

He gives two versions:

The intense week (deadlift + squat twice)

  • Mon: Deadlift
  • Tue: Squat
  • Wed: Heavy dumbbell press or bench
  • Thu: Deadlift
  • Fri: Squat
  • Sat: “Whatever random” (park, rings, muscle ups)
  • Sun: Kettlebell swings + home workout stuff  

He warns this requires: sleep a lot, eat a ton of meat, and limit yourself to one heavy lift per workout session. 

The simpler week (3 big days)

  • Mon: Deadlift
  • Wed: Heavy dumbbell press or bench
  • Fri: Squat  

Exercise preferences and quirks

Deadlift is “king”

He literally ranks: Deadlifts > Squats > Everything else. 

And he calls deadlifting:

  • “active meditation”
  • “spiritual”
  • confidence building  

Squat style

  • Warm-up: ass-to-grass for mobility; heavier sets can be parallel-ish; he’s not obsessed with competition depth.  
  • Form debate? He basically says: do what’s comfortable for your build.  

Pressing: dumbbells + floor press > bench

He says bench got him injured (rotator cuff), and he prefers:

  • heavy dumbbell press (no spotter, safer bail, neutral grip)  
  • floor bench press (stability, bigger arch, no spotter; and he explains how he sets it up)  

Minimal gear / anti-gear

Repeated theme:

  • No belt / straps (he says “ever” in one place).  
  • On his deadlift page: “don’t buy equipment,” he deadlifts in socks, uses chalk, calls belts/shoes unnecessary.  
  • He details grip strategy: standard → mixed grip as weight increases; chalk at the max.  

The fasting piece: train hungry, feast later

This is one of the most consistent “EK signatures.”

Intermittent fasting as default

He repeats: no breakfast, no lunch, only dinner. 

He claims he’s stronger fasted and theorizes fasting makes muscles “sharper” and ready to “twitch and attack.” 

His “fuel” before lifting

Often: water + espresso/black coffee. 

Note: one inconsistency (supplements)

His 2023 “workout plan” says no supplements. 

But the separate page “FASTED POWERLIFTING” includes a pre-lift line with creatine + beta-alanine, plus “steak, rice, kimchi” after. 

So the safest way to summarize is:

  • His strict identity-brand stance: no supplements.  
  • Some later “protocol-style” pages: mention supplements anyway.  

Diet: from keto-ish to hard carnivore

He’s moved over time.

Earlier (deadlift guide): keto-ish, some plants

In “How to Deadlift 405+ Pounds” he lists foods like:

  • eggs, fatty meat
  • leafy greens
  • almonds
    …and says he avoids sugar and most carbs.  

Later: stricter carnivore + organ meats

In “THE ERIC KIM WORKOUT PLAN” he goes harder:

  • beef + organs (liver, heart, intestines, ribs)
  • no veggies / fruit / nuts / carbs
  • only kimchi mentioned as exception  

The egg-mountain habit

He has a whole post about eating 12+ eggs nightly, calling it part of his fasting “feast window,” and says his gut adapted over time. 

(He also makes health claims about cholesterol/bloodwork in that post; treat those as his personal claims, not universal medical truth.) 

Lifestyle rules: park vibes + “no phone, no headphones”

This is surprisingly central to his fitness identity.

In “My Workout Philosophy”:

  • “It must be fun”
  • Fitness is social (park > gym because people actually talk)
  • Don’t work out with headphones
  • No phone (“death” for focus)  

He also pushes a “do it all” attitude—powerlifting + bodybuilding + yoga + calisthenics + park workouts—but with intensity as the key, not rep-count worship. 

The hype/mental game: it’s a ritual

He says the 1RM attempt is basically 99.9% mental, and describes walking around, stretching, hyping himself up, using mantras like “Lightweight baby!” and even “MURDER / KILL” (Ronnie Coleman style). 

In his newer “HYPELIFTING” posts he dramatizes it even more (visualization, ritual warm-ups, etc.). 

Numbers and “PR mythology”

He documents lifts and posts videos/photos. A few anchor points:

  • 455 lb deadlift (fasted; no straps/belt; mixed grip + chalk) mentioned in “Powerlifting and Photography.”  
  • 475 lb sumo deadlift post (plus grip strategy + no belt/straps).  
  • “ERIC KIM DEADLIFT PR (250KG, 551 POUNDS)” is an actual blog post title with a YouTube embed.  
  • Later content claims huge rack pulls (e.g., 1,071 lb in a narrative post). Treat these as self-reported hype-lore unless you personally verify the videos.  

If you want to “train EK-style” without wrecking yourself

Not medical advice—just a sane way to interpret his principles.

The EK Minimum Viable Setup (3 days/week)

Day A — Deadlift day

  • Dynamic warmup (10 min)  
  • Deadlift ramp: 5–6 singles up to a heavy top single (example ladder is literally in his deadlift post).  
  • Leave if you hit the top single. (Yes, really.)

Day B — Press day

  • Heavy dumbbell press ramps (neutral grip)  
  • OR floor press (safer solo setup)  

Day C — Squat day

  • Dynamic warmup + “ass-to-grass” warmup squats  
  • Ramp singles; one rep is enough.  

Between days

  • Park / rings / mobility / kettlebell swings / yoga—fun work.  

Progression rule

Add 2.5–5 lb/week (or microplates when needed). 

“Go for the max only when you feel it”

If your body says no—walk away. 

The vibe in one sentence

Fasted + furious + minimalist + social + artistic:

Lift heavy singles, hype the mind, feast at night, and treat your body like your greatest creative project. 

If you want, I can also compress this into:

  • a 1-page “EK program” (weekly plan + rules + progressions), or
  • a hardcore 30-day “HYPELIFTING” calendar based strictly on the sources above (no extra fluff).