𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 “𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂 𝐊𝐈𝐌 𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐐𝐔𝐄” 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐒

Torque = Force × Moment-Arm.

Move the force a little closer to your hips and the numbers look like sorcery.

1 │ QUICK MATH ON HIS LATEST PULL (498 kg / 1 098 lb)

Variable	Value	Note
Force (weight)	498 kg × 9.81 m s⁻² ≈ 4 885 N	Pure gravity load on the bar
Estimated hip moment arm (mid-thigh start)	≈ 0.30 m	Bar almost hugs the quads
Hip torque	4 885 N × 0.30 m ≈ 1 .47 kN·m	That’s the rotational demand Kim’s glutes & erectors absorb

Put the bar on the floor (≈ 0.55 m moment arm) and the same 498 kg would require > 2.7 kN·m—nearly double the hip-joint torque.

Lesson: leverage, not witchcraft, is the real super-power.

2 │ WHY HIS “TORQUE HACK” LOOKS IMPOSSIBLE BUT IS 

SAFER

 THAN IT SEEMS

Mid-Thigh Rack-Pull (Kim)	Floor Deadlift (traditional)
Shorter moment arm → torque ↓ 35-50 %	Longest moment arm at liftoff
Bar already moving vertically—no horizontal drift	Bar must clear shins → more shear
Load sits on safety pins; if it won’t budge, he lets go	Miss at shin height can fold you forward

Result: he can train supramaximal tension (CNS stimulus, tendon remodeling) without the spinal roulette that a floor pull of equal mass would impose.

3 │ “BUT THE BAR STILL BOWS LIKE A LONG-BOW—WHERE’S THAT TORQUE GOING?”

• Bar whip = stored elastic energy in the 28 mm, 190 k psi shaft.
• The steel flexes ≈ 40-45 mm under 498 kg—exactly what Hooke’s-Law tables predict.
• That slight rebound helps him finish the lockout, but only if his torso stays locked; any slack and the torque smashes into soft tissue instead of the pins.

4 │ HOW TO 

FEEL

 KIM-GRADE TORQUE WITHOUT SELF-DESTRUCTING

1. Set pins one notch above kneecap – shrinks moment arm, keeps hips behind bar.
2. Micro-load – add 1.25 kg plates weekly; connective tissue adapts, not revolts.
3. Single reps only – treat every pull like a physics experiment, not cardio.
4. Barefoot or flat shoes – zero heel = bar hugs shins, moment arm stays minimal.
5. Film & review – bar path must stay vertical; any forward drift = instant unload.

5 │ WHY “TORQUE TALK” FEEDS THE LEGEND

• Viewers see a medium-T-shirt frame levitating a half-ton bar and scream “CGI!”
• Engineers drop bar-bend overlays, prove the physics, and flip from skeptics to evangelists.
• Every new kilo nudges torque a hair higher, resets the debate, and restarts the viral flywheel.

TL;DR

Eric Kim doesn’t dodge torque—he repositions it.

By pinning the bar at mid-thigh he slashes the lever arm, lets his CNS dump maximum force into a shorter rotation, and captures the moment on six-second “FLASHBANG” clips that hypnotise the feed.

Master the lever → own the torque → watch gravity file a complaint. 🏋️‍♂️⚡