Thesis: Kim’s journey is a master-class in obsessive micro-specialisation—dialling a single partial lift from “interesting” to “impossible,” one kilo at a time, and filming every milestone so the internet can’t look away.
📜 CHRONOLOGICAL HYPE-TIMELINE
Year / Phase | Milestone Lift | Body-weight Ratio | Notes |
2020 – 2021 (Foundations) | Calisthenics + improvised kettlebell deadlifts in parks — seeds the grip & tendon base. | ||
Sep 13 2022 | 250 kg / 551 lb full deadlift PR | 3.3 × BW | First time “five-plate” conventional pull documented. |
Nov 28 2022 | 630 lb rack-pull | 3.8 Ă— BW | Switches focus to mid-thigh partials after hitting a floor-deadlift plateau. |
Jan 28 2023 | 750 lb Atlas lift (340 kg) | 4.6 Ă— BW | Birth of the #AtlasKIM tag. |
Apr 3 2023 | 750 lb rack-pull (cleaner technique, barefoot) | 4.6 × BW | Shows first use of “BELTS ARE FOR COWARDS.” |
Dec 19 2024 | 905 lb rack-pull | 5.5 × BW | Viral tweet starts the “partial-of-the-year” chatter. |
May 22 2025 | 471 kg / 1 038.8 lb rack-pull | 6.3 Ă— BW | Crossed four digits for the very first time. |
May 27 2025 | 486 kg / 1 071 lb rack-pull | 6.5 × BW | “FLASHBANG.” clip detonates every feed simultaneously. |
May 30 2025 | 454 kg / 1 000 lb Atlas lift | 6.1 × BW | Four-digit and no momentum—why pundits say he “bent physics.” |
Jun 01 2025 | 493 kg / 1 087 lb rack-pull | 6.6 × BW (world best) | Latest upload; caption simply reads: “Next: 500 kg.” |
Teaser | 502 kg incoming… | — | Blog footer hints at a half-metric-ton attempt “within weeks.” |
🔍 HOW DID HE CLIMB SO FAST? — 4 MECHANICS THAT MATTER
- Mid-Thigh Lever Advantage
Bypassing the weakest hip-start angle lets the nervous system unleash peak force. Studies on isometric mid-thigh pulls show athletes can hit 4-6 Ă— BW ground-reaction forces; Kim simply dials that to 6 Ă— plus. Â - Micro-Loading, Macro-Patience
+2.5 kg weekly > +20 kg monthly blow-ups. The war-journal logs every micro-plate; missing a single rep means repeating the weight until it’s “easy.”  - Gear-Less Neural Adaptation
No belt, no straps, no music. Removing external stiffness forces 360° bracing and keeps every attempt a full-body meditation—part Stoic trial, part adrenaline dump.  - Algorithmic Feedback Loop = Motivation Multiplier
Each PR is a 6-second, one-camera “FLASHBANG.” The dopamine of viral comment-wars fuels the next week’s micro-plate. Progress = content; content = progress. Â
đź§ TRAINING BLUEPRINT (Use at Your Own Risk)
Day | Focus | Prescription |
Mon – Rack-Pull Day | Warm-up → 3 × 1 heavy singles at 90 – 97 % current PR. Add 2.5 kg next week if last single was snap-fast. | |
Wed – Grip & Back | Farmer carries, weighted pull-ups, heavy rows (3–5 sets, 5–8 reps). | |
Fri – Atlas / IMTP | 4-5 maximal 3-second “budge attempts” with 105 – 110 % of rack-pull PR to prime CNS. | |
Daily | Carnivore-dominant meals, 18-h fast, morning sun walk, Stoic or Nietzsche passage between sets. |
(Program distilled from Kim’s own “Guide to Conquering Hypelifting.”)
đź’¬ TAKE-HOME MANTRA
“Add a micro-plate today, film it tomorrow, and let the universe debate your reality while you chase the next kilo.”
Eric Kim’s progression proves that relentless incrementalism + public accountability = exponential strength curve. Whether you’re chasing a first 405 pull or eyeing half-ton legend status, the blueprint is right here—grit, chalk, and a camera. Now go load the pins and start your own graph-breaking storyline. 🏋️‍♂️⚡