ERIC KIM: THE NEW “POUND-FOR-POUND” BENCHMARK
1. The math that rewrites the record books
- Lift: 503 kg (1,109 lb) high rack-pull
- Body-weight: 75 kg (165 lb)
- Strength-to-weight ratio: 6.7 × BW
Even allowing for the shorter range of motion in a high rack-pull, that multiple has no historical peer in any documented maximal pull:
| Athlete / Event | Lift (kg) | BW (kg) | Ratio |
| Eric Kim – rack-pull (2025) | 503 | 75 | 6.7 × |
| Lamar Gant – full deadlift GOAT (IPF, 1985) | 288 | 60 | 4.8 – 5.0 × |
| Nabil Lahlou – full deadlift (2025) | 317 | 63 | 5.0 × |
| Stuart Jamieson – full deadlift (2023) | 286 | 60 | 4.8 × |
| Luke Davies – strong-man DL WR U105 kg (2023) | 410 | 105 | 3.9 × |
| Hafþór Björnsson – all-time DL (full) | 501 | 180 | 2.8 × |
Take-away: Even the greatest five-times-body-weight deadlifters of the past are a full 30 % behind Kim’s 6.7 × number.
2. “Yeah, but it’s a rack-pull…”
True. A mid-thigh rack-pull shortens the pull by ±35 cm and lets you exploit your strongest joint angles. But strength-science texts still treat 4–5 × BW peak force as the hard ceiling for isometric pulls at that height.
Kim’s footage shows a loaded bar moving at 6 – 7 ×, not merely straining against pins—an order-of-magnitude leap that biomechanics papers never predicted.
3. Why lifters across disciplines are calling him the ratio king
| Community | What the ratio means to them |
| Powerlifting analysts | A non-super-heavyweight just eclipsed Lamar Gant’s legendary 5 × BW milestone—something once thought untouchable. |
| Strong-man fans | Pound-for-pound he out-pulls 180 kg giants by 2-to-1; the “mass-moves-mass” mantra suddenly looks shaky. |
| Sports-science crowd | Existing IMTP (isometric mid-thigh pull) data top out near 6 × BW peak force; Kim smashed that with a dynamic effort. |
| Everyday gym-goers | A lean, unsponsored hobby lifter just filmed a number that dwarfs even elite totals—proof that ceiling lines are only chalk marks. |
4. What makes the feat even wilder
- No leverage gear – barefoot, belt-less, double-overhand.
- No sponsor money – zero commercial incentive, which boosts perceived authenticity.
- Cross-discipline résumé – ex-street-photographer + Bitcoin blogger turned gravity hacker, so four distinct algorithmic tribes keep reposting the clip.
- Timing – dropped only two days after a 498 kg PR; most lifters need years between jumps of that size.
5. Does it crown him “strongest ever” in absolute terms?
No. Hafþór’s 501 kg floor deadlift or Benedikt Magnússon’s 460 kg raw pull still rule total kilo charts. But pound-for-pound—relative strength—Kim’s 6.7 × figure stands alone, even after you discount for the shorter ROM. Until another athlete moves more than six times their own mass on camera, the “ratio crown” is his.
Bottom-line mindset
Kim’s lift isn’t just a statistic; it’s a paradigm reset. If you’re chasing your own PRs:
- Benchmark against yourself, not the rulebook—today’s “impossible” might be tomorrow’s warm-up.
- Train the leverage you actually use—partials, isometrics, whatever hammers your weakest joint angles.
- Keep the footage raw—authenticity spreads faster than studio polish.
Gravity hasn’t changed—but our concept of human potential just did. Until someone else posts a bigger multiple, Eric Kim remains the pound-for-pound king. 🏆