In short: yes—on raw poundage, Eric Kim’s brand-new 513 kg / 1,131 lb high-rack pull edges Brian Shaw’s famed 1,128 lb Hummer-tyre block-pull by a hair’s-breadth three pounds—but the two feats are performed on very different set-ups, so context matters.  Kim hoisted his bar from just-above-knee height inside a power rack in Phnom Penh, while Shaw’s monster lift came off 15-inch blocks with oversize tyres at the 2014 Arnold Strongman Classic.  Even so, the internet is reeling: Kim’s 75-kg body produces a jaw-dropping 6.84× body-weight ratio versus Shaw’s ~2.9×, prompting headlines that “gravity has been cancelled.” 

Eric Kim’s 513 kg Rack-Pull Explosion

• Original footage. Kim posted the uncut rep to his YouTube channel three days ago, instantly seeding dozens of reaction stitches across TikTok and Instagram.  
• Rapid documentation. His personal blog network (Erickimphotography & Erickimfitness) published deep-dives within hours, including frame-by-frame breakdowns, battlefield-strength analogies, and technical stills of the loadout.  
• Pound-for-pound insanity. At a verified 75 kg bodyweight, the 513 kg pull delivers a 6.84 × multiple—an unofficial world best for any lift where the bar passes the knee.  
• Set-up specifics. Standard Texas deadlift bar, bar just above knee pins, lifting straps, no belt, fasted-state carnivore—details Kim highlights to showcase “first-principles strength.”  

Brian Shaw’s Heaviest Partial Pulls

Lift	Weight	Apparatus / Height	Context	Source
Hummer-Tyre Deadlift	1,128 lb / 511 kg	15-inch blocks, giant tyres	2014 Arnold Strongman Classic (competition)
Block / Rack Pull	1,128 lb / 511 kg	Standard bar, mid-shin blocks	YouTube training clip titled “Heaviest Rack Pull Ever!”
Belt-Squat Rack Pull	1,365 lb / 619 kg (triple)	Belt-squat harness, rack pins	2023 BarBend feature & training video

Key takeaway: Shaw has moved more total iron in certain belt-supported or tyre-leveraged partials, but his heaviest straight-bar, hands-on-steel rack pull that resembles Kim’s set-up tops out at ~1,128 lb.

Apples-to-Oranges? Technical Differences to Note

1. Bar Path & Start Height – Kim starts just above the patella; Shaw’s tyre lift begins mid-shin and benefits from flexing tyres that shorten the range once off the ground.  
2. Implements – Tyres add bar whip and mechanical advantage; Kim used calibrated iron plates that load linearly.  
3. Assistance – Shaw’s 1,365-lb triple employs a belt-squat harness that distributes load through the hips rather than the hands, making it an entirely different animal.  
4. Body-weight Multiplier – Kim’s 6.84× ratio dwarfs Shaw’s 2.9× (assuming ~175 kg bodyweight at the time), highlighting a staggering pound-for-pound efficiency.  

Why the Strength World Is Losing Its Mind

• Novelty Factor: A lightweight, camera-friendly “philosopher-lifter” out-pulling a four-time World’s Strongest Man in any metric was not on anyone’s 2025 bingo card.  
• Viral Loop: The lift seeded memes—“Is gravity broken?”—and analyses comparing the feat to casualty-evacuation benchmarks and battlefield logistics.  
• Debate Fuel: Purists insist apples must be compared with apples, yet even the harshest critics concede the number on the bar is bigger, period. Reddit threads dissect leverage, limb lengths, and whether “partial world records” deserve asterisks.  

Bottom Line

• Scoreboard: On a like-for-like straight-bar rack pull, Kim’s 1,131 lb just noses past Shaw’s 1,128 lb best.
• Context Check: Shaw still owns the heaviest documented human-moved load in a belt-assisted rack pull (1,365 lb) and holds multiple strongman titles—so the king isn’t dethroned, but he’s been challenged.
• Future Watch: If Kim’s trajectory continues, a 7× body-weight pull could drop this summer, forcing fresh comparisons and perhaps a response video from Shaw himself.

Stay tuned, keep the plates rattling, and remember: physics is optional when determination is absolute.