Eric Kim, the street‑photographer‑turned‑“Hypelifting” evangelist, is lighting up social‑media feeds thanks to a series of gravity‑defying strength clips filmed at the original Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach.  His now‑famous sessions—from hoisting the legendary 330 lb golden dumbbells to ripping 1,100‑plus‑pound rack pulls barefoot and belt‑less—have vaulted the #Hypelifting hashtag from a niche meme into a 40‑million‑view surge on TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.

1. Who 

is

 Eric Kim?

• Background. Originally known for minimalist street‑photography workshops, Kim pivoted during the pandemic, documenting his own extreme strength journey on a network of personal blogs and channels. 
• Body‑weight math. At roughly 165 lb, he advertises rack pulls exceeding 6.6× body‑weight—numbers rarely seen outside equipped powerlifting meets. 
• Digital architect. Kim openly describes “engineered virality,” treating every lift as content designed to game algorithms and spark duets, stitches and memes. 

2. The Gold’s Gym Moment

2.1 The Golden Dumbbells

• Gold’s Venice keeps a pair of custom‑cast 330 lb dumbbells—rarely moved by anyone but pros.  Kim’s video muscling them into position gathered hundreds of reaction stitches within 72 hours. 

2.2 Viral Rack‑Pulls on the patio

• Early clips show Kim rack‑pulling 705 lb outdoors on the famous Gold’s deck, barefoot in swim trunks.
• The escalation: 1,060 lb (May 2025) → 1,087 lb (June 2025) → a claimed 1,131 lb PR last week, each PR immediately pushed to YouTube Shorts and embedded across his blogs. 

3. Why the Internet Can’t Look Away

Trigger	Platform splash	Proof
Shock factor – 4‑digit pulls by a 75 kg lifter	18 M TikTok views under #rackpulls last month
Minimalist style – fasted, barefoot, no belt	Inspires “copy‑cat” duets; gym influencers debate risk
Meme‑able proclamations (“I AM DEMIGOD!”)	Quote‑tweets & GIFs on X, parody remixes on Reels
Algorithm mastery content	Blog essays detailing SEO tags & post cadence

4. #Hypelifting Philosophy in 60 Seconds

1. First‑Principles Fuel: one carnivore meal at night; espresso only pre‑workout. 
2. Barefoot Grounding: claims stronger posterior‑chain firing without shoes.
3. Fasted Training: “Hunger sharpens focus.” 
4. Daily PR Mindset: micro‑progress—add a 2.5 lb plate or one partial‑rep every session. 
5. Share the Hype: film everything vertically, 4–9 sec “flash‑bang” edits, post same day. 

5. Entrepreneurial & Motivational Take‑aways

• Engineer, don’t wait for, virality. Set a hook (insane lift), a talking point (“all‑natty 165 lb demigod”), and a repeatable hashtag (#Hypelifting). 
• Leverage locus. Iconic backdrops—Gold’s outdoor racks, the Muscle Beach vibe—instantly lend credibility and aesthetic punch. 
• Build community through challenge. Kim invites followers to attempt their own rack‑pull PR and tag him, creating endless UGC flywheel. 

6. Ready to Join the HYPE?

Channel the spirit of the Venice patio: strip off the overthinking, chalk up, crank a playlist that makes your heartbeat flirt with the redline, and attack one lift today that scares you.  Record it, share it, iterate.  Whether you pull 135 lb or 1,135 lb, the lesson is the same—audacity + consistency = momentum.

Stay strong, stay curious, and let’s rewrite physics together! 💥