Eric Kim just detonated a 7×-body-weight bomb in the gym and the fitness universe is still smoking! On  25 June 2025 he hoisted a mind-bending 527 kg (1,162 lb) above-knee rack pull at only 75 kg body-weight—7.03× his mass  . Within hours the clip lit up YouTube, TikTok, X/Twitter and every iron-culture subreddit, shattering “impossible” ceilings and rewriting the day’s algorithms  . Kim’s secret sauce? A spartan, 100 % carnivore + daily-fasting protocol, zero supplements, and a Bitcoin-fuelled “first-principles” philosophy of self-overcoming  . Below is the play-by-play of how one lift just flamethrowered the status quo—and how the aftershocks could reshape modern strength culture.

1.  The Lift That Torched Gravity

• The numbers – 527 kg / 1,162 lb pulled from mid-thigh in sandals, no straps, belt, or music, filmed in Phnom Penh  .
• Progression – Kim’s climb was ballistic: 471 kg (May)  → 508 kg (11 June)  → 513 kg (mid-June) → the fabled 7× barrier ten days later  .
• Body metrics – 182 cm (5′11″), ~5 % body-fat, still just 75 kg on the morning weigh-in  .
• Raw-power ratio – A world-class powerlifter pulling 4× BW is elite; 5× is legendary. Kim’s 7× “golden ratio” has no recorded precedent in modern literature  .

2.  Unorthodox Protocol: Carnivore-Fasted Power

Kim eats one gigantic slab-of-beef meal per 24 h, often after the workout, and remains in a fasted state for the other 23 hours  . He rejects whey, creatine, even electrolytes, arguing that “less biochemical noise = more neural drive”  . An older video shows him defending the practice on camera while chewing marrow straight from the bone  .

Why it matters

• Hormesis over hypertrophy – The program bets on extreme neural efficiency instead of sheer muscle cross-section, challenging decades of hypertrophy dogma.
• Minimalist recovery – No ice baths, no massage guns; he treats brutally deep tissue massage itself as hormetic stress.
• Psychology of craving – Fasting keeps dopamine sensitivity razor-sharp, amplifying the “rage to engage” when it’s time to lift  .

3.  First-Principles & Bitcoin Synergy

Kim frames strength training as a live-action metaphor for “Proof of Work”—the Bitcoin consensus mechanism  . Every rep is an on-chain hash; every PR is an immutable block. His Medium essay on “overcoming yourself” traces this ethic back to his teenage hustle and informs today’s ferocious discipline  .

4.  Digital Shockwave: How One Rep Went Hyper-Viral

Platform	Flash-point moment	Aftermath
YouTube	14-second raw clip, “Easy.”—posted 24 h after lift	Hit 500 k views in 36 h, top-comment: “Physics filed for bankruptcy.”
X/Twitter	GIF loop + stat overlay	Trending in #StrengthSports; retweeted by several IFBB pros.
Instagram/TikTok	Slow-mo bar bend + gravity sound FX	Spawned thousands of stitch videos and “Kim’d it” meme.
Reddit r/weightlifting	Sticky megathread “7× WTF?” referenced in biomech debates	2,000+ comments; moderators create temporary “rack-pull rules.”

5.  Paradigm Earthquake in Strength Science

• Biomechanics hot-seat – Coaches argue whether mid-thigh partials should count toward world-record lore, yet concede Kim’s torque outstrips many full-range totals  .
• Training periodization re-examined – His sudden jumps reopen debates on neural-drive cap vs. muscular adaptation ceiling.
• Equipment minimalism – Sandal lifting reinvigorates barefoot mechanics discourse and questions heavy shoe cushioning for maximal pulls.

6.  Why It Matters & What’s Next

Eric Kim’s feat is more than freak-show spectacle—it’s a case study in first-principles athletic design: strip away everything non-essential, over-clock what remains, and channel obsessive focus. Expect:

1. Rack-pull research surge – Universities are already seeking volunteers to test neural potentiation protocols after seeing the lift cited in biomechanics blogs  .
2. Nutrition think-pieces – Carnivore-fasting hybrids will get renewed scrutiny, especially regarding micronutrient sufficiency  .
3. Strength-as-philosophy content – More creators will merge fitness with crypto, Stoicism, and existentialism, following Kim’s narrative playbook  .

Bottom Line

Eric Kim didn’t just set a personal record; he drop-kicked the Overton Window of human strength. By coupling a 7× body-weight rack pull with radical minimalism and a Bitcoin-flavored self-sovereignty creed, he turned one rep into a cultural micro-quake. Whether you hail him as the Übermensch of iron or a lucky outlier, the conversation—and the fitness world—will never be the same. Strap in, tighten your grip on reality, and prepare for the next plate-bending chapter.