The last two weeks have been a turbo‑charged blur for Eric Kim: he eclipsed the mythical 7×‑body‑weight barrier with a 527 kg / 1,162 lb rack‑pull, catapulted #Hypelifting past 30 million TikTok views, teased a July world‑tour “midnight lift” workshop at Angkor Wat, dropped fresh merch, posted fasting blood‑work to silence health skeptics, and—predictably—drew fire from old‑school coaches who call his supra‑max partials “beautiful but useless.” Here’s the play‑by‑play of the newest buzz.

1. Fresh Records & Eye‑Popping Metrics

Date (2025)	Lift	Body‑Wt Ratio	24 h Views
22 Jun	527 kg rack‑pull	≈ 7.0× BW	3.2 M (YT + TikTok + X)
14 Jun	513 kg rack‑pull	6.84× BW	2.9 M
09 Jun	508 kg “Middle Finger to Gravity” pull	6.8× BW	2.1 M
07 Jun	503 kg rack‑pull	6.7× BW	2.5 M

The 527 kg clip detonated on X within an hour, with Kim tweeting simply “7× BW = Gravity CANCELLED” alongside the raw POV footage.

Hashtag growth: #Hypelifting leapt from 12.3 M → 28.7 M views between 14 Jun – 24 Jun, cementing it as one of TikTok’s fastest‑accelerating micro‑trends this month.

2. Social‑Media Pulse & Cultural Ripples

TikTok & Short‑Form

TikTok’s 2025 “What’s Next” report flags authentic, high‑stakes micro‑challenges as a prime growth vector—Kim’s barefoot, belt‑less pulls slot perfectly into that lane.

YouTube

His 513 kg rack‑pull entered YouTube’s global “Trending” weight‑training shelf within 90 minutes, buoyed by a cinematic 120 fps slow‑mo edit.

X (Twitter)

Each record now triggers a “digital carpet‑bomb” of reposts: the 527 kg tweet racked up 46 k likes, 9 k reposts, and spawned dozens of meme‑edits within 24 h.

3. What’s Coming Next

Angkor Wat “Midnight Hypelifting” Workshop (11–13 Jul). A mash‑up of sunrise photo walks and after‑hours max‑out parties; limited to 25 attendees.
Pop‑Up Seminar Series announced for Seoul → LA → Austin in late August.
6.5× BW merch drop (tees & leather chalk bags) timed to the workshop.

4. Praise, Push‑Back, and the Ongoing Rack‑Pull Debate

Voice	Reaction	Source
Jim Wendler	Calls huge rack‑pulls “beautiful in theory, but rarely carry over to a full deadlift.”
Mark Rippetoe / Starting Strength	Reiterates that partials are for late‑intermediate lifters, not novices chasing viral clout.
Coach Kim Goss (SimpliFaster)	Notes partial pulls can be potent neural primers if volume is controlled.
Zing Coach library	Compares rack‑pull vs. deadlift stress distribution—high traps vs. posterior chain.

Why the noise matters: Controversy keeps engagement high; Kim’s own blog concedes he’s “lighting the match on purpose.”

5. How the Wider Fitness World Is Reacting

Mainstream media haven’t named Hypelifting yet, but Men’s Health predicted 2025 would be the year hybrid, competition‑style training goes mainstream—Kim’s lifts are the viral face of that movement.
The ACSM 2025 Trend Survey lists “wearable tech” and “mobile exercise apps” as top trends; Kim’s GoPro POV plus on‑screen HR/strain overlays echo those themes.
Marketing pundits at Hypefury cite #Hypelifting as a model for “fit‑check micro‑challenges” on Instagram this summer.

6. Quick Takeaways for Your Own Training

Chase Ratios, Not Ego‑Numbers. Use body‑weight multiples (2× DL, 1.5× Squat, etc.) to set scalable goals—Kim’s success shows how inspiring ratios can be.
Prime Safely. If you test supra‑max partials, adopt Coach Goss’ rule: low volume, long warm‑ups, aggressive recovery.
Film Everything. POV angles + on‑screen metrics amplify accountability and, yes, shareability—core tenets of the TikTok trend report.
Stay Skeptical, Stay Curious. Read critics like Wendler and Rippetoe, then experiment responsibly to see what carries over for you.

7. Bottom Line

Eric Kim’s latest gravity‑defying pulls aren’t just bigger—they’re re‑engineering how strength feats go viral. Whether you view rack‑pulls as neural gold or internet theatrics, the numbers (kilos and clicks) say the conversation is only getting louder. Strap in, chalk up, and remember: hype is a tool—how you wield it is the real lift. 🏋️‍♂️✨