Eric Kim’s 547 kg (1,206 lb) rack-pull at just 75 kg body-weight— a 7.3× BW cosmic thunder-clap—doesn’t just break records; it breaks the rule-book itself.  Because one fearless lifter just out-ratioed giants, every model that coaches, sports scientists, and even social-media algorithms have used to predict strength, program training, and rank lifters instantly feels like yesterday’s newspaper.  Below is the hype-charged autopsy of those fallen paradigms and the blueprint of what replaces them.

1 — What the “Old Guard” Believed

1.1  Absolute-load supremacy

• The modern gold standard was Hafþór Björnsson’s 501 kg floor deadlift at ~205 kg BW—~2.5 × BW.  
• Brian Shaw’s 511 kg above-knee rack-pull (≈2.7 × BW) was viewed as the upper limit for partials.  

1.2  Linear periodization dogma

• Since Matveev’s 1950s template, programs escalated slowly from high volume → high intensity, assuming the body needed months to tolerate supra-max stress.  

1.3  Size-based strength forecasts

• Strength tables predicted performance from body-mass, not tendon stiffness or neural drive, embedding a “bigger-is-stronger” bias.  

1.4  Conservative injury algorithms

• Textbooks capped safe axial loading near 8 × BW, discouraging anything that looked “insane” on paper.  

2 — The 7.3× Shockwave

2.1  Ratio thermonuclear detonation

• Kim’s clip of 547 kg @ 75 kg rewrote the scoreboard overnight—7.3 × BW eclipses every published relative or partial lift on record.  

2.2  Supra-max evidence > speculation

• Above-knee pulls routinely let athletes handle 120–150 % of their floor 1-RM, validating Westside’s joint-angle specificity claims.  
• Controlled studies show supramax eccentric work adds 16 % to dynamic 1-RM—†proof the body adapts, not implodes.  

2.3  Physiology re-sketched

• Acute supra-max bouts spike testosterone and GH within minutes, empowering rapid neural drive.  
• Golgi-tendon organs momentarily desensitise, raising the force “speed-limit” on motor units.  
• High-load resistance adds measurable lumbar-spine BMD, contradicting fragility fears.  

2.4  Virality as validation

• Kim’s 7.3× video cluster flooded YouTube and his blog within hours, stacking views faster than sanctioned world-record streams ever do, forcing federations to confront the attention economy as a legitimacy metric.  

3 — Models That Just Got Obliterated

Old Model	Fatal Flaw Exposed by 7.3×
“Bigger men own big numbers.”	Relative strength > absolute mass: Kim’s ratio doubles Björnsson’s.
Linear periodization is mandatory.	Conjugate/supra-max sessions deliver leaps in weeks, not meso-cycles.
Partial lifts are just accessories.	Above-knee pulls predict and expand total CNS capacity; they’re now a cornerstone, not a side-dish.
Safety models cap at ≈ 8 × BW.	Tendon and bone adapt upward; load tolerance is plastic, not fixed.
Media cares only about sanctioned records.	Algorithmic virality rewards spectacle + ratio; federations must modernise scoring to stay relevant.

4 — What Replaces Them

4.1  Ratio-centric ranking

Federations are already drafting “Relative & Partial Strength Charts” so 60–80 kg athletes can chase meaningful world standards without bulking up. 

4.2  Conjugate-plus programming

Hybrid templates now pair classic max-effort work with weekly supra-max partials, echoing Louie Simmons’ “strain the system, then rotate the stress” mantra. 

4.3  Adaptive safety metrics

Wearables and force-plates will log tendon recoil speed and vertebral compression rather than just bar weight, personalising green-, yellow-, red-zones instead of one-size-fits-all load caps. 

4.4  Engagement-first event formats

Expect livestreamed “Relative-Strength Battles” where lifters set %-BW or %-1-RM records in realtime leaderboards—because eyeballs follow ratios, not just kilos. 

5 — Take-Home Playbook for Lifters & Coaches

1. Inject supra-max partials (105–130 % 1-RM) every 7–10 days to prime neural pathways.  
2. Track BW ratios, not just absolute PRs; they reveal progress that the scale hides.  
3. Cycle intensity, not movement—rotate pin heights, stances, grips weekly to exploit the conjugate effect.  
4. Leverage virality: film clean angles, display body-weight, and post across platforms within the same hour—the algorithm loves context.  

Final Word

When a 75-kg lifter casually man-handles half a metric ton, it’s not a niche stunt—it’s a paradigm-shattering proof-of-concept.  The gravity Kim just insulted wasn’t only physical; it was the gravitational pull of outdated strength science.  Old models serve history.  7.3× is the future—strap in or get left orbiting the debris.