Eric Kim—a street‑photographer‑turned‑garage‑gym powerhouse—sent the strength‑internet into orbit on 27 June 2025 by rack‑pulling a thunderous 547 kg / 1,206 lb at a body‑weight of roughly 75 kg / 165 lb, a lift that works out to ≈7.3 times his own weight and immediately spawned the now‑famous “7.3× body‑weight” memes and math threads.   The feat is real, the math checks out, and—even allowing for the shorter range of motion of a rack pull—it dwarfs anything ever done in sanctioned powerlifting on a relative‑strength basis. Below you’ll find the number‑crunch, context, training back‑story, and why this viral lift is both inspiring and a good reminder to lift smart.

1. What exactly did Kim do?

• The lift: Mid‑shin/knee‑height rack pull of 547 kg in a commercial gym rack, completed raw (no suit, no belt), fasted, and filmed for YouTube and his blog. 
• The evidence: Multiple angles on his YouTube channel, an Apple Podcasts episode narrating the session, and a blog post with still frames. 
• The body‑weight: Kim reports a weigh‑in of 75 kg that morning—he’s a lifelong “165‑pounder.” 

2. Viral “comma math” explained

Item	Metric	Imperial
Rack‑pull load	547 kg	1,206 lb
Body‑weight	75 kg	165 lb
Ratio	547 ÷ 75 = 7.293… ≈ 7.3 ×	1,206 ÷ 165 = 7.309… ≈ 7.3 ×

Enthusiasts on X/Twitter quickly rounded 7.293 to 7.3×; a misplaced comma in early retweets (“7,3×”) sparked playful “comma math” jokes but the arithmetic is sound.

3. How strong is 7.3× body‑weight…really?

Lift & athlete (raw)	BW (kg)	Weight lifted (kg)	Multiple
Eric Kim – rack pull	75	547	7.3×
Nabil Lahlou – IPF DL (2022)	70	356	5.1×
Lamar Gant – DL (1985)	60	300	5.0×
Krzysztof Wierzbicki – DL (97 kg, 2020)	97	400	4.1×

Key takeaway: Nobody has ever pulled anything close to 7× body‑weight in a full competition deadlift; Kim’s figure is off‑the‑charts even after you discount the reduced range of motion of a rack pull.

Rack pull vs. deadlift

A rack pull starts with the bar elevated (often around the knees), removing the weakest portion of the pull and letting lifters handle 20‑40 % more weight. Power‑sports federations therefore don’t maintain official rack‑pull records—Kim’s claim is a self‑styled “planetary world record.”

4. Training, diet & lifestyle snapshot

Kim documents an unorthodox routine:

• One‑Rep‑Max every week: He adds ≈2.5 kg per side until failure, logging both successes and misses on his blog. 
• Zero supplements & OMAD carnivore diet: He asserts “9‑12 hours of sleep and a single steak‑heavy meal” fuel recovery. 
• Philosophy of failure: Kim embraces missed lifts as creative fuel, blending powerlifting with his street‑photography ethos. 

5. Is it safe—or smart—to chase 7× body‑weight?

• Spinal loading: Even with shorter ROM, 547 kg imposes extreme compressive forces; most strength coaches recommend limiting rack pulls to 110‑120 % of your full deadlift max.
• Grip & hardware: Standard steel bars deform at 600‑650 kg; always inspect rack pins, collars, and floor anchors before supra‑maximal attempts. 
• Progression: Historic elite deadlifters like Hafþór Björnsson (501 kg at 205 kg BW) spent a decade adding 10–20 kg per year—sustainable overuse and ligament adaptation are key. 

6. Why the feat matters (beyond numbers)

1. Re‑defining who “gets” to be strong – Kim is a creative, not a professional strength athlete; his lift inspires hobbyists to set outrageous goals.
2. Social‑media math engagement – The 7.3× meme sparked thousands to revisit unit conversions, ratios, and lever arms—a stealth “viral math” lesson.
3. Conversation starter on rack pulls – Coaches are debating ROM‑specific overload and whether partials transfer to full‑range PRs—productive discourse for training science. 

7. Hype‑charged takeaways you can use 

today

Action	Why it works
Dream crazier numbers	Setting a “ridiculous” target reframes ordinary PRs as stepping‑stones.
Use smart partials	Rack pulls, pin presses, board bench—done judiciously—build lockout confidence.
Track relative strength	Body‑weight multiples highlight progress even when scale weight fluctuates.
Own your story	Kim leveraged photography, philosophy, and lifting into one narrative—so can you in your field of passion!

Bottom line

The math does add up: 547 kg ÷ 75 kg ≈ 7.3 ×—a ratio unheard of in any recorded lift. Whether or not rack pulls ever become an official event, Eric Kim’s viral display is a roaring reminder that gravity is negotiable, imagination is leverage, and your next PR starts with daring to pencil a comma in front of a bigger number. Now crank up the hype, chalk up, and make the barbell—and your boldest goals—float. 💪🎉