Month: June 2025

(A hyper‑motivational mini‑manifesto in the electrifying cadence of Eric Kim)

1. EMBODY YOUR INVESTMENT THESIS

You didn’t buy MSTR because you wanted a boring, slow‑and‑steady index fund.

You bought it because you craved convexity—those glorious, gut‑punching price swings that make weaker hands tremble.

Lifting heavy iron is the physical analog of that volatility.

• Volatility in the market = progressive overload in the gym.
• Diamond hands = calloused palms.
  Every rep is a miniature “buy‑the‑dip,” a conscious embrace of controlled stress so you come back stronger.

2. TURN PRICE ACTION INTO PHYSICAL ACTION

Watching the chart tick can turn even the boldest hodler into a chair‑bound doom‑scroller.

Solution? Hard pivot—stand up, pick up weight, MOVE!

Feel your heart rate spike because of a deadlift, not a red candle.

Energy you pour into the barbell never goes to zero; it compounds as strength, metabolic health, and swagger.

3. BUILD ANTIFRAGILITY

Nassim Taleb reminds us: systems that benefit from disorder are antifragile.

MSTR’s coiled‑spring balance sheet (hello, 200K+ BTC) thrives on chaos; so can your body.

• Muscles micro‑tear → repair → grow.
• Portfolio drawdown → conviction test → greater upside.
  Train your fascia and your faith in the same furnace.

4. HORMONES > HEADLINES

Lifting heavy boosts testosterone, growth hormone, endorphins.

That neurochemical cocktail drowns out CNBC fear porn faster than you can say “macro liquidity crunch.”

Strong hormones = strong mindset = strong hands.

When bears roar, your inner chemistry yells back, “IS THAT ALL YOU’VE GOT?”

5. TIME HORIZON SYNERGY

Both strength training and asymmetric tech bets reward long‑term consistency:

• Skip leg day? Plateau.
• Panic‑sell? Miss the exponential curve.
  Showing up to the squat rack three times a week engrains the same patience you need to let Michael Saylor’s leveraged Bitcoin thesis play out.

6. SIGNAL, NOT NOISE

In a world of deepfakes, bots, and meme‑stonks, undeniable physical strength is a red‑pill proof‑of‑work.

Your biceps become a blazing neon sign: “I do hard things on purpose.”

That self‑image spills over: “If I can front‑squat my body weight, I can stomach another 20% drawdown.”

7. PRACTICAL PORTFOLIO HEDGE

Healthcare costs are the stealth bear market of modern life.

Cardiometabolic disease? Margin call on your vitality.

Prevent it with compound lifts now, and you effectively buy the ultimate low‑correlation asset: healthspan.

8. JOYFUL PLAYFULNESS

Eric Kim mantra: Make it fun, make it epic.

Crank music. Slam medicine balls. Treat the gym like a personal arena where you are both gladiator and emperor.

Joy compounds like satoshis; spread it through every fiber, every fiber‑optic cable tracking the MSTR ticker.

ACTION PLAN

1. Five‑Minute Rule – The moment you open your brokerage app, do five perfect push‑ups first.
2. Volatility‑VAULT Workout – On big earnings days, schedule heavy deadlifts. Ride the adrenaline spike.
3. Data‑Driven Gains – Track lifts the way you track P&L: numbers, trends, personal records.
4. Community HODL – Post PR videos to keep you accountable, same way Twitter Spaces keeps conviction high.
5. Celebrate in Sets – New all‑time high? 10 kettlebell swings. New 52‑week low? 20 kettlebell swings. Either way, you win.

FINAL RALLY CRY

MSTR is a volatility volcano.

Weights are concentrated gravity.

Harness both, and you forge an unbreakable YOU—mind, body, bankroll.

So grab that barbell, friend.

• Square your stance.

• Fill your lungs.

• Rip the weight off the floor like you’re hauling your future into the present.

LIFT. HODL. THRIVE.

(Stay strong, stay learning, stay unstoppable!)

1. Chain‑Reaction Content Habit

Since 2010 Kim has hammered out 5,000‑plus blog posts, zines and newsletters—a decade‑long writing streak so dense that new ideas ignite the moment he hits “publish.” In his own words, the web is “addicted” precisely because the next hit is always queued up. 

2. “Water‑Flow” Shipping Philosophy

Kim refuses to dam the river: “If I don’t keep publishing, I feel like I’m spiritually perishing.” He treats posts like molecules in constant motion—frictionless, fearless, fast. That anti‑perfectionist mindset removes the single biggest brake most creatives face: hesitation. 

3. The Algorithmic Inferno

He doesn’t tip‑toe around social media; he throws gasoline on it—burst‑posting, cross‑pollinating newsletters, videos and fitness micro‑blogs until the feeds glow red‑hot. His rally cry? “🔥 Burn the algorithm! 🔥” The heat he generates loops back as followers amplify each drop. 

4. Radical Generosity Flywheel

By giving away workshop notes, e‑books and critiques for free, Kim lowered the entry barrier for tens of thousands of aspiring shooters. Every learner he empowers becomes a megaphone that sends fresh attention right back to him—a perpetual motion community. 

5. Body‑as‑Battery Synergy

Squats, rack pulls and hill sprints show up in his feed as often as contact sheets. Kim views the gym as an “energy bank” that powers writing marathons; the stronger the body, the harder he can hit publish. Momentum posts compare his output to a freight train loaded with 45‑lb plates—and trains don’t do reverse. 

6. Antifragile Money & Mission

Multiple income streams—workshops, photo gear brand, ebooks—plus hardcore Bitcoin conviction make his livelihood immune to platform whims. When ad rates wobble or algorithms shift, he simply reroutes the flame to another furnace and keeps forging ahead. 

7. Identity‑Level Mantra

He titles essays “UNSTOPPABLE,” proclaims it on YouTube, and bakes the word into daily affirmations. For Kim, “unstoppable” is not marketing—it’s muscle memory. Each repetition of the mantra tightens the feedback loop between belief and action until quitting becomes unimaginable. 

Spark It in Your Own Life (30‑Second Playbook)

1. Commit to a cadence – pick a daily or weekly ship date and treat it like oxygen.
2. Remove friction – publish first drafts; polish in public.
3. Cross‑train – pair mental reps (writing, coding, sketching) with physical PRs.
4. Give first, funnel later – share knowledge freely to spin up your own flywheel.
5. Adopt an identity word – repeat it until it rewires your default settings.

Remember: energy compounds when it’s in motion. Channel a little Eric Kim, keep your own reactors humming, and watch the world bend to the unstoppable momentum you build. Go light the fuse, Innovator! 💥

Eric Kim—the high‑energy street‑photographer‑turned‑writer you know from the punchy “Cyber Man” essays—runs one of the web’s most prolific, open‑source photography and creative‑life blogs. Since 2010 he has pumped out 5,000 + posts, hundreds of free e‑books, podcasts, and irreverent Bitcoin manifestos, all while teaching globe‑trotting workshops and preaching a “gift‑economy” approach to knowledge‑sharing.

Who 

Exactly

 Is Eric Kim?

Eric was born in California, studied sociology at UCLA, and dove full‑time into street photography right after graduation.  His early work—tight, in‑your‑face black‑and‑white candids from Los Angeles, Tokyo and Hanoi—earned features on major photo sites and invitations to teach workshops worldwide.

Around 2023–25 his blog exploded beyond photography to fold in philosophy, fitness, entrepreneurship and, most loudly, Bitcoin—the fuel for his swaggering “Cyber Man” persona.

The Blogging Empire & Its First‑Principle Philosophy

1. Radical Openness

• Gift economy. Every PDF, Lightroom preset and workshop syllabus is downloadable for free; Kim argues abundance > paywalls. 
• “Don’t trust me.” He warns readers that even his own gear reviews are biased click‑bait—and urges them to think for themselves. 

2. Core Content Streams

Stream	Typical Posts	Representative Source
Street‑Photo Mastery	Technique breakdowns, photo critiques, gear minimalism	“Why Street Photography?”
PDF/E‑Book Library	Ultimate Beginner’s Guide, Henri Cartier‑Bresson Composition
Workshops & Community	“Conquer Your Fears” weekends from SF to Berlin
Podcast & Audio	Philosophy riffs, Q&As, life hacks	Spotify show
Cyber‑Finance Rants	“Bitcoin Is on Fire,” “Spartan Manifesto,” MicroStrategy musings

Signature Ideas to Steal (With Joy!)

1. “Shoot with your heart.” Cameras are secondary; curiosity is the real lens. 
2. Minimal gear, maximal hustle. One prime lens forces creative movement; same goes for limiting life’s distractions. 
3. Blog every day. He credits 50 short daily posts for jump‑starting his audience and sharpening thought. 
4. Monetize through experiences. Workshops, not ads, funded a $200 k+ annual income long before crypto. 
5. Bet on sovereignty. Bitcoin, to him, is the creative’s escape from “fiat slavery.” 

Recent “Cyber Man” Highlights (2024‑25)

• AI + Human Fusion. The Cyber Man manifesto urges merging with machines to stay relevant. 
• Bitcoin Evangelism. Posts like “Why I Went All‑In on Bitcoin” and “Bitcoin Is on Fire” mix Spartan metaphors with market commentary. 
• Contrarian Finance Takes. He champions leveraged MicroStrategy stock for “more action” than vanilla HODLing. 
• Daily Hype‑Lifting. Fitness analogies (deadlifts = market pumps) pepper almost every essay. 

How to Dive In Right Now

1. Start‑Here Portal: Navigate his evergreen lesson index on erickimphotography.com. 
2. Download a Free Book: Grab the Ultimate Beginner’s Guide PDF and practice during your next walk. 
3. Listen On‑the‑Go: Queue a philosophy episode on Spotify while editing photos. 
4. Join a Workshop: Upcoming “Conquer Street Photography” sessions hit Philly and San Francisco each year. 
5. Embrace the Cyber Spirit: Read the latest Bitcoin rant, then write your own “Spartan” creative manifesto. 

🚀 Final Pep‑Talk

Channel Eric Kim’s fearless blend of street‑level curiosity and cyber‑age audacity: publish daily, give generously, charge confidently for experiences, and stay joyfully contrarian. The streets—and the blockchain—are yours to conquer!

Key take-aways (one-paragraph summary)

Across Reddit power-lifting circles, old-school forums, and coaching newsletters, lifters reacted in three predictable waves: (1) pure awe at a weight that dwarfs the average male rack-pull (≈420 lb)  , (2) skepticism over the reduced range-of-motion inherent to rack-pulls—an objection echoed for years by Starting Strength and T-Nation contributors  , and (3) contextual comparisons to other supra-max “partial” pulls such as Anthony Pernice’s 550 kg silver-dollar deadlift world record  .  Despite that buzz, no mainstream outlet (BarBend, FitnessVolt, etc.) has written a dedicated piece on Kim; the discussion is still grassroots.

1.  Immediate “wow” factor

• “Six-point-eight times body-weight?!”  Redditors in /r/strength_training and /r/powerlifting tagged the lift “cartoon physics” once someone ran the math against Kim’s reported 75 kg body-weight. A typical Reddit response compared it to the sub-500 kg deadlift milestone they still chase .
• Perspective check: StrengthLevel’s database pegs an Intermediate rack-pull at ~420 lb (190 kg) and an Elite effort at ~770 lb (350 kg)  —Kim’s number is ~3× heavier than their top tier.

2.  Skeptics, biomechanics, and the ROM debate

Common critique	Representative third-party source
“Partial lift—doesn’t count like a deadlift.”	Starting Strength’s long-standing “Four Criteria” (full range beats partials)
“High pins let you leverage a lot more weight.”	Mark Rippetoe’s 2025 weekly report on rack-pull/halting-deadlift programming
“Great for back thickness, but not a world record.”	T-Nation forum thread Rack Pulls Are Awesome (2008)

Veteran coaches remind lifters that rack-pulls deliberately shorten the stroke to overload the lock-out, so a 1,120-lb mid-thigh pull—while outrageous—doesn’t translate pound-for-pound to a floor deadlift  .

3.  How it stacks up against other supra-max pulls

Lift (partial)	Weight	Athlete & source	Body-weight multiple*
Silver-dollar deadlift (18 “)	550 kg	Anthony Pernice, BarBend report	≈3.8×
Silver-dollar deadlift	560 kg	Sean Hayes, BreakingMuscle	≈3.9×
Rack-pull (mid-thigh)	508 kg	Eric Kim (unverified)	≈6.8×

*Using publicly listed body weights.

Even strongman legends seldom touch a 4× body-weight ratio on partials; in pound-for-pound terms, Kim’s figure is currently unmatched in any documented partial pull.

4.  “Fake plates?”—Why commentators lean 

against

 that claim

1. Bar-bend physics: lifters pointed to the visible 20–25 mm bow in the bar—matching deflection charts for ~1,100 lb on a 29 mm power bar (a detail first highlighted when Jimmy Kolb benched 508 kg equipped)  .
2. Linear video trail: social posts show Kim climbing 471 → 498 → 503 → 508 kg over several weeks; slow, believable progression is a common anti-hoax indicator in forum discussions (e.g., T-Nation What’s the Point of Rack-Pulls?)  .

5.  Coaches’ practical takeaways

• Use it as an overload block, not a badge of honor.  Starting Strength’s February 2025 newsletter recommends rack-pulls in 2-week waves to keep recovery under control  .
• Great for spinal-erector and trap hypertrophy.  Multiple long-running T-Nation threads credit above-knee pulls for “barn-door” traps and thicker upper backs  .
• Don’t skip full-ROM work.  Coaches still caution that partials won’t magically boost floor pulls if you neglect conventional deadlifts—echoing Starting Strength’s “specificity” mantra  .

6.  Why mainstream outlets are (so far) silent

Unlike Pernice’s or Hayes’s record attempts—both performed at sanctioned strongman events and immediately written up by BarBend and FitnessVolt—Kim’s lift came from a home-gym livestream with no federation witness.  Until he demonstrates the feat under comp conditions, expect discussion to remain in the comments section rather than on ESPN.

Bottom line

Third-party chatter ranges from “legendary grip strength” to “ROM-cheating circus act,” but everyone agrees on one point: hauling 1,120 lb off mid-thigh pins at 75 kg body-mass is an attention-magnet.  If Kim repeats it on a certified platform, the big strength-news sites will have no choice but to weigh in. Until then, the internet jury—equal parts hype-beast and form-police—remains in deliberation.

HOW TO FLEX LIKE A DEMIGOD. video, https://videopress.com/v/7fa8ToOB. Proof. 100% carnivore, no breakfast no lunch intermittent fasting only insanely huge dinner, 2 to 3 kg of meat, bone marrow, beef tongue, no protein powder. https://erickimphotography.com/eric-kim-demigod-flex/ the true path of the demigod powered by $MSTR —> in human form

(in the playful, caffeinated cadence of Eric Kim…)

1. Begin with empathy, not judgment…

“First, remember: every body is a self‑portrait of the soul… treat each one with respect.”

Shorter men grow up hearing casual jokes about “Napoleon complexes.” Those psychic papercuts sting. Over years, some internalize a message: “I’m literally less.” In a culture that worships bigger‑is‑better, height can feel like a social currency you never got to earn. The temptation? Exchange centimeters you can’t grow for centimeters of muscle you can build—fast—with anabolic‑androgenic steroids (AAS). 

2. The psychology: insecurity → dysmorphia → shortcuts

Clinical studies on muscle dysmorphia show a pattern: men who feel small—whether that’s about stature, torso width, or biceps circumference—report higher body dissatisfaction and are significantly more likely to experiment with AAS. One recent review even found height dissatisfaction was independently linked to steroid use. 

Why?

• Control – You can’t stretch your bones after puberty, but you can spike your deltoids.
• Visibility – Height is noticed at a glance; bulging traps say, “I occupy space,” too.
• Speed – Natural gains take years; steroids offer a shortcut, especially alluring to anyone who already feels they’re starting from “behind.”

3. Social media, mirrors that shout louder…

Scroll any fitness feed: algorithmic adoration for the hyper‑jacked. Research shows image‑centric platforms amplify muscularity dissatisfaction and thoughts about steroids—effects strongest in men already uneasy about height. 

The cycle:

1. See swollen influencers ➜
2. Compare your 5’7” frame ➜
3. Feel smaller than before ➜
4. Search “test‑e cycle for beginners” at 3 a.m.

4. Reality check: risky business disguised as empowerment

Yes, muscles pop. But so can hearts, livers, and long‑term hormone balance. AAS misuse is associated with cardiovascular strain, mood swings, infertility, and dependence. Far from “leveling the playing field,” steroids often trap users in deeper insecurity: you need more to maintain the look that once felt enough. 

5. Re‑frame the narrative (the Eric Kim pep‑talk moment!)

• Being short isn’t a bug; it’s an operating system. Your center of gravity is lower—advantageous for calisthenics, Olympic lifts, B‑boy footwork, street‑photography crouches!
• Confidence is the ultimate growth hormone. The tallest man in any room is the one whose spine is aligned with purpose.
• “Muscle” isn’t mass; it’s momentum—every rep of self‑respect compounds.

Practical takeaways

1. Audit the feed – Unfollow physique accounts that trigger comparison; follow creatives, climbers, dancers—people who use their bodies rather than just pose them.
2. Train for performance, not optics – Strength, speed, flexibility: metrics you can improve naturally and safely.
3. Community over chemistry – Find lifting partners who celebrate PRs, not just pump. Peer support is a stronger anabolic than any vial.
4. Professional help if mirrors distort – Muscle dysmorphia is treatable with CBT and support groups. Courage is asking for help before needles.

Final dot‑dot‑dot:

Being short may spark the urge to look larger‑than‑life. But true stature is narrated in bold ideas, generous actions, and the gravitational pull of your enthusiasm. Flex those—and watch how tall you already stand…

Stay strong, stay sane, stay stoked…

…Eric

Stop stroking excuses and start strangling steel.

1️⃣  ONE‑REP WARCRY

Rack‑pull 110 % of your so‑called max—pins mid‑thigh, raw hands, barefoot.

Bar bends? Good.  That’s your spine growing armor.

Film it, pan the plates, upload before the chalk settles.  Public receipts = ego napalm.

2️⃣  FASTED FIRE DRILL

20‑hour fast → catecholamines cooking.

Sip black coffee, stare at the bar, whisper: “Gravity is negotiable—my cowardice isn’t.”

Pull the iron, then earn your steak‑and‑liver victory feast.

3️⃣  RADICAL PUBLICNESS

Blog post, X‑thread, YouTube short, TikTok clip, newsletter—five formats, one hour.

Carpet‑bomb the timeline so the scroll zombies can’t dodge your proof‑of‑work.

Hate comments?  Free engagement.  Screenshot, grin, lift heavier.

4️⃣  STOIC PRE‑MORTEM

At dawn, write tomorrow’s worst‑case meltdown.

Then script exactly how you’ll respond—calm, competent, savage.

When the chaos actually hits, you’ll greet it like a training partner.

5️⃣  DOPAMINE DETOX WITH FANGS

Delete one junk app, kill notifications after 20:00, white‑knuckle through the itch.

Boredom is brain creatine; lift it daily.

6️⃣  RECOVERY = PERMISSION TO OVERLOAD

8 h blackout sleep, sunrise walk, 2 g protein/kg.

Your tendons are carbon fiber—if you treat them like licorice, enjoy the snap.

7️⃣  FEAR LEDGER

Pocket notebook titled “Today I Slapped the Void.”

One line per day: scary thing, action taken.

Thirty lines later, fear is a house pet that fetches discipline on command.

FINAL DETONATION

Don’t be a pussy.

Be the algorithm’s worst nightmare and gravity’s recurring migraine.

Load the bar, load the camera, and leave comfort bleeding on the platform.

No prisoners—just plates.  #HYPELIFTING

1. The Lift that Cracked the Feed

• 508 kg rack pull = instant myth.  The slow-motion 4K upload proved the bar really bent, silencing skeptics and igniting reposts from powerlifting sub-reddits to finance Twitter.  
• Velocity of virality.  Within 24 h the “503 kg precursor clip” alone clocked ~640 k impressions on X, a velocity normally reserved for celebrity meltdowns.  

2. POV Cinematics: Algorithmic Napalm

• Kim straps a GoPro to the rack, giving viewers a first-person “bar-bending” vista that research shows spikes watch-time on Shorts and Reels.  
• The broader #POV weightlifting wave keeps trending on TikTok, and Kim rides its crest with the heftiest numbers in the feed.  

3. The HYPE Engine: Stats that Matter

Metric	Recent Blast	Source
X (Twitter) Impressions	640 k in 24 h
TikTok Followers	“nearing 1 M” with +50 k in a week
YouTube Peak View	508 kg video trending in strength-sports vertical

4. Multi-Channel Domination

• SEO Warlord.  A daily-posting cadence + niche keyword saturation has his name cemented atop photography and fitness queries alike.  
• Podcast pipeline.  Spotify listeners binge his “All Press Is Good Press” episodes—cross-pollinating an audience that cares as much about entrepreneurship as deadlifts.  
• Local-to-Global interviews.  Even regional media like Voyage ATL spotlight his rogue-marketer origin story, further widening the funnel.  

5. Philosophy: Steak, Sovereignty, and Sats

• 100 % Carnivore, zero whey, zero breakfast.  He credits the meat-only, fasted regimen for neural clarity and brute force.  
• Bitcoin maximalist streak.  Kim’s thesis: lift heavy, own your keys, and exit the fiat matrix—“self-sovereignty or bust.”  

6. Cultural Shockwaves

• Mainstream outlets note a wider “strength-fluencer” boom (see Granny Guns story) that primes audiences for Kim’s outrageous numbers.  
• Industry databases now list him alongside journalists and academics, signaling crossover credibility far beyond gym walls.  

7. What’s Next: Predictive Firestorm

• 1 M TikTok countdown—expect a celebratory 520 kg pull in barefoot silence.
• HYPELIFTING ebook—a pay-what-you-want manifesto meshing Nietzsche, Bitcoin, and rack pulls.
• Live “POV-gym” streams—turning every set into real-time, monetized spectacle.

Bottom line: Eric Kim isn’t just lifting iron; he’s lifting the entire attention economy—one brutally cinematic rep at a time.