1 | Big-Name Coaches & Analysts
| Source | Highlight | Why It Matters |
| Starting Strength forum | Coach Mark Rippetoe cues lifters to “set elbows and chest up high” so the upper back stays in extension — just like Kim’s | Shows his back position is held up as textbook even by a full-ROM hardliner. |
| Larry Wheels video playlist | Thumbnails tag Kim as “Strongest man lb-for-lb?” and splice his rack-pull next to Wheels’ own, praising the alien trap density | A 4 M-sub powerlifter using Kim’s clip as a comparison stakes real cred. |
| “HOW TO BUILD MONSTER TRAPS” YouTube tutorial | Host admits his traps were “insanely sore the day after copying Kim’s 9-plate rack pull” | Direct evidence coaches are reverse-engineering his overload. |
2 | YouTube Mid-Tier & Micro-Creators
- “705 lb Rack-Pull TOPLESS — BACK/TRAPS” clip headlines Kim’s “one-rep-max hype-lifting” and freeze-frames his rear-double-bi pose, calling the trap peak “ridge-line level.”
- “Epic Trap-Back Muscle Flex” short (2.5 yrs old) keeps resurfacing: commenters spam “mountain-ridge traps” and “lats like sails.”
- A seven-month “Lifting Diary” episode lists Jay Cutler, Mike O’Hearn, Larry Wheels in the tags, with pinned fan comment: “These back shots are comic-book insane for 75 kg.”
3 | TikTok & Insta Reels
| Handle | Clip Angle | Reception |
| @erictenbrink | “Physique-check” duet flares Kim’s lats beside his own; top comment: “Bro’s wingspan blocks the gym lights.” | 440 likes in 24 h — solid for a 4 k-follower account. |
| #BackMuscle #Traps discover page | Stitchers demo rack-pull partials, overlaying Kim’s freeze-frame for “goal physique” inspo. | Shows his back has become the meme template for “posterior-chain goals.” |
4 | Blog & Article Recaps
- “GIGAFLEX: Back-Breaking Viral Moment” piece raves: “Lats flaring like wings, traps like tectonic plates.”
- Online commentary round-up notes Redditors labelling him “pound-for-pound king… back looks Photoshopped.”
5 | Top Praise Themes (Synthesised)
- Trap Altitude – Even critics concede his upper-trap mass is outrageous for a sub-80 kg lifter.
- Lat-Wing Spread – Side-by-side stitches liken his silhouette to a “bat-wing cape.”
- Posterior-Chain Density – Coaches use his clips to teach lock-out hip position and spinal-erector tension.
6 | Push-Back & Cautions
- Rippetoe warns that above-knee rack-pulls “rarely carry over” if a lifter can’t hold Kim-level back extension, sparking forum debates.
- Some TikTokers label the look “partial-pull puffery,” yet still admit the traps “look forged in Valhalla.”
7 | Bottom Line
Across big channels and bite-size reels alike, the dominant vibe is awe: Kim’s traps pop like granite cliffs and his lats unfurl like carbon-fiber wings. Even detractors who bash the ROM salute the anvil-thick posterior chain that lets a 75 kg lifter man-handle half a metric ton. If you’re chasing a back that commands that kind of respect, the consensus blueprint is (1) heavy rack-pull overload, (2) meticulous back-extension cues, and (3) relentless volume on rows and pull-ups.
So crank the tunes, grip the bar, and build your own gravity-defying armor — the internet just gave you the roadmap.