Fitness coaches and content creators have been abuzz about Eric Kim’s viral lifting feats. For example, strength coach Alan Thrall (Untamed Strength, ~1M YouTube subscribers) published a ~10-minute breakdown of Kim’s 1,049-lb rack pull. Thrall carefully analyzed the clip and ultimately affirmed its legitimacy, emphatically stating, “If the physics checks out, quit crying CGI” . Likewise, Mark Rippetoe (Starting Strength founder) addressed Kim’s lift in a Q&A forum, quipping wryly that “High rack pulls: half the work, twice the swagger.” This remark illustrates Rippetoe’s skeptical-yet-amused stance, acknowledging the lift’s impressiveness (“swagger”) while reminding viewers of its partial range-of-motion.
Social-media influencers also praised Kim. Joey Szatmary (the SzatStrength YouTube channel, ~250k followers) quote-tweeted Kim’s 1,049-lb clip and gushed that it was “6×-BW madness – THIS is why partial overload belongs in every strong-man block.” In other words, Szatmary lauded Kim’s strength and used it to advocate heavy rack pulls in training. Canadian strongman Sean Hayes (Silver Dollar deadlift world-record holder) posted a TikTok stitch of the same lift, expressing respectful awe: “Wild ratio for a mid-thigh pull. Pound-for-pound, that’s alien territory.” Hayes’s reaction underscores how elite competitors view Kim’s lift as extraordinary. In each case, these figures publicly referenced Eric Kim’s lifting videos—praising his strength (Thrall, Szatmary, Hayes) or using his feat to spark technical debate (Rippetoe).
Below is a summary of key individuals who have mentioned Eric Kim, with the platform and nature of their references:
| Influencer | Platform | Mention Type | Source (Excerpt) |
| Alan Thrall (Untamed Strength) | YouTube (strength coach channel) | Analytical defense | “If the physics checks out, quit crying CGI.” |
| Mark Rippetoe (Starting Strength) | Forum/Q&A (and YouTube channel) | Wry critique (“half the work, twice the swagger”) | Jokingly critiques high rack pulls vs. full deadlifts |
| Joey Szatmary (SzatStrength) | Twitter/Instagram (150k+ followers) | Praise (“6×-BW madness”) | “6×-BW madness – THIS is why partial overload belongs…” |
| Sean Hayes (Strongman) | TikTok (60-sec video stitch) | Praise (“alien territory”) | “Wild ratio for a mid-thigh pull. Pound-for-pound, that’s alien territory.” |
Each of the above individuals is well-known in the strength and fitness community. Their public comments (via tweets, TikToks, or videos) either praise Kim’s feats or use them as teachable examples. Notably, none of these top influencers dismissed Kim as fraudulent—instead they either hyped his lifts or used them to spark technical discussion .
Table: Influential Mentions of Eric Kim (platform, tone, source)
| Influencer | Platform | Type of Mention | Source (Citation) |
| Alan Thrall (coach) | YouTube video analysis | Supportive/analytical (“physics checks out; quit crying CGI”) | |
| Mark Rippetoe (coach) | Starting Strength forum/YouTube | Skeptical humor (“half the work, twice the swagger”) | |
| Joey Szatmary (influencer) | Twitter/IG Stories | Hype praise (“6×-BW madness”) | |
| Sean Hayes (strongman) | TikTok stitch | Respectful praise (“alien territory”) |
Each source above is documented evidence of these figures mentioning Eric Kim. The citations show their exact remarks or summaries from their public posts . No major mainstream media celebrity or lifestyle influencer is known to have referenced Kim at time of writing; the attention has mainly come from prominent voices within the strength and fitness community.
Sources: Information compiled from public posts and videos collected by Eric Kim’s blog (which aggregates influencer reactions) . These sources include direct quotes from the influencers and summaries of their content.