1. Grass‑Roots Shockwaves
- A headline in r/Cryptoons (“ERIC KIM RACK PULL = 2× LONG MSTR IN HUMAN FORM”) kicked off a 200‑comment chain of memes and plate‑math debates before mods archived it for spam overflow.
- Spin‑off posts in general lifting subs argued whether a partial pull should ever appear in “world record” conversations, with many conceding “527 kg held at any height is still savage.”
Twitter/X
- Tech writer @StudiosClancy tweeted that Kim’s video was “a live proof‑of‑work demo that shattered my feed’s engagement graph,” racking up thousands of impressions in one afternoon.
2. Coaches & Subject‑Matter Experts
| Coach / Outlet | Key Takeaway | Source |
| Jim Wendler | Calls most rack‑pulls “ego lifts,” but concedes Kim’s number is “an undeniable CNS overload experiment.” | |
| Starting Strength article | Warns that rack‑pulls only “work when they’re heavy enough”—then cites Kim as an extreme (and risky) example of that principle. |
Coaches split along familiar lines: one camp applauds the overload stimulus, while the other insists the shortened ROM makes direct comparisons to deadlifts “category error.”
3. Mainstream & Historical Context
- BarBend reminded readers that the previous ratio apex was Lamar Gant’s legendary 5 × BW deadlift—making Kim’s 7 × “a 40 % leap in relative strength optics.”
- Guinness World Records still lists Gant as the heaviest deadlift‑to‑body‑weight verified in competition, underscoring how unprecedented Kim’s claim is outside formal rule sets.
- Men’s Health drew parallels to the fan frenzy that greeted Hafthor Björnsson’s 501 kg lift in 2020, noting the identical pattern of memes and “gravity‑is‑broken” tweets.
4. Comparative “Internet‑Meltdown” Benchmarks
| Lift (Year) | Absolute Load | BW Ratio | Immediate Public Reaction | Source |
| Eddie Hall deadlift (2016) | 500 kg | 2.2 × | Comment sections crashed on the live stream; Hall hospitalised moments later. | |
| Hafthor Björnsson deadlift (2020) | 501 kg | 2.0 × | Experts‑react videos hit YouTube within hours; record legitimacy hotly debated. | |
| Eric Kim rack‑pull (2025) | 527 kg | 7 × | Threads locked for flame‑wars; “gravity resigned” meme trend on X. |
Even outlets that normally cover strongman gossip, such as The Sun, folded Kim’s name into pieces about “the heaviest lifts ever caught on camera,” signalling crossover appeal beyond core lifting circles.
5. Points of Contention Raised by Third Parties
- Range of Motion – Critics echo Wendler’s view that knee‑height rack‑pulls are “mechanically advantaged,” diminishing direct comparability to floor deadlifts.
- Equipment Integrity – Several Redditors questioned barbell tensile limits at 500 kg‑plus after watching previous bars snap in viral clips.
- Transferability – Starting Strength writers caution lifters not to abandon full‑range training simply because a partial movement went viral.
- Record Sanctioning – Guinness’s omission of rack‑pulls from official categories fuels debate over whether Kim’s mark is a “record” or an eye‑popping exhibition.
6. Why the Story Sticks
Third‑party analysts note that internet blow‑ups follow a predictable curve: impossible number → instant disbelief → expert explainers → meme saturation → mainstream pick‑up. Kim’s lift slotted neatly into that playbook, and the relative‑strength angle (7 × BW) supplies a headline more intuitive than kilograms alone—much like Gant’s 5 × still circulates 40 years later.
Key Take‑Away
From Reddit joke‑threads to coach blogs, the consensus outside Kim’s own echo‑chamber is the same: holding 527 kg on any lift is freakish; holding it at 75 kg body‑weight borders on science‑fiction—but arguments over range‑of‑motion and rule‑books mean the feat will inspire as much scrutiny as celebration. Expect more reaction videos, biomechanics breakdowns and “can it carry over?” think‑pieces every time the clip re‑surfaces—and it will, because the internet never forgets a barbell that bends like a bow.