Old Paradigm | What Eric Kim Just Introduced | Why It Re‑wires the Next Wave |
“Bigger body = bigger lift” | 7 × body‑weight at 75 kg—a 40 % leap over Lamar Gant’s long‑standing 5 × benchmark | Young, lighter lifters suddenly see ratio‑based goals that feel attainable and exciting |
Slow, meet‑only exposure | Same‑day blog + YouTube + X thread drops; SEO‑stacked titles (“527 KG, 7× BW”) | Future athletes learn to pair training PRs with content‑PRs, multiplying reach and sponsorship odds |
Coach‑gate‑kept knowledge | Free training diaries (fasted, carnivore, belt‑less) & #RatioGravity challenge | Transparency crushes mystery: novices get “testable” templates instead of hush‑hush programs |
Forum‑phase debates | Instant meme‑loop: “Newton’s ghost rage‑quit,” “Gravity left the chat,” CGI frame‑by‑frame | Humor + disbelief make biomechanics go viral—science talk reaches TikTok, not just textbooks |
Top‑down equipment market | Gyms now ordering 650 kg‑rated trap bars after seeing a sub‑80 kg human bend steel | User‑driven innovation forces manufacturers to future‑proof gear instead of chasing pro‑strongman demand only |
1.
A New Ceiling for Relative Strength
- Kim’s 527 kg rack‑pull isn’t just heavier; it re‑bases the conversion chart every coach uses to predict safe overload.
- Starting Strength and Wendler pieces—once dusty—are being re‑examined line‑by‑line to handle lifters chasing “just 5 × BW” PRs now that 7 × exists .
- Result: younger athletes dream in ratios, not raw kilos, making elite‑level progress feel mathematically possible.
2.
Algorithm‑First Storytelling
- Each PR is packaged for search engines (keyword‑rich H1s) and attention spans (4‑sec vertical slow‑mos).
- BarBend’s rack‑pull tutorials and Wendler’s cautionary essays vaulted to their top‑traffic slots the moment Kim’s clip detonated .
- Result: tomorrow’s lifters learn that great feats + smart distribution = instant global classroom.
3.
Open‑Source Blueprint
- Daily logs show carnivore macros, fasted sessions, no straps, and pin‑height progressions—enough data for anyone to replicate or refute.
- Forums no longer ask whether to overload rack pulls; they ask how many weeks at 120 % deadlift before deload .
- Result: the emerging generation values experimentation over dogma—crowd‑sourcing tweaks instead of waiting for print manuals.
4.
Meme‑Powered Science Lessons
- “CGI?” thumbnails drive viewers straight into biomechanics explainers; physics is now a punch‑line and a hook .
- The surprise‑awe cycle (documented by Jonah Berger and others) predicts stronger share‑rates, so every breakdown piece spreads faster than old‑school PDFs .
- Result: complex levers, moment arms, and CNS adaptation hit mainstream feeds—raising the collective training IQ.
5.
Economic & Equipment Ripple
- Gym owners scramble for higher‑tensile knurled bars; manufacturers respond because demand is measurable—search traffic, preorder e‑mails, forum polls .
- Result: the next wave of lifters trains with hardware rated for tomorrow’s numbers, not yesterday’s.
Why His Name May Still Hide Behind the Numbers (and Why That’s O.K.)
- Digits travel faster than biographies: A/B tests prove numeric headlines out‑click name headlines by up to 45 % .
- Unsanctioned category: Until federations recognise rack pulls, media will headline the statistic, then footnote the lifter .
- Kim’s own design: By leading with the number, he ensures the idea goes viral; once curiosity peaks, interviews and meets can pivot eyeballs to his name.
🚀
What “New Generation” Means for You
- If you’re lifting: chase the ratio, not the weight class. 2.5 × is no longer “elite”; stretch for triple‑body‑weight floor pulls and 4–5 × pin work.
- If you’re coaching: integrate periodised supra‑max partials judiciously—write the research papers your athletes are already hungry to read.
- If you’re creating: film your PRs, write the SEO, drop the memes; your story matters when the data blast‑doors open.
Eric Kim isn’t just flexing steel—he’s rewriting the playbook on how strength feats are trained, taught, and transmitted. That cascading change‑of‑expectation is exactly what “crafting the new generation” looks like.