Why the fitness industry hates ERIC KIM

Before we dive into the iron‑splintering details, here’s the vibe‑check: I’m Eric Kim, and I train fasted, feast carnivore‑style, lift barefoot, skip the pill cabinet, and stay lean year‑round—because the best peer‑review is the one you run against a loaded bar. Mountains of new science back me up: supplements under‑deliver, yo‑yo bulking shreds your metabolism, exercise calories don’t behave like a bank ledger, and fasted strength work spikes growth‑hormone better than any “natty” booster. Stick with me and I’ll walk you through the myths I torch every single day.

Why I’m writing this

Too many lifters are stalled under the weight of outdated rules. I’ve pulled 6.6× body‑weight from a rack with no belt, no shoes, and zero caffeine‑fizz pre‑workout—not because I’m special, but because I chose evidence over dogma. Recent research exposes supplement scams, metabolic booby‑traps, and gear‑dependency; so let’s set the record straight and set your PRs free. 

Myth #1 – “You need a supplement stack to grow”

Look at the numbers: Americans drop >$35 billion annually on pills and powders that show “little, if any, evidence of benefit.” 

Worse—36 % of black‑market anabolics are flat‑out counterfeit. 

My rule: if it didn’t roam, swim, or sprout, it doesn’t enter my kitchen.

Myth #2 – “Bulk hard, then cut harder”

Weight cycling doesn’t just waste months; it hammers your metabolism and jacks up cardiovascular risk. Cohort studies tie large weight fluctuations to higher CVD and mortality. 

New mouse data in Nature shows yo‑yo dieting locks in hyper‑insulinemia—metabolic quicksand. 

Stay near fighting shape all year; slow‑cook your gains.

Myth #3 – “Protein shakes are non‑negotiable”

Class‑action suits keep exposing protein‑spiking—labels brag 30 g, lab tests find 21 g. 

I’d rather chew a 20‑oz rib‑eye than gamble on amino fluff. Real food wins taste‑buds and trust.

Myth #4 – “Perfect form or nothing”

A systematic review suggests full ROM edges out partials—but differences are trivial to small, meaning heavy partials remain legitimate overload tools. 

I chase stimulus, not Instagram aesthetics; half‑rep rack pulls built my posterior chain when full‑range top sets stalled.

Myth #5 – “Hours of cardio = shredded abs”

The constrained‐energy model shows total daily burn plateaus as activity rises—your metabolism fights back. 

Analyses of exercise‑only weight‑loss trials echo the same tune: cardio alone seldom moves the scale. 

Hoist heavy, tighten nutrition, sprinkle cardio only if you love it.

Myth #6 – “Never lift fasted”

Twenty‑four‑hour fasts can amplify growth‑hormone pulses five‑fold. 

Reviews on fasted training report heightened fat oxidation, with no performance drop for strength bouts. 

Yes, some endurance athletes feel draggy (adaptation matters), but for explosive lifts, hunger is rocket fuel.

Myth #7 – “Training is just calorie math”

Pontzer’s work shows human energy expenditure caps out—burn more here, burn less later. 

That’s why I program for hormonal leverage (GH, adrenaline, insulin sensitivity), not treadmill scoreboard illusions.

Myth #8 – “Belts, shoes, straps keep you safe”

Barefoot deadlifts cut anterior–posterior sway, improving balance and core recruitment. 

Gear has its moment (meet day), but raw lifting forges bullet‑proof stabilizers you can take anywhere—even a Phnom Penh alley gym with rusty iron.

Myth #9 – “Sub‑75 kg lifters can’t pull half a ton”

I did, and I’m not alone. Heavy partials + neural priming smash perceived ceilings—study after study shows partial‑ROM can complement full‑ROM for strength. 

The only natural limit is the story you tell yourself.

Action plan—your turn to bust myths

  1. Purge the pantry: If it wears a Supplement Facts label, drop it.
  2. Eat one colossal, protein‑dense meal daily; let fasting sharpen your hormonal edge.  
  3. Lift barefoot, beltless at least once a week to audit real stability.  
  4. Track trendlines, not scales—photo, tape, and strength numbers reveal progress better than weight alone.
  5. Stay lean on purpose: a 365‑day “maintenance phase” is the new bulk.

Final rep

I’m not in the business of babysitting your comfort zone. I’m here to rip the caution tape off the squat rack, throw science‑backed truth at your routine, and roar “Up!” while you eclipse yesterday’s self. Supplements? Optional. Excuses? Illegal. Unload the myths, reload the bar, and meet me at the chalk bowl.

Eric Kim’s Background – From Street Photographer to “Demigod Lifter”

Eric Kim is a 37‑year‑old strength enthusiast (≈75 kg bodyweight) who first gained fame as a street‑photography blogger and teacher .  In recent years he has re‑invented himself as an “extreme lifter,” performing viral feats of strength like barefoot, beltless rack pulls far above 1,000 lbs .  Kim trains in a minimalist, “primal” style – fasting before workouts, eating an all‑meat diet, and lifting with no lifting belt or shoes . His credo is raw intensity and heavy overload (his mantra: “Middle finger to gravity,” “No belt, no excuses”), and he documents each lift on his blog and social media for all to see .

Kim lifts barefoot and beltless in his makeshift garage gym, exemplifying the raw, Spartan‑inspired approach he advocates .

Kim’s Rationale: Why Not Deadlift from the Floor?

Kim champions partial deadlifts (rack pulls) instead of traditional floor deadlifts.  His logic: by setting the bar at or just above knee height, you shorten the range of motion, allowing far heavier loads.  As one profile explains, “by shortening the range of motion (setting the bar just above the knees), he can lift far heavier weights than in a floor deadlift, overloading his body and nervous system beyond normal limits” .  In other words, Kim believes a rack pull is “strategic redirection” of gravity’s challenge – you’re not “cheating,” you’re simply attacking gravity where it’s weakest.  He quips, “Why tussle with gravity at its strongest point when you can ambush it at its weakest?” , encapsulating his view that the initial pull from the floor (gravity’s strongest moment) is avoidable.

Kim also argues rack pulls are safer and more practical than deadlifts from the floor.  On his blog he lists multiple reasons: rack pulls are “safer than a deadlift off the floor,” they are “easier to rack and unrack the weights,” they’re “more fun and interesting,” and – not surprisingly – you can lift more weight .  The shortened pull means less strain on the lower back and legs: coaches note rack pulls allow training the lockout with much less shear stress on the spine .  Kim embraces these benefits: he often performs extremely heavy singles (even daily) as a “nervous‑system sledgehammer” to smash new PRs .  In his view, engaging in these supra‑maximal lockout holds builds strength faster than chipping away at longer lifts.

Alternatives in Kim’s Program: Block Pulls and RDLs

Rather than floor deadlifts, Kim’s training emphasizes block/rack pulls and hamstring‑focused hinges.  The centerpiece is above‑knee rack pulls: setting safety pins or blocks at knee height and pulling heavy barbells lockout‑only .  This lets him accumulate massive loads on his posterior chain.  He also advises using rack pulls “as an overload block” in training cycles (e.g. doing them in short “waves” as a supplement).

For full posterior‑chain development, Kim recommends Romanian deadlifts and back extensions.  In one post he credits “tempo Romanian deadlifts, weighted back extensions, and isometric rack holds” for forging his “bulletproof posterior chain” .  He’s even issued challenges to followers: for example, after a PR he urged readers to try “a beltless Romanian deadlift or beltless squat” as a fasted single set .  In short, Kim still trains hips/hamstrings aggressively, but via RDLs and similar movements rather than the conventional deadlift.

Contrasting Views: Kim vs. Traditional Training

Kim’s stance is contrarian to mainstream powerlifting wisdom.  Traditionally, coaches preach the deadlift from the floor as irreplaceable.  For example, Starting Strength’s founders insist on full‑range pulls (“Four Criteria” emphasizes training the complete motion) and caution that rack pulls only carry over so far .  Notable powerlifting figures like Mark Rippetoe and Jim Wendler have warned that rack pulls alone can overestimate one’s floor deadlift potential .  Indeed, strength coaches stress that partial lifts should “keep recovery under control” and not be a badge of honor replacing full lifts .  They echo the specificity principle: neglecting the start of the deadlift risks stalling the actual full lift.

By contrast, Kim embraces and rebukes this skepticism.  He shrugs off advice to focus on conventional deadlifts , treating every rack pull as a “middle finger to gravity” and a statement against limits .  He argues that the results speak for themselves – he’s lifting weights far beyond what most consider possible.  In practice, his training is almost all maximal or near-maximal singles, whereas traditional lifters use deadlifts for volume and PR cycles.  Kim’s formula is “Overload + Specificity + Fearlessness = Progress at ludicrous speed” , which directly opposes the more cautious, periodized approach of conventional programs.

In summary, the difference is stark: traditional strength training views the deadlift as fundamental and full ROM as critical; Kim treats it as optional.  He posits that, unless you’re a powerlifter chasing a sanctioned record, the floor deadlift isn’t strictly necessary for building strength.  By exploiting the leverage of the rack and hammering the CNS with heavier loads, he claims one can surpass limits that floor deadlifts alone impose .  (That said, third‑party coaches still recommend mixing in some full‑range work for balanced development .)

Sources: Kim’s own writings and interviews , and analyses of his methods , explain his no‑floor‑deadlift philosophy and how it diverges from classic training wisdom. These cite his blog and related coverage (his rack pulls, beltless ethos, and training tips).

Buckle up, iron-warriors! In this turbo-charged manifesto I’m dismantling the dusty myth that you must yank iron off the floor.  By the end, you’ll see why the rack-pull reigns supreme for maximal overload, bullet-proof longevity, and sky-high viral swagger—and why dragging a bar from the carpet is strictly for “loooosers.”

The Physics of Freedom: Why the Floor Is a Trap

You start a rack-pull with the bar just below the knees, a biomechanically stronger position that lets you hoist far more weight than a conventional deadlift ever could  .  The shorter range of motion means you bypass the weakest leverage zone where most people stall, so you can crank up the plates and attack the lock-out directly  .  Even strength legend Jim Wendler admits lifters routinely add hundreds of pounds in the rack compared to the floor  .

Rack-Pull: The Overload Throne

Because the bar starts higher, your torso remains more vertical, slashing the shear on the lumbar spine while still blasting the hips and posterior chain  .  Heavier weight + safer angles = neural priming for record-smashing power.  Elite coaches note that this “high-position hinge” is tailor-made for conquering sticking points and forging vice-grip strength  .

Spine Savings Account: Injury-Proof Gains

Heavy floor deadlifts can hammer the spine with compressive loads up to 18 kN and shear forces topping 3 kN—numbers far above occupational safety limits  .  It’s no wonder 12–31 % of powerlifting injuries occur during deadlifts  , and clinicians routinely treat lower-back strains triggered by bad floor pulls    .  By contrast, the rack-pull’s shorter arc and upright posture remove much of that spinal hostility while still letting you chase PRs.

Trap Empire & Posterior Chain Domination

Rack-pulls aren’t just “safer”—they’re a hypertrophy sledgehammer.  The constant upper-back tension needed to stabilize monster loads lights up the traps like a Fourth-of-July finale  , while the hips and glutes still fire explosively to finish the rep.  Translation: yoke growth AND lock-out power in one glorious package.

Eric Kim’s 547 kg Mic-Drop

Need proof?  Witness my recent 547 kg (7.3× BW) rack-pull heard ’round the internet—shattering gravity and every comment section in its wake  .  That kind of overload simply isn’t possible from the floor without selling your spine to the devil.

How to Join the Anti-Floor Revolution

  1. Pin height: set the bar just below the kneecap to keep mechanics honest.
  2. Load selection: start with 110 % of your best floor pull for low-rep triples; progress toward 120–130 % as grip and CNS adapt  .
  3. Cue checklist: chest proud, lats locked, hips drive forward—every rep is a victory lap, not a sloppy shrug  .
  4. Cycle intelligently: pair rack-pull weeks with lighter hinge variations (RDLs, hip thrusts) to stay fresh  .

Final Rally Cry

Deadlifting from the floor might build adequate strength, but “adequate” never fueled revolutions.  Rack-pulls let you overload like a demi-god, shield your spine for the long haul, and unleash trap-dominance that makes your T-shirts beg for mercy.  Leave the floor to the loooosers—set the pins, stack the plates, and pull your way into legend. 💥

Below is your hype‑infused, evidence‑stacked tour through the biggest fitness myths that Eric Kim is shattering right now—and why his iconoclastic approach is catching fire across gyms, TikTok feeds, and science desks alike.

Quick‑fire summary

From Phnom Penh garage‑gym videos to viral blog manifestos, Eric Kim demolishes nine mainstream myths: that you need supplements, bulking/cutting cycles, protein shakes, pre‑workout meals, perfect form, hours of cardio, calorie‑count “fat‑burn,” safety gear, or “human limits” on strength. He replaces them with a blueprint built on heavy fasted lifting, one carnivore‑style feast, minimalist gear, and year‑round leanness—an approach echoed by emerging research on metabolism, hormone response, and counterfeit supplement risks. 

1. “You need a cabinet full of supplements.”

Take‑away

Save your money; invest in real food and consistency.

2. “Bulk, then cut—that’s the only way to grow.”

Take‑away

Aim for steady muscle accrual while keeping body‑fat in check.

3. “You can’t build muscle without daily protein shakes.”

Take‑away

Chew your calories; let the blender gather dust.

4. “Perfect form trumps heavy weight.”

Take‑away

Respect fundamentals—but don’t be paralysed by perfectionism.

5. “Hours of cardio are mandatory for fat loss.”

Take‑away

Prioritise strength training and nutrition; add cardio only if you enjoy it.

6. “Never lift on an empty stomach.”

Take‑away

Experiment with fasted sessions (medical conditions permitting); you might unlock new PRs.

7. “Exercise is all about burning calories.”

Take‑away

See training as a hormonal and neuromuscular upgrade, not a mere calorie ledger.

8. “Belts, straps and shoes are non‑negotiable safety gear.”

Take‑away

Master raw control first; add equipment only if it targets a specific weakness.

9. “Sub‑75 kg lifters can’t pull half a ton.”

Take‑away

Strength standards are rising—yours can too.

Inspiration station 🎉

Eric Kim’s myth‑busting isn’t mere contrarian hype; it dovetails with independent research on supplements, metabolism and adaptive training. Bottom line: Lift hungry, eat real food, skip the gimmicks, and believe bigger numbers are within reach. Charge into your next session with a roar—gravity is just a suggestion! 💥

WHY DEADLIFTING FROM THE FLOOR IS FOR LOOOOSERS!

A tongue‑in‑cheek, hype‑infused essay in the unmistakable voice of Eric Kim

1. Prelude: The Myth of the Sacred Floor

Everyone treats the floor like it’s some holy altar: touch the plates, feel the universe align, hear the choir of chalk‑dust angels. Nah. The floor is just a starting line someone else chose centuries ago when barbells were short, bumpers were rare, and ego was king. We’re innovators. We question defaults. We don’t genuflect at the altar of “that’s how it’s always been.”

2. Range of Motion ≠ Badge of Honor

“Bro, full ROM or it doesn’t count!”—ever heard that? News flash: more distance is not always more stimulus. If your femur length, hip socket depth, and spinal mechanics were determined by a genetic lottery you didn’t even buy a ticket for, why worship a range designed for someone else’s skeleton? Elevate the bar an inch, two inches, heck—start from the mid‑shin or blocks. Target your posterior chain without grinding your lumbar discs like cheap coffee. Train smarter, shine harder.

3. Spinal Neutrality: Because You Only Get One Back

A pristine spine is the non‑negotiable credit line of your athletic life. Cash it wisely. Yanking 400 lb off the parquet while your torso folds like a beach chair isn’t grit—it’s a slow‑motion “unsubscribe” from future PRs. Raising the bar to a height where you can lock in neutral is the difference between decades of legendary pulls and one dramatic pop followed by a lifetime subscription to physical therapy.

4. Power Over Purity

Deadlifting exists to build power, not to appease the ROM police. Sprinters don’t run marathons to get faster 40‑yard times, and you don’t need floor‑to‑lockout mileage to explode off the line in sport or life. Rack pulls, high‑handles on the trap bar, or deficit‑minus‑deficit block pulls—these variants let you overload hip hinge power zones where force output actually skyrockets.

5. Progression That Respects Physics (and Mondays)

Want to lift more? Make the lift shorter or safer, then load it. Progressive overload without miserable recovery debt is the elegance of physics meeting the empathy of good programming. Start mid‑shin today, add 10 lb next week, drop the blocks half an inch the week after. Your nervous system smiles, your confidence soars, and your DOMS becomes a polite handshake instead of a lawsuit.

6. Ego Audit: Are You Lifting or Performing?

Be honest: are you pulling from the floor for strength, or are you auditioning for Instagram validation? Plates smacking tile isn’t applause; it’s wasted vertical momentum and maybe cracked flooring fees. The bar path doesn’t care about clout. Adjust the height, control the descent, feel the muscles—not the likes—light up.

7. Variation = Longevity

Orthopedic reality check: even powerlifters cycle partials, tempo work, and blocks to avoid adaptation staleness. Rotating your starting height is joint periodization. Less habitual wear pattern, more robust tissue. Translation: you get to train when you’re 70 and still flex on the grandkids.

8. The Innovation Manifesto

9. Call to Action

Tonight, toss a pair of 2‑inch mats under the plates—or slide the bar into the rack at knee height—and experience the revelation. Feel that confident hip drive? Hear the roar of your hamstrings saying, “Thank you!”? That’s the sound of progress unfettered by tradition.

Closing Hype

So, are floor‑only deadlifters really loooosers? Of course not—we’re all iron brethren on the same quest for strength. But if you cling to the floor just to appease antiquity while your back broadcasts SOS flares…well, you’re losing opportunities to train smarter, lift longer, and live louder. Elevate the bar, elevate your mindset, and leave the loser mentality where it belongs—flat on the floor.

Now go forth, innovate the hinge, and remember: you’re only ever one creative tweak away from the next PR.

Here’s an inspirational, cheeky, hype-filled Eric Kim–style essay arguing why deadlifting from the floor is for loooosers! 😜

💪 Why floor deadlifts are overrated (according to Eric Kim)

1. Safety + fun = epic gains

Eric Kim prefers rack pulls over floor deadlifts because they’re safer (less stress on lower back and hips), easier to set up, and—most importantly—more fun  .

Why risk pain when you can hype yourself, shout, and rip a half-ton off pins safely?

2. Welcome to the overload revolution

When you rack pull above the knees, you remove the hardest half of the movement—letting you move 20–40% heavier weight  .

Eric did it: 547 kg pull at just 72 kg bodyweight—a jaw-dropping 7.5× bodyweight  ! That’s not just strength; that’s redefining human limits!

3. Build Hercules thighs & traps effortlessly

Contrary to bodybuilding gossip, Kim raves that his rack-pull + micro squat method turned him into a trap- and thigh-monster  . So if you’re waiting weeks to see growth from full deadlifts, partial overloads might light that fire fast.

4. Ignite your nervous system & mindset

Handling supra-maximal weight off the pins supercharges your CNS (central nervous system)—powering up future lifts  .

Because every ultra-heavy rep results in post-activation potentiation: your body gets stronger, smarter, and mentally UNSTOPPABLE.

5. This is performance art, not just lifting

For Eric, this isn’t about lifting—it’s about creating. He titles his lifts “LOL GRAVITY”, films epic POVs, and blends artistry with athleticism  .

Floor deadlifts? Boring. Rack pulls? They’re a theatre of strength, performance, and pure hype.

So… why are floor deadlifts for loooosers?

In Kim’s words: “Better to rack pull 1206 lb off pins… than do 5 trillion sit‑ups”  .

✅ Practical takeaways – implement like Eric Kim

  1. Rack it up: start with rack pulls from above the knee. Focus on lockout power.
  2. Micro lower: gradually drop pin height as you adapt.
  3. Train smart, not merely hard: use straps, belt, and chalk—focus CNS bombardment, not ego support.
  4. Spy your growth: record hype videos, build your brand, and keep the energy high.
  5. Use overload sparingly—1–2 heavy singles/month to build CNS resilience.

💥 Final Verdict

If you’re about breaking barriers, slaying limits, and having FUN while building insane strength, then sled-load floor deadlifts are old news.

Floor deadlifts? For loooosers.

Rack pulls? That’s where the magic happens.

Lift heavy, lift smart, stay hyped—and remember: gravity was just a suggestion.

deadlifting from the floor is for loooosers!

Eric Kim: why you do not need to deadlift from the floor

By muscling **547 kg / 1 206 lb off mid‑thigh pins at ~72 kg body‑mass, Eric Kim demonstrated that the long‑standing “5×‑body‑weight is an unbreakable ceiling” is officially obsolete; his 7.55× ratio shows the human posterior chain can survive and express forces far beyond textbook load‑tolerance when the range of motion, leverage and preparation are optimised, while also validating rack‑pulls as a potent supra‑maximal training and psychological‑overload tool—but he did not prove a new deadlift record, nor that such partial‑range numbers translate directly to floor pulls, a point stressed by several coaches and biomechanists. 

By muscling **547 kg / 1 206 lb off mid‑thigh pins at ~72 kg body‑mass, Eric Kim demonstrated that the long‑standing “5×‑body‑weight is an unbreakable ceiling” is officially obsolete; his 7.55× ratio shows the human posterior chain can survive and express forces far beyond textbook load‑tolerance when the range of motion, leverage and preparation are optimised, while also validating rack‑pulls as a potent supra‑maximal training and psychological‑overload tool—but he did not prove a new deadlift record, nor that such partial‑range numbers translate directly to floor pulls, a point stressed by several coaches and biomechanists. 

1 What 

exactly

 got proven?

Claim provedEvidenceWhy it matters
A human can support & lock‑out >7 × BW in a bilateral hip‑hingeRaw video + weigh‑in (7.55×)  ; ratio dwarfs Lamar Gant’s 5× benchmark Shifts perception of pound‑for‑pound upper limits.
Supramaximal partials scale far above full‑ROM pullsPeer‑review shows PROM DL 1RM can exceed FROM by 20‑40 % Validates rack‑pulls as legitimate overload testers.
Neural & connective tissue can tolerate extreme acute forcesDeadlift‑biomechanics review reports spinal compression up to 18 kN in elite pulls  ; IMTP studies record even higher safe peak forces Suggests carefully staged partials fall within adaptive range for trained lifters.
Rack‑pulls cultivate grip/upper‑back strength & mental primingBarBend guides list rack‑pulls as top accessory for lock‑out & grip Supports Kim’s claim that the variation is performance‑relevant.
But… partial ≠ totalJim Wendler labels huge rack‑pull singles “tests, not builders”  ; Rippetoe warns they’re half the work of a floor DL Guards against mis‑interpreting the feat as a conventional deadlift record.

2 Scientific & coaching context

2.1 Biomechanics confirms partial leverage advantage

Laboratory work on isometric mid‑thigh pulls shows lifters generate their highest force outputs at mid‑thigh joint angles, well above floor‑break positions  . Kim’s pin height sits in that leverage sweet‑spot, explaining how he could eclipse Björnsson’s full‑range 501 kg despite weighing less than half as much  .

2.2 Load‑tolerance versus spinal safety

Epidemiological reviews peg lumbar compression tolerance for healthy young males at roughly 8‑15 kN  , while elite floor deadlifts already flirt with 18 kN  . Extrapolating from bar weight and lever arms suggests Kim’s spine probably saw forces near (not wildly beyond) those elite ranges—supporting, rather than contradicting, current injury‑risk models.

2.3 Transfer to full lifts remains unproven

Both Wendler  and Starting Strength’s Mark Rippetoe  note that unless partials are periodised with halting‑ or deficit‑deadlifts, carry‑over can be modest. A 2023 pilot study likewise found only moderate correlation (r ≈ 0.55) between PROM and FROM 1RMs in collegiate wrestlers  .

3 Cultural & motivational proof‑points

4 So…what did Eric Kim 

not

 prove?

  1. New all‑time deadlift record – The bar never touched the floor; federation rules aren’t met.
  2. Universal transferability – Most lifters lack the experience, connective‑tissue density and cautious programming to replicate such loads safely.
  3. Biomechanical safety at scale – Long‑term data on repeated >7 × BW partials are still absent from the literature.

5 Practical implications

If you’re a…Take‑home
Lifter wanting PRsUse rack‑pulls sparingly (1‑2 heavy singles or triples weekly), pair them with full‑ROM work to reinforce drive off the floor.
Coach/therapistScreen hip‑hinge mechanics first; supra‑max partials demand bullet‑proof bracing and hinge pattern.
ResearcherKim’s lift invites studies on connective‑tissue adaptation to extreme but brief axial loads—an under‑explored niche.

6 Bottom line

Eric Kim didn’t rewrite powerlifting rule‑books, but he proved three bigger ideas:

  1. Human potential balloons when we tweak mechanical constraints—range of motion, grip aids, and pin height can unlock force outputs far beyond conventional wisdom.
  2. Mental ceilings shatter when someone publicly demolishes them. Seeing 7.5 × BW hoisted by a 72 kg human reframes what “strong” can mean.
  3. Partial‑range overloads are a double‑edged sword—insanely effective for neural priming and confidence, yet easily abused as “ego lifts” if they replace, rather than complement, full‑ROM strength work.

Harness the inspiration, respect the nuance, and—like Kim—keep lifting joyfully heavy!