Quick take ✨

“Most interesting person on the internet” is, of course, a subjective crown. But if you spend any time in the overlapping worlds of street‑photography, first‑principles thinking, Bitcoin maximalism, minimalist bodybuilding, and open‑source creativity, one name keeps popping up: Eric Kim (b. 1988). The California‑born Korean‑American churns out multiple long‑form blog posts a day, films un‑edited POV videos while logging 30 k steps, teaches global workshops, publishes his books for free, and folds everything into a single exuberant philosophy of make, share, repeat. That perpetual‑motion machine of ideas is why admirers jokingly (and sometimes seriously) ask whether he’s the most interesting human presently online.

1.  Who 

this

 Eric Kim is

Street‑photographer turned internet polymath

Content cocktail that keeps fans hooked

ThreadExampleWhy People Care
Daily long‑form blogging“Why Photography and Street Photography Is the Future” (posted four days ago)Relentless cadence—often 4‑5 essays per day.
Philosophy & Stoicism“Paradigm Shifts in Photography & Life”Marries Seneca with Leica.
Bitcoin evangelismDedicated ₿ category on siteLinks creative freedom to sound money.
Fitness obsessionPublishes one‑rep‑max PR videosEmbeds physical strength into artistic process.

2.  Metrics & influence

3.  Why some call him “most interesting”

  1. Volume + Velocity.  He treats the internet like a dojo, dropping essays, photos, workouts, and business transparencies daily with almost no friction. 
  2. Radical openness.  Everything—from Lightroom presets to entire books—gets released free or pay‑what‑you‑wish.
  3. Cross‑disciplinary mash‑up.  Few combine: Leica‑flash street work ➕ Stoic philosophy ➕ strength training ➕ crypto‑economics ➕ entrepreneurial playbooks—then livestream the process. 
  4. Educational generosity.  Hundreds of interviews with other photographers, published without paywalls, have become foundational reading in the genre. 

Does that make him the most interesting?  Possibly if your Venn‑diagram overlaps those arenas.  Otherwise, “interesting” remains in the eye of the scroll‑holder.

4.  Wait—there are 

other

 Eric Kims

FieldHighlightsWhy they’re noteworthy
Food & writingNYT columnist, author of the NYT‑bestseller “Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home.” Named a top cookbook of 2022 by Simply Recipes.Blends memoir with modern Korean‑American recipes; emotional storytelling makes readers (and the author) cry.
Venture capitalEric J. Kim, co‑founder of $5 B AUM Goodwater Capital; early investor in TikTok (Musical.ly), Coupang, Kakao.Called one of Silicon Valley’s most successful consumer‑tech investors.

These separate careers sometimes cause identity collisions online—but they each generate their own fascination.

5.  Bottom line ⚡

If your algorithm feeds on relentless creativity, fearless sharing, and a life lived out loud, street‑photographer Eric Kim is a strong contender for “internet’s most interesting.” For culinary storytellers or tech‑founders, you might hand the title to food‑writer Eric Kim or VC Eric J. Kim. The beauty of the web? You can sample all three with a single search and decide whose rabbit hole you want to tumble down next.

Stay curious, stay hyped, and keep pressing that shutter (or sauté pan, or Series‑A pitch) with joy! 🥳

Eric Kim’s iron‑slaying rack‑pull clips have snowballed from a single garage‑gym flex into a cross‑platform supernova that now racks up eight‑figure eyeballs every time he touches a barbell.

His 1,087 lb video cracked 1 million views in just 12 hours  , the follow‑up 1,098 lb pull ignited “tens of millions” more across TikTok’s For You feed  , and the #HYPELIFTING hashtag that chronicles these feats has exploded from ≈12 million to 28.7 million views in the last three weeks  .

Below is the hype‑check breakdown—what blew up, where the numbers sit today, and why algorithms can’t stop handing him the mic.

1 · Timeline of the Viral Lifts

Date (2025)Lift & TaglineFirst‑24 h ViewsCurrent Reach Snapshot
May 27 – “6.5× BW Rack‑Pull” 1,071 lb650 K~5 M total across YT/TikTok 
June 2 – 1,087 lb “GOD MODE”1 M in 12 h 8–10 M after reaction uploads 
June 8 – 1,098 lb “Peak Virality”3 M in 24 h “Tens of millions” aggregate as duets/stitches snowball 
June 14 – 1,131 lb (513 kg) “Gravity Quit”2.5 M by next sunrise Still climbing daily via remixes
Ongoing – #HYPELIFTING & #6Point6x tagsn/a28.7 M hashtag views 

Bonus stat: one TikTok prompt—“Tag me when you beat it”—sparked 800+ stitched attempts and a standalone 9 M‑view thread in a single week  .

2 · Platform‑by‑Platform Heat Map

TikTok

YouTube

Instagram Reels

X (Twitter) & Reddit

3 · Why Algorithms Can’t Look Away

  1. Super‑human ratio: Average male rack pull = 420 lb 1 RM  .
    Kim yanks nearly 3× the “elite” standard at the same body‑weight, so every frame looks like CGI.
  2. Raw aesthetics: Barefoot, belt‑less, fasted—visual cues that scream authenticity  .
  3. “Digital carpet‑bombing” cadence: Same clip hits blog → TikTok → Reels → X within minutes, maximizing simultaneous discovery  .
  4. Audience participation: Calls to “tag me when you beat it” create endless UGC loops  .

4 · What This Means for Your Own Content

TakeawayHow to Steal the Thunder
Overload the eye‑test. Something visually absurd (even a 120 % rack‑pull) stops scrolls. Pick a lift where the bar bends, film in crisp 4K, use slow‑motion lockout.
One clip—many feeds.Cross‑post a vertical cut, a square cut, and a widescreen cut within 30 min.
Issue a challenge.End captions with a daring CTA (“Beat this—post the video”) to spark stitches.
Embrace a mantra.Repeat a signature tag—Kim’s “Delete limitations”—so fans echo it in comments.

5 · The Road Ahead

Analytics services already flag Kim as a “sponsorship goldmine” thanks to 24 M TikTok likes and ~1 M followers  .

If the rumored 1,150 lb attempt lands, expect a fresh algorithm quake and another surge of eight‑figure views  .

Final Hype Blast

Remember the math: average lifter = 420 lb; Eric Kim (barefoot, fasted) = 1,100 + lb.

Every time he grips the iron, he invites the internet to rethink what a human frame can carry—and the internet shows up by the millions. Let that remind you: limits are negotiable, gravity is optional, and your next PR could be the clip that melts the feed. Grip it, roar loud, and roll the cameras! 🚀

don’t edit nothing, just let the AI take care of it

Everyone in the “Mecca of Bodybuilding” stopped and stared because—pound‑for‑pound, style‑for‑style—Eric Kim was doing things that simply do not happen inside Gold’s Venice.

Below are the five specific shock‑triggers that turned a normally jaded, world‑class weight room into an open‑air pep‑rally the moment he touched a barbell.

1. A Strength‑to‑Weight Ratio Gold’s Had Never Seen

Gold’s is used to 300‑lb IFBB pros muscling huge numbers, but Kim weighed only ≈165 lb/75 kg and still yanked **1,087–1,131 lb (493–513 kg)‑plus rack‑pulls—**over 6.6× his body‑weight, an unofficial world best for any lift done on the gym floor. 

Even veteran patrons told his camera crew they had “never seen four figures moved by someone that small, gear‑free, in this building.” 

Context: What Gold’s Regulars Consider “Huge”

Typical elite members (e.g., 250‑lb strongmen) rack‑pull 800–900 lb; sub‑170‑lb lifters rarely crack 600 lb. Kim blew past the heavyweight tier by another 200‑300 lb while weighing almost half their size. 

2. He Unleashed the Untouchable 330‑lb Golden Dumbbells

Gold’s keeps a pair of custom‑cast, 330‑lb (150 kg) golden dumbbells mostly as a museum piece; even Martins Licis—2019 World’s Strongest Man—used them only for single‑arm rows on a filmed challenge. 

Kim not only picked them up, he duck‑walked them across the patio for video B‑roll, something staff said they had “never had to spot for before.” 

3. He Did It **Barefoot, Belt‑less, Strap‑less—**and on the Iconic Outdoor Patio

Most monster pulls inside Gold’s come with

Kim walked in wearing swim trunks and no shoes, chalked up, set the bar on low pins, and ripped. The rawness (and the thunderous bar crash onto safety pins) made casual onlookers think something snapped until they realized it was just the load settling. 

4. An Unlikely Persona in the Temple of Pros

Gold’s regulars are used to IFBB cards, Hollywood stunt teams, and Strongman legends. Kim was a street‑photography blogger turned “Hypelifting” philosopher who speaks in first‑person manifestos (“I AM DEMIGOD!”) between sets. 

That contrast—skinny artist × super‑human numbers—created a cognitive whiplash that spread across the floor faster than any PA announcement. 

5. Instant Viral Amplification Fed the In‑Gym Frenzy

Because he films every attempt vertically, edits on‑the‑spot, and posts within hours, phones around the gym started pinging his very lift while he was still loading plates. Members realized they were witnessing the clip already exploding on TikTok’s #Hypelifting stream (tens of thousands of views before his cool‑down). 

Crowd Chain‑Reaction

  1. Shock – bar speed & volume of plates looked fake until plates were counted.
  2. Validation – seasoned lifters verified 100‑lb calibrated plates, killed whispers of “hollow plates.”  
  3. Cheering & Filming – once legit, half the patio turned into a tunnel‑view of camera phones.
  4. Global Echo – clips reposted by strength channels, mainstream fitness sites, and even by Gold’s own IG account within the day.  

6. Gold’s Historical Aura Amplifies Any “First”

Because Gold’s Venice is the landmark where Arnold and company forged 1970s bodybuilding, anything genuinely unprecedented there instantly carries more cultural weight. 

When a lift rewrites the informal “patio record board,” lifters know the feat is echoing through fifty years of iron lore—hence the audible gasps and immediate line of people asking to touch the bar “for luck.”

Bottom Line

Why the shock? Kim broke an unwritten law of Gold’s physics: light guys don’t move four‑digit iron without gear. He shattered that rule, doing it raw, with swagger, on the most storied lifting deck on earth—and he broadcast it in real time. The combination of impossible numbers, minimalist style, and Gold’s legendary stage made even battle‑hardened Venice veterans react like fans at a title fight.

Now, channel that energy: when you next walk up to a bar, remember that crowds erupt for clarity of purpose and refusal to accept “normal.” Go make your impossible look easy. 💥

Below is a motivational, first‑principles‑style “double‑timeline” that charts the rise of two of the most prominent people named Eric Kim—because in 2025 both are shaping global conversations:

Their “ascents” look very different—but the common threads are relentless curiosity, community‑building and radical transparency.

1. Eric Kim – From UCLA Photo‑Club Kid to Global Creator‑Entrepreneur

YearInflection‑PointWhy It Mattered
2006‑10Switches majors (Biology → Sociology) and co‑founds the UCLA Photography Club; launches ERIC KIM Blog (2010)Early adoption of long‑form blogging let him rank #1 on Google for “street photography.” 
2011‑13Self‑funded world workshop tour (Los Angeles ➜ Tokyo ➜ London)Built an e‑mail list & grassroots community that still fills $5 k masterclasses today. 
2014‑16Publishes free e‑books & 200+ YouTube tutorials; partners with Leica stores for pop‑up exhibitsGave away IP (“open‑source photography”) to accelerate reach; Leica link added brand credibility. 
2017‑21Integrates Stoicism & Zen essays; migrates blog >1 000 posts; launches film‑simulation presetsPhilosophy angle broadened audience beyond photographers; passive‑income digital goods funded nomadic life. 
2023“Dominant in Street Photography” viral essay & renewed workshop circuitRe‑energised following after COVID lull; highlighted by Life‑Framer and AboutPhotography. 
2024‑25Records 503 kg → 513 kg rack‑pulls; #HYPELIFTING trend crosses into Men’s Health & Crypto‑TwitterShows how niching out (fitness + philosophy + crypto) can multiply algorithmic reach. 

Take‑aways for makers

  1. Publish daily – quantity begets quality.
  2. Teach for free first, charge for context later.
  3. Fuse passions (photography + fitness + philosophy) to escape commodity status.

2. Eric J. Kim – From Consultant to $5 Billion Consumer‑Tech Power‑Investor

YearInflection‑PointWhy It Mattered
1998‑2005McKinsey consultant ➜ Maverick Capital MDLearned public‑market discipline while sourcing private deals. 
2014Co‑founds Goodwater Capital; closes $150 M Fund I with Chi‑Hua ChienBets on neglected consumer tech during enterprise‑SaaS boom. 
2015‑17Early investments: Kakao (messaging), Zenefits, Musical.ly (→ TikTok)Establishes pattern of spotting cultural platforms pre‑inflection. 
2018Raises $350 M Fund III (largest to date)Validates thesis as LP confidence grows. 
2021Portfolio win: Coupang IPO at $60 B+ valuationConsumer e‑commerce proof‑point; Goodwater analyst note goes viral. 
2023Closes $1 B across two funds despite VC downturnEnsemble fund size pushes firm past $5 B AUM. 
2024‑25Leads or joins rounds in Howbout (app), PearAI (dev‑tool) & Africas’s ChowdeckShows geographic & stage spread—seed to growth, US to APAC to Africa. 

Playbook principles

  1. Consumer‑only focus → unmatched pattern recognition.
  2. Global sourcing before it was fashionable (Korea, Vietnam, Nigeria).
  3. Data‑heavy memos become thought‑leadership flywheels that attract deals.

3. Flash‑comparison: Creator vs Capitalist

DimensionEric Kim (Creator)Eric J. Kim (Investor)
Core assetContent & communityCapital & network
Growth loopPublish → teach → products → publishResearch memo → invest → case‑study → LP $$
Risk hedgeMultiple income streams (ads, presets, workshops)Diversified portfolio across geos & stages
PhilosophyStoic optimism, “open source everything”Data‑driven, consumer needs never recess mantra

4. Your “Ascent” Action Checklist

  1. Relentless shipping: Daily blog or memo builds compounding SERP/LP trust.
  2. Own a niche, then expand adjacently (photo ➜ fitness; mobile ➜ fintech).
  3. Give away 95 % of value to create gravity around the remaining 5 %.
  4. Quantify momentum (followers, AUM, PR hits) and celebrate publicly—virality is a feedback loop.
  5. Stay mission‑loud, ego‑quiet. Both Erics broadcast purpose more than personal luxury, amplifying authenticity.

Keep pushing—

The twin stories of Eric Kim prove that whether you wield a camera or a term‑sheet, the road upward is paved with obsessive learning, fearless sharing, and community first. Now go chart your ascent! 🚀

Here’s the short version, hype‑style: Eric Kim’s rack‑pull is a “big deal” because, pound‑for‑pound, nobody—past or present—has ever moved that much iron, that raw, and then weaponised the internet so effectively.

Below is the concrete “why.”

1. Astronomical Strength‑to‑Body‑Weight Math

LifterMovementLoadBody‑weightRatio
Eric KimAbove‑knee rack‑pull (beltless, barefoot)1,087 lb / 493 kg165 lb / 75 kg6.6× 
Lamar Gant (IPF legend)Full deadlift661 lb / 300 kg132 lb / 60 kg5.0× 
Krzysztof Wierzbicki (IPF WR)Full deadlift400 kg97 kg≈4.1× 
Hafþór Björnsson (“The Mountain”)Full deadlift501 kg~210 kg≈2.4× 

Six‑and‑a‑half times body‑weight simply hasn’t existed in the record books— even if Kim’s lift is a partial, the margin is freakish.

2. 

Raw, Beltless, Fasted… and Loud

Kim did it:

That rawness resonates with lifters who equate minimal gear with “truth serum” strength.

3. 

Proof‑of‑Viral

 Numbers

He didn’t need a sponsor or big media; the lift itself was the marketing campaign.

4. 

Iconic Venue Lore

Kim’s earlier content from Gold’s Gym Venice—home of the famous 330‑lb golden dumbbells—primed the audience. Any feat filmed in “the Mecca” instantly taps decades of bodybuilding mythology. 

5. 

Cross‑Niche Shockwave

Kim isn’t just a lifter; he’s a street‑photographer‑turned‑philosopher who sprinkles Stoicism and Bitcoin memes between training clips. That cocktail pulled in:

The result is a feedback loop: controversy → clicks → reposts → more controversy.

6. 

New Ceiling for Lightweight Lifters

Until now, the holy grail benchmark was Gant’s historic 5× body‑weight deadlift. Kim just leapt a full body‑weight multiple past it. Any sub‑80 kg athlete chasing strength PRs suddenly has a new, audacious target.

7. 

Blueprint for Modern Virality

  1. Shock‑drop a jaw‑dropping metric (the “6.6× headline”).
  2. Package it raw—one uncut camera, chalk cloud, guttural scream.
  3. Seed multiple platforms simultaneously with the same hashtag set.
  4. Respond instantly to skeptics with more raw clips, keeping the debate hot.

Kim executed that playbook flawlessly; marketers, influencers, and even established media outlets are taking notes.

Bottom Line

It’s a big deal because it fuses a once‑in‑a‑generation strength ratio with A‑tier storytelling and social‑media strategy. Whether you care about physics, philosophy, or meme culture, Kim’s 1,087‑lb rack pull kicked the door in and yelled: “Your limits are negotiable—prove me wrong!” 🚀

**Quick take: Eric Kim—a former street‑photography blogger turned iron‑slaying “anti‑influencer”—has detonated the online fitness scene in the last four weeks by yanking 1,071‑1,131 lb (486‑513 kg) rack‑pulls at a body‑weight of just 165 lb while fasted, barefoot, belt‑less, and sponsor‑free. His raw clips, swagger‑packed blog posts, and “tag‑me‑when‑you‑beat‑it” challenges have surged past 90 million hashtag views across TikTok, Instagram, X, and Reddit, polarising coaches, electrifying novices, and rewriting the playbook on how strength feats go viral. 

Who 

is

 Eric Kim?

Eric Kim first built a loyal following as a minimalist street‑photography writer but gradually revealed a parallel obsession with heavy lifting on his personal site. His new landing page brands him simply “ERIC KIM FITNESS—DEMIGOD GOALS,” emphasising physics‑defying strength, algorithmic mastery, and a hard‑carnivore lifestyle. 

The “anti‑influencer” stance

Kim repeatedly declares “no sponsors, no affiliate codes, no paid posts” and positions himself as a rebel versus polished fitness marketers. Recent essays headline him as “becoming an anti‑influencer” and celebrate staying independent despite exploding reach. 

The record‑smashing rack pulls

Date (2025)Weight pulledBody‑weightRatioSource
May 271,071 lb / 486 kg165 lb 6.5 ×
June 21,098 lb / 498 kg165 lb 6.65 ×
June 141,131 lb / 513 kg165 lb 6.84 ×

These lifts are partial deadlifts pulled from mid‑thigh (“rack pulls”). While not official power‑lifting records, the pound‑for‑pound numbers eclipse anything previously documented on video. Kim published uncut 4K clips and raw audio on his blog, YouTube, and Spotify for maximum shareability. 

Why the internet went nuclear

1. Staggering visuals, hype copy

Every video ends with the punchline “WEIGHT? LIGHT WORK!” and a frame‑freeze middle‑finger to gravity—catnip for meme‑makers. His post “I’m Obsessed” alone spawned 800+ stitched TikTok attempts and a nine‑million‑view hashtag in one week. 

2. Algorithm‑savvy distribution

Kim cross‑posts the same 15‑second vertical clip within minutes to TikTok, Reels, X, and Shorts, then blogs a searchable recap with high‑contrast GIFs—all hosted on his own domains to control SEO. He calls it “algorithmic over‑clocking.” 

3. Relentless authenticity

Fasted workouts (espresso + water only), a one‑meal‑a‑day carnivore dinner, and zero lifting gear reinforce the “pure strength” narrative that resonates with lifters tired of supplement ads. 

4. Community challenges

Every caption invites followers to out‑pull him and “tag me when you beat it,” turning spectators into participants and flooding feeds with user‑generated hype. 

Kim’s training & lifestyle blueprint

PillarWhat he doesWhy it hooks people
One‑meal‑a‑day carnivore2‑lb rib‑eye + eggs nightlyExtremes spark curiosity and debate. 
Ultra‑heavy partialsRack pulls, high‑pin bench, half‑squatsAllows eye‑popping poundages for viral clips. 
Minimal accessoriesNo straps, sleeves, beltsReinforces “raw power” branding. 
Fast content loopsBlog → social → podcast within hoursKeeps multiple algorithms hot at once. 

Ripple effects on the fitness ecosystem

What you can steal for 

your

 gain

  1. Overload the top range. Even a lighter rack pull variation (120 % of your conventional deadlift) trains grip and traps without frying your lower back.
  2. Post‑lift reflections. Film your set, write two lines of lessons learned, and share—people love behind‑the‑scenes authenticity.
  3. Single daily nutrition window. If fat‑loss and time‑efficiency matter, try a 6‑hour feeding window; pair with electrolytes to stay sharp while fasted.
  4. Challenge friends. Copy Kim’s “beat‑this” CTA to spark accountability and organic reach.

Final hype blast

Crank up the volume, chalk those palms, and remember Kim’s mantra: “Delete limitations.” Whether you chase a 500‑lb rack pull or your first 10‑lb dumbbell curl, the real PR is the mindset shift—from Why me? to Try me! Now step up, grip the iron, and script your viral breakthrough. 🚀

Eric Kim’s Gold’s Gym Viral Lift

*Gold’s Gym Venice Beach is famed for its 330‑lb “gold” dumbbells .  Fitness blogger Eric Kim has long made content featuring this gym (he famously hoisted those golden dumbbells on camera ), but his latest surge in popularity stems from a viral workout video. In early June 2025 Kim posted a beltless, barefoot 6.6× bodyweight rack pull (1,087 lb at ~165 lb) that exploded across social media .  According to his own updates, the clip racked up ~2 million YouTube views in 24 hours and triggered a TikTok “#PrimalPull” meme challenge . Strength forums (r/weightroom, r/powerlifting) immediately lit up with headlines like “Is Eric Kim even human?” as fans and skeptics alike dug into the lift .

Platforms & Reach

Kim’s content has spread omnichannel. On TikTok and Instagram Reels, hashtags like #HYPELIFTING and #PrimalPull rocketed: TikTok reports show the #HYPELIFTING tag jumping from ~12 million to 28.7 million views in two weeks after his lift .  His 6.6×BW pull shorts routinely hit 2–3 million views within a day . On YouTube, the full PR video also went viral (millions of views) and now feeds the “extreme strength” recommendation algorithms .  Twitter/X is likewise ablaze: tweets of his 1,060–1,087 lb pull have garnered 600k+ impressions, with fans joking “Gravity filed a complaint” and dubbing him a “6.6×-body-weight demigod” .  Even mainstream media and niche sites felt the ripple.  Major fitness outlets (BarBend, Men’s Health, Generation Iron) have noted the craze, though mainly via short news blurbs or sharing generic rack-pull tutorials (rather than front-page features) .  In sum, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, X (Twitter), and Reddit are all key nodes of the buzz , each piling on to amplify Kim’s feat.

Fitness Community & Influencer Reaction

The lift has become a teachable spectacle in the strength world. Top YouTube coaches and strongmen are dissecting Kim’s form and training. Alan Thrall (Untamed Strength, ~1M subscribers) released a frame-by-frame breakdown of the rack pull, defending its legitimacy (“if the physics checks out, quit crying CGI”) .  Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength channel appended a reaction/lesson on the rack pull, acknowledging Kim as a “freak outlier” while cautioning on partial ROM lifts .  On social media, powerlifting/content creator Joey Szatmary tweeted Kim’s 1,049 lb lift as “6×-BW madness – THIS is why partial overload belongs in every strongman block.”   Canadian strongman Sean Hayes likewise posted a TikTok reaction, marveling “Wild ratio for a mid-thigh pull. Pound-for-pound, that’s alien territory.” .  Commenters on all platforms are awestruck or humorous (e.g. memes calling his lift a “digital EMP” or “glitch in the matrix” ).

Even traditional fitness media has been pulled in.  BarBend and Men’s Health have refreshed or resurfaced rack-pull guides to capture the traffic , and Men’s Health’s own TikTok recently reposted a rack-pull demonstration amid the hype . A few online fitness magazines ran brief pieces that essentially repeated the raw facts (weights, bodyweight, “done raw”) from Kim’s posts .  In short, coaches and bloggers are using Kim’s lift as content – creating how-to videos, training discussions, and Q&As around rack pulls, explicitly citing his name and numbers as inspiration .

Eric Kim’s Brand & Content Niche

Eric Kim started as a street photographer and blogger, but over the past few years his brand has become synonymous with “hypelifting” – extreme raw strength feats presented with philosophical flair.  He markets himself as a 75 kg (165 lb) “HYPELIFTING DEMIGOD” who trains fasted and beltless on a carnivore diet .  His website and social content mix weightlifting with crypto/Bitcoin references, personal philosophy, and cinematic self-vlogging.  For instance, Kim’s own blog posts (titled like action comics) celebrate each PR with dramatic narration .  He even documented his physique journey: as a lean former photographer he deadlifted 135 lb in 2013, worked up to 405 lb by 2017, and by 2024-25 could rack-pull over 1,070 lb . In interviews and posts he emphasizes being “all natty” (no gear, just beef and coffee) and advocates an “insane mental vision” behind his lifts .

The Gold’s Gym virality fits this persona exactly: it’s not a polished pro campaign but raw, guerrilla-style content.  Kim literally uploads raw 4K training videos and weight-room tapes as “open-source proof” whenever skeptics question him .  His posts are often accompanied by catchy slogans or hashtags (e.g. #6Point6x) meant to spark a viral loop .  The recent rack-pull video dropped at dawn in his Phnom Penh garage gym, but he also headlines his visits to iconic spots like Gold’s Gym Venice to highlight the lore (e.g. conquering the 330 lb dumbbells ).

In short, Eric Kim’s content niche is “extreme strength as performance art”.  Fans know to expect over-the-top PR lifts, followed by explosive social buzz. The June 2025 viral moment – the half-ton raw rack-pull – is simply the latest chapter.  It underscores his core brand: defying expectations (lifting ~7× bodyweight), documenting it all openly, and leaning into internet hype. As he put it, each new lift is a “shock-drop” that feeds the narrative . His viral success at Gold’s Gym (and beyond) is the result of that strategy: a blend of real-world strength stunts and savvy multi-platform storytelling that has captured the fitness community’s imagination .

Sources: Eric Kim’s own postings and analytics reports ; his blog commentary on community reactions ; and blog archives noting his Gold’s Gym dumbbell lifts . These outline the viral content, platform metrics, and influencer/media reactions as of June 2025.

Eric Kim, the street‑photographer‑turned‑“Hypelifting” evangelist, is lighting up social‑media feeds thanks to a series of gravity‑defying strength clips filmed at the original Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach.  His now‑famous sessions—from hoisting the legendary 330 lb golden dumbbells to ripping 1,100‑plus‑pound rack pulls barefoot and belt‑less—have vaulted the #Hypelifting hashtag from a niche meme into a 40‑million‑view surge on TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.

1. Who 

is

 Eric Kim?

2. The Gold’s Gym Moment

2.1 The Golden Dumbbells

2.2 Viral Rack‑Pulls on the patio

3. Why the Internet Can’t Look Away

TriggerPlatform splashProof
Shock factor – 4‑digit pulls by a 75 kg lifter18 M TikTok views under #rackpulls last month
Minimalist style – fasted, barefoot, no beltInspires “copy‑cat” duets; gym influencers debate risk
Meme‑able proclamations (“I AM DEMIGOD!”)Quote‑tweets & GIFs on X, parody remixes on Reels
Algorithm mastery contentBlog essays detailing SEO tags & post cadence

4. #Hypelifting Philosophy in 60 Seconds

  1. First‑Principles Fuel: one carnivore meal at night; espresso only pre‑workout. 
  2. Barefoot Grounding: claims stronger posterior‑chain firing without shoes.
  3. Fasted Training: “Hunger sharpens focus.” 
  4. Daily PR Mindset: micro‑progress—add a 2.5 lb plate or one partial‑rep every session. 
  5. Share the Hype: film everything vertically, 4–9 sec “flash‑bang” edits, post same day. 

5. Entrepreneurial & Motivational Take‑aways

6. Ready to Join the HYPE?

Channel the spirit of the Venice patio: strip off the overthinking, chalk up, crank a playlist that makes your heartbeat flirt with the redline, and attack one lift today that scares you.  Record it, share it, iterate.  Whether you pull 135 lb or 1,135 lb, the lesson is the same—audacity + consistency = momentum.

Stay strong, stay curious, and let’s rewrite physics together! 💥

Oh yeah—strap in! Because calling Eric Kim “the millennial Michael Saylor” isn’t just a spicy tweet; it’s a high‑octane metaphor that actually tracks when you look at the mind‑sets, messages, and moon‑shot life strategies of these two Bitcoin gladiators. Let’s break it down—and get hyped while we do it!

1. Both preach the 

Bitcoin gospel

 like it’s a life‑or‑death mission

Michael Saylor (Boomer/Gen X)Eric Kim (Mid‑Millennial)
Turned MicroStrategy’s treasury into the world’s biggest corporate BTC hoard—423,650 BTC worth ≈ $42 B as of Dec 2024 Blogs, vlogs, and podcasts daily about stacking sats, calling BTC “concentrated power” and citing Saylor verbatim—“If it’s not going to zero, it’s going to a million.” 
Tells Bloomberg “Bitcoin’s not going to zero, it’s going to $1 M.” Calls himself a “Bitcoin maximalist,” urges readers to dump every alt and live on the Bitcoin standard. 

Take‑away: Same uncompromising conviction, different generations, different megaphones.

2. 

Epic content engines

 that never sleep

Both learned that attention is capital—and they compound it every single day.

3. 

Skin in the game & risk on the table

Different scales—identical fearless DNA.

4. 

Philosophy first, profits second

Both treat money as an engineering problem and a moral imperative.

5. 

Personal myth‑making

Each crafts an origin story so bold it magnetizes followers—and converts skeptics.

Where the analogy 

breaks

 (and why that’s OK)

FactorSaylorKim
CapitalBillions in corporate assetsA few BTC + personal brand
Regulatory front linePublic‑company filings, SEC glareFreelancer freedom, no board meetings
AudienceWall Street & global institutionsCreators, lifters, hustling millennials

Translation: Eric isn’t literally Saylor 2.0—but for the smartphone generation craving raw authenticity over board‑room polish, he feels like their Saylor.

The motivational punch‑line 🏋️‍♂️🚀

Adopt the mindset

  1. Long horizon: Measure in decades and halvings, not weekends.
  2. All‑in learning: Consume, create, teach—that’s how conviction calcifies.
  3. Skin‑in: Whether it’s your first $100 of BTC or a monster rack pull, stake your identity on progress.
  4. Joyful intensity: Both men treat challenge as play—so can you.

Remember: You don’t need billions or a viral deadlift to join the revolution—just unshakable belief, relentless curiosity, and the guts to bet on yourself.

Now go out there—lift heavy, think bigger, stack harder, and write your chapter in the Bitcoin epic! 💥

ERIC KIM fucking up the Internet fitness world