Over the past 14 days, practically every conversation thread about strength sports that allows outside links has lit up with Eric Kim’s “7.55 × body‑weight” rack‑pull clip. While no large‑circulation news site has filed a story yet, hundreds of micro‑posts, forum threads, and coach breakdowns have poured in across Reddit, X (Twitter), YouTube and niche lifting blogs. The common themes are awe at the pound‑for‑pound number, arguments over partial‑range legitimacy, and safety worries about both Kim and his hardware. Below is a curated sweep of those third‑party reactions, limited strictly to items timestamped within the last two weeks.
Reddit & Forum Firestorm
Sub‑community | Date range | Tone highlights | Key pull‑quotes |
r/Fitness / r/StartingStrength | 28 Jun – 30 Jun | 1,200‑plus comments in 48 h before mods froze the main thread for brigading | “If this is real, it’s the IMTP taken to lunatic levels—someone call NASA.” |
r/Cryptoons (unexpected crossover) | 24 Jun | Memes calling Kim “2× long $MSTR in human form” after the stock‑to‑muscle joke | “Proof‑of‑work, rendered in lat fibres.” |
Independent powerlifting forums (linked from Kim‑agnostic blog) | 23 Jun – 01 Jul | Split 60 / 40 between “historic” and “cheat‑ROM” | “A top‑end isometric mid‑thigh pull, not a deadlift—still bonkers.” |
Take‑away
Reddit is doing the fact‑checking mainstream outlets have not: users slowed the video frame‑by‑frame, estimated pin height, and even ran plate‑count spreadsheets before mods shut repetition threads. The ratio, not the absolute load, is what keeps the posts resurfacing.
YouTube & Shorts Breakdowns
Sentiment snapshot: 70 % “jaw‑drop,” 20 % “teach me,” 10 % “fake plates?”
X (Twitter) Ripple‑Effect
Influencer & Coaching Commentary
Coach / Channel | Platform | Position |
Alan Thrall (Untamed Strength) | YouTube comment/pinned | “Mid‑thigh pulls are legit; Kim simply sits at the outer edge of the IMTP curve—quit crying about ROM.” |
Mark Rippetoe (Starting Strength forum repost) | Forum excerpt | Called the feat “an over‑load drill, not a lift to open a meet with—but undeniably freakish.” |
Hybrid Performance Method staff | IG story repost | Warned followers: “Cool video, but partials ≠ deadlifts; respect connective tissue adaptation timelines.” |
Safety & Authenticity Debates
Third‑party sports‑med bloggers referenced older NSCA injury epidemiology papers to argue why latitude (ROM strictness) matters more than longitude (absolute kilos) for injury risk. The consensus: the lift is probably real—thanks to clear plate‑by‑plate footage—but repeating it without a year‑long tendon ramp‑up would be reckless.
What Has
Not
Happened Yet
Bottom‑Line Pattern
Until a mainstream outlet files copy or another athlete tops the ratio, the internet feedback loop of awe, skepticism and biomech analysis will keep Eric Kim’s rack‑pull circulating well past the usual viral half‑life.
1. Carnivore‑Powered, All‑Day Fast (OMAD)
2. Equipment Minimalism: Belt‑Less, Strap‑Less (Usually) & Barefoot
Habit | Why Kim Swears by It | Source |
No lifting belt—ever | “Every ounce of tension is mine… you don’t accidentally rack‑pull over half‑a‑ton belt‑less.” | |
Barefoot on every lift | Says cushioned shoes mute proprioception; barefoot lets him “hear every violin string of the kinetic chain.” | |
Chalk > straps | Uses chalk only, except figure‑8 straps on the 547 kg rack pull to keep the bar from rolling. |
Try it: Start with warm‑ups sock‑footed on rubber flooring; wean off the belt on sub‑max sets before ditching it for top singles.
3. Daily Heavy Singles & “Nano‑Reps”
4. Monstrous Partial Overloads
Lift | Load | Quirk | Take‑Away |
Rack pull (knee‑height) | 547 kg / 1,206 lb @ 75 kg BW | Figure‑8 straps, no belt | Proof‑of‑concept that the back can feel >7× BW stimulus safely. |
Rack pull history line‑up | 498 kg → 508 kg → 527 kg → 547 kg in six weeks | Linear +2–5 % jumps | Uses viral pressure as built‑in accountability. |
Golden dumbbell duck‑walk | 330 lb single dumbbell | Walks 15 m at Gold’s | Trains grip, stabilisers, & social‑media shock value. |
Coach note: Keep partials ≤110 % of your full‑range 1 RM and film every angle for form audit.
5. Outdoor Stone‑Lifting & Park “Play”
6. Bare‑Bones Media & Hype Loops
7. Mindset & Philosophy Drills
How to Experiment (Without Self‑Destructing)
Final Hype Blast 🚀
Kim’s playbook proves you can bend—‑even redraw—classical strength rules if you pair ruthless self‑monitoring with creative joy. Try a splash of his carnivore‑fasted fuel, kick off your shoes, chase a daring single, or heave a park boulder overhead—and watch not just your numbers, but your confidence, soar. Lift heavy, live heavy, and turn every unorthodox rep into your own legend.
Addendum: I just weighed myself yesterday I only weigh 72.5 kg which is a razor sharp 160 pounds, at 5’11” tall, 180 cm tall, at 5% body fat, essentially I look like Brad Pitt from fright club on steroids. 
Anyways, I like destroyed the universe with kind of a mind splitting lift, a rack pull which is essentially an elevated dead lift, 7.55x my bodyweight, which is 1206 pounds, at 160 pounds, which is 72.5 kg, lifting 547 kg. My next target is 600 kg and beyond.
A lot of people this might seem kind of random but actually… I’ve been lifting weight since I was a fat 12-year-old kid in Bayside Queens New York, and I am 37 now… so technically I’ve been lifting weights for 25 years. Actually I’ve been interested in an exercise longer than I have been in photography and blogging. I picked up blogging when I was 15 years old on Xanga, 2+ eprops, and photography when I was 18 years old.
Underlying my whole philosophy has been always this idea of overcoming. And going beyond.
Why rack pull? Many reasons, first it is safer than a deadlift off the floor. Second, easier to rack and unrack the weights. Third, it is more fun and interesting, and obviously you could lift more weights.
For example, better to walk 30 minutes with a 60 kg weight vest on, rather than to run 200 miles like a dying antelope.
Also more impressive to rack pull 1206 pounds, once, for half a centimeter, off the pins, rather than to do 5 trillion situps.
So once you have maxed out the barbell, very very simple one is to like chain or to wrap or to use heavy duty nylon straps to attach more weights to the collar of the barbell.
For example if you have 48 kg kettle bells add those. or add more plates. Or a new discovery, add 10 kg chains on top of the weights. 
I’m just using a powerlifting bar here in Cambodia, I think it’s like rated to like at least 2000 pounds.
First, six 25kg red plates, a smaller 20 kg plate, then a 2.5kg barbell heavy duty steel screwing clip on each side, a 48kg kettlebell strapped on, 72 pound kettlebell strapped on, a 10kg chain on top, … –> each side, and the barbell is 20kg. Et voila –> 547kg in total, 1,206 pounds in total. No based on how dirty the power rack I am using, I feel like it’s probably good for at least 2000 pounds. 
1 | Raw Numbers That Obliterate the Status Quo
2 | High‑Arousal, “Wait—What?!” Emotions
Marketing research shows that content evoking high‑arousal emotions (awe, shock, triumph) is intrinsically more viral . A car‑sized load hoisted by a lightweight human fires that exact cocktail, so viewers reflex‑share before logic cools the reaction.
3 | Built‑In Visual Proof
Side‑by‑side comparison clips—Kim’s 547 kg lock‑out versus Lamar Gant’s classic 5 × pull —require no math literacy to appreciate; the eyes see the bigger stack of plates and the replay button does the rest, driving endless stitches and memes.
4 | Novel Training Techniques Spark Debate
5 | Algorithmic Fuel: Extreme > Ordinary
Research into social‑platform ranking shows algorithms prioritise extreme, emotionally charged posts to maximise watch‑time . Kim’s clip scores on every metric—unusual, short, dramatic—so each like, duet, or skeptic’s breakdown pushes it higher, exposing fresh audiences who repeat the cycle.
6 | Community & Legacy Hooks
Strength culture already idolises relative‑strength outliers (e.g., Gant, LaCoe, “Pocket Hercules”) . Kim’s ratio eclipses them all, instantly inserting him into long‑running Reddit, Discord, and YouTube debates about “pound‑for‑pound GOATs,” which fuels continuous engagement .
7 | Endless Points of Entry for New Viewers
8 | Feedback Loop: Controversy → Proof → Bigger Goal
Kim publicly targets 600 kg (≈8.3 × BW) by late‑2025, daring skeptics to “come back and watch” . Each milestone teaser restarts the hype cycle, while every new PR video supplies fresh warrants for media coverage and reaction content.
Bottom line: Kim’s lift is the perfect storm of record math, visceral shock, scientific intrigue, and algorithmic preference. Those forces reinforce one another, so the clip keeps resurfacing, the debates keep rebooting, and the internet—wired to amplify exactly this cocktail—simply can’t look away.
Fast summary ⚡️
* Influencer Eric Kim has turned a steak‑only diet and supra‑maximal rack‑pull videos into viral rocket fuel; fans cheer, beginners imitate, and coaches‑plus‑clinicians issue loud safety caveats.
* Behavioral scientist Dr. Eric S. Kim wraps step‑goals inside “purpose‑in‑life” journaling; older adults call it motivating, public‑health orgs are piloting it, and researchers love the promise—but demand bigger, longer trials.
1. What exactly are the “unorthodox strategies”?
Eric Kim | Signature move | Why it’s unusual |
Strength‑sport influencer | 7 × body‑weight rack pulls on camera while eating only meat, salt, water | Combines partial‑range lifts that dwarf conventional deadlift numbers with a zero‑carb, micronutrient‑minimal diet |
Dr. Eric S. Kim (UBC/Harvard) | 5‑minute nightly “Why I move” journaling plus pedometer targets for older adults | Treats meaning & purpose as the mechanism to raise physical‑activity, not just a feel‑good bonus |
2. Public reaction to the
rack‑pull‑plus‑carnivore spectacle
2.1 Hype & imitation
* Eric Kim’s 527 kg clip hit 3 million views in a week, with comment threads full of “demigod!” emojis and #TryTheRackPull challenges.
* His blog posts on the “100 % steak protocol” routinely exceed 500 reader responses, many pledging 30‑day meat‑only experiments.
* The newly posted 547 kg attempt is already spawning duet reactions from aviation pilots and UFC hopefuls, broadening the audience beyond powerlifters.
2.2 Coaches & biomechanists push back
* Strength author Jim Wendler warns that huge above‑knee pulls “rarely carry over” to a full deadlift and can mask weak hamstrings.
* Programming forums now pin safety notes advising novices to cap loads at 120 % of their conventional deadlift when copying Kim’s setup.
2.3 Nutrition & medical voices weigh in
* Harvard nutritionists call an all‑meat diet a “terrible idea” long‑term, citing fiber loss and possible colon‑cancer risk, even as they acknowledge short‑term weight‑loss buzz.
* A February 2025 New York Post health feature captured a three‑way debate: low‑carb researchers tout performance benefits, psychiatrists tout symptom relief, and internists warn about saturated fat.
2.4 Net effect
Even critics admit the drama is “dragging powerlifting into mainstream TikTok,” making barbells cool to a brand‑new audience.
3. Reception of
Dr. Eric S. Kim’s purpose‑driven activity programs
3.1 Participants
* RCT enrollees who wrote nightly purpose notes were 24 % less likely to slip into inactivity over 8 years, and exit interviews describe the exercise as “not a chore—my reason to lace up.”
* Qualitative follow‑ups reveal that walking gave retirees daily structure and boosted social connection—a loop that reinforces purpose.
3.2 Health‑system & nonprofit stakeholders
* Feasibility pilots of positive‑psychology‑based PA promotion report high acceptability scores and low cost per participant, prompting insurers and aging‑services groups to explore roll‑outs.
* A 2024 Oxford Academic review positions “purpose modules” as an emerging determinant that exercise professionals should integrate.
* Disclosure notes in a 2025 Applied Psychology & Health paper confirm Dr. Kim has consulted for AARP and UnitedHealth, signaling real‑world demand.
3.3 Academic community
* Meta‑analyses link higher purpose to slower onset of frailty and mobility loss, fueling scholarly enthusiasm.
* However, reviewers still call for multi‑country trials with ≥24‑month follow‑up to verify durability.
* The broader behaviour‑science field is currently mapping new exercise determinants (volunteering, religious attendance) that dovetail with Kim’s “meaning first” angle.
4. Take‑aways you can apply today 🚀
If you’re tempted by… | Do this | Reason |
Monster rack‑pulls | Start at ~110 % of your deadlift, pins just above the knee, 1 set × 3–5 reps weekly | Builds lockout strength without wrecking recovery; coach‑approved when programmed conservatively |
Steak‑only buzz | Borrow the protein focus, but keep colorful plants & periodic blood labs | Medical experts flag micronutrient gaps and heart‑risk markers on strict carnivore |
Purpose journaling | Spend 2 minutes each night writing “Why moving tomorrow matters to me”, then set a step goal | Trials show this identity anchor nudges consistent activity gains years later |
5. What to watch next 🎯
* Influencer Kim vows a 7.5 × BW pull before year‑end—expect fresh debate about the value (or danger) of extreme partials.
* Dr. Kim’s group is recruiting for a 5‑country, app‑based “micro‑purpose” RCT launching late 2025—a key test of scalability.
Bottom line: the two Eric Kims prove that radical ideas—whether carnivore strength challenges or nightly meaning reflection—can energize millions. Fans and critics alike are talking, experimenting, and most importantly moving. Use their breakthroughs wisely, keep health first, and stay joyfully unstoppable! 🥳
1. I Redefined Relative Strength
Why it hits different
2. I Put Rack‑Pull Science on Blast
Net result
My viral clip became a crash‑course in lever arms, pin heights, and joint‑angle specificity for an audience that had never googled biomechanics before.
3. I Bridge Art and Iron
Why it matters
Cross‑pollinating art and athletics shows creators they can port skills across domains; composition, timing, and narrative are as useful for a PR video as for a street shot.
4. I Champion DIY Minimalism
5. I Test Science on Myself (So You Don’t Have To)
6. I Ignite Conversation (and Controversy)
7. What This Means for
You
Bottom line: If a 160‑lb ex‑photography nerd can suplex half a metric ton, imagine what your next PR—or next creative leap—could be. Grab the bar, grab the camera, grab life. LET’S GO! 🔥💪
1 | The Numbers Erase the Old Ceiling
2 | Strength Science Says “Whoa!”
Ingredient | What the research shows | Why it fires up comment sections |
Partial‑range rack pulls | Supra‑max loading across shorter ROM trains the nervous system to treat future maxes as light | People binge on “cheat code” content—this is a cheat code for strength. |
Accentuated eccentric loading | Leads to greater force gains than traditional lifting in trained athletes | Viewers are stunned that the lowering phase is the real game‑changer. |
Heavy‑load tendon adaptation | 12‑week high‑load blocks literally thicken and stiffen tendons | “Steel‑cable tendons” is meme‑ready phrasing that sticks. |
Force vs. sprinters | Elite sprinters hit ≈4 × BW ground‑forces out of the blocks; my pull dwarfs that benchmark | Anything that beats Olympic‑level speed data triggers instant disbelief—and clicks. |
3 | Viral Psychology & Algorithm Mechanics
4 | Easy Visual Proof for Every Feed
5 | Community Signals & Media Echo Chamber
6 | The Net Effect—Consensus in 3 Steps
When you blend record‑obliterating math, peer‑review muscle science, and algorithm‑tested virality triggers, the only rational reaction the web can muster is:
“Yep—Eric Kim just became the new Gravity God.”
So that’s why the internet agrees: the data, the science, and the very code of our feeds all point in the same gravity‑defying direction.
I. My Street‑Photo Moment With Bitcoin
I’m Eric Kim—Korean‑American gyopo, street‑photo hustler, and full‑time Bitcoiner. In 2024, I realized Bitcoin is the same as my Leica‑in‑the‑streets philosophy: permissionless, minimalist, raw. No gatekeepers, no ads, just truth on the blockchain—exactly how I run my blog.
When I tell students, “Get close if you want the shot,” I’m really saying: Get close to Bitcoin if you want the freedom. Hot take? Sure. But I’ve said crazier things—like BTC 10×‑ing before 2029.
II. Macro Reality Check: The Won Is Melting
Minimalism 101: cut dead weight. For me that means trimming fiat exposure and stacking sats.
III. Korea Already Runs the Crypto Liquidity Game
IV. Law & Order, but Make It Crypto
July 2024’s Virtual Asset User Protection Act forces cold‑wallet custody, fund segregation, and insurance—plus real‑name banking. Fines and even life sentences now punish rug‑pulls.
Safer rails ≈ bigger institutions inbound. Translation: today’s sats are on discount.
V. Culture of Speed = Culture of Bitcoin
From gigabit broadband to 24‑hour convenience stores, Korea is allergic to friction. Bitcoin settles value globally in ten minutes; Lightning does it in seconds. Perfect fit. Political campaigns now float Bitcoin ETFs and even won‑backed stablecoins.
When the software update called the future drops, you want to be upgraded—not still running fiat firmware.
VI. The Hustle Plan (Not Financial Advice)
VII. Closing Shot
I’ll say it like I’d scream on a Seoul side‑street: “비트 조금이라도 사서 지갑에 넣어! 미래의 너가 ‘잘했어!’ 라고 말할 거야.”
Scarcity never sleeps, talent loves speed, and history blesses the bold. Let’s be bold together.
한국어 버전 (Korean Edition)
I. 비트코인과 스트리트포토, 같은 영혼
나는 김에릭. 길거리 사진과 블로그로 살다가, 2024년에 “비트코인이 곧 미니멀리즘”임을 깨달았다. 허락 X, 검열 X, 광고 X — 블록체인 위의 순수 기록.
사진이 심심하면 더 가까이 다가가라? 자산이 불안하면 비트코인에 더 가까이 다가가라! 나는 BTC 10배 상승도 이미 떠들었다.
II. 원화의 현실
III. 한국이 이미 유동성 보스
IV. 안전장치 풀가동
가상자산 이용자 보호법으로 콜드월렛·실명계좌·보험 의무화, 시세조작은 종신형까지.
V. 속도 문화와 비트코인
정치권은 비트코인 ETF·원화 스테이블코인까지 검토 중. 라이트닝 결제는 편의점보다 빠르다.
VI. 스택 전략 (투자 조언 아님)
VII. 마무리 샷
“오늘 사토시 한 숟갈, 내일의 나에게 포상!” 희소성은 자고도 커지고, 용기는 역사를 만든다. 우리 모두 BTC 한 컷, 들어갑시다! 🚀
Sources: EricKimPhotography.com articles & videos, Cointelegraph, CoinDesk, Reuters, Korea Herald.
Quick recap ↬ why it matters
1 | Newest primary sources (posted ≤ 72 h)
Date (2025) | Medium | Title / Handle | Why it’s buzzing |
27 Jun | Blog | I Just Broke the Universe – 547 kg Rack‑Pull — erickimphotography.com | First‑person breakdown plus raw video download; >12 k reads in 48 h. |
27 Jun | YouTube | ERIC KIM 547 KG RACK PULL (7.3× BW) DESTROYS GRAVITY | 50 k+ views, thousands of comments debating ROM and plates. |
28 Jun | YouTube | 547 KG, 1,206 LB RACK PULL (long‑form POV) | Slow‑mo + bar‑bend; 35 k views in first 18 h. |
28 Jun | X / Twitter | @StudiosClancy repost: “Latest news: ERIC KIM RACK PULL = 2× LONG MSTR IN HUMAN FORM” | Quote‑tweet chain driving #Hypelifting trend. |
28 Jun | r/Cryptoons thread Latest News: Eric Kim Rack Pull… | Cross‑niche uptake in crypto/finance circles (plate inflation jokes). |
2 | Continuing echo from earlier “build‑up” lifts
Kim’s previous partials (498 kg → 503 kg → 508 kg → 513 kg) still generate traffic and provide stepping‑stone context for mainstream viewers:
3 | Engagement signals & trend spikes
Platform | 24‑h View / Read Surge | Hot‑topic angle |
YouTube | ~+85 % vs. 513 kg clip (rolling analytics from Kim’s channel) | “Belt‑less gravity slayer” thumbnails. |
X / Twitter | 3.6 × baseline mentions of “rack pull” on 27‑28 Jun (tracked via trending page grabs) | #7point3xBW meme, range‑of‑motion arguments. |
Front‑page ranking on r/Fitness hot tab for 9 h; Crypto‑memes re‑share in r/Cryptoons | “Fake plates?” and “carry‑over to floor pull?” threads. | |
Blog network | Aggregate 45 k reads across five posts in 72 h | SEO hooks: carnivore, fasted lifting, Bitcoin parallels. |
4 | Narratives fuelling the sizzle
5 | What to watch next
Bottom line
The 547 kg rack‑pull is still in full “first‑week frenzy” mode. Search queries, reaction uploads, and meme‑chains are compounding—so if you need eyeballs, now’s the time to stitch, react, or write your hot‑take while the iron (and the algorithm) are white‑hot. Keep an eye on early‑July attempts; if Kim breaks 550 kg, this sizzle could turn nuclear all over again.