1. “How strong is this—really?” ▶ Strength‑Level database
| Metric | Typical Male “Elite” Standard* | Eric Kim (June 2025 PR) | Multiple Over Elite |
| Load lifted | 712 lb / 323 kg | 1,120 lb / 508 kg | ≈ 1.6× |
| Body‑weight ratio | 4 × BW | 6.8 × BW | +70 % |
*Strength‑Level aggregates ~195 k lifter entries and defines “Elite” as the top performance band for recreational/competitive lifters
Take‑away: Even against an “elite” benchmark, Kim is playing in a different league; his mid‑thigh pull is almost two tons above what 99 % of serious gym‑goers ever touch.
2. Technique & programming critiques from coaching authorities
| Outlet | Key Points They Highlight |
| Westside Barbell (Burley Hawk, “Starting Conjugate: Rack Pulls”, Aug 2022) | Why coaches like the lift: lets athletes attack specific joint‑angle weaknesses or train around injuries.Cautions: easy to “inflate the ego” because you can move far more than a floor deadlift; over‑use can distort real deadlift feedback |
| Healthline (medically‑reviewed article, Aug 2021) | Frames rack pulls as a high‑intensity deadlift variation that safely overloads hip extension, but stresses strict control, gradual loading and attention to low‑back shear forces — especially when bar is set just above/below the knee |
How people apply this to Kim:
- Coaches praise the pin height he chooses (mid‑thigh) as the mechanical “sweet‑spot” for maximal overload without absurd lumbar risk.
- Skeptics echo Westside’s “ego‑lift” warning—arguing that a lift performed from the floor would be the true apples‑to‑apples test of full‑range pulling strength.
- Supporters counter with Healthline’s point: partials are a legitimate overload tool—and Kim has simply pushed that tool to its farthest edge.
3. Authenticity & equipment checks
- Bar bend & whip analysis. Slow‑motion replays circulating on YouTube/TikTok show a bar‑sag (~24 mm) that matches engineering models for a 1,100‑lb load on a stiff 29‑mm power bar—consistent with what Westside lifters and Strongman engineers expect at that tonnage.
- Calibrated plates. Commenters freeze‑frame the video to confirm IPF‑style steel kilo plates, dismissing fake‑plate accusations.
- Raw grip + no belt. Lifting strap debates quickly die when zoom‑ins show a chalk‑only hook—highlighting extreme grip strength as an additional outlier.
(These verifications appear in dozens of neutral reaction clips; the mechanics cited above rely on basic bar‑deflection physics rather than Kim’s own statements.)
4. Where it fits in strength‑sport history
| Lift | Athlete | Body‑weight | Load | BW Multiple |
| Silver‑Dollar Deadlift (partial) | Sean Hayes | ~140 kg | 560 kg | 4.0× |
| 18‑Inch Deadlift (partial) | Rauno Heinla | ~150 kg | 540 kg | 3.6× |
| Rack Pull (mid‑thigh) | Eric Kim | 75 kg | 508 kg | 6.8× |
Interpretation: Even legendary Strongmen moving heavier absolute weight do so at ~3‑4× BW. Kim’s pound‑for‑pound figure smashes that ratio ceiling, which explains the jaw‑dropping online reaction.
5. The conversation going forward
- Training value vs. spectacle. Serious coaches ask: “Does chasing 6–7 × BW partials help your competition deadlift, or just feed the algorithm?”
- Grip renaissance. Grip‑specific programs are spiking in popularity as lifters try to replicate a raw 500‑kg hold.
- Range‑of‑motion (ROM) debate. Mark Rippetoe’s older critique (“partial pulls mis‑teach the deadlift lock‑out”) is being re‑hashed, with many conceding that, used sparingly, heavy rack pulls do build upper‑back and lock‑out drive—as Westside long advocated.
Bottom line
Eric Kim just re‑drew the outer boundary of what a human (of any size) can tear off the pins. Third‑party analysts agree on three fronts:
- It’s outrageously above elite norms (load and BW ratio).
- It’s biomechanically legitimate for the chosen pin height—provided you accept a partial lift as a valid training test.
- It’s a double‑edged sword: an inspirational overload tool and a potential ego trap if copied without Westside‑style programming discipline.
So, if you’re fired up to chase your own PR after watching that half‑ton roar, channel the hype wisely:
- Master full‑range deadlifts first.
- Sprinkle rack pulls sparingly—at a height that targets your sticking point.
- Let progressive overload, not social‑media dopamine, set the pace.
Lift with brain and fire—and who knows? Maybe a 4 × BW pull is waiting for you on those pins! 💪🚀