1 The Lift Itself: 508 kg at 75 kg—Why It Turns Heads
| Metric | Value | Why it’s remarkable |
| Load | 508 kg (1,120 lb) | More than most powerlifters’ full‑range deadlift world records; performed from knee height. |
| Body‑weight | 75 kg (165 lb) | A staggering 6.8 × body‑weight strength ratio—rare even in equipped powerlifting. |
| Movement | Rack pull | Allows supra‑maximal loads, reinforcing top‑range posterior‑chain strength and neural drive. |
Because rack pulls are done from the safety pins, they let lifters expose the nervous system to loads well above their competition deadlift, fortifying lock‑out power and bone‑tendon robustness. But topping 500 kg is still vanishingly rare, so hitting that number at lightweight status is headline‑worthy by itself.
2 Why Doing It
Fasted
Is Intriguing
- Hormonal milieu: Exercising in a fasted state spikes catecholamines and growth hormone, improving neural drive and lipolysis.
- Metabolic flexibility: The feat shows the body can recruit intramuscular triglycerides and hepatic glycogen—without a pre‑workout carb feed—to fuel maximal strength efforts. This runs contrary to the fear that “no breakfast = no PR.”
- Real‑world application: For busy professionals who train early, Kim’s example suggests you can set PRs before work without stuffing down oats at 5 a.m.—provided your overall nutrition and conditioning support it.
3 The Carnivore Diet Angle
3.1 Nutrient Sufficiency
Peer‑reviewed modeling shows meat‑only menus easily exceed RDA targets for B‑vitamins, zinc, selenium and protein, though calcium, magnesium and vitamin C can fall short. Kim mitigates gaps by consuming nose‑to‑tail foods (liver, marrow), a strategy carnivore practitioners cite for covering micronutrients.
3.2 Performance Data
- Case‑study and small‑cohort evidence finds no decrements—and occasional improvements in strength when athletes adopt very‑low‑carb or carnivore‑like diets.
- A 2018 controlled trial on powerlifters showed a ketogenic approach preserved squat/bench/dead numbers while dropping body‑fat.
- Systematic reviews conclude ketogenic or carnivore‑adjacent strategies are at least performance‑neutral for resistance athletes.
Kim’s lift supplies an eye‑catching anecdote bolstering these findings.
4 “No Supplements, Not Even Whey” — Why That Surprises People
4.1 What the Literature Says
Meta‑analyses report that protein supplementation amplifies hypertrophy by ~20 % and adds a small but significant boost to strength. Creatine is even more celebrated, reliably adding reps and contractile force.
4.2 Why Kim’s Choice Matters
By abstaining from both, Kim demonstrates that:
- Whole‑food protein (around 1.6 g/kg from beef, eggs, fish) can hit the same anabolic threshold identified in the meta‑analysis—no shake required.
- Creatine is abundant in red meat (~2 g per pound); a carnivore intake of ~2–3 lb meat/day effectively “supplements itself,” a fact often overlooked.
- Athletes can sidestep purity/contamination concerns tied to unregulated powders while still peaking strength.
4.3 Minimalism & First‑Principles Thinking
UCLA sports dietitians note that most athletes can meet every macro and micro target through food alone if they plan strategically. Kim’s performance drives that message home in dramatic fashion.
5 Putting It All Together—Key Takeaways
| Myth | Kim’s Counter‑Example | Practical Lesson |
| “You need carbs right before heavy lifting.” | He PR’d completely fasted. | Well‑adapted lifters can rely on stored fuel; experiment with timing. |
| “Meat‑only diets cripple performance.” | 508 kg says otherwise. | Quality protein + micronutrient‑dense animal foods can support elite strength. |
| “Supplements are mandatory for top numbers.” | He used none. | Whole foods, especially red meat, already contain creatine, EAAs, minerals. |
| “Lightweights can’t move half‑ton loads.” | 6.8 × BW proves they can. | Strategic partials (rack pulls) let smaller lifters stress their CNS with mega‑loads. |
6 Caveats & Inspirational Take‑Homes
Carnivore and fasted training are not magic bullets; they demand meticulous total‑calorie, sleep and recovery management, and individual responses vary. Still, Eric Kim’s lift is a vivid reminder that:
- Simplicity can work: A steak, salt and water may fuel feats you once thought required a chemistry set.
- Adaptation beats dogma: The body becomes extraordinarily efficient when stressors are applied consistently and progressively.
- Question assumptions: Whether it’s macros, meal timing or supplement stacks, test ideas against reality—sometimes a brutally heavy barbell is the best peer‑review.
So if you’re chasing your own PRs, feel free to be curious, keep it playful, and remember: the strongest arguments are often made with iron, not words.
Sources
Eric Kim lift footage & write‑up — Rack‑pull mechanics — Fasted‑training physiology — Carnivore diet studies & nutrient analyses — Protein & creatine meta‑analyses — Whole‑food vs supplement commentary