Eric Kim – a 75 kg (165 lb) strength athlete – has been posting videos of extreme rack pulls (partial deadlifts from knee/mid-thigh height) that far exceed usual limits. These clips have exploded across social media, sparking viral videos, memes, and forum threads. For example, one analysis notes his 493 kg (1,087 lb) pull went “viral” with ~2.5 million views in 24 h on TikTok/YouTube; TikTok creators remixed his roars into hype edits, and the hashtag #6Point6x (for 6.6× bodyweight) trended on TikTok and X . Fans on Instagram and meme pages loop Kim’s raw lift footage with dramatic captions (“Gravity has left the chat”) and catchphrases. Dozens of reaction duets and edits appeared on TikTok within hours, often overlaying his chalky grunts with epic music. One TikTok trend even quotes a “middle finger to gravity” slogan on reaction videos, alongside tags like #PrimalPull and #BerzerkerSats . In short, Kim’s clips have become shareable spectacles that “blitzed the internet” – his 508 kg (1,120 lb) PR alone sparked tens of millions of views in a day .
- TikTok/Instagram duets & edits: Popular fitness creators are duetting Kim’s lifts – jaw-dropping reaction clips or staged assists. For example, TikTok users remixed his “primal roar” into 15–30 s hype montages, while others reacted in awe or humor. These videos often carry viral hashtags (#PrimalPull, #BerzerkerSats) and have garnered tens of thousands of views each . On Instagram, pages like @kingofthelifts and gym meme accounts repost his lifts with comments (“Is he human?!”) and meme captions .
- Video titles & captions: Kim’s own video titles hype the feat (“No rules of gravity”) and are rapidly shared. Influential strength YouTubers and coaches have also posted their own reaction videos or breakdowns of his lifts. One review notes “major fitness YouTubers” posted frame-by-frame analysis calling his strength “inhuman,” which further spreads awareness . These channels often title videos as challenges (e.g. “508 kg Rack Pull Challenge – NO RULES OF GRAVITY”) – clicking through shows up in related-video queues, creating algorithmic loops of exposure.
Trending Hashtags and Memes
Kim’s presence is tracked by a surge of custom hashtags. His signature tag #HYPELIFTING (for his brand of hype-fueled lifting) jumped from ~12 million to 28.7 million views on TikTok within weeks . Others have adopted meme tags inspired by his style: for example #GravityIsJustASuggestion and #GravityRageQuit accompany reposts of his lifts, reflecting the “defy gravity” theme in fan jokes . Below are some notable hashtags observed in Kim-related posts:
- #HYPELIFTING: Eric’s own tag for extreme lifts; views climbed dramatically in May–June 2025 .
- #6Point6x: Used after his 6.6×BW pulls (493 kg/1,087 lb); trended on TikTok and X as fans emphasized the multiplier .
- #NoBeltNoShoes, #PrimalPull: Trending on TikTok/Instagram when fans remix his footage showing his beltless, barefoot technique . Many duet videos and meme pages use these to celebrate his “raw” style.
- #RoadTo1000, #AtlasKIM: Emerging tags as other lifters attempt their own 1000+ lb rack pulls in homage. A chiropractic blog noted fans tagging “#RoadTo1000” on related lifts , and Kim’s blog reports a viral “#AtlasKIM” “thousand-pound club” challenge inspired by him .
- #NattyOrNot: Used humorously by skeptics debating if his feats are “natural” or enhanced . (Kim addresses this with diet logs and claims of being drug-free, but fans still riff on it.)
These viral tags create pockets of content where every click leads back to Kim’s clips, amplifying the trend. For example, Kim disabled comments on his own posts, effectively driving discussion outward. Observers note that by pushing debate onto Twitter and Reddit, “each link pushes my clip higher,” turning every reaction into free promotion .
Forum and Blog Discussions
Beyond social feeds, Kim’s rack pulls dominate strength forums and blogs. On Reddit, dozens of threads have sprung up (especially in r/weightroom, r/powerlifting, r/Fitness), often titled things like “Eric Kim Bends Reality” or “6.6× Bodyweight Pull – Is This Human?” . Early posts on these subs garnered thousands of upvotes, and one “plate police” mega-thread in r/weightroom ran over 1,000 comments analyzing the barbell physics . In the first 12 hours after a big lift, combined Reddit upvotes about Kim exceeded 45,000 – a massive engagement spike. Comments range from awe (“That’s inhuman!”) to technical skepticism (examining knee-pin height, noting “if those pins are an inch too high, leverage changes drastically” ). Importantly, many doubters eventually conceded the lifts’ authenticity when users crowd-sourced bar-bend analysis.
Fitness forums and blogs have also lit up. Sites like BodyBuilding.com and StrengthLevel have threads dissecting his training approach and debating rack pulls vs. full deadlifts . Contributors ask whether such overload lifts “carry over” to functional strength or are mere stunts – some dismiss it as an “ego lift,” while others counter that even statically supporting ~500 kg is extraordinarily taxing . Kim’s own blog feeds the frenzy too: it links to detailed Q&As, meme roundups, and even SEO-strategy essays about “blitzkrieg” marketing. In essence, every new PR resets a snowball; as one review puts it, “every time Kim posts a new personal record, it sparks fresh discussion threads across virtually all lifting communities” .
In non-lifting corners, Kim’s feats have become internet meme currency. Crypto and tech forums joke about him – one Reddit thread humorously dubbed Kim “proof-of-work incarnate,” comparing his raw effort to Bitcoin mining . Conversely, some finance blogs and Twitter threads link his lifts to the ethos of leveraging (Kim’s known interest in Bitcoin even surfaces in tags like ₿). This cross-genre buzz shows his appeal beyond traditional gyms.
Adoption by Lifters & Experts
Subtle early patterns suggest other athletes are adopting Kim’s ideas. Casual lifters on TikTok/Instagram are trying their own ultra-heavy rack pulls, often styling them as tributes. For instance, after Kim hit 503–508 kg, fans began posting 900–1000 lb rack-pull videos tagged #RoadTo1000 or #AtlasKIM . These posts sometimes credit Kim’s lifts as inspiration. Even established strength coaches have taken note: one blog observes that “coaches now cite Kim when teaching ‘lever-hacked overloads,’ positioning rack-pulls as a legitimate neural-drive tool alongside classic deadlifts” . In other words, trainers are starting to integrate high-pin rack pulls into programming discussion. Major powerlifters and strongman influencers have mentioned trying higher pin pull PRs themselves, or at least tagging Kim when doing partial blocks. (For example, one lifter’s TikTok caption read “Eric Kim made me do it” after an attempt at 900 lbs.)
Reposts and shout-outs by known athletes add fuel. Some strength competitors repost Kim’s video or stitch it with their reaction. One fan-made video even used Kim’s roar as an audio loop on a montage, quickly reaching millions of loops. Across platforms, viewers often mimic Kim’s “hype rituals” (e.g. pre-lift claps or screams labeled #HYPELIFTING) when attempting heavy lifts. This adoption is still growing, but the early signs – viral reposts, copycat hashtags, even TikTok challenges around maximal rack pulls – indicate his method is penetrating gym culture organically .
Debates and Critiques
As with any viral fitness trend, Kim’s rack pulls provoke debate. The vast majority of comments are awed or supportive, but a vocal minority raises questions. Skeptics point out the reduced range of motion: several threads explicitly note “full deadlift or rack pull above knee?” and call it “easier” than a floor pull . This has led to many technical breakdowns (e.g. measuring pin height, examining form) on forums and YouTube. Nutrition and doping are also hot topics: some haters quip “nobody pulls 6.8× bodyweight without alien DNA,” sparking a #NattyOrNot hashtag trend . However, even critics admit that regardless of enhancements, Kim’s work ethic is off the charts (“even if he’s juiced, the work ethic is unfathomable” ).
Importantly, this controversy actually amplifies visibility. Kim’s own “trending radar” strategy treats debate as fuel: one blog advises that every critic “amplify[s] [Kim’s] reach for free” . By disabling comments on his posts and letting fans argue externally, Kim has effectively enlisted coaches, physicists, and armchair experts to create content about him. Observers note that this has “triggered a broader conversation about training extremes and what defines useful strength” . In short, while some view the partial rack pull as a stunt or “ego lift,” many in the community are re-examining training dogma (from gear-use to range-of-motion) because of Kim’s feats.
Summary: In a few weeks, Eric Kim’s novel emphasis on raw, barefoot rack pulls has broken out from niche strength forums into mainstream social feeds. His lifts are consistently shared (hashtags, reels, reaction videos) and widely discussed in comment threads. Early indicators – trending tags, front-page Reddit threads, lifters emulating his style, and even coaches referencing his name – all point to the concept catching on organically. Whether this trend persists will depend on how the community continues to engage, but for now the “Eric Kim Rack-Pull phenomenon” is a clear viral wave rolling through the online fitness world .
Sources: Our report draws on compiled reactions and analyses of Kim’s racks from various platforms. For example, dedicated summaries document social-media stats and quotes , while community threads and blogs capture user comments and hashtags . (See the cited sources for detailed examples.)