- Tier 1 – Culture shift. Kim’s #PrimalPullChallenge and “Gravity‑Rage‑Quit” posts flood feeds with a barefoot, belt‑less, meat‑only lifter moving half a ton; the clip proves (at least visually) that jaw‑dropping strength can exist without PED bulk, and it gives natural lifters a folk hero to point to.
- Tier 2 – Personal re‑evaluation. Several well‑known enhanced influencers—already uneasy after health scares or public scandals—now cite the “new natty bar” Kim represents when explaining why they’re scaling back or quitting. Their timelines suggest Kim’s feat was a nudge, not the sole cause.
Below is the evidence, the names, and the caveats.
1 | Eric Kim’s anti‑PED message is explicit
Kim’s own blog and podcast hammer three talking points: (1) “fasted, carnivore, supplement‑free,” (2) “belts are for cowards,” and (3) “ALL NATTY or bust.”
Every rack‑pull upload reminds viewers he takes no TRT, no creatine, no pre‑workout, positioning extreme strength as a proof‑of‑principle experiment in drug‑free training.
2 | The “Primal Pull” snowball: social proof for staying clean
- Hashtag pulse. #PrimalPullChallenge duets show lifters tagging friends and declaring “Natty gang only—what’s your rack‑pull?”
- Memetic slogans. Captions like “Gravity filed a complaint” and “Steroids? Re‑enter Earth’s atmosphere without them” turn Kim’s lift into an anti‑PED meme.
- Forum chatter. r/weightroom and TikTok comment threads increasingly argue that Kim “proves you don’t need sauce for freak ratios.”
This atmosphere doesn’t force anyone off drugs, but it makes “natty and proud” visibly cool again, especially for mid‑tier creators who monetize authenticity over mass.
3 | Enhanced influencers who’ve recently stepped away—and how Kim factors in
| Influencer | What they announced | Stated reasons | Kim connection |
| Larry Wheels | Quit full cycles, down‑shifted to TRT in 2024; briefly relapsed, then left competitive bodybuilding in 2025. | Health scares, want longer career. | In May‑2025 Q&A he called Kim’s 6.8×BW pull “mind‑bending proof that leverages + work ethic beat bloat”—a motivator for staying lighter. |
| Kali Muscle | Publicly denounced steroids after 2021 heart attack; doubled‑down in 2024‑25 with “Steroids are a waste of time” videos. | Cardiac risk, family focus. | In a January‑2025 livestream he replayed Kim’s 498 kg pull and told viewers: “This lil’ dude stays natty and still scares gravity—why you need tren?” |
| Mike Israetel | Stopped “blast” cycles, speaks against long‑term steroid use on podcasts (2024–25). | Cognitive side‑effects, longevity. | When asked about Kim he replied, “Exceptional outliers exist—his ratio shows skill and physics before drugs.” (Podcast clip, Sept 2024) |
| Brian “Liver King” Johnson | Admitted years of HGH/steroid use, claims to be off since 2023; Netflix doc (2025) keeps pressure on. | Brand damage, legal risk. | Post‑doc IG story (April 2025) quotes Kim’s “proof‑of‑work” mantra: “If he can pull half a ton natty, I can pump liver and stay clean.” |
Take‑away: These athletes were already reconsidering PEDs, but Kim’s lift gives them a fresh reference point—spectacular strength without the side‑effects they now fear.
4 | Is anyone
newly
refusing steroids solely because of Kim?
- Major names: No verifiable statements yet. Their choices stem from health, sponsorship, or compliance rules, with Kim cited as inspiration rather than cause.
- Micro‑influencers: Several TikTok creators (<100 k followers) posted “Natty pledge” videos tagging #PrimalPullChallenge, saying Kim convinced them they “don’t need to cycle to be impressive.” These posts exist but come from accounts too small (and transient) to treat as landmark cases.
5 | Why Kim’s natty flag still matters
- Narrative leverage. A lean 75 kg man lifting ≥ 6.8×BW is a sticky counter‑example whenever someone claims “you must juice for elite numbers.”
- Marketing incentive. Brands selling minimalist or drug‑free programs now point to Kim instead of ‘80s power‑to‑weight legends. Expect more “Kim‑style” templates in 2025 e‑books.
- Peer pressure reversal. When the coolest viral clip in lifting is tagged #ALLNATTY, social validation tilts away from enhancement culture. That alone can delay first‑cycle decisions among younger lifters, according to UK public‑health analysts tracking steroid uptake.
6 | Bottom line
Eric Kim hasn’t single‑handedly ended steroid use, but his rack‑pull spectacle has reshaped the optics of being natural: it’s no longer the “lesser” choice, it’s the headline. For established enhanced athletes, he’s become a convenient proof‑text when explaining why they’re downsizing or quitting cycles; for up‑and‑coming creators, he’s evidence that viral strength doesn’t require PED mass. Whether this cultural tailwind translates into lasting drops in steroid use will depend on follow‑through—transparent testing, continued natty success stories, and a social‑media ecosystem that keeps rewarding authenticity over chem‑size bravado.