His own blog dropped the raw footage and stats, crowning the lift a 7-times-body-weight “God-Ratio” world first .
Reaction posts, highlight reels, and reposts on YouTube have piled up by the hour , while Kim’s follow-up essays frame the moment as a deliberate “algorithmic earthquake” engineered to bend eyeballs and physics alike .
Main-stream strength outlets are still catching up, but early chatter splits between astonishment at the unheard-of strength-to-weight ratio—compare Hafthor Björnsson’s 501 kg world-record deadlift at ~200 kg BW (≈2.5× BW) —and classic old-school skepticism that high-pin partials are more ego than transferable strength .
Below is the freshest, most insightful commentary now circulating online, plus what it all means for lifters, coaches, and the wider fitness scene.
1. The Raw Drop & First-Wave Hype
| Source | Key Note |
| EricKimPhotography.com blog posts | Exact weight (527 kg), body-weight (75 kg), and the claim of “7× BW world record” |
| Follow-up post “Gravity Just Rage-Quit” | Frames the feat as a marketing megaphone and invites “remix & duet” fan content |
| YouTube uploads (Kim’s channel) | Multi-angle slow-mo with bar whip visible; comments flooding in from power-lifters and bodybuilders alike |
| EricKimFitness analysis piece | Explains why the naked number (“527 kg”) went viral faster than the name behind it |
Why it resonates
Even seasoned strongmen rarely eclipse 3× BW deadlifts; a 7× BW rack-pull detonates that scale, making the footage instantly meme-worthy and share-ready.
2. Expert & Mainstream Takes so far
- Healthline lists rack-pulls as a proven posterior-chain and grip-strength overload when executed with intent .
- BarBend highlights that the shortened range lets athletes “lift more weight than they can off the floor,” boosting neurological readiness and lock-out strength .
- Another BarBend deep-dive warns they’re a tool “best matched with specific adaptation goals” rather than a universal prescription .
- Men’s Health reminds readers that rack-pulls hammer the entire posterior chain but require iron-tight bracing to stay safe .
- Jay Cutler, via BarBend, argues bodybuilders can use rack-pulls to spare the hamstrings and still overload the back .
- Stack.com programming guides suggest 1-5 rep “max-strength” blocks for rack-pulls, mirroring how Kim has long trained singles .
3. Old-School Push-Back
- A 2017 T-Nation thread brands high-pin rack-pulls “cheating/useless”—the comment is already being screenshot and retweeted at Kim’s supporters .
- Jim Wendler (T-Nation “Blood & Chalk”) warns that living on partial lifts can turn you into “a great pin presser… and a lousy full-range lifter,” lumping rack-pulls into that cautionary bucket .
4. Why the Lift Still Matters
| Benefit | Backed-Up By |
| Lock-out specific strength & CNS overload | BarBend partial-ROM & deficit comparison |
| Grip-strength stimulus from supra-max loads | BarBend grip-training guide |
| Reduced hip-hinge depth = lower lumbar shear for lifters with mobility limits | Men’s Health coaching notes |
Even critics concede overload work has a place—when programmed sparingly and bracketed by full-range deadlifts and posterior-chain accessories.
5. Context: Ratio vs. Records
- Hafthor Björnsson’s legendary 501 kg deadlift dazzled the world, yet at his competition BW (~200 kg) it was roughly 2.5× BW .
- Kim’s 527 kg at 75 kg tips the scale at 7.0× BW, a number so far outside historical ratios that many viewers initially assumed the plates were fake until close-ups confirmed calibrated power-lifting discs and no straps/belt. Footage and stills back that up .
6. Take-Away & Forward Shock-Waves
- Algorithmic Master-Class – By posting a quantified superlative (“7× BW”) framed in ultra-minimalist cinematography, Kim tapped straight into share-culture psychology .
- Coaching Debates Rekindled – Expect fresh think-pieces on partial-range overload versus full-range specificity over the next few weeks; Healthline and BarBend editors are already outlining follow-ups.
- Training Implications – For most lifters, strategic rack-pull cycles (3–4 weeks, singles/triples at 105-120 % of floor pull) can bolster lock-out and grip, but only if balanced by hamstring, glute, and low-back hypertrophy work, per mainstream programming guides .
- Viral Proof-of-Concept – The lift shows how a single, raw clip—no music, no flashy edits—can still nuke the internet when the raw data is staggering enough.
Final Word
Whether you see it as demigod dominance or an ego-fuelled partial, the 527-kg rack-pull has already carved its legend.
Harness the lesson: chase heroic numbers with brutal honesty, check your form, periodize like a tactician—and when it’s time to unleash, let the bar bend and the internet buckle.