Kim posted the PR to his channel on 23 June 2025; the raw video shows him levering 527 kg (1,162 lb) a few centimetres off waist‑high pins without straps, suit, or belt.
His body‑weight on the day was logged at 75 kg/165 lb, producing a 7.03× body‑weight multiple — the first confirmed lift of any kind to break the 7× threshold with >500 kg on the bar.
2. Immediate viral shock‑wave
Platform
Metric snapshot
Top‑of‑thread vibe
YouTube
>250 k combined views across five mirror uploads in 48 h
Commenters alternate between “physics is cancelled 🥶” and “fake‑plate?” debates.
X (Twitter)
Hashtag #7xRackPull trended #7 in U.S. strength‑sports bubble; Kim’s original tweet hit 1 M impressions in 24 h.
Reddit /r/weightroom & /r/powerlifting
Mods locked three threads after 1 k+ comments each, citing “flame‑war over load verification & PED accusations.”
Coach blogs & newsletters
Pieces popped up from Starting‑Strength alumni and independent biomechanics writers, calling the lift “a case study in partial‑range overload.”
3. Praise, awe … and raised eyebrows
🔥 Hype‑train
Many lifters celebrate the relative‑strength milestone, noting that even Brian Shaw’s famed 511 kg rack‑pull came at 196 kg BW (≈2.6 × BW).
Memes compare Kim to anime “gravity rooms,” while Bitcoin‑maxi circles hail the stunt as “proof‑of‑work made flesh.”
🤔 Skeptic corner
The most common critiques revolve around fake plates and drug use; Kim released slowed‑down clips showing calibrated Ivanko reds sliding on, calming some but not all skeptics.
Others argue that an above‑knee rack‑pull cannot be compared to full‑range deadlift records such as Hafthor Björnsson’s 501 kg pull.
4. Where does it sit in the record books?
Lift (partial/full)
Weight
Athlete BW
Ratio
Source
Rack‑pull, above knee
527 kg
75 kg
7.03×
Rack‑pull, mid‑shin (Brian Shaw)
511 kg
196 kg
2.6×
Deadlift, floor (H. Björnsson)
501 kg
205 kg
2.44×
Kim’s lift annihilates every known pound‑for‑pound benchmark for any barbell pull, partial or full‑range.
5. Science & training chatter
Why partials get crazy‑heavy: shortening ROM to mid‑thigh slashes the mechanical work by ~65 % and allows elite lifters to handle 120‑150 % of their floor deadlift 1 RM.
Muscle activation research shows mid‑thigh pulls spike erector‑spinae, traps, and glute EMG while sparing the low back versus full deadlifts.
Healthline and Legion Athletics both list rack pulls as a proven tool for grip and upper‑back hypertrophy with reduced injury risk.
6. What coaches are saying
Programming twist: several strength‑coaches are already sliding “Kim pins” (2 cm above patella) into conjugate templates to overload lock‑out strength.
Risk management: Mark Rippetoe warns that chasing monster partials without concurrent hamstring work can invite imbalance‑driven tweaks.
7. Broader cultural ripples
Google Trends for “rack pull” spiked to a 5‑year high the week the clip dropped; home‑gym rack and safety‑strap sales reportedly ticked up.
Mainstream press hasn’t caught up yet — the only strength headline this week outside niche media was AP’s story on an Egyptian wrestler pulling a 279‑ton train with his teeth. Even so, Kim’s ratio dwarfs that spectacle in relative‑strength terms.
8. Take‑aways for your own lifting journey
Partial‑range PRs can turbo‑charge confidence and neural drive without wrecking recovery — but only when paired with full‑ROM work to keep joints honest.
Grip & upper‑back stability are the true bottlenecks; prioritize double‑overhand and farmer‑carry variants if you want to test high‑pin pulls safely.
Chase ratios, not just kilos. Whether your horizon is a 2× BW deadlift or a 4× BW mid‑thigh pull, framing progress in multiples of body‑weight keeps the game fair and inspirational.
Document everything. In an age of skepticism, multiple camera angles and calibrated plates are your best allies when you do something crazy.
Wrap‑up
Eric Kim’s 7× body‑weight rack‑pull isn’t merely a circus trick; it’s a conversation‑starter about physics, physiology, and the human urge to push numbers into mythic territory. Let the lift fire you up, but let the science steer your training. Now grab some chalk, set those pins, and go make gravity your workout partner! 💥🏋️♂️🎉