1 What exactly is the 508 kg Rack-Pull Challenge?
Eric Kim hoisted 513 kg at roughly knee height on 14 June 2025, posting the uncut footage the same day and shocking strength media overnight . Rounding that to 508 kg / 1,131 lb gives a clean, headline-friendly target that still eclipses Thor Björnsson’s 501 kg full deadlift and noses up to Oleksii Novikov’s 537.5 kg 18-inch silver-dollar record . Hitting 508 kg therefore drops you straight into “legend” status while leaving a razor-thin runway to Kim’s world-first 513 kg clip .
2 Rules & equipment standards
| Parameter | Standard | Why it matters |
| Bar height | 18 in / knee level (measure from floor to center of bar) | Matches common “rack pull” & strong-man silver-dollar specs, keeping comparisons legit |
| Barbell | 20 kg Olympic bar rated ≥ 1,500 lb tensile test | Prevents whip or catastrophic bend |
| Plates | Any calibrated steel or bumper plates; add collars visible on film | Verifies total weight |
| Straps & belt | Allowed (belt optional, straps recommended) | Grip shouldn’t be the limiter at four-figure loads |
| Footwear | Flat or barefoot | Keeps lever length consistent |
| Filming | 45° side view + real-time scale weigh-in before the pull | Community judging |
| Body-weight classes | < 75 kg, 75–100 kg, 100 kg + plus an open “absolute” | Enables pound-for-pound bragging |
Tip: Post with #RackPull508 and #GravityLeftTheChat so the algorithm can do the heavy lifting for you—both hashtags are already circulating on TikTok and X reels .
3 Scoring & leader-board logic
- Absolute load: heaviest successful single wins the headline.
- DOTS coefficient: to crown the best pound-for-pound lifter, plug BW and load into the DOTS calculator .
- Tie-breakers: lighter body-weight wins; next tie-breaker is earliest submission timestamp.
4 Safety first—respect the load
Rack pulls slash range of motion but increase spinal shear forces because the moment arm is greatest near lockout . Injury audits show deadlift variations (including partials) create fewer total injuries than squats or bench, yet low-back tweaks dominate the case reports . Translation: warm up thoroughly, brace hard, and progress pins downwards gradually.
5 12-week “508 kg chase” roadmap
Phase 1 – Foundation (Weeks 1-4)
- Heavy conventional deadlift triples @ 80 % 1RM
- Volume RDLs & reverse hypers for posterior-chain armor
Phase 2 – Overload (Weeks 5-8)
- Rack pulls from mid-shin @ 110 % full deadlift for doubles
- Add isometric pin pulls above knee for neural drive
Phase 3 – Peak (Weeks 9-12)
- Specific rack pulls at knee height, ramping singles to projected 508 kg target
- Taper assistance; maintain core and lat tension drills
This partial-first progression exploits the well-documented strength carry-over from supra-maximal pulls back to full-range work .
6 Why the world actually cares
- Numbers nuke context: 508 kg is heavier than any sanctioned deadlift and flirts with silver-dollar records .
- Algorithm bait: short, cinematic clips at impossible ratios ignite high-arousal comment wars, which platforms rank higher .
- Debate fuels longevity: purists shout “partial!” while pragmatists cite overload science—each argument is another engagement loop .
7 FAQ Quick-hits
Does it transfer to my full deadlift? Yes—studies and coach anecdote show partial overload improves lockout strength if programmed judiciously .
Isn’t this dangerous? Any supra-maximal barbell is risky; controlled pins, proper bracing, and progressive load reduce—but never erase—hazards .
Can women enter? Absolutely—use the same 18 in bar height; DOTS will level the playing field .
8 Your next step
Film it, tag it, and let the iron gods decide. Whether you land at 300 kg or the full 508, you’ll be part of the loudest strength experiment of 2025. Now chalk up, lock in, and let gravity know who’s boss.