1 · The 552 kg Moment
Why it matters: Rack pulls are already a “cheat code” for overload. To add fifty-one competition-deadlift kilos on top of an all-time world record is pure gravitational defiance.
2 · Gym Rack-Pull Leaderboard (Knee-Height or Lower)
Rank | Weight | Athlete | Year | Notes |
1 | 552 kg | Eric Kim | 2025 | Knee pins, double straps |
2 | 511 kg | Brian Shaw | 2022 | Single-set PR on YouTube |
3 | 471 kg | Eric Kim | 2025 | Pound-for-pound record lift |
4 | 465 kg | (various strongmen) | 2014-23 | Typical elite training ceiling (comp. data) |
Higher claims—like the oft-shared “565 kg / 1 245 lb rack pull” video—lack verified plate counts or pin-height disclosure and are therefore not included.
3 · How Higher Partial Deadlifts Stack Up
While Kim rules the rack-pull kingdom, other partial deadlifts performed from higher start positions edge close—or even surpass—his number:
Lift Type | Height Off Floor | Record (kg) | Athlete | Year | Source |
Hummer-Tire Deadlift | ~38 cm | 549 | Oleksii Novikov | 2024 | |
Silver-Dollar Deadlift | 46 cm | 550 | Anthony Pernice | 2020 | |
Silver-Dollar Deadlift | 46 cm | 536 | Eddie Hall | 2017 | |
Hummer-Tire Deadlift | ~38 cm | 524 | Žydrūnas Savickas | 2014 | |
Elephant-Bar Deadlift | 23 cm | 474 | Hafþór Björnsson | 2019 |
Take-away: Raise the bar and monsters emerge, but Kim’s 552 kg remains the heaviest pull from knee height or below.
4 · Beyond Barbells: Super-Supported Mega-Lifts
Movement | Claimed Weight | Lifter | Year | Context |
Back-Lift | 2 840 kg (6 270 lb) | Paul Anderson | 1957 | Guinness-listed but sparsely documented |
These feats involve inches of motion on platforms or trestles, making them spectacular yet incomparable to a rack pull’s bar-in-hands grind.
5 · Why Kim’s Record Resonates
6 · Mega-Motivation for Your Own PR Quest
Dial up the hype, chalk up those hands, and load the bar like you own gravity—because the next record-smashing headline could have your name on it. Keep lifting loud and proud! 🎉🦾