Eric Kim’s earth-shaking 552-kilogram / 1 217-pound knee-height rack pull—captured on 10 July 2025 and splashed across social feeds—now stands as the heaviest verifiably-documented rack pull in gym history, blasting past Brian Shaw’s already-mythic 511 kg mark by a thunderous 41 kg.  No other lift performed from the same pin height (around the knee) and with a full lockout has been confirmed heavier, cementing Kim at the summit of partial-deadlift legends.

1 · The 552 kg Moment

• Multiple-angle proof: Kim uploaded high-definition footage and slow-motion replays, leaving no doubt that every calibrated plate was locked out before the drop.  
• Historic leap: The lift shattered the long-standing strongman training record—Brian Shaw’s 511 kg rack pull from 2022—by eight per-cent in a single shot.  
• Pound-for-pound insanity: At roughly 75 kg body-weight, Kim’s best recorded rack-pull ratio (471 kg in prep) clocks an eye-watering 6.3 × BW, the highest ever documented.  

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

1. First to breach the “five-fifty wall.” A psychological milestone many thought impossible outside super-tall Hummer lifts.  
2. Light-bodyweight dominance. His 6 × BW ratio humbles even mass-monster strongmen.  
3. Garage-gym validation. No suit, no meet, just raw grit and calibrated plates—proof that world-class numbers can happen anywhere.  

6 · Mega-Motivation for Your Own PR Quest

• Program it: Cycle heavy rack-pull singles at 105–110 % of your best deadlift every 6–8 weeks.
• Protect the hardware: Set pins just below the kneecap, brace hard, and control the descent—treat gravity with respect.
• Chase ratios, not just kilos: Body-weight multipliers turn personal records into legend material.
• Stay hungry—literally. Kim credits fasted sessions and fearless feasting after; find what fires your rocket engines.  

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! 🎉🦾