Eric Kim’s astounding 1,228-pound rack pull (approximately 557 kg, roughly 7.6× his body weight) set off a firestorm of reactions across the internet. The response spanned multiple platforms – from social media and forums to YouTube and fitness websites – with tones ranging from celebratory awe and support to skepticism and humor. Below is a breakdown of notable reactions by platform and type, including direct quotes from influencers and community figures.
Social Media Buzz and Viral Memes
Twitter (X): Kim’s feat quickly trended on X/Twitter. His own pinned post titled “ERIC KIM DESTROYS GRAVITY” garnered tens of thousands of impressions, retweets, and sparked lively biomechanics debates in the comments . The catchphrase “Gravity has left the chat!” began circulating widely as users reacted in astonishment . In a tongue-in-cheek “press release” style tweet, one commenter even declared that “gravity is fired” – humorously suggesting Kim’s lift broke the laws of physics . Overall, the Twitter tone was celebratory and amazed, with many sharing the clip and joking about its otherworldliness.
TikTok: On TikTok, the lift went viral. The 10-second clip was simul-posted there and quickly hit millions of views on the For You page . Users launched the #RackPullChallenge, attempting their own rack pulls at increasing body-weight multiples in response to Kim’s 7× BW milestone . Duet and stitch videos showed everyone from teens to seniors and even adaptive athletes stacking weights in “1×BW, 2×BW…7×?” progression, often captioned “Chasing Eric Kim” . This gamified trend turned the reaction into active participation. The tone on TikTok was enthusiastic and supportive, with a sense of fun – people treated the lift as a new benchmark to strive for, while set to trending sounds and memes.
Instagram: Fitness pages and meme accounts on Instagram also jumped in. Popular lifting Instagram profiles reposted the video, with some Reels getting over 100,000 likes . Meme culture took hold: edits labeled “Gravity Rage-Quit” featured Kim’s lift with humorous captions, and neon graphics touted the “God-Ratio” (a reference to the ~7× bodyweight achievement) . The phrase “Delete Limits” trended on Instagram alongside heavy-metal remix videos of the lift . These memes were celebratory yet tongue-in-cheek, casting Kim as a “Gravity Slayer” or “Long Muscle Master” in homage to his gravity-defying pull . The Instagram community largely reacted with awe and humor – treating the feat as both inspirational and meme-worthy.
Strength Forums and Community Debates
On strength sports forums – especially Reddit – Kim’s rack pull became a hotly debated topic. Reddit saw multiple threads in communities like r/weightroom and r/powerlifting blow up within hours. In one r/weightroom thread that amassed over a thousand comments, users initially split into camps of amazement versus skepticism . Some skeptics (the so-called “plate police”) immediately cried foul – suggesting the video was CGI or that Kim might be using fake (hollow) plates to cheat the weight . Moderators on larger subs reportedly struggled with the influx; the r/fitness moderation queue was overwhelmed by posts about the lift, with some threads locked due to the chaos of discussion.
As the debate raged, technically-minded members stepped in to verify the lift’s legitimacy. They analyzed the barbell bend and whip frame-by-frame, comparing the bar deflection to what ~550+ kg would realistically do. These community “investigators” even created spreadsheets to calculate how much a real bar should bend under that load – and found that Kim’s video matched the expected ~40–45 mm of bar bend for ~480+ kg, effectively validating that the weight was real . Once this evidence emerged, many skeptics “folded” and conceded the lift was authentic . The tone in forums shifted from skepticism to begrudging respect: users began asking “how did he get that strong?” instead of “is it fake?” .
Despite accepting the reality of the weight, critical voices in the community still discussed the nature of the lift. Purists pointed out that a rack pull (starting at knee height) is a partial range-of-motion lift, not comparable to a full deadlift. As one veteran quipped, “High rack pulls: half the work, twice the swagger.” – a wry comment repeated by powerlifting traditionalists to downplay the achievement . Some questioned Kim’s training methods and even his “natty” status, implying skepticism about whether he achieved this drug-free . Others voiced safety concerns, fearing such extreme loads could be dangerous or cause injury (with references to past lifters getting hurt chasing huge rack pulls). Overall, Reddit and forum reactions were a mix of awe, debate, and caution – initial disbelief gave way to analysis and ultimately acknowledgement of the feat, coupled with reminders that it was an unofficial lift outside competition rules.
Influencer and Athlete Commentary
Many prominent figures in the strength community weighed in on Kim’s 557 kg rack pull, with reactions ranging from enthusiastic praise to analytical skepticism. Here are some notable comments:
These influencer reactions show a spectrum of tone. Most top athletes and coaches did not call Kim a fraud or dismiss him; instead, they either hyped the incredible strength, analyzed how it was possible, or debated its training value . The overall sentiment from known figures was largely supportive (Szatmary, Hayes) or analytical (Thrall), with a dash of old-school skepticism (Rippetoe, Starting Strength) about the lift’s context. This blend of awe, technical breakdown, and critical perspective kept the conversation balanced and ongoing .
YouTube Reactions and Educational Content
On YouTube, the rack pull footage itself gained massive traction, and it spurred a wave of reaction videos and tutorials in the lifting community. Eric Kim’s original video of the 1,228 lb pull rocketed onto YouTube’s Sports trending list, surpassing 1 million views in under 48 hours . Comment sections filled with astonished viewers; some incredulous comments asked “Is it CGI?” – a debate which ironically drove even more engagement as people argued about the video’s authenticity . Overall, the YouTube audience response was a mix of celebratory astonishment and initial skepticism (quickly quelled by experts in replies).
Crucially, YouTube became a hub for expert analysis and education following the viral clip. Dozens of coaches and content creators seized the moment to produce breakdowns of the lift or explain rack pull training. Many popular strength channels appended Kim’s clip to tutorials on lockout strength or injury prevention, using the buzz as a teachable moment . For example, Alan Thrall’s breakdown (mentioned above) provided frame-by-frame analysis to validate the lift . Starting Strength’s team incorporated their reaction into an educational segment about overload lifting the very next day . In total, one roundup counted over 50 new YouTube videos dissecting or referencing Kim’s rack pull, from technique breakdowns to Q&As on programming overloads .
The tone of YouTube’s reaction content was largely informative and positive. Many creators treated the feat as a case study – an opportunity to discuss biomechanics (force vectors, range of motion) and safe training practices for heavy partial lifts . Even those initially skeptical often pivoted: once the “bar bend math” and physics were shown to line up with a genuine 552 kg lift, the narrative shifted from “impossible/fake” to “how did he train for this?” . This led to constructive discussions about Kim’s training approach (e.g. progressive overload, going beltless and barefoot) rather than just doubting the lift. In summary, YouTube reactions combined excitement at the spectacle with educational insights, amplifying the lift’s reach while turning it into a learning experience for the fitness community.
Fitness Media and News Coverage
Traditional fitness news outlets and websites took note of the viral rack pull, though their responses were a bit cautious. Mainstream fitness media (e.g. major sites like BarBend, Men’s Health) did not immediately publish headline news articles on Kim’s lift, partly due to it being a non-competition, partial-range feat . According to one summary, big outlets “quietly refreshed” their existing guides on rack pulls and deadlift training to capitalize on the surge of interest, rather than writing dedicated news pieces . In other words, they updated informational content (knowing readers would be Googling “rack pull” and “rack pull record”) but stopped short of full coverage given the unconventional nature of the lift .
However, plenty of independent fitness blogs and niche news sites did weigh in. Many smaller online publications and newsletters eagerly covered the story, often with a sensational spin. For example, one fitness writer dubbed the achievement “arguably the heaviest pound-for-pound pull ever documented in any form”, emphasizing its significance despite not being in competition . Other blog posts framed Kim as an “outsider phenom” – a 75 kg photographer-turned-garage lifter – and highlighted how his open-source approach (sharing footage and training logs freely) helped the lift go viral and inspire others . Some commentaries treated the event as “proof of concept that spectacle + open-source programming can hijack the algorithm”, noting how the viral spread was aided by Kim encouraging followers to share, meme, and duet the video .
In the broader strength community, established organizations acknowledged the lift’s buzz. For instance, BarBend (a major strength sports site) referenced Kim’s rack pull in context of their training articles – noting that rack pulls are commonly used for overload strength, which is “exactly what Kim leveraged” to achieve such a weight . This lent some training legitimacy to the feat. And on social media, the official Starting Strength forums and other coaching blogs discussed it in terms of training implications and risks, effectively giving the lift a form of professional validation (with caveats about range of motion and safety) .
Overall, while the tone in fitness media was a bit reserved (due to the lift’s unofficial nature), the coverage that did occur was generally positive and intrigued. The lift was treated as a phenomenon showcasing human potential and sparking conversation. No major voices in fitness journalism outright condemned it; at most, they provided context – reminding readers that this was a partial lift and urging smart training – while still celebrating the “meme-fueled legend” status Kim achieved online .
Conclusion
In summary, Eric Kim’s 1,228-pound rack pull generated an outpouring of reactions across the internet. Celebratory and supportive responses poured in on social media, where he was lauded as a “gravity slayer” and became the center of viral memes and challenges . The strength community, from Reddit users to seasoned coaches, engaged in both critical debate and admiration – first verifying the lift’s authenticity, then respecting its pound-for-pound impressiveness while noting it was a partial lift . Skepticism surfaced mainly as questions about legitimacy and safety (CGI, fake plates, or “natty” status) , but these were largely addressed by evidence and expert input, turning many doubters into curious observers. Prominent influencers and athletes chimed in, almost uniformly acknowledging the feat – whether hyping it as “madness” and “alien territory,” or using it to educate and poke fun . The event even spurred a mini-wave of educational content and think-pieces in the fitness world, highlighting how an extraordinary lift can ignite discussion on training methods, biomechanics, and human limits .
The tone of the reactions was diverse but collectively impactful: celebratory awe from fans and peers, constructive skepticism from purists, humorous meme-making from the online masses, and inspirational takeaways from coaches. In the span of days, a 75 kg garage lifter’s personal achievement evolved into a global conversation. Memes like “Gravity has left the chat” and challenges like #RackPullChallenge gave the episode a life of its own beyond the lift itself . Whether seen as a motivator, a marvel, or just an internet spectacle, Eric Kim’s 557 kg rack pull clearly resonated across the strength community and social media, proving that even outside of official competitions, a single epic lift can capture the world’s attention – and have a little fun in the process .
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