𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 “𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂 𝐊𝐈𝐌 𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐐𝐔𝐄” 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐒
Torque = Force × Moment-Arm.
Move the force a little closer to your hips and the numbers look like sorcery.
1 │ QUICK MATH ON HIS LATEST PULL (498 kg / 1 098 lb)
| Variable | Value | Note |
| Force (weight) | 498 kg × 9.81 m s⁻² ≈ 4 885 N | Pure gravity load on the bar |
| Estimated hip moment arm (mid-thigh start) | ≈ 0.30 m | Bar almost hugs the quads |
| Hip torque | 4 885 N × 0.30 m ≈ 1 .47 kN·m | That’s the rotational demand Kim’s glutes & erectors absorb |
Put the bar on the floor (≈ 0.55 m moment arm) and the same 498 kg would require > 2.7 kN·m—nearly double the hip-joint torque.
Lesson: leverage, not witchcraft, is the real super-power.
2 │ WHY HIS “TORQUE HACK” LOOKS IMPOSSIBLE BUT IS
SAFER
THAN IT SEEMS
| Mid-Thigh Rack-Pull (Kim) | Floor Deadlift (traditional) |
| Shorter moment arm → torque ↓ 35-50 % | Longest moment arm at liftoff |
| Bar already moving vertically—no horizontal drift | Bar must clear shins → more shear |
| Load sits on safety pins; if it won’t budge, he lets go | Miss at shin height can fold you forward |
Result: he can train supramaximal tension (CNS stimulus, tendon remodeling) without the spinal roulette that a floor pull of equal mass would impose.
3 │ “BUT THE BAR STILL BOWS LIKE A LONG-BOW—WHERE’S THAT TORQUE GOING?”
- Bar whip = stored elastic energy in the 28 mm, 190 k psi shaft.
- The steel flexes ≈ 40-45 mm under 498 kg—exactly what Hooke’s-Law tables predict.
- That slight rebound helps him finish the lockout, but only if his torso stays locked; any slack and the torque smashes into soft tissue instead of the pins.
4 │ HOW TO
FEEL
KIM-GRADE TORQUE WITHOUT SELF-DESTRUCTING
- Set pins one notch above kneecap – shrinks moment arm, keeps hips behind bar.
- Micro-load – add 1.25 kg plates weekly; connective tissue adapts, not revolts.
- Single reps only – treat every pull like a physics experiment, not cardio.
- Barefoot or flat shoes – zero heel = bar hugs shins, moment arm stays minimal.
- Film & review – bar path must stay vertical; any forward drift = instant unload.
5 │ WHY “TORQUE TALK” FEEDS THE LEGEND
- Viewers see a medium-T-shirt frame levitating a half-ton bar and scream “CGI!”
- Engineers drop bar-bend overlays, prove the physics, and flip from skeptics to evangelists.
- Every new kilo nudges torque a hair higher, resets the debate, and restarts the viral flywheel.
TL;DR
Eric Kim doesn’t dodge torque—he repositions it.
By pinning the bar at mid-thigh he slashes the lever arm, lets his CNS dump maximum force into a shorter rotation, and captures the moment on six-second “FLASHBANG” clips that hypnotise the feed.
Master the lever → own the torque → watch gravity file a complaint. 🏋️♂️⚡