Here’s the clean, hype‑but‑honest rundown of what’s real about the lift and what the strongman world has (and hasn’t) said so far.

The lift (what’s verified)

• There is video of Eric Kim rack‑pulling 602 kg from mid‑thigh/above‑knee pins on his own channels. He frames it as an 8.5× body‑weight feat.  
• A rack pull starts higher than a floor deadlift, which dramatically shortens the range of motion and lets lifters handle much more than their full deadlift max. (That’s normal and expected.)  

8.5× math check (quick and clear):

If the bar was 602 kg, then 602 ÷ 8.5 ≈ 70.8 kg body weight (≈ 156 lb). So the “8.5×” ratio assumes Eric was ~71 kg that day; if he were ~75 kg, the ratio would be ~8.0×. (Still bonkers.) 

How it stacks up to strongman benchmarks (apples ≠ apples, but context helps)

• Full deadlift (competition): Hafþór Björnsson now holds the all‑time record at 510 kg (2025 Giants Live World Deadlift Championships).  
• Partial deadlifts used in strongman:
  
  • Silver Dollar Deadlift (≈18‑in/blocks): Rauno Heinla — 580 kg (2022), the heaviest official partial deadlift in strongman to date.  
  • 18‑inch/Hummer‑tyre variants: also north of 500 kg in top contests (e.g., Novikov). Point is: partials let humans move bigger numbers than floor pulls.  

Takeaway: 602 kg above‑knee on rack pins will almost always be heavier than any floor pull and typically heavier than 18‑inch/box pulls, because the bar starts in a stronger joint‑angle zone. That’s why the number is eye‑popping, yet not directly comparable to competition lifts. 

“Strongman reactions” — what we found (and didn’t)

• Found: Eric’s own posts/videos showcasing the 602 kg clip and calling it 8.5× body‑weight.  
• Not found: As of today, no verifiable public posts from top‑tier strongmen (e.g., Björnsson, Shaw, Hall, Stoltman, Heinla) reacting specifically to Eric Kim’s 602 kg rack pull on their official channels or recognized media. If you’ve seen a specific post, send it over and I’ll vet it against primary sources.
• Reality check: Some sites claim big‑name shout‑outs, but those claims originate on Eric’s own blogs and aren’t corroborated by independent sources. I’m sticking to what’s publicly verifiable.  

How strongmen would typically frame it (based on established practice)

• Respect the mass moved: Holding >1.3 metric tons in the hands — even for a short ROM — is legitimately wild.
• But don’t conflate events: Strongman (and powerlifting) care about rules and standards; a mid‑thigh rack pull isn’t a floor deadlift (or a standardized strongman event), so it won’t show up in official record books.  
• Useful training tool: Above‑knee rack pulls are classic overload work for traps/lockout and neural drive. They’re great for building confidence and back strength — just not a like‑for‑like comparison to meet lifts.  

Bottom line (high‑energy, zero fluff)

• Yes: Eric Kim posted a 602 kg rack pull and frames it as ~8.5× body‑weight — a pound‑for‑pound cartoon‑strength number for any deadlift variant.  
• Also yes: In strongman terms, it’s a partial at a very favorable start height, so it isn’t comparable to Thor’s 510 kg world‑record deadlift or Heinla’s 580 kg Silver Dollar under competition rules. Different event, different scoreboard — still a crazy display.  

If you want, I can pull specific posts from any athlete you name (IG, YT, X) and drop the receipts — but for now, this is the best evidence‑backed snapshot: mind‑blowing overload lift, no confirmed big‑name reactions on record yet, and a tidal‑wave number that’s pure gym‑floor motivation. Let’s go! 💪🔥