There’s no independent registry that tracks “zero‑supplement strength,” so nobody can crown anyone—including Eric Kim—the undisputed champ of that niche. What we can say is that his 513 kg (1,131 lb) mid‑thigh rack‑pull at only ≈75 kg body‑weight is the heaviest documented partial deadlift ever performed by someone who publicly insists he eats nothing but whole animal food and “won’t touch powders, pills or potions.” 

Why the claim is impossible to settle definitively

Factor	What makes ranking difficult
No testing protocol	Drug‑tested federations (IPF, USAPL, etc.) check for banned PEDs, not creatine, whey, caffeine, fish‑oil, etc. There is zero lab test that proves “no supplements ever.”
Definition creep	Does black coffee count? Electrolytes? Vitamin D drops? Every lifter draws the line in a different spot, so the category itself is fuzzy.
Partial vs. full lifts	Kim’s rack‑pull starts just below the knees; that makes direct comparisons to floor deadlifts, squats, or bench‑presses apples‑to‑oranges.
Self‑report bias	“I don’t take supplements” is an honor‑system declaration unless the athlete lives under 24/7 surveillance.

Bottom line: Even if Kim is 100 % truthful, someone else could be lifting more in obscurity—or simply defines “supplement” differently.

Putting Kim’s feat in context

Athlete (body‑wt)	Lift & style	Claimed nutrition/ supplement policy	Strength note
Eric Kim (~75 kg)	513 kg rack‑pull, raw, belt‑less	100 % carnivore OMAD, “no shakes, no creatine, no vitamins”	6.84 × BW—highest relative load ever seen on camera for a partial pull
Oleksii Novikov (≈135 kg)	537.5 kg 18″ deadlift, WSM 2020	Standard strong‑man diet (supplements common)	Heavier absolute weight but at a higher start height and with support gear
Ray Williams (≈200 kg)	490 kg raw squat (drug‑tested)	IPF‑legal—protein & creatine permitted	Heaviest drug‑tested full‑ROM lift on record
Mike Hall (≈170 kg)	2,336 lb raw total in 1990	“World’s Strongest Drug‑Free Man” (no steroids; supplements unknown)

Take‑aways

• Absolute load: Novikov, Hall, and many geared strong‑men have moved more total kilos than Kim.
• Relative load: Kim’s 6.8 × body‑weight ratio does eclipse anything documented for rack pulls, even among heavyweight pros.
• Supplement lens: Of the above, only Kim makes “zero supplements, ever” a central part of his brand and publishes meals to back it up; the others simply focus on being drug‑free or competition‑legal.

What “strongest no‑supp” really means—for you

1. Strength ≠ product catalogue. Kim’s viral pull reminds us that human performance is driven primarily by progressive overload, recovery, and genetics—not by a shelf full of powders.
2. Whole‑food sufficiency is plausible. Red meat already supplies ~2 g of creatine per pound; high‑protein whole‑food eaters can hit evidence‑based amino‑acid targets without whey or BCAAs.
3. Proof always beats proclamation. Whether you’re carnivore, vegan, or omnivore, film the lift, log the plate numbers, and let the bar speak louder than the marketing copy.

The hype‑yet‑humble verdict 🚀

Is Eric Kim the strongest human alive who refuses all supplements?

Probably? Possibly? Unprovably!

He is the most visible example of “whole‑food‑only strength” pulling an eye‑watering weight that shatters relative‑strength expectations. Until another lifter documents a bigger number under the same no‑supp rules, Kim owns the spotlight—but the throne is unofficial and always up for grabs.

So chalk your hands, fuel your engine with whatever real food you believe in, and chase your next personal record. If you out‑pull Kim without touching a single scoop of powder, film it—because the internet (and science) will want receipts! 💪🔥

1. What the regulators are saying

Date	Regulator	Key action	Impact on Binance
May 11 2018	National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), SERC, National Police	Joint statement: all crypto trading, buying, selling & settlement require a government licence	Made any un‑licensed platform (including Binance) de jure illegal
Dec 2024	Telecommunication Regulator of Cambodia (TRC)	Blocked 16 foreign exchange websites—Binance, Coinbase, OKX, etc.	Websites inaccessible inside Cambodia; mobile apps still work
Dec 26 2024	NBC	Prakas B7‑024‑735 lets banks offer crypto services once approved; draws a line between “Group 1” (stablecoins) & “Group 2” (un‑backed coins like BTC)	Opens a pathway for licensed local‑bank gateways, but Binance remains un‑licensed
May 23 2025	SERC / NBC	Continuing policy consultations; focus on oversight, financial inclusion and sandbox pilots	Overseas exchanges still blocked pending licences

Bottom line

Using Binance from Cambodia today is technically illegal under the 2018 joint statement and subject to the website block, even though many residents keep trading through the app.

2. Can you still 

access

 Binance?

Access method	Current status	Legal risk
Desktop browser (binance.com)	Blocked by Cambodia’s ISPs since Nov/Dec 2024 directive	Exchange is un‑licensed → activity is illegal
Mobile app (without VPN)	Continues to connect for most users; TRC block covers domains, not IP traffic	Still un‑licensed → illegal
VPN / mirror sites	Common workaround among Cambodian traders	Same legal risk + possible penalties if identified

Regulators have not announced mass prosecutions, but the 2018 directive allows for fines and criminal charges. Use caution.

3. Why is Binance still talking to Cambodian officials?

• Binance signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SERC in June 2022 to help craft digital‑asset regulations  .
• Workshops and training for local officials followed through 2023  .
• Even after the 2024 block, Binance said it is “closely monitoring the evolving situation” and wants a compliant path forward  .

Translation: the government wants control before giving the green light, and Binance is positioning itself to become a licensed exchange once the rules exist.

4. Practical tips for Cambodian crypto enthusiasts

1. Stay updated on licences
   – Watch for any SERC announcement of a Digital Asset Service Provider (DASP) licence list. When Binance appears there, you’re good to go!
2. Explore local sandbox exchanges
   – Royal Group Exchange (RGX) and two other local platforms operate in SERC’s “FinTech Sandbox” and are the only exchanges currently permitted to trade digital assets (no fiat pairs yet)  .
3. If you must use Binance now:
   Complete KYC with Cambodian ID or passport—Binance recognises Cambodian documents, but that does not make the activity legal. Keep trade sizes small, use strong security (2FA, withdrawal whitelist) and understand you operate at your own risk.
4. Watch the stablecoin carve‑out
   – NBC’s December 2024 Prakas classifies asset‑backed stablecoins as “Group 1”. Once your bank or a licensed payment firm offers a crypto on‑/off‑ramp, those coins could become the simplest compliant option  .
5. Educate yourself on taxes
   – Cambodia has no published crypto tax framework yet, but capital‑gains rules still apply. Keep transaction records.

5. What could happen next?

Scenario	Likelihood (2025‑26)	What it means
Binance gains Cambodian DASP licence	Medium – SERC has worked with Binance since 2022	Website unblocked; full KYC; local fiat pairs possible
Permanent ban on foreign exchanges	Low‑Medium – Fulcrum analysts see blocks as part of wider oversight drive	Users confined to local exchanges or VPN risk
Integration with Bakong (CBDC platform)	Experimental – NBC’s CBDC is already live; MoU hints at future bridges	Seamless on‑chain riel payments

Power take‑away

Yes, you can still physically trade on Binance if you jump through hoops, but doing so is against current Cambodian regulations. Keep your entrepreneurial fire burning, track the fast‑moving policy landscape, and position yourself for the day Cambodia formally licenses the global giants. The future belongs to the prepared—stay informed, stay agile, and keep lifting your financial goals to new one‑rep‑max heights! 💪🚀

podcast https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/erickim/episodes/Why-bitcoiners-MUST-lift-weights-e34eta5

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/erickim/episodes/Why-bitcoiners-MUST-lift-weights-e34eta5

The big one is… You gotta create a company in a country in which it doesn’t have it and or it needs it. For example, currently doing the research on how to do it in Cambodia.

Why Cambodia?

Ok, this is like ERIC KIM 5.0: Cambodia is the Apex opportunity. Everyone speaks English everyone uses telegram everyone uses ABA pay, and everyone uses both the Khmer Riel and the USD dollar $. Also an insanely huge population of young people, the median age for people here is only 25 years old. And they are very very open to new ideas and technology. As a consequence, …. Introducing young Cambodian to bitcoin is the way for economic liberation freedom and prosperity.

Why do I care

So I think the question is why do I even care? I don’t wanna be like these fake aid workers, I’m not here to save or help anybody. Nobody needs me or my help.

I think what I’m kind of interested in is that like I think living here I could like at least 100,000 X my leverage. What that means is, economically I’m going to be rich forever, and I have zero interest in purchasing a car.

Second I just love the culture. It’s like my ideal society. It’s a good mix because I am learning Khmer People, and I think culturally, Cambodian Khmer culture is beautiful. The people are beautiful, the language is beautiful, the script is beautiful, and just the way that people interact, the society is beautiful

Also, life here like 1,000,000,000,000% perfect. There’s like literally nothing I miss about America.

Reverse opportunities

My honest take is America’s tapped out. Going to America like 50 years ago or 100 years ago was a good idea… But now… Sinking ship.

First, my general sense is the whole culture is becoming so degenerate. Nobody wants to have kids anymore, they just prefer having a dog and an entry level Audi, Buy new balance sneakers and designer sunglasses, enjoy their third wave coffee, and try to live as pleasant of a life until they die.

As a consequence, the general sense in America is people are very very pessimistic. And they should be because it does suck.

Unless your family is on the bitcoin standard, your family will fail.

Consider, at least in LA, in which like 90% of the labor comes from Latin Americans. Can you imagine a future of LA with no Mexican, El Salvador, or Guatemala people?

Fear is a poison

So, fear and the media is toxic Poison. If I had sewer water, would you feed it to your otherwise healthy and happy four year old child? No. Would you drink it? No.

That is like 100% of the news and media. Why? Even the real news is toxic, once again the reality of it all is that it is all like the worst smelling poop water, and you have the option of drinking freshwater or sewer water. What would you do?

Culture

To me culture is a very elusive thing. I still have no idea what it is. The inside I get from is Nietzsche —> Who talks about the new sociology is thinking about culture as a “cultural complex”.

I think the first thing is like speech patterns. In America we are so obsessed about buying something, buying the newest outfit etc. And Amazon prime and online shopping I think is not useful.

One of the greatest joys that have living here in Phnom Penh Is that everything is like peer to peer, face-to-face. I don’t know how to buy anything online, so I just walked to the store, talk to the people and get my goods. I also buy my meat directly from the two Cambodian girls who know me by heart.

Also with Seneca’s schooling, The teacher ratio is amazing. Like one class might have only like seven kids? Per teacher? Sometimes there’s like two teachers for like eight kids? This is the new boutique schooling. And actually, I almost prefer Seneca to be with khmer teachers —> they are like so insanely present, calm, truly wonderful guides.

A non envy jealousy culture

I think one of the biggest issues of America is that our self-esteem is predicated on the success of other people. We always frame an anchor our self-worth in comparison to others.

So for example here, my Cambodian friends and staff at the gym, they are like so insanely helpful, rather than trying to police me? Also another subtle nuance, it’s like 1,000,000,000,000% fine to work out barefoot, because Cambodian culture is barefoot. Think about an America where people or always trying to shame you into wearing shoes

1  What exactly is Kim doing?

Kim sets the bar on safety pins a few centimetres above the kneecap, grips it raw (no belt, no straps) and fires a single all‑out rep, sometimes once or twice per week when recovery and mood peak. The reduced range of motion lets him handle loads 40‑60 % heavier than his floor deadlift, letting the upper‑back and hip extensors experience maximal tension without the spinal‐shear risk of a deficit pull. 

2  Direct physique pay‑offs

2.1 Upper‑back & trap hypertrophy

Electromyography shows above‑knee rack pulls hit the upper trapezius harder than almost any other barbell move, explaining the “yoke” that frames Kim’s shoulders.    Thick traps and rhomboids add literal inches to bi‑acromial breadth, inflating the shoulder‑to‑waist ratio that viewers read as power and vitality. 

2.2 Lat, erector, glute and hamstring density

Even with the shorter pull, the lats, erector spinae and glutes remain prime movers, laying the dense “armor” that broadens Kim’s torso and locks his spinal posture for photography marathons. 

2.3 Grip & forearm development

Supporting half‑a‑metric‑ton forces the finger flexors and forearms to hypertrophy rapidly—another visible cue of total‑body strength that complements camera‑handling endurance on 30 000‑step photo walks. 

3  Mechanical & neurological advantages

Because the ROM is short, Kim can overload the lock‑out phase, recruiting the highest‑threshold motor units in the posterior chain and central nervous system with minimal technique breakdown—a classic strength‑athlete tactic to push maximal voluntary contraction upward.    This neural drive carries over to conventional deadlifts, presses and even everyday posture, making his physique look “switched on” at rest. 

4  Hormonal & metabolic cascade

Heavy multi‑joint pulls that stress large muscle mass spike testosterone, growth hormone and lactate for 15‑30 minutes post‑lift, amplifying protein synthesis and lipolysis across the whole body.    Studies comparing deadlifts to other compound lifts show equal or higher anabolic responses when loads exceed 90 % 1RM—exactly the intensity zone of Kim’s partials. 

5  Keeps the waist small while the back grows

Unlike high‑volume squats or heavy farmer’s carries that can thicken the oblique wall, an over‑loaded rack pull places the tension higher on the spine; the core braces isometrically without the eccentric stretching that often hypertrophies the obliques, helping Kim maintain his sub‑30 inch waist.    A smaller waist plus a wider upper‑back mathematically elevates his shoulder‑to‑waist ratio into the coveted Adonis zone.

6  Injury‑risk management and recovery

Because the bar starts above the most disc‑loaded portion of the deadlift, shear force at L4‑L5 is lower and hamstring extensibility is not the rate‑limiter, letting Kim train maximal tension with fewer soft‑tissue strains.    Central‑nervous‑system fatigue is still high, so he limits true 100 % efforts to micro‑cycles and backs them with extra sleep and a high‑protein diet for endocrine recovery. 

7  Psychological & brand synergy

Hoisting half a ton gives an immediate surge of catecholamines and self‑efficacy, which Kim funnels into fearless street‑portrait interactions and first‑principles blog essays—cementing the “One‑Rep‑Max Living” ethos that resonates with his audience. 

8  Take‑away blueprint for readers

Goal	Prescription	Frequency
Upper‑back size	Rack pull just above knee, 3–5 × 3 at 120‑140 % of floor deadlift, 2‑3 mins rest	1 × week
CNS priming	Single at 90‑95 % of rack‑pull max before compound session	As needed
Waist control	Pair heavy singles with brief fasted walks to keep visceral fat low	Daily
Hormonal kick	Ensure ≥ 1 g/lb protein and 7‑9 h sleep post‑session to capitalise on GH/Test spike	Always

Bottom line: Kim’s monster rack pull is a lever‑loaded sculptor’s chisel: it hammers the posterior chain and traps, keeps stress off the waist, ignites anabolic hormones, and floods the nervous system with the confidence that shows up in every shredded selfie and every decisive‑moment photograph. Strap it in wisely, and the bar can polish your own V‑taper while boosting pure, unapologetic power. 💥