A 62-year-old retired Marine and DEA supervisory special agent broke the world record for planking last week – holding the abdominal pose for a total 8 hours 15 minutes and 15 seconds.
George Hood broke the men’s record for the longest time in the plank position at a gym in Chicago. Five15 Fitness, a gym dedicated to bolstering mental health through exercise, and Guinness World Records co-sponsored the event Thursday.
Hood, a previous world-recorder holder in the category, said he was “determined to take back his title” after Mao Weidong from China beat his initial record during the 2016 Plank World Cup at Shangri-La Hotel in Beijing.
Hood said he prepped for his redemption by doing 674,000 sit-ups, 270,000 push-ups and a practice attempt in 2018 during which he held a plank for 10 hours and 10 minutes. In total, he said he’s done 2,100 hours-worth of planking to ensure he was competition ready this time around.
After Guinness World Records adjudicator, Philip Robertson, confirmed he had broken the planking record, Hood celebrated his victory by doing 75 pushups. He then announced he’s retiring from plank record attempts.
