Planks may be the most deceptively difficult gym exercise out there. Granted, I know of like 4 exercises, but planks are one of them and they’re a pain in my ass. And my abs. And arms. My goal is to start a song on my iPod and just make it to the chorus without my arms giving out and face planting in front of the chicks in yoga pants. If I make it to a minute without blowing it, then it’s a win. That metric can be applied to a few things in my life, but that’s a conversation for no time. No time will we have that conversation.
One minute.
Then there’s 57-year-old former Marine officer, George Hood. Hood attempted to break the record for longest time in an abdominal plank position in an effort to raise money for the Semper Fi Fund, a program created to provide immediate financial assistance and lifetime support to injured Marines and their families. Bro move, George. Bro fucking move.
The previous world record for an abdominal plank was set at four hours and 26 minutes by Mao Weidong of Beijing, China, last September. Until now. George not only beat that record, he annihilated it. Spit in its face. His time:
5 hours, 15 minutes, and 15 seconds.
So if you’re keeping score at home, that over 315 times the longer than my dog shit body can endure. And I’m supposed to be in my athletic peak.
Mid-plank Hood told NBC San Diego,
“There are injured Marines that come back from the fight, who have suffered life-altering injuries and the discomfort that I feel right now pales in comparison to that which they feel. So, we raise money to help them. We tend to forget about them sometimes. This helps raise awareness and draw attention to them – and I’m about that.”
Hood spent nine months training for the event, which took place at the Junior Seau Amphitheatre in Oceanside, California.
According to NBC San Diego, Hoods training included,
Four to six hours of training per day and 30 hours of plank time each week. In all, he logged nearly 1,000 of plank time leading up to the record-breaking event, consistently training with 20 and 40-pound weghts on his back to build up his endurance and strength.
What a savage. See the footage below and try not to get an ab cramp from watching.
This dude just broke a world record by holding a plank for over 5 excruciating hours
Posted by NowThis on Sunday, May 31, 2015
A more extensive version…
[H/T NBC San Diego]