I hate the internet.
Why? Because just one second after you congratulate yourself for achieving something, you learn that someone else has already done it and in a much more impressive manner.
Like how I celebrated my two-minute plank yesterday and now I have to write about this.
Now, when I say planking, I’m not talking about that 2011 fad that died seconds after it took off.
I’m talking about this:
Yes, the exercise where you’re actually doing something good with your life instead of trying to make an 11-year-old on the internet laugh.
If you’ve ever tried a plank, you’d know that it will torture your abdominal muscles, hands, and mind.
You’d probably be pretty impressed with yourself if you could do one for a few seconds, wouldn’t you?
But what about doing one for 8 hours?
That sounds impossible, but one man did just that.
62-YO Breaks World Record By Planking for 8 Hrs 15 Mins 15 Secs
Take a look, dear reader, at the real-life Man of Steel.
This is George Hood, a former US Marine, and DEA Supervisory Special Agent. In 2013, the 62-year-old set his first planking record after he held the position for 3 hours, 7 minutes, and 15 seconds.
However, he lost the record in 2016 in a head-to-head challenge.
But then he came back. And this time, he wasn’t messing around.
On Thursday (20 Feb), Guinness World Records announced that George had broken the record once again, and this time he held the position for 8 hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds – beating Mao Weidong’s 2016 Guinness record.
I can’t even sit at my desk at work for 8 consecutive hours, so how the hell did he do it?
Underwent Training Camps and Fitness Regiments
In preparation for this huge task, George underwent several training camps and fitness regiments, including doing 674,000 sit-ups, 270,000 push-ups and a practice attempt in which he lasted 10 hours and 10 minutes in 2018.
In total, he did around 2,100 hours of planking in preparation for this recent attempt.
Did It to Raise Awareness
The great thing about George’s record-breaking plank is that he didn’t just do it for the plaudits, he did to raise awareness about how exercise can help improve mental health.
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George said he is troubled by the high rates of suicide among law enforcement officers, and talked about how exercise helps him rid his mind of unwanted thoughts.
“When I plank, I’ve met a lot of my own personal issues,” he said. He uses the marathon planking sessions to “purge” negative thoughts and work through relationship issues,” he said.
Eh, can one meh?
According to Guinness World Records, George also spoke to individuals and heard presentations from guests with learning difficulties throughout his plank.
And, maybe just to show off, he even celebrated his record by doing 75 pushups.
If this man can do an 8-hour plank at 62 years of age, then maybe it’s time we get our lazy butts to the gym and do one for just a minute.
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Reader: Or I can wait until I’m 62 to try.
Why do I even bother with you?
