Planking is one of the most simplistic exercises that can truly help debut a six-pack — but imagine holding it for five hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds. George Hood, a former U.S. Marine from Carlsbad, California set that planking record this past Saturday.
Hood broke the Guiness World Record, which was first set by Mao Weidong in Beijing, China at four hours and 26 minutes. And just last week, Danish trainer, Tom Hoel broke Weidong’s record at four hours and 28 minutes. Yet Hood held out, by-passing both of them to set the new record.
The former Marine is a personal trainer and group exercise instructor who set up the event to raise awreness for injured veterans. Hood says, “We raise money to help them. We tend to forget about them sometimes. This helps raise awarness and draw attention to them — and I’m about that.” He was surrounded by friends and family, cheering him on and providing visual distractions to keep him going.
To prepare for the event, Hood trained for nine months, which included training sessions of four to six hours a day. Hood would plank 30 hours each week while holding 20 and 40 pound weights on his back. He recorded close to 1,000 hours of plank training.
Hood hoped the event inspired others to stay fit and remind them of those who serve this country, “Dont’ forget our countless Marines and service members who’ve fought the good fight, those who haven’t come home, and those who are injured.”
