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Former Marine planks for over 8 hours, setting Guinness record
In a feat that took over 8 hours, former Marine George Hood reclaimed the male Guinness World Record for longest time spent in the plank position, the organization announced Thursday.
Hood, 62, first set the Guinness World Record in 2011 with a time of 1 hour, 20 minutes and 25 seconds, according to a release. His new time – 8 hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds – bested Mao Weidong's 2016 Guinness record.
Soon after setting the record, Hood celebrated by doing 75 pushups, a release says.
“I’ve taken the plank as far as I can take it,” Hood told USA TODAY on Saturday.
The grueling session burned an estimated 4,252 calories. "Hood has trained nearly seven hours a day for the past 18 months, which included, but was certainly not limited to, approximately 2,100 hours of plank time, 270,000 pushups and nearly 674,000 sit-ups," a release says.
Guinness World Records certified Hood's Feb. 15 record in Illinois, but he's planked even longer in the past, including a 10-hour plank certified by a different organization.
With the publicity surrounding his achievements, Hood hopes to raise mental health awareness.
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A former Marine Corps officer and retired Drug Enforcement Administration special agent, Hood told USA TODAY he is troubled by the high rates of suicide among law enforcement officers.
For him, physical challenges come with mental health benefits.
“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.
And while Hood doesn't plan on tackling any more planking records, he is “taking a real hard look at the push-up genre.” Next he may attempt to take on the record for most pushups in an hour.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Planking Guinness World Record: George Hood planks for over 8 hours
