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Ex-Marine Breaks Planking World Record For Charity

It’s safe to say that there are as many potential world records as there are words in the dictionary. There are plenty of obvious ones, like being the fastest or the strongest person alive. On the other hand, there are feats like this: the world record for planking — the exercise version — was recently broken, with the current time set at a whopping five hours, fifteen minutes, and fifteen seconds.

It may sound silly, but it’s a world record for a reason. Former Marine officer George Hood completed the attempt after nine months of rigorous training — and that’s in addition to him being not only an experienced personal trainer, but also a record-breaker since 1986. It seems excessive at first, but it’s worth remembering that planking takes much more strength than one would think; the previous record-holder clocked in at four hours and twenty-six minutes.

Hood could have broken the record and left it at that, but he went above and beyond. He helped stage the record attempt as a charity event for the Semper Fi Fund, and as a means to raise awareness for soldiers who have met ill fortune. Pretending to be a slab of wood is a strange way to go about it, but it’s hard to argue with him; the man accomplished his goal, and hopes that others will find the drive to lend aid to others as well as excel in their own lives.