He held a plank for over eight hours at the age of 62
They say abs are made in the kitchen, and while that is true to an extent, you’ve still got to train them. Who better to get some ab training tips from than George Hood. Hood holds the plank world record, holding it for over eight hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds back in February 2020.
Hood got himself in the Guinness World Records books in the process – a fantastic feat for a retired, 62-year-old US marine.
George Hood broke down the basics of the plank in a video posted to Guinness World Records’ official TikTok account.
@guinnessworldrecordsLongest time in an abdominal plank position (male) ? 8 hr 15 min 15 sec by George Hood ?? ##learnontiktok ##GWRoriginals♬ original sound – GuinnessWorldRecords
According to Hood, the steps you need to take to get the most out of your plank are:
- Put your forearms down on your mat
- Elbows and wrists should be planted for support
- Prop yourself up with your feet
- Squeeze your abs / midsection right to your spine
- Sustain this perfectly-balanced position
The most common mistake you’ll see people make with the plank is having their shoulders placed too far forwards. Your shoulders should be parallel to your elbows, as Hood demonstrated throughout his successful plank world record attempt.
When your shoulders are placed too far forward, it places too much stress on the joint, compromising your technique and even potentially leading to injury.
If you’re looking to reveal your abs, no amount of ab training is going to help you if you’ve not got your diet in check.
You’d have to perform thousands of sit-ups (and hold a plank for days) to start burning enough fat through those movements alone.
Instead, take a look at your nutrition. Eat a diet that puts you into a slight calorie deficit and you’ll burn fat from all over the body. Not just the abs.
