71-year-old Andy Steinfeldt had never even heard of a plank (as anything other than a piece of wood) a few years ago.
Now he hopes to hold the world record for longest-held plank in his age group.
Steinfeldt knows he cannot compete with younger world record holders who have held the plank position for hours, not minutes. The current world record among all men is held by Mao Weidong of China who held the position for 8 hours, 1 minute in May 2016.
The Minnetonka, Minnesota resident told the Lakeshore Weekly News that he joined a new gym a few years ago and was asked to do a series of fitness tests to make sure he was fit enough to use the equipment.
Steinfeldt said that he got down on the floor and held the plank for about 10 minutes before the employee stopped him.
They only needed him to hold the position for around 30 seconds!
Andy recalled the employee being impressed that he could plank for such a long time.
"I had no idea. I didn't even know what the plank was."
On his 70th birthday last year, Andy decided to see how long he could hold a plank without stopping.
The result: 35 minutes.
"I surprised myself with it. I still didn't know what a big deal it was until I did a little Googling and found out that 90 seconds is considered exceptional."
For his 71st birthday, Andy decided to make an official try at the world record. He broke it, though not easily, managing to hold the plank for 38 minutes!
Based on his research, the previous record for his age group was set by Betty Lou Sweeney of Wisconsin in 2011 with a plank of 36 minutes, 58 seconds. Steinfeldt will have to wait for Guinness to review his application before he knows for sure if he can claim the title.
The Guinness website does not contain all records by age groups, just the title holders by gender. But even if he fails to get recognized by Guinness, Andy is pleased with his performance.
Twitter users were awed and inspired by Andy's accomplishment!
Andy's new world record attempt shows that determination and dedication can lead people to do amazing things.
Hugh Jackman Was Caught Totally Off Guard With A Guinness World Record Certificate
Hugh Jackman is a talented man, with many accolades to his name. He's won a Tony Award, hosted the Tony Awards, won an Emmy for hosting the Tony Awards, and, oh yeah, he's also Wolverine.
Well, he was Wolverine, before he decided to hang up the non-existent yellow spandex. He had played the character for so long, it's difficult to state how important he is to the role.
So is it any surprise to learn that Jackman actually has a Guinness World Record for playing Logan?
It's been a lifelong dream of @RealHughJackman's to become a world record holder, and today we've confirmed he's of… https://t.co/M1Vh3GCBNw— This Morning (@This Morning) 1550673083.0
Welcome to the family, @RealHughJackman. Congratulations on your record-breaking @Marvel career as Wolverine. https://t.co/p59RjWxQT1— GuinnessWorldRecords (@GuinnessWorldRecords) 1550665553.0
During an interview on the British show This Morning, Jackman was surprised by Guinness World Records with an award. Craig Glenday, the editor-in-chief of the publication, presented the award himself.
Jackman shares the award with Sir Patrick Stewart, who played Professor Charles Xavier. They both premiered the characters in 2000's X-Men and chose to end their respective runs with 2017's Logan.
This means they've been these characters on screen for a continuous 16 years 228 days.
@partygirlu2 @GWR @RealHughJackman @Marvel @craigglenday @thismorning He rilly deserves more— ASCEND||||EMmy (@ASCEND||||EMmy) 1550683863.0
@craigglenday @RealHughJackman https://t.co/Kxx5F87eGG— Danny Pearson ✎ (@Danny Pearson ✎) 1550686904.0
@GWR @RealHughJackman I wonder what @VancityReynolds has to say about this... congrats @RealHughJackman https://t.co/WqbSyugQwj— Ileana (@Ileana) 1550688627.0
@RealHughJackman congratulations on your Guiness Book of Records accolade. Just watched on Good Morning with Alison Hammond. 😇🌈🌹— Vicky Gilmour (@Vicky Gilmour) 1550665562.0
Sir Patrick Stewart joined in on the well-earned praise.
Honoured to share the Guinness World Record for the longest career as a live action Marvel superhero with my friend… https://t.co/AimNoVWpW0— Patrick Stewart (@Patrick Stewart) 1550766511.0
The interviewer, Alison Hammond, then surprised Jackman further with an explosion of confetti and showgirls.
Jackman said,
"This is the highlight of my life. I've made it. This is why I got into showbiz."
As jokey as that statement sounds, it's closer to truth than you think. Getting into the Guinness Book of Records was a lifelong goal for the star.
"When I was a kid, I wanted to be in the Guinness Book of Records. When I was a kid, the Guinness Book of Records was it."
When he and his brother were kids, they'd concoct plans to win a record. They even considered trying to stay up for 54 hours to play the longest game of badminton.
We have questions.
@craigglenday @RealHughJackman Oh, and congrats Hugh (though he is the best there is at what he does...) 😉— Mark Allaway (@Mark Allaway) 1550687739.0
@_owl_man_ @thismorning @RealHughJackman @GWR @AlisonHammond2 Haha, I noticed that also.— Ten In The Pit (@Ten In The Pit) 1550683603.0
Hugh will likely be holding onto that record for a while. Even with as long as the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been going, the first film only debuted in 2008. Not to mention, it seems like most of the actors from that movie are beginning to step down from their roles.
Though for any current Marvel actors who want to take the record, they know exactly how long they have to beat. Jackman has made it clear he won't be reprising the role again.
Speaking on stepping down for good, he said,
"It's a bit like you're at the greatest party you've ever been at, you've been dancing for an hour and a half, and then you're just like 'It's time, ok. If I stay any longer, it's gonna get ugly.' It's like, it's time."
5-Year-Old Boy Wins A Mercedes By Doing An Insane Number Of Push-Ups—And We Need To Work Out More 😮
How many push-ups is an impressive number? 25? 50? 100? My arms get tired just typing those numbers, which makes Rakhim Kurayev of Chechnya practically superhuman. Over the course of two hours and 25 minutes, Kurayev did 4,105 push-ups... and he is only five years old!
Kurayev did the push-ups in an attempt to break the world record, but Guinness has sadly not yet given him his certification because they have some "minor questions" about the attempt.
This 5yo Chechen reportedly can do 4k+ push-ups without a breakyoutu.be
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a controversial figure in the international community known for his loyalty to Putin and human rights abuses, wanted to be sure the child was rewarded for his incredible feat, however, and so gave him the gift every five-year-old wants: a "Mercedes-Benz C-Class worth $35,000." Kurayev won't be legally allowed to drive the car for another 13 years, and may well have preferred a donation to his college fund or perhaps a home gym, but wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth! When Kadyrov gave him the car, Kurayev jumped on the hood and started doing some push-ups.
Kadyrov presents Mercedes to 5yo 'Chechen Schwarzenegger' reportedly doing 4k+ push-upswww.youtube.com
His feats of strength have earned Rakhim the nickname the "Chechen Schwarzenegger." He'll be attempting to break the world record once again next week, this time with Guinness officials standing by. While he's doing his push-ups, Rakhim will also be watching cartoons on a cell-phone—two and a half hours is a long time for any kid to sit still doing one thing.
Rakhim Kurayev: 5-Year-old Boy Did 4105 Press-ups In Russia, Gifted N13M Benz https://t.co/X6345KOSv8 https://t.co/LfEe8Tyb4m— #BBNAIJA (@#BBNAIJA) 1542652448.0
Twitter was a little intimidated by the five-year-old's strength:
@ChinaDaily He's not only cute but also mighty— marine (@marine) 1542537634.0
@ChinaDaily A trained super human...amazing for a 5 year old.— Eunice Chew (@Eunice Chew) 1542600778.0
@ChinaDaily INCREDIBLE！！！— 洪钢 (@洪钢) 1542538002.0
Good luck on breaking the record, Rakhim! You've already left most of us in the dust by a WIDE margin.