George Hood doesn’t believe in doing anything halfway.
Not during his time as a U.S. Marine Corps officer in the 1980s.
Nor during his decades spent in federal service as an investigative agent for both the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
And certainly not for the past decade in “retirement” — during which the 63-year-old endurance athlete and personal trainer has become focused on setting world records in feats of fitness- and endurance-related strength.
In February 2020, he made international news by setting the Guinness World Record for the longest plank: eight hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds. Some 10 days after setting that record, he was still recovering, telling CNBC that he was in “excruciating” pain and that because “the soreness is very deep…the body has to heal from the inside out.”
Interestingly, Hood also holds an even longer plank world record — 10 hours, 10 minutes, 10 seconds — that was certified in 2018 by a different sanctioning organization (Assist World Records).
The post-event pain doesn’t seem to discourage Hood because these are just a couple of the 13 world records he’s set (and in some cases re-set) since he made his first successful world record attempt in rope skipping — going for 13 hours, 12 minutes, 11 seconds — back in 1986.
Since 2007, he’s also set records in stationary cycling (222 hours, 22 minutes, 22 seconds), 40-pound weighted plank (two hours, 35 minutes, 35 seconds) and 24-hour plank accumulation (18 hours, 10 minutes, 10 seconds).
Coming to Boca Raton on Saturday
Hood always tries to turn his world-record attempts into fun, celebratory events, so on Saturday, in full compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols, the Aurora, Ill., resident will be making his latest certified world record attempt — this time for most pushups in an hour — at Evolution Fitness in Boca Raton.
The number he’ll be trying to surpass: 2,919.
But lest you think Hood makes these highly publicized world record attempts for self-glory, think again.
Rather, his purpose is both to inspire — “Anyone can do what I do,” he says without the slightest hint of false modesty — and to raise money for worthy charitable causes.
As to why Hood believes anyone can do what he does, he notes that his first foray into “competitive” planking was less than auspicious: “I lasted about five minutes. But I was determined to improve.”
For Saturday’s event, which starts at 10 a.m., all proceeds raised will benefit the Wounded Veterans Relief Fund (wvrf.org), an organization that provides assistance to veterans after their tours have ended.
Only a limited number of spectators will be permitted to attend in-person at the outdoor venue, where masking and social distancing will be enforced.
However, for those unable to come in person, Hood’s YouTube page will be broadcasting the event on a live feed.
Both Hood and Evolution Fitness are inviting attendees to help raise money for the cause by making a small donation and taking the “10-minute pushup challenge” — that is, an invitation to do as many pushups as one can in a 10-minute period.
“This will give folks the chance to test themselves and get just a small taste of what it feels like to do what I’ll be doing on Saturday,” says Hood.
Folks can also donate to the cause by visiting the event’s GoFundMe page.
A year of preparation
To prepare for Saturday’s world-record attempt — which Hood says will be “the shortest yet most kinetic and dynamically challenging I’ve ever done” — he has spent the past year ramping up his daily pushup count.
“Until I began tapering a few weeks ago, I was doing them in sets of three or four and totaling about 5,000 a day.”
Hood says that since he decided in January 2020 to take aim at the pushup record — “I had to break my plank ‘addiction,’” he says with a laugh — he’s done more than 1.3 million pushups cumulatively.
“I’ve spent seven hours a day for this particular world record attempt and have taken off only four days in the last 14 months,” he says.
In addition to the 5,000 pushups, his daily training regimen included some 2,000 sit-ups, 2,000 leg lifts, two hours of planking, and a 60-minute, 2-mile-long cardio routine, as well as other exercises and strength-training movements to keep his mind, core and 5-foot, 9-inch, 160-pound physique in top condition.
Inspired by a fitness legend
Hood says legendary fitness guru Jack LaLanne was one of his inspirations. In 1956 at age 42, LaLanne set his own unofficial “world pushup record” by doing 1,033 in 23 minutes.
“I grew up with Jack LaLanne and was always inspired by his fitness feats because they reflected a natural and authentic approach to health and fitness,” Hood explains.
As to what attracted him to chasing world records, Hood, who’s been a fitness enthusiast his whole life, says it was his natural curiosity — “Hey, I did spend my career as an investigator” — that led him to wonder two things: 1) “How long can I do this or how many reps can I do?”; and 2) “I wonder if there’s a world record for it?”
During training, Hood — who’s divorced with three adult sons — has already surpassed LaLanne’s pushup pace, doing around 1,000 in 20 minutes, and believes come Saturday, he’ll be well-positioned to set the new world mark.
Couldn’t do it without his team
Of course, Hood — who describes himself as “loner” — would be the first concede he couldn’t set, or event attempt, any of these world records without his stellar support team.
This tightly knit group of friends are like-minded in their enthusiasm for, and fascination with, endurance world records. They help Hood ramp up his training and supervise the logistics during the actual attempt.
One member of the group who Hood says has been instrumental in helping him attain peak form in both the plank and in this new challenge is Renae Cobley. She’s an internationally renowned cognitive and endurance-athlete “mindset” coach from Sydney, Australia.
“Renae is the one I turn to when I need that extra bit of support or advice,” he says. “In many ways, she’s more like a sports therapist than she is a coach.”
Cobley, whose book “Mindset: The most lethal invisible weapon we have to happiness” is available on Amazon, says that Hood is “a remarkable athlete whose fitness achievements and cognitive experiences are life-changing and just so inspirational to those who witness them.”
In setting the longest plank records, Hood says the challenge was as much mental as it was physical — aching muscles and bloodied elbows notwithstanding.
“It’s like any kind of marathon event where you need to stay positive during the rough times. My team would help me keep my mind right with good kinds of distractions.”
As for how he fuels his body, Hood says his diet is pretty “basic.”
“I try to eat cleanly,” he says. “No fast food or junk food. It’s all about consuming fresh food — things like lean protein, high-quality complex carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables — as well as controlling portion size and avoiding sugar and anything that’s processed.”
Nevertheless, he estimates he can burn up to 4,000 or 5,000 calories daily during training, so he has to eat accordingly.
And on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Evolution Fitness in Boca Raton, Hood will be putting all that training and preparation to the test.
Regardless of whether or not he sets the one-hour pushup record, his coach and dear friend Cobley promises that “George always delivers a performance that is truly inspiring.”
If you go
What: George Hood will attempt to set the Guinness World Record for most pushups in one hour.
Where: Evolution Fitness, 9793 Glades Road, Boca Raton. If you are unable to attend, the event will be livestreamed on George Hood’s YouTube page.
When: Saturday, 10 a.m.
Admission: Free for a limited number of spectators. Organizers are attempting to raise money for Wounded Veterans Relief Fund (wvrf.org), an organization that provides assistance to veterans after their tours have ended.
How to give: Either on-site or by visiting the event’s GoFundMe page.
For more information: Call 561-929-1768 or visit evolutionfitnessboca.com.
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(c) 2021 The Palm Beach Post
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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