Friday, May 3

GWR Longest Abdominal Plank

World’s Longest Plank Record:

The world’s longest plank record is held by Daniel Scali, an Australian man. Daniel’s Scali broke the longest record in the abdominal plank position (male) in only 9 hours 30 minutes 1 second according to the Guinness World Records. 

He set this record in Adelaide, Australia, on 6 August 2021.

Daniel Scali also suffers from a medical condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). This causes him to have constant pain in his left arm. Even after living in such pain since childhood he managed to break the record.

Scali in an interview said that “when I was young, about 12 years old, playing on a trampoline when I fell off and broke my left arm. I was always in pain and faced many complications in my left arm such as my fingers were swollen, my hands were sweaty all the time, I had excessive hair growth and I could not move my arm without being in pain.”

After which he says he was diagnosed with CRPS, explaining it in his own words he said, “Complex regional pain syndrome is a condition where my brain is sending wrong signals to my left arm which causes me to be in a chronic state of pain. Even now when my arm is resting, I feel a constant throb in my arm. It feels like my arm is on fire.”

In an interview with CNN, Daniel Scali told them that “The pain is still there”, and “The pains aren’t changing but my attitude towards the pain changes.”


He posted this photo saying “You are capable of everything“

Living in such constant pain for years, Daniel Scali managed with his hard work and sheer strength to get a Guinness world record for himself.

We might even think that Daniel must have been practicing planks for quite many years now, however, that is not the case. Daniel says in an interview that “during the covid when everything was closed even the gyms, I practiced at my home, made a home studio where with the help of a few friends I trained and won this title”

Daniel further says that with his chronic pain, he had to learn how to manage it and adapt to it, and this is where planks came into his health and exercise regimen. He would do some sit-ups, running, planks, push ups, and break through the time limits every day.  

He further said in an interview that he remembers how this all started during the covid time, saying that “during covid, many of his friends came to my home, and together we did training and cardio sessions. And at the end of the session, I thought let’s do a 2 minute plank. I still remember counting the last 10 seconds and then we dropped down exhausted. A few weeks later I ended up doing a 5 minute plank until I hit the 30 minute mark. Then each day a 30 minute plank was now my daily routine, this went on for a couple of weeks. Then the timer went up and up. Next, I went for 45 minutes and after that, I went all the way up to 5 hours. ”

He says that this routine went on like this for a couple of months after which he trained himself. He incorporated a minimum of 600 arm kills with the resistance band just to build up his shoulders and biceps. He also included a minimum of 500 to 600 sit ups and push ups per day for a long time. Seeing his progress and how he had conditioned his body through the pain process, that is when he knew he was ready for it.

Daniel Scali breaking the record for the longest plank twice was unbelievable. He had once before applied for the record and held his plank for 9 hours and 9 minutes in 2020. However, his attempt was rejected by the officials saying they did not like his hip position. 

So he tried again, on the 6th of August 2021 where he held the position for 9 hours 20 minutes, and 1 second. During an interview, Scali says that “in the first 14 minutes mark, my left arm felt like it was on fire and the compression band that I  wore could not do a thing. I felt a burning sensation all through my arm”. 

When I hit the 2 hour mark he said “my shoulders on both hands were numb and it felt like I was holding five kilo plates up. I was feeling stinging, shooting, and burning pain going up my arm and my stomach started to turn up a little bit, which is when I started vomiting. This vomiting session then went on and off till the very end”.

World’s Second Longest Plank Record:

The last Guinness World Record for the world’s longest plank record was held by George Hood a 62 year old former marine with the time of eight hours, fifteen minutes, and fifteen seconds.

World’s Third Longest Plank Record:

George Hood surpassed the last previous record made by Mao Weidoing in China in 2016, with eight hours and one minute. 

Daniel Scali says that as soon as the crossed the last world record for 8 hours, 15 minutes, and 15 seconds he knew half his job was done, next he needed to cross his own record of 9 hours and 9 minutes which was rejected, when he did cross that mark, is where he said that “I felt my job was done, but still had it in me to go one more percent so I went for half hour more”, he says “as soon as the countdown started for the last 10 second I was in the zone again. One of his friends had asked him if wanted to go any further but he said that he knew he was done”.

After the time was up his friends helped him ease a little bit and when he stretched a bit to get in the normal position, stretching his arms and knees he said: “there was another new level of pain waiting for me”.

But the joy I felt when at home, I read the Official letter from the Guinness World Record saying that they had accepted his video and he was the new record holder for the world’s longest plank record, he says “this was the joy I had never experienced before.”

Daniel now holds his record up high and uses it to raise awareness for people who suffer from Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). He now tells the world that there are such people who are living in their own hell of pain and it is debilitating. Daniel uses this platform to bring attention to CRPS. Today he holds fundraising and other events for chronic pain organizations and different institutions worldwide. 

Daniel in an interview says that “I wanted to give CRPS sufferers and other chronic pain sufferers a voice, saying that I am here and I know what it’s like, I’ve lived with it, I’ve dealt with it all my life, I have seen it at its worst and at its best. We can still live and can still do things. Knowing that I broke the record twice and so can others who are suffering. That is what I am grateful for, that is my purpose”.

Daniel Scali’s life is inspiring to one and many, people suffering and people who need motivation. He pushed his body to its limits and succeeded. 

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