18.10.2026 15:40
Former Northern Irish mixed martial arts fighter Damien Rooney broke the Guinness World Record by doing 499 pull-ups in one hour with a 20-pound (about 9 kg) weight. The previous record was 495 repetitions.
Former professional mixed martial arts fighter Damien Rooney, who runs a gym in Northern Ireland, broke the Guinness World Record for most pull-ups in one hour with 20 pounds (about 9 kilograms) of weight on his back. According to BBC News, Rooney, who lives in Burren near Newry, reached 499 repetitions, surpassing the previous record of 495.
The category Rooney entered is a type of pull-up performed with an underhand grip (palms facing the person), placing more load on the biceps. In the classic overhand grip, where the palms face outward, the back muscles bear most of the load.
Rooney, who entered the ring under the nickname "The Rage" during his fighting career, said his obsession with records began at that time. The athlete, who said he has always loved strength and conditioning work, stated that he attempted the record for most pull-ups in 24 hours in 2018, but several of his attempts failed due to muscle tears and heatstroke.
Rooney said even these pains pale in comparison to combat sports: "It's very demanding; the body is constantly overloaded. But the pain is in a specific area and completely under your control. It can't be compared to a tough fight; there's a difference like night and day."
After his last failed attempt, Rooney restructured his training around a short but weighted one-hour goal, dividing the time into two-minute blocks and resting for 30 seconds in between. "People think you just start doing reps back-to-back, but if you do that, your body tires quickly. The right way is to set up a cycle that maximizes both the work and recovery," he said.
Rooney made his record attempt on June 1 and was informed of the result in September. Rooney said Guinness reviewed the footage from different angles one by one and that the process could take up to 20 weeks. He said his next goal is the one-hour unweighted record. The athlete, noting that the record in this category is around 1,010, plans to compete again for the 24-hour record in April 2027, which could require 10,000 repetitions.
Source: BBC