If you think we’re all destined for dad-bods as soon as fatherhood arrives, think again, as this Brisbane-based dad just set the new push-up world record, beating the previous number set by another Australian. Lucas Helmke punched through a chest-tearing 3,206 push-ups in a single hour to take the competitive record, which has now been beaten four times in the last three years.
For a bit of context on just how impressive a feat this is, Helmke completed an average of 53 push-ups every minute for 60 minutes, nearly one per second. He’s the first person to reach 3,200 reps in an hour, despite having 34 push-ups taken from his total number as they were judged as having incorrect form. For a push-up to count, the knees and hips must remain in a straight line with the rest of the body and elbows must bend past 90 degrees.
Helmke took the record from South Australian Daniel Scali who set the record of 3,182 push-ups in an hour in April of last year, after already setting the Guinness World Record for the longest-ever abdominal plank at 9 hours and 30 minutes. Prior to Scali taking the crown last year, the record was held by another Aussie Jarrad Young who broke the record three times since 2018 with a best attempt of 3,054 push-ups.
“This will be the first record I wish to set of a number of other push-up records,” Helmke said after the record was verified by the Guinness World Records organisation. “Then onto other physical records.”
