When it comes to the limits of human physiology and achievement, world records provide the benchmark. Simply put, they represent the global best out of more than eight billion people in the world. 

World records can be defined as the best global performance ever recorded. They may be completed by one person or a group of people. They also need to be officially verified in a sport, skill, or activity. 

Take a glance at some of the strength-based records, and you’ll find them hard to believe. The plank world records we detail below are eight prime examples.

The plank is a simple exercise. You hold your body in a prone position by using core strength and coordination. The hold time can vary depending on your goals and ability. 

In a different article, we discuss how long you should hold a plank. However, we can guarantee it won’t be as long as these times! Let’s take a closer look.

8 Plank World Records

These are the eight plank world records deserving of a place in history. Try them at home for yourself and you’ll likely not even get close! 

Longest Plank In An Abdominal Position (Male)

This first record belongs at the top of our list because it’s also the longest plank of all time. After reading this number, you’ll struggle to believe it’s real. 

Josef Salek from the Czech Republic holds the current title, performing the plank for a grand total of 9 hours, 38 minutes, and 47 seconds. This was set in Pilsen, Czech Republic, on May 20, 2023.

This beat the previous 2021 record of 9 hours, 30 minutes, and 1 second held by Daniel Scali from Australia. 

After living a life of excess, Josef turned his life around after being imprisoned for mistaken identity. Four years before he set the record, he would keep his spirit up in jail by exercising. 

He now works as a lecturer, therapist, and personal development coach. After persevering in jail, Josef persevered and set this amazing world record. It’s hard to think that this will ever get beaten. 

It’s safe to say that he may have got just some of the benefits of planks that day! 

Longest Plank In An Abdominal Position (Female)

The second record on our list might not be as long, but it’s equally impressive. We’ve talked about the male record, so let’s look at the world record plank for women.

Donnajean Wilde from Canada holds the female world record for the longest plank position. She set a huge time of 4 hours, 30 minutes, and 11 seconds in Canada on March 21, 2024. 

Crazily enough, at 59 years old, Donnajean is a grandmother! When setting the record, she really redefined what it means to grow old. She broke the previous record from Canada’s Dana Glowacker by over ten minutes. 

After breaking her wrist working as a school teacher, Donnajean realized that she could still plank when exercising. After rapidly increasing her plank time, it became a regular part of her fitness routine.

As part of her training, she would plank for 2–3 hours every single day! 

Longest Plank In An Abdominal Position + 200lb Pack

Imagine holding a plank for an extended period. Now, imagine the same position but with a fully grown person on your back. That’s exactly how the next person on our list set the record! 

Fernando Bellera from Venezuela set the weighted plank record at 6 minutes, 33 seconds, and 43 milliseconds. When doing this, he wore a 200-pound pack, which is literally the weight of a large human being. 

What’s even more impressive is that he broke his own world record by 18 seconds when doing it. He achieved the feat on Jan 30, 2024. 

Fernando is the president of the Venezuelan Society of Neurosurgery. When he’s not planking, he works as a doctor. 

During his three-year preparation period, he actually broke the record seven times. However, during his official attempts, he failed the first two! 

Most People Planking Simultaneously

This next record is one of my personal favorites. It really defines what teamwork is, showing what can be achieved when a group of people comes together. 

On December 16, 2011, 1549 people from King George V School in the UK came together with one shared goal — to achieve a new world record!

Funnily enough, a student called Anoushka Weiley suggested that the record should be in celebration of the school’s new chairs. What an interesting farewell to the chairs that have been there for 40 years! 

We’re not quite sure what the previous record was. However, it’s not been broken in over ten years, which means they must have set a high standard. Several larger groups have come together over the years, but never officially broken in.

Most People Holding The Side Plank Position

Next on our list is a variation of the plank known as the side plank. Instead of being in a prone position, you hold your body to the side. It’s a challenging exercise that focuses more on the oblique muscles.

The record belongs to the Akshar Yoga Research and Development Center in Bengaluru, India. On February 11, 2023, 510 people held the side plank position simultaneously. 

Interestingly enough, this isn’t the only world record the Akshar Yoga Center holds. In September 2022, 250 of their yoga practitioners performed the Chakrasana, or wheel pose, at the same time.

If they were looking for some side plank benefits, they definitely got them as well!

Oldest Female To Perform An Abdominal Plank

Some say that age is just a number. Others try everything they can to stop or slow the aging process as they notice the changes happening. This next woman seems to think and do both of them!

At 80 years and 244 days old, Annie Judis is the oldest ever female to hold a plank position. She achieved this incredible feat on July 24, 2024, in Beverly Hills, California, USA. What’s even more crazy is the fact that she held the plank position for over four minutes!

Born on November 23, 1943, Annie has been a Hollywood actor, beauty pageant queen, and now fitness influencer. On her social media accounts, she is seen passionately working out every single day.

The grandmother-of-three and mum-of-two has over 75,000 followers on Instagram, regularly sharing videos of her lifestyle and exercise routines. These include lifting weights, pilates, and skipping.

While planking is a part of her daily exercise routine, she only does it for a minute at a time. For most of us, this would be our normal set!

When aiming to set the world record, Annie thought of her late husband, with whom she used to perform planks. If this isn’t inspiring, then I don’t know what is. You really are only as young as you feel. 

Longest Duration Hula Hooping In Abdominal Plank Position (Male)

Most of us will probably go through life without breaking a single world record. Of course, we’ll each achieve some personal accomplishments and maybe break some smaller records along the way. However, breaking a world record is something different altogether.

This next person is the proud owner of two, not one, world records. The man I’m about to talk about is none other than Reger Maffei.

Born in the United States, Reger holds the record for the longest duration of hula hooping while holding an abdominal plank. On April 20, 2024, Reger set the record in Rohnert Park, California. He achieved a time of 7 minutes and 41 seconds, which is impressive enough even without the hooping.

Most people would be happy with one world record. Not Reger. 

Before setting the hula hoop plank record, Reger set a record for the most consecutive chin-ups while hula hooping. I guess he really likes hula hooping!

On July 20, 2019, he managed to get 16 repetitions while keeping the hula hoop going. He achieved this feat on his third attempt, igniting his world record-setting flame!

Longest Duration Hula Hooping In Abdominal Plank Position (Female)

With Reger setting the men’s standard, what about the female one?

The award for this one goes to Andrea Hulamyhoop, a unique hula hoop performer from the United Kingdom. On October 21, 2022, she managed a time of 4 minutes and 57 seconds without letting the hula hoop stop.

What makes Andrea so unique is the fact that she has broken ten Guiness world records in hula hooping. Because of this, she has gained viral attention for her skills, appearing on several TV shows throughout the world. 

Andrea said that breaking the hula hoop records expanded her fitness focus, helping her to develop better physical and mental strength. Even with nine other records, Andrea said that she found the added core strength challenge hard.

Going by a last name like that, we knew she had to be good!

Conclusion

Achieving one of these amazing records above is no easy feat. It takes years and years of intense dedication and training. 

Some of these records may never be beaten. Only time will tell to see how far we can continue to push physical human limits. 

If you can take something from this article, take some inspiration and have a go at achieving your own record. While it might not make this list, it can still be something special for your progress and growth. 

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