Update, 4 March 2013: Unfortunately Gerry failed to break the record on this occasion. Gerry managed an amazing 2360 pull ups in 14 hours, but had to stop due to tendon damage. At this rate Gerry could have completed 4045 in 24 hours (168 pull ups an hour, 2.81 per minute) – so he could have potentially beaten the world record if he could carry on. We wish Gerry a speedy recovery and hope that he can attempt to beat the record again.
Currently the official Guinness world record for pull-ups in 24 hours is 4,020. Gerry Moriano, a 48 year-old hairdresser from from Surrey, England, is planning to smash this record on 2nd March 2013 at a David Lloyd gym in Weybridge, about 23 miles south-west of central London.
Gerry Moriano says that as it is a 24 hour challenge he only needs to do 4 pull-ups a minute to do a total of 5,760 pull-ups in one day. For anyone who does pull-ups, 4 per minute is not a lot. Going 24 hours without a break is not so easy! And as Gerry points out, if he takes a minute break, the next minute he has to do 8. They soon add up.
Over the 24 hour period he will have to continue to eat, taking in carbohydrates to fuel his muscles, and keep his body moving to prevent cramp setting in. Stopping for even 10 minutes could spell the end of the world record attempt.
Stephen Hyland – Current Record Holder
The current record holder in Stephen Hyland, who managed 4,020 pull-ups in 12 hours on 23rd July 2011. Stephen Hyland, also British, set the record in his personal gym in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire. This involved setting a tempo of around 7 pull-ups a minute.
Stephen Hyland also holds the following world records:
- Pull-ups in 30 minutes: 543, set on 5th July 2010
- Pull-ups in 1 Hour: 1009, set on 1st August 2010
- Pull-ups in 12 Hours: 4020, set on 23rd July 2011
- Pull-ups in 24 Hours: 4020, set on 23rd July 2011
- Chin-ups in 1 minute: 42, set on 7th March 2006
- Chin-ups in 30 minutes: 528, set on 9th May 2000
- Chin-ups in 1 Hour: 968 set on 2nd June 2000
- Chin-ups in 6 Hours: 2968 set on 24th June 2007
- Chin-ups in 12 Hours: 3750 set on 24th June 2007 (also same record for 24 hours)
Hopefully some time after the 2nd March we will see the Guinness World Records page for the Most Pull Ups in 24 Hours get updated with Gerry Moriano’s name.
Why is he doing this? Partly to raise money for the Sam Beare Hospice, and partly to prove that his is the pull-up champion of the world! The Sam Beare Hospice is based within the Weybridge Hospital. It provides palliative care to people suffering from progressive terminal illnesses. It does amazing work to help improve the comfort of its patients, but as a charity it relies on donations.
If you wish to support Gerry Moriano, visit his Just Giving Charity page and make a donation.
If you want to get better at pull-ups, there is really only one way to do it – do pull-ups. Losing weight is also pretty important – the less fat you have to lift, the easier it is!
Unfortunately Gerry did not complete the challenge this time round. We know that he did complete over 2000 pull-ups but suffered an injury to his arm and was forced to stop. Hopefully he will be fit soon to make another attempt.