CNN
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An Australian father has set a new world record for push ups, completing more than 3,206 in just one hour – that’s 53 every minute, or almost one a second.
Lucas Helmke powered through the push ups at his local gym in Brisbane to claim the title set by another Australian man just last year – it’s the fourth time a new record has been set for the feat in three years.
An accountant by trade, the 33-year-old father told Guinness World Records he wanted to “provide inspiration” for his one-year-old son by showing him “nothing is impossible.”
Each push up had to be flawless to meet the standards required for an official world record.
Helmke was required to keep his body straight on his way up, without bending his knees and waist, while reaching at least a 90-degree angle at the elbow when he lowered himself.
He was docked 34 push ups due to improper form, and yet he went on to overtake record-setters that came before him. The previous record was set by Daniel Scali, who delivered 3,182 push ups, in April 2022.
Helmke smashed the record at the Iron Underground gym in November last year and was recently informed by Guinness World Records that his record had been approved. Two previous record holders were also Australians.
Posting the certificate on his Facebook last month, he wrote: “This one finally came through.”
Helmke told Guiness World Records it took him two to three years to build up the physical strength to pull off the extraordinary feat.
Given the competition, it is not clear how long his record will stand. Local media in Florida in March reported that American man Rob Stirling, 60, had managed 3,264 push ups late last month – but that claim is yet to be recognized by Guiness.
Helmke meanwhile already has his sights on other records.
“This will be the first record I wish to set of a number of other push up records,” Lucas said. “Then onto other physical records.”
