San Diego CA— On Veterans Day, November 11, 2016, Carlsbad, CA resident and Ultra Endurance Athlete George Hood, a 9x world record holder, set a new World Record for the plank by smashing the existing GWR of 8:01:01 aboard the USS Midway in NBC’s annual “Salute to Service” celebration. The event was a fundraiser for the Semper Fi Fund and was being done to honor all veterans. The Marine Corp Aviation Association (MCAA), Marion E. Carl Squadron sponsored the event aboard the historic USS Midway and was done to honor all veterans.
Hood memorialized the event by setting a new World Record for the plank at 9:11:01, a day truly significant to all Americans. At the end of his new record attempt, Hood did 50 pushups in honor of our country and those who have served it from all 50 states. According to celebrity fitness professional, Tony Nicholson, from Beijing, China, who was a certifying official at the event, “this event by Hood and his crew was historic and done by the book with no flaws….it’s one of the most emotional events I have ever been witness to…..he has clearly won the hearts and minds of countless Chinese and so many around the world who respect his raw power and courage to go so long on behalf of veterans”.

The cognitive conditioning component of Team Hood included crew members, Dana Bach Glowacka from Montreal, Canada and Karen L Coffee from Chapel Hill, NC. They nurtured Hood thru every aspect of his attempt to keep him on course to setting such a historic record. George and his crew, Team Hood, were sponsored in part by Move It Fitness, where Hood is a Sr. Fitness and Training Advisor. Over the course of his attempt, Hood burned nearly 2066 calories and had a sustained Average Heart Rate of 88 bpm. He went thru nearly a gallon of liquids during his effort. Hood remarked “this event was done on behalf of the Semper Fi Fund and the goal was always to set the new record at 9:11:01 to memorialize the heroic sacrifices of our veterans….this can never be repeated”. Hood, a former U.S. Marine Officer and retired DEA Agent gave special thanks to nearly 2,000 people who came aboard the Midway as part of the event and to his crew anchored by Operations Manager, Mary Shanley who commented that “George Hood does extraordinary things like this so we never forget those who benefit from his fundraising efforts.”
Hood’s exceptional strength and mental conditioning necessary to sustain such endurance feats has raised awareness to the overall benefits of the plank, a static pose vested in yoga culture and often referred to as an active position of rest. Hood continues to be a leader in the fitness industry with regard to core training and plank fitness. Hood said “I’m proud to have set this new world record on such a historic day in the U.S. and on behalf of our veterans”.
Hood presently resides in Carlsbad, CA, where he trained approximately 7 hours a day to prepare for this new world record attempt. Prior to this, Hood competed in China’s 2nd International World Cup Plank Challenge in May, 2016, where he took a respectable 2nd place with a time of 7 hours, 40minutes and 4 seconds. Hood is a personal trainer and Group Exercise instructor as well as the founder of Oceanside Paddleboard in Oceanside, CA. He continues to inspire the world!