A fitness trainer who lunged his way across New York City has bagged a duo of Guinness World Records titles.
Austin Head (USA), a trainer at Life Time in New York, has not only performed the most lunges in an hour (male), but he also set the record for farthest distance travelled by lunge in one hour while training for his attempt.
Austin, who lives in Brooklyn, NY, nabbed the record he’d been training for on Friday, when crowds gathered to watch him lunge an impressive 2,825 times in 60 minutes, smashing the previous record of 2,358.
His first record came along 12 days earlier, during his training, with him lunging 3.45 km (2.14 mi) in 60 minutes on 10 March.
Austin, 30, took on the mammoth challenge to raise money for the Life Time Foundation, which was established to inspire healthier people, a healthier way of life and a healthier planet.
And he raised an incredible $7,599 (£6,026), with $2,500 (£1,982) of it coming in during his hour-long attempt.
The money Austin raised will stay in the New York area to fund health and wellness programmes.
He also hopes his efforts will encourage people to focus on challenges with a positive mindset.
And although it was all worth it, he admitted today: “The adrenaline is wearing off, and the soreness is setting in!”
Austin’s attempt on Friday took place along the Brooklyn waterfront, starting at the carousel in Dumbo, and moving along the piers underneath Brooklyn Heights before circling back to conclude near his starting point.
He was cheered on by a crowd of people, including his mother and grandmother, who flew in from Texas to support him, as well as his friends and family from the New York area.
Guinness World Records Adjudicator Michael Empric was there to oversee the attempt, and present Austin with his two certificates.
Revealing how he got mentally ready for his attempt, Austin said: “To get my mindset right I would listen to motivational videos by Tony Robbins, and listen to very uplifting and inspiring music!
My mantra that helped me achieve the world record was 'I AM POWERFUL, I AM STRONG!!' I kept saying that in my head for the full hour, it helped me stay focused, and it helped me really step into power and strength!
Austin, who set himself the challenge of achieving a Guinness World Records title as he turned 30, said he believes it was fate that led him into the fitness profession.
He said: “I have a handicapped brother and I grew up helping my mom out with him. This rooted in me the need to help people. I also loved acting as a kid. Being a group instructor really is a perfect balance between the two! Getting to help people while also being on stage. I feel very lucky to do what I know I was meant to do every single day.”
On how the idea for his record title was born, he added: “I’ve been lunging for years! I do so many lunges in my group fitness classes.
“I started consistently doing walking lunges during the pandemic. I would do 45 minutes at a time just walking lunges.
“[And] I feel very lucky to live in one of the best neighborhoods in NYC - Dumbo! I knew I wanted it to be along the waterfront.”
Austin says he learned a lot while preparing for his record attempt, and he has plenty of advice to pass on to anyone who may be considering going for their own title.
He said: “At the start I was over training way too much. What was difficult about my training was that I would be extremely sore from a lunge session and would have to teach a full day of classes - sometimes seven in one day! I teach almost 30 classes a week with Life Time.
“I quickly noticed how important recovery was. I prioritized my recovery so much that I bought a membership to Reset by Therabody. I would get weekly IVs, consistently use red light therapy, cold plunges, as well as stretch and massage sessions. This was a big game changer for me!
“It is a big sacrifice and honestly, I don’t think I realized how much of a sacrifice it would be. The first thing I would say is find your why or your purpose. Then on days you feel like giving up, always go back to your why and the motivation will come!”
He added: “The reason I am a world record holder isn’t because I’m in the best shape, I’m in great shape but not the absolute best. I use mindset to help me take my physical abilities to another level!”
Oh, and Austin also admits he developed a bit of a sweet tooth during his training and would often stop by Chip City Cookies at the end of his lunging sessions for a reward.
You deserve it, Austin.
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