American gymnast knuckles down to nail record-breaking handstand
Madden Shelley (USA) has been doing gymnastics for more than a decade, ever since he discovered the sport at a friend’s birthday party. Now, that childhood passion has earned him a place in Guinness World Records history.
On 11 September 2025, Madden achieved the longest duration to perform a handstand on the knuckles (male), balancing for an incredible 1 minute and 23 seconds in Tennessee, USA.
Away from gymnastics, Madden studies biology and public health, with ambitions of attending medical school and becoming a physician-scientist.
How did he handstand his way to success?
At just five years old, Madden attended a friend’s birthday party at a gymnastics centre and fell in love with the sport. By his sixth birthday, he begged his parents to hold his own party at the same gym.
He said: “Immediately after the party, I told my mom and dad I wanted to join the team. I began competing at age seven and soon competed nationally, training through the Future Stars and Junior Olympic circuits.”
Madden went on to train for more than 20 hours a week, developing his skills with dreams of one day competing in the Olympics.
During his first year of high school, he enjoyed his most successful competitive season yet. However, in the lead-up to the national championships, Madden suffered a herniated disc and stress fractures. The injuries were a major setback, as Madden explained: “I went from vying for top 10 in the country to being unable to pick up my cat.”
After countless doctor’s appointments and discussions about retiring from his favourite sport, Madden cut down on his gymnastics time to rest and recover.
Still keen to keep gymnastics a part of his life in some way, Madden was procrastinating during an organic chemistry class and discovered the Guinness World Records Sports and Fitness section.
With a love for handstand tricks, he knew that the knuckle handstand title would be his.
So, how did he prepare for the title?
He explained that his training involved three phases, so he had time to learn the technique before building up strength and stamina.
“In the first phase of my training, I began incorporating focused knuckle handstand training into the workouts. Knuckle handstands are absolutely not a traditional gymnastics exercise, so I spent four weeks working through the basic technique through focused attempts at various knuckle positions and watching videos of how other athletes were performing these skills.
“In the second phase of my training, I practised the skill of balancing solely on my knuckles for six weeks.
“In the third phase of my training, over six weeks, I developed the endurance needed to tolerate the pain of holding my bodyweight on my knuckles for over a minute, and this pain was substantial. Each knuckle is compressed far past perpendicular to your hand.
“After each attempt, my knuckles would swell, so I carefully balanced activity and rest, icing as well after training sessions.”
Many of us won’t even be able to hold a normal handstand, and Madden explains that the knuckle handstand is a large step up, as “it necessitates a perfect balance, a high pain tolerance, and exceptional body control”.
Madden usually works out in the gym five times each week, and one day added some knuckle handstand attempts into his session. After managing to hold the position for a couple of seconds without any specific training, Madden was eager to pursue the record.
Now with one title under his belt, Madden is already looking towards his next challenge.
He has been inspired by Néstor Santiago Gonzalez Valero (Colombia), a multiple Guinness World Records title holder who achieved the most handstand shoulder taps in one minute (male) with 120 taps on 22 May.
Madden hopes to take on the challenge himself, and after turning a childhood love of gymnastics into a record-breaking achievement, he certainly seems ready to reach for new heights!