Fitness fanatic holds weight of a horse in his lap for heaviest Samson's chair ever
Military man Adhurim Kryeziu (Kosovo) put his strength and resilience to the test when he performed the heaviest Samson's chair (static wall sit) ever.
Adhurim, who serves in the Kosovo Security Force (KSF), held a massive 373.95 kg (824.41 lbs) in his lap as he crouched with his back against a wall at a gym in Prishtin on 26 March. That’s not far off the weight of an average horse.
The fitness fanatic told us: “I have always been motivated by challenging myself and pushing the limits of my physical and mental strength. When I learned about the Samson’s chair record, I saw it as an opportunity to test myself at the highest level and to represent Kosovo on the Guinness World Records stage.”
The Samson’s chair is a difficult feat that sees a person squatting in a static sit against a wall with weights piled up on their lap.
It isolates the thighs and core and places an unrelenting tension on the person holding the position.
Adhurim locked in the position with almost four times his bodyweight pressing down on his legs.
He said: “The Samson’s chair itself was not something I normally performed with such an extreme amount of weight. I specifically trained for this record attempt, gradually preparing my legs and body to handle the enormous load while maintaining the correct position and technique.
“I realized I had the potential when I started handling weights that were far beyond what I had previously considered possible. As my strength continued to improve, I began thinking that I could take on a Guinness World Records challenge rather than simply train for personal strength.”
Read about more feats of strength in our Sports and Fitness section.
Fitness is a huge part of Adhurim’s life and he’s been training seriously for years, with strength forming a major part of his routine.
He says his training has taught him discipline, consistency, patience and mental toughness.
When asked to describe what holding this weight felt like, he explained: “It was extremely intense. Holding 373.95 kg creates enormous pressure on the legs and the entire body.
“Every second becomes a mental battle, and you have to stay completely focused and control your breathing while fighting the instinct to give up.”
He added: “The biggest difficulty was adapting my body to the enormous amount of weight and managing the physical fatigue that came with the preparation. I had to increase the weight gradually and train consistently while making sure I could perform the movement safely and correctly.”
Adhurim says breaking the record was an “incredible feeling” and that he’s proud to represent his home nation of Kosovo on the world stage.
During his attempt, he had a crowd of people standing by to cheer him on, saying their support gave him motivation and made the moment even more special.
When asked if he’s planning to break any more records, he confessed: “Absolutely. This is only the beginning for me. I want to continue challenging myself and attempt more strength-related Guinness World Records titles in the future, including records involving heavy dumbbell walking lunges. My goal is to keep improving and see how far I can push my physical and mental limits.”
Adhurim wants to thank everyone who has supported him throughout his record-breaking journey and says he wants to send the message that even things that seem impossible can be done when you have faith and support and are willing to put the work in.