You may have heard about the 50 Israeli chefs who broke the world record for the biggest plate of hummus, which they served up in a satellite dish.
Well, now an Australian who served in an elite unit of the Israel Defence Forces has joined the ranks of Guinness world record-holders.
Jarryd Rubinstein, 26, from Sydney, recently registered 25 muscle-ups. For those unfamiliar with the term, a muscle-up is a combination of a chin-up and a dip, whereby the upper body is raised above a bar to the point at which the arms can be straightened. The previous record was 15.
The 65kg muscle man, who trains at Bondi Beach, spent three years in the elite Sayeret Golani counter-terror unit “preventing hundreds of casualties” in operations against Palestinian terrorists in Gaza and Nablus.
He says he learned about how to stay fit in the IDF — he regularly managed more than 20 muscle-ups. He kept up the training when he returned to Australia in 2008. He is often seen performing his muscle-ups every morning in the exercise area near North Bondi Surf Club.
Mr Rubinstein tells People: “My friends said: ‘Let’s put it on YouTube and see if anyone can beat it.’ It’s received 65,000 hits, which is huge. The most I have seen is a guy in New York, who did 20.”
Mr Rubinstein, who now works in wealth management, contacted Guinness to formalise the record.
He says: “I needed two witnesses — a JP and a certified trainer — plus photos and video in real time. I also had to sign various agreements.”
The paperwork is now on its way to the Guinness main offices in London.
“I am waiting to be officially endorsed but see no reason why it wouldn’t be. I don’t know how long I’ll hold it for — but I intend on responding if someone beats my record.” Any challengers?