Salisbury man goes for most abdominal crunches in an hour record
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, October 24, 2018
John Peterson goes for a record. Jon C. Lakey/Salisbury Post
John Peterson laid on his back for one hour going for the crunch record. Jon C. Lakey/Salisbury Post
John Peterson encourages others to go for records of their own. Jon C. Lakey/Salisbury Post
SALISBURY — On a mat at the Forum gym, John Peterson was set to break the world record for abdominal floor crunches in an hour on Tuesday morning.
The 61-year-old did 6,774 crunches. The previous record, according to Record Setter, is 4,607 crunches.
“Your core is your lifeline,” Peterson said. “It supports your whole body.”
As Peterson neared the end, he told Forum general manager Rayna Gardner, “Let me know when I’m at five minutes. I’m going to pick it up.”
Gym goers began coming over to the turf where Peterson was set up as he approached the final minutes.
After completing the hour, Gardner, who had been counting the crunches, did some final tallying and his friends asked Peterson how he felt.
Peterson said he was all right and his legs started cramping only at the end. He then said he wanted to see how many abdominal crunches he could do in a minute, which was 149.
“It’s all in the mind,” he said.
His friend Greg Parsons congratulated him, saying he was “motivational as hell.”
“I’m a Marine that knows discipline,” Parsons said. “This was unbelievable.”
Peterson replied, “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Peterson said he hoped the record will bring the community together, specifically police officers and residents. He encouraged others to set their own personal records.
