// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Chin-up champion secures Guinness World Record title
Damien Rooney has earned his Guinness World Record title for most chin-ups
A former professional mixed martial artist has broken the Guinness World Record for most chin-ups in an hour whilst wearing a 20lb weight.
Damien Rooney from Burren, outside Newry, clocked up 499 reps to beat the previous record of 495.
He now intends to build upon the record and push towards a fresh challenge for the 24-hour record which could require as many as 10,000 reps.
Damien, who runs his own gym, hopes to take on his next record attempt in April 2027.
In a nutshell Damien says a chin-up is performed with your palms facing towards you and the brunt of effort being felt in the bicep. This compares with a pull-up, where your palms are facing outwards and your lats take the bulk of the strain.
During his fighting career Damien fought under the moniker "The Rage". He says it was this period of his life which fuelled a desire to compete for a Guinness World Record.
"I've always been in and around the fitness game and during my fight career I took a full liking to the strength and conditioning element of it," he said.
He says his training was more suited to chin-ups, rather than pull-ups.
"In 2018 I first attempted the most chin-ups in 24 hours and had a few unsuccessful attempts at that through injury."