Former Marine holds plank for 5 hours, breaks world record

If holding a plank for a minute sounds rough, imagine doing it for five hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds.

A former U.S. Marine from Carlsbad, Calif., did just that on Saturday. George Hood, 57, held an abdominal plank at the Junior Seau Oceanside Pier Amphitheatre in Oceanside, Calif., according to KNSD-TV.

Hood broke the previous Guinness World Record for planking that was set by a Chinese police officer at four hours and 26 minutes, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Hood's family and friends kept him company during the plank and offered welcome distractions from the pain of holding his body up hour after hour.

"They bring little gifts up here to the table that I can stare at and draw conclusions, and just study them. All that helps pass time," Hood told KNSD-TV.

The personal trainer and group exercise instructor said he wasn't there just to beat the Guinness World Record, but also to raise money for the Semper Fi Fund, a charity that supports injured U.S. Service Members.

"There are injured Marines that come back from the fight, who have suffered life-altering injuries and the discomfort that I feel right now pales in comparison to that which they feel," Hood told the station.

Follow @MaryBowerman on Twitter.