Earlier, people were saying that desis were just not tough enough to play in the NFL. You want tough? This guy makes pro-football players with all their padding and helmets (and cups) look like toddlers having a pillow-fight in a moonbounce.

Handshake of iron, groin of steel

A two-time Guinness record holder is hoping to enter the record book for the third time by completing 114 fingertip push-ups in 60 seconds… His previous records are for breaking three concrete slabs on his groin and the most back-hand push-ups in an hour…. He already holds several national and international records for completing 133 palm push-ups in a minute, 819 back-hand push-ups in one hour and 1,448 stomach crunches in one hour. [Link]

With all these records, which one is his favorite? He’s a guy, the answer should be pretty clear:

… he is most proud of his Guinness record for breaking three concrete slabs on his groin. He said: “I was sent a letter by the Guinness authorities saying that this was my best record but they will not allow or encourage more people to attempt this one because it is potentially dangerous…” [Link]

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p>Honestly? It’s not even clear to me what this record means. Presumably it means holding a concrete slab on his groin while somebody else breaks it with a sledgehammer (I’ve seen this in martial arts demonstrations). I can’t imagine it means anything else, but the image it creates generates all sorts of interesting nicknames for this guy …

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p>His training routine for the fingertip pushup record was both intense and ascetic, involving an almost anorexic diet (presumably to lower his weight): He is most proud of his Guinness record for breaking three concrete slabs on his groin

“I did at least 4,000 fingertip push-ups for about six hours every day [since July]. “I would do a part of the routine in the morning and then a few hours in the evening,” he said. Mr Nayak also monitored his diet and survived on white pulses, one vegetarian meal and at least 15 litres of water a day during the training period. [Link]

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p>Instead of visualizing success, his approach was almost the opposite:

He said his technique when attempting the fingertip push-ups record was not to give himself time to think about it. [Link]

You’ll probably hear more about this guy soon. His goal is to set 72 world records, which would give him more standing records than the current highest record holder, Ashrita Furman, who has only 32 of his 102 records standing.

UPDATE:

Fascinating – Nayak isn’t the first person to hold the record for breaking concrete blocks on your groin, either:

Nayak said he had broken the record held by a United States citizen, who had two concrete blocks smashed on his groin. His inspiration came from a karate expert he met in Japan. “I was extremely fascinated that he could use his mind to perform extraordinary physical feats and that he could numb his nerves to any kind of pain,” Nayak said. [Link]

There are actually two guys who’ve held this record. I’m dumbfounded.