As first reported in The Daily Mail, Russian CrossFitter Victor Makurov has broken the record for most pull-ups in one minute with 67.
But while Makurov’s performance is undoubtedly impressive (check out the video below to see his blisteringly fast butterfly pull-ups), the previous record has us raising some eyebrows about consistency in reporting this sort of thing.
In the video, Makurov busts out 67 butterfly pull-ups in under 1:00, and we have to say, they’re among the fastest we’ve ever seen as far as cycle time. The fact that he mostly keeps up the pace for a full minute is even more impressive, and overall he’s averaging well under a second per rep on the movement.
But as The Daily Mail reported, the previous Guinness record for pull-ups in a minute stood at just 50 — set last year by US Marine Michael Eckert in Japan. We’ve found some video of Eckert’s attempt — at the beginning and end of the YouTube video below — and it looks like he was setting a record for strict attempts. So while both Makurov and Eckert have claims to fame, comparing their attempts is very much apples-and-oranges in the fitness sense; they’re frankly performing two very different movements.
It doesn’t sound like Makurov is submitting his attempt to Guinness, so we’ll probably avoid any controversy over the legitimacy of either pull-up claim for the time being.
The Daily Mail also reports that Makurov — who trains at CrossFit Time in Perm, Russia — wasn’t out to break a world record during his attempt. However, the presence of a pro, shoulder-mounted video camera during his attempt suggests he was out to chronicle something special. In addition, Makurov posted the following on Instagram, with a caption that roughly translates to:
Friends Today I reached my goal and pulled in one minute 67 times.
This is a world record in that style (Kipping) in which I tightened
We’re not sure if the world record was Makurov’s goal or if he was just going for a new PR (either way, congrats, Victor!). But as it stands, 67 is the most butterfly pull-ups we’ve seen in one minute — for now.
Anyone up for the challenge?
