Pictured: Jonathan Simos setting a Guinness World Record for heaviest weight lifted while hanging suspended in the dead hang position for one minute. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Simos.

Jonathan Simos is a man of many talents. He is a fitness fanatic, avid Strongman Competitor, trainer, weekend spanakopita chef and newly appointed Guinness World Record Holder, setting the record for heaviest weight lifted while hanging suspended in the dead hang position for one minute. Simos set the record last week by hanging for a little over a minute with 300 pounds strapped to his body, a feat that took 2 months of dedication and specialized training to accomplish.

Simos has always had a competitive spirit and passion for all things fitness, leading him to not only compete in numerous competitions as a performance drug free athlete, such as the popular American Ninja Warrior course and Hercules Hold competitions, but also to become both a trainer and entrepreneur. Along with working as a coach at MADabolic gym in downtown Sarasota and running his homemade spanakopita business, Greek Triangles, Simos’ newest venture is a fitness education program called Neuxist that aims to help teach people how to train in a functional style of fitness and reach their goals. It was through this venture that he began researching an array of fitness-inspired Guinness World Records and discovering that he could actually beat some of them. “I began to realize I wasn't very far off from getting a couple records with the way that I was training. I thought it would be a great way to bring more credibility to the program while inspiring others to realize that they're capable of a lot more than they think.”

His specialized training regiment for the record included an array of pull movements using a fat grip bar extender used to help with grip endurance, including single arm cable rows, heavy barbell shrugs and lat pull downs. Along with the dedicated dead hang workouts, Simos also maintained his usual regiment, consisting of weightlifting three to four times a week and running two to three times a week. While setting a weighted dead hang record is no easy task, neither is gaining the paperwork and evidentiary support required by Guinness World Records. The process of gaining approval to even just attempt the record takes anywhere from 8-12 weeks to be completed. During the actual attempt, everything has to be continuously recorded, including ensuring that both the weights and timer are completely accurate.

In the future, Simos plans to continue breaking world records, already eyeing the set records for longest 200 pound weighted dead hang and fastest explosive four meter pull up. Above all, Simos hopes to inspire and motivate others through his journey. “As a lifetime drug-free athlete, I am working to push physical limitations. Through passing conventional expectations, I want to inspire others to realize that they are capable of much more than they may think, motivate them to break down self imposed limitations and strive to live up to their truest potential in all aspects of their life.”

Pictured: Jonathan Simos setting a Guinness World Record for heaviest weight lifted while hanging suspended in the dead hang position for one minute. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Simos.

For more information about Neuxist, visit @neuxist on Instagram.