If the thought of holding a plank for those few agonizing minutes at the gym makes you cringe, imagine doing it for five hours.

Make that 5 hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds– a new world record achieved by 57-year-old U.S. Marine George Hood, of Carlsbad, California. His motivation? Raising money and awareness for injured service members.

The former officer and retired Drug Enforcement Administration agent held the marathon abdominal plank at an event last month in Oceanside, California, near San Diego. Hood broke the previous Guinness World Record for planking that was set in 4 hours and 26 minutes by a Chinese police officer.

Hood – who's now a personal trainer and group exercise instructor – said he wasn't there just to crush the world record, but also to raise money for the Semper Fi Fund, a charity that supports injured U.S. troops.

"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 KMFB-TV.

Hood spent nine months training for his record attempt, including 30 hours of plank time each week, with 20 and 40-pound weights on his back to build up his endurance and strength.

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.

(WATCH the video below from KMFB-TV or READ more at USA Today) –Photo by KMFB-TV

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