Mexican Enrique Zapata has broken all records and amazed the fitness world by completing the most pull-ups in 24 hours.

While many people struggle to complete 3 sets, Zapata, who took over the spot from Lennert Schots of Belgium, completed 12,345 pull-ups in 1 day, setting a new Guinness World Record on January 31, 2026.

The news was later confirmed by the athlete himself on his Instagram, where he posted the Guinness World record’s update with the caption, “someone climb the pole…. And the next one becomes able to reach it”.

This was the 3rd pull-up crown he conquered. The first achievement: 4, 949 pull-ups in 8 hours, later broken by David McCarthy with 5450 pull-ups. His 2nd achievement was completing 7,100 pull-ups in 12 hours, a record later broken by Rémi Girard with 7300 sets.

He completed most of his reps in sets of 7 or 8. After setting the 24-hour record, Enrique Zapata said to GWR, “It took discipline, belief, and an extraordinary team”.

He added, “The record is dedicated to my team: my wife, Mariana; Humberto, my physiotherapist and friend; Alex and David, my mindset coaches; Rosendo; Jorge; and everyone who stood by me during the hardest moments”.

He ended his statement by saying, “This record is about perseverance over time. If I can do this, everyone can”.

Now, the question is what strategy does Enrique Zapata follow during his performance?

Enrique Zapata's data-driven system

After breaking the record of 7100 pull-ups in 12 hours, Enrique revealed his strategy during his appearance at Saltwater Experience.

From the podcast, 5 vital points have been identified:

• He focuses on nasal breathing optimization. He said, “I only breathe through my nose. It keeps me efficient, keeps my heart rate down, and keeps me calm under extreme strain”. Nasal breathing helps maximise oxygen levels in the body.
• Another part of his strategy is cooling the palm to delay muscle fatigue. He admitted, “Temperature is the hidden killer. Cooling my palms, face, and feet keeps my mitochondria functioning longer”.
• Pull-ups can put a lot of strain on one’s body, which is why Enrique minimizes them to preserve his muscle mass.
• Annual joint ultrasounda are a common thing for Zapata to monitor his soft tissue adaptation. He said, "My fascia, tendons, and joints are stronger now. My body has calloused itself structurally”.
• During his performance, he follows a special diet. For instance, he consumes beet and carrot juice for glucose support. Zapata also consumes amino acids and electrolytes for neurotransmitter stability. He said, "In extreme fatigue, neurotransmitters crash. I fuel the brain, not just the muscles”.

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu