Kotsimpos trains under the "Iron Body" philosophy.[3] He was coached by Kostas Stathopoulos, who has held in the past the Guinness World Record for the "Most diamond push-ups on medicine balls in one minute".[4] When asked about his workout program in a TV interview, Kotsimpos said "My training is a blend of calisthenics, resistance training and core strength building".[5] He also explained about his training approach that, "it emphasizes on a combination of exercises that build the core muscles of the body, mainly using medicine balls and swiss balls".[6]
George Kotsimpos performing hand release push-ups for his Guinness World Record attempt (2020).
The second in December 2022 for the "Most consecutive tandem push ups (male)"[12][13] with his fellow athlete Apostolos Dervas, performing 43 push-ups while carrying out the exercise together. They outnumbered the previous holders by 4 repetitions.[14]
George Kotsimpos and Apostolos Dervas performing tandem push ups for their Guinness World Record attempt (2022).
In September 2023, he secured his third Guinness World Record for the "Most consecutive tandem push-ups (male)" alongside fellow athlete Apostolos Dervas again. They executed 51 push-ups, surpassing their own previous record by 8 repetitions.[15][16] “This is an extremely difficult achievement due to hard work and unwavering determination,” said George Kotsimpos. “We had faith in our abilities and knew we could break the 50-rep mark.”[17][18]
George Kotsimpos and Apostolos Dervas performing tandem push ups for their Guinness World Record attempt (2023).
In November 2023, Kotsimpos, alongside training partner Apostolos Dervas, claimed on the same day, two further Guinness World Records for tandem knuckle push-ups (male). They achieved 40 repetitions for the "Most consecutive tandem knuckle push-ups"[19][20] and 46 repetitions for the "Most tandem knuckle push-ups in one minute".[19][20] Kotsimpos said about the difficulty of the exercise: "It is unexpectedly difficult. We didn't expect the knuckle push-ups to be so challenging. We were forced to find answers to questions we didn't know we would face."[19][21]
In a single attempt on 25-11-2023, George Kotsimpos and Apostolos Dervas performed tandem knuckle push ups to challenge for two Guinness World Records: most consecutive tandem knuckle push-ups (male) and most tandem knuckle push-ups in one minute (2023).
In January 2024, Kotsimpos achieved to break his sixth Guinness World Record for the the "Most push-ups on medicine balls in one minute (male)".[22][23] He performed 100 push-ups in a minute, becoming the first athlete in history to reach the three-digit milestone.[23][24] In a statement, he expressed, “It is a tremendous honor for me to achieve such a feat. It was a lifelong dream, and I worked hard to make it happen.”[25]
George Kotsimpos performing push-ups on medicine balls for his Guinness World Record attempt (2024).
In March 2024, George Kotsimpos broke three additional Guinness world records in push-up exercises on medicine balls.[26][27][28][29] First, he set a new record for the "Most push-ups (one leg raised) on medicine balls in one minute (male)," with 96 reps.[29] He then improved his own record for the "Most push-ups on medicine balls in one minute (male)," achieving 112 reps, 12 more than his previous best.[26][30] Finally, he broke the record for the "Most decline push-ups on medicine balls in one minute (male)," with 76 reps, where the rear medicine ball was placed on a 50 cm plyometric box.[28][31] Regarding the difficulty of the exercises, Kotsimpos stated: "It's extremely challenging and requires years of training to be able to perform so many repetitions with proper form in just 60 seconds. These strength and stability exercises demand a consistently high rate of execution and significantly elevate heart rate. The last 10 seconds feel like an eternity due to the intense exertion."[32]
George Kotsimpos performing push-ups on medicine balls (one leg raised) for his Guinness World Record attempt (2024).George Kotsimpos performing decline push-ups on medicine balls for his Guinness World Record attempt (2024).
In September 2024, George Kotsimpos broke his own Guinness World Record for the "Most push-ups (with one leg raised) on medicine balls in one minute (male)" by adding 5 more repetitions.[1][27] With an impressive 101 push-ups in just 60 seconds, he became the first fitness athlete in history to surpass the remarkable milestone of 100 repetitions within the one-minute timeframe.[27][33] After achieving his 10th Guinness World Record, George Kotsimpos stated: "I am incredibly grateful to have been able to break this record. The journey to this point was filled with hard work, discipline, and dedication. Achieving the most push-ups on medicine balls (with one leg raised) in one minute was a tremendous challenge that required precision, balance, and strength. All records are meant to be broken. My goal was to raise the bar as high as possible for future contenders. With 101 push-ups in one minute, I believe I have succeeded in doing so."[34]
Health and injuries
Kotsimpos has sustained severe injuries twice during his athletic career. The first injury[35][36] occurred nine months before his first Guinness World Record attempt, when he cut four flexor tendons of his right forearm in an accident.[37][38] The second injury occurred about one year prior to his second record attempt when he sustained a shoulder injury, which led to arthroscopy.[39] Kotsimpos has fully recovered from both his injuries.[40]
