There is something disarming about Rohtash Chaudhary. For a man who has spent years breaking records that most people cannot even imagine attempting, he speaks with surprising softness. No bravado, no chest-thumping, no dramatic pauses. Just gratitude. “I feel truly blessed,” he said, speaking about his recent record of performing an astonishing 847 push-ups with a 60 lb pack (27.21kg) strapped to his back at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. “Whatever I have achieved is because of God’s blessings and my late parents. Without them, none of this would have been possible,” the 41-year-old resident of Delhi’s Khanpur told indianexpress.com.DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.Under the ‘Fit India Movement’, he broke the previous Guinness record established by Sami Jomah Hassan of Syria back in 2023.Chaudhary started boxing in 2004 at Delhi’s Nehru Stadium. Like many young men, he was drawn to the discipline, the strength, and the thrill of competition. Then, in 2007, a bike accident changed everything. “I had a serious back injury. I was on bed rest for almost two years and underwent multiple back surgeries. Till 2011, I couldn’t even walk properly,” he shared.For many people, that would have been the end of a sporting dream. For Chaudhary, it became the beginning of another one. Today, he has turned push-ups into his life’s mission. But his story is not really about push-ups. It is about what happens after life knocks you down.During recovery, he turned to yoga. Slowly, his body began responding. Flexibility returned. Strength returned. Confidence returned. And somewhere during that process, he realised that one exercise had stayed with him from his boxing days. “I was always good at push-ups,” he recalled, adding, “One day I thought, maybe this is something I can build on.”That one thought changed the course of his life. In 2015, he broke his first major endurance record by performing 10,102 push-ups in seven and a half hours, surpassing the previous benchmark of 10,000 push-ups in eight hours.Story continues below this adA year later, on International Yoga Day on June 21, he entered the Guinness World Records for the first time. The existing record was 38 push-ups in one minute while carrying 36 kg. Chaudhary strapped on 36.6 kg and completed 51 push-ups in a minute.“I remember every second of that attempt. After everything I had gone through, it felt like life had given me another chance,” he said.His record-breaking streak continued. He also surpassed a record held by a Pakistani by completing 721 one-legged weighted push-ups with 28 kg, comfortably beating the earlier mark of 534.While the records are extraordinary, his routine is surprisingly ordinary.Story continues below this adChaudhary wakes up at 4.30 every morning. An apple is the first thing he eats. After training, he has sprouts made with moong dal and chana, almonds, walnuts, and dalia. Lunch is usually three rotis, sabzi, and buttermilk. Dinner is home-cooked dal, roti, and another glass of buttermilk. Seasonal fruits are a non-negotiable part of his day.In the evening, he runs 5 km, trains push-ups for an hour, and includes chin-ups, burpees, stretching, and weighted push-ups in his workout. Rohtash Chaudhary broke Guinness World Record for most pushups (Photo: Guinness World Records.com)“My weight has been around 84 kg for nearly 25 years,” he said, almost matter-of-factly.Family ritualHe lives with his wife and two children and has quietly made fitness a family ritual. “I make sure everyone at home starts the day with at least Surya Namaskar,” he said, adding that even women should do at least 20 Surya Namaskars. “It stretches the entire body.”Story continues below this adChaudhary is currently preparing for another ambitious target: a US record of 1,350 grounded push-ups in one hour.“I haven’t announced publicly when I’ll attempt it,” he said. “But I’m preparing.”Alongside his athletic career, he works in real estate and serves as a Fit India Movement brand ambassador. Yet when asked what achievement matters most, he doesn’t mention any record. Instead, he talks about why health matters. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Guinness World Records (@guinnessworldrecords)“Exercise is not a hobby. It is our need,” he said.Noting that India is becoming the diabetes capital of the world, he wants everyone to make fitness a part of their lives like brushing.Story continues below this adAlso Read | PV Sindhu opens up on her fitness routine, mental wellness, marriage, and getting stranded at Dubai airport: ‘Not used to seeing missiles flying overhead’“You don’t have to join a gym. Walk, run, jog, play an outdoor game. Just keep moving.”And there is one piece of advice he repeats with conviction. “Don’t use steroids. Don’t build a body that only looks good from the outside. Build a body that is healthy from the inside. Eat home-cooked food, eat seasonal fruits, and build yourself naturally. I have a completely natural body. And that is the record I want to keep for life.”DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.