A former mixed martial artist from outside Newry has set a new Guinness World Record for the most chin-ups in one hour while wearing a 20lb weight.

Damien Rooney, who runs his own gym in Burren, completed 499 repetitions on June 1, surpassing the previous record of 495. Guinness confirmed the record in September after reviewing video evidence, a process that can take up to 20 weeks.

Rooney first attempted the 24-hour chin-up record in 2018 but was unsuccessful due to injuries, including torn muscles and heat exhaustion. He then adjusted his training to focus on the shorter weighted event.

For the record attempt, Rooney used a strategy of breaking the hour into two-minute blocks with 30 seconds of rest between efforts. He said this approach allowed him to maximize work and recovery.

Rooney distinguished between chin-ups and pull-ups, noting that chin-ups are performed with palms facing toward the body, engaging the biceps, while pull-ups use an outward grip and target the latissimus dorsi muscles.

He said his training history in strength and conditioning during his fighting career led him to prefer chin-ups. Rooney fought under the name "The Rage" and said the physical demands of that sport were far more severe than the discomfort of record attempts.

Rooney plans further record attempts, including an unweighted one-hour challenge and eventually another attempt at the 24-hour record, which he said could require around 10,000 repetitions. He is targeting April 2027 for the longer event.