​On July 12, many people would choose a tranquil birthday spent with family and friends, perhaps lounging by the river with a cold beer in hand. Not everyone decides to chase fitness world records on their special day. Lance Pecht, a former Whitworth University basketball player, turned 43 on Sunday and marked the occasion at Body Unlimited Fitness by attempting the Guinness World Record for the most grappler pullups in one minute. “I’ve worked hard for 43 years,” he said. “Why am I not the best in the world at anything?” While pushing the body to the brink isn’t the typical notion of celebration for most, Pecht finds the sense of accomplishment afterward to be a powerful motivator and source of enjoyment.
At 11 a.m., Pecht set up to use two lacrosse balls in his attempt to surpass the previous record of 29 grappler pullups, held by Elias Benz of Switzerland. A grappler pullup is performed with two golf or lacrosse balls suspended over the edge of the pull-up bar. The wrists must flex, and the forearms generate the force needed to lift the body up and over the bar. “It puts way more pressure on your hands, wrists, forearms, all through the lats and back and chest,” Pecht explained. “It hits every muscle.”
The move is already demanding, and Pecht’s substantial frame makes it even tougher. To complete the feat, he had to hold a load of 235 pounds above the bar. His size presented additional challenges during training, according to Natalie Joseph, owner of Body Unlimited Fitness. “When someone is lighter and more compact, it’s less weight they have to lift, but also their limbs are shorter, so it’s less distance that they have to travel,” she noted. Joseph helped Pecht train for the record, exchanging technique and style ideas and closely monitoring his form as he tried different positions.
An hour before the attempt, Pecht moved around the gym to the rhythm of early 2000s rap and rock, helping set up the competition site. His attire—a red and black sleeveless flannel paired with black gym shorts—matched his gym nickname, “the Lumberjack.” Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 235 pounds, with tan skin, his appearance reinforced the moniker. Cameras were installed throughout the gym to track each pullup from multiple angles. Guinness requires a front and side-angle camera to count reps and verify form. Two computers faced the front camera: one to tally grappler pullups and another to keep time. Local Spokane Valley fitness professionals and a police officer joined the effort, counting reps, timing the event, and monitoring form to guarantee the record was pursued with integrity.
Pecht had unofficially surpassed the world record during a recent training push, he said, but he still experienced waves of anxiety as the clock began clicking on Sunday. “I think that would be kind of embarrassing to have some build-up for one minute,” he admitted, underscoring the pressure and significance of the moment as he attempted to etch his name into Guinness’s annals.