Strongman and endurance athlete, Mike Aidala has gained another Guinness World Record after making a single Turkish Getup with a barbell weighing 261 pounds (118.6kg).
Aidala, a former college football player who competed in Olympic style weightlifting competitions, and is now a performance coach, is once again proving to his clients that anything is possible. This is not the first time that Aidala has aced the Turkish Getup to enter the Guinness World Record gang. In 2022, he used the same move to lift the most weight in one hour, racking up 13,823 pounds (6,270kg) by repping as many times as he could. While that record was eventually surpassed by Nicolas Stir of France, who in 2024 clocked in with 16,378 pounds (7.429kg) Aidala refused to quit his quest to be the best, and chose another punishing Turkish Getup record for his next feat.
What Is a Turkish Get-Up? Full-Body Strength Explained
The coordination, mobility, and strength required to perform a Turkish Getup will recruit every single muscle in your body, making this move an old-school staple for centuries. It is thought that the Turkish Getup shot to prominence during the reign of the Ottoman Empire in the late 13th century, as a grueling method of training its soldiers.
To execute, you’ll begin by lying flat on your back while holding a weight such as a dumbbell, kettlebell, or barbell. Using your available arm, and legs, raise up until you have the load at full extension over your head with the other hand to complete. Turkish Getups are deceptively simple to try but take serious grit to master.
Mike Aidala’s Journey to the Single Heaviest Turkish Getup Record
Aidala first claimed the heaviest ever Turkish Getup with a 255 pounds (115.6kg) lift in March 2025, but he didn’t stop there. On Feb. 21, 2026, he decided to dial-in once again for the heaviest single repetition of the Turkish Getup, but he failed to beat his previous record. “Weightlifting is a solo attempt with yourself, it’s you vs. the weight,” he explained of his initial disappointment. “The Turkish get up specifically is a unique orchestra of movement that requires many aspects to play in tune for it to happen.”
Fortunately, Aidala dusted off his instruments and got back to work 48 hours later, on February 23, and while he missed around 20 attempts in the course of a two-and-a-half-hour session, trying to smash the record, he continued to battle through exhaustion and finally to made a new highest weight. Not only did Aidala beat his own published world record with a new benchmark of 261 pounds (118.6kg), but he also raised more than $3,000 for Valor Fit, providing financial aid for the gym memberships of veterans.
“Lessons are learned through failure,” wrote Aidala on a previous Instagram post, and if that sentiment doesn’t inspire you to reach for your ambitions, what will?
