59-year-old Red Deerian attempts World Record of 20,000 reps at outdoor gym

Having trained for the past eight months, even in -22°C, his daily practices turned to weekly once he reached 10,111 reps to give his body enough time to recover.

He reached 15,100 reps on Monday.

Jacobson has been working out for 42 years and a personal fitness trainer for 28 years.

However, he’s not doing this for his career.

“I just want a legacy for the Jacobson name because there’s very few of us left. It’s just something that I want to be proud of who I am and my heritage,” he said.

Growing up a smaller framed young boy, he says he got picked on in school. After getting beat up by some of the school boys, Jacobson says his father bought him the best set of weights at a Canadian Tire, the catalyst to his love for training.

It may have also been in his blood, as he says his grandfather was naturally a physically strong man. Originally from Sweden, his grandfather moved to Canada to be a reindeer farmer and would impress all the young boys by repeatedly lifting a six-cylinder engine block over his head.

Jacobson says the fitness lifestyle has been a beautiful and fortunate one, giving him the chance to meet famous wrestlers, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and other incredible people.

Harold Jacobson with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. (Supplied)

Having lived in Red Deer for some time working at a gym and Harley-Davidson, he moved back to British-Columbia to take care of his parents while his father became ill. After both their passings, he moved back to Red Deer in August to be closer to an uncle, who also passed away this February.

But what got him through, he says, is training.

“No matter what happens in your life, the training is yours,” he said. “Life’s been rough on a lot of people the last few years but training’s something that you do for you. Nobody can tell you what to do and it’s yours. You make yourself feel good because nobody else is doing it for you.”

His proudest moment, he says, is while helping people with Parkinson’s disease as a therapy specialist to rehabilitate their bodies for active healthy lifestyles. Dave Eberle, a previous client who he now considers a best friend, had the disease and a stroke, making it difficult to walk. Hired by the University of British Columbia under a grant, he says after six months working with Eberle, he was able to drive again, play tennis and learn boxing.

“It’s everything that I can to make people feel better about themselves, be better, their bodies better, be healthier and to live longer,” he said.

Currently working as a Vitamins Consultant at a Nutters retail store, he wants people to come cheer him on this Saturday and know that at any age, you can do something amazing.

“I wanted to do something pretty special to make myself proud first. I want to prove to myself I’m incredible,” he said.

Harold Jacobson at Nutters. (Supplied)

If Jacobson completes his challenge, the Guiness World Records will notify him in roughly 12 weeks of their final decision on World Record status.

by Alessia Proietti

59-year-old Red Deerian attempts World Record of 20,000 reps at outdoor gym

What's Trending