India, Sept. 13 -- "The real suffering starts after about 40 seconds," says Vispy Kharadi, the newly-minted Guinness World Record holder for the longest Hercules pillar hold. "Most strongman athletes will tell you that they feel they are doing fine until about half a minute. But in the next ten seconds, the game changes," he says. Also read | Indian athlete Vispy Kharadi sets Guinness World Record for Hercules pillar hold

The Hercules pillar hold is strongman sport's most theatrical test. It recalls the Graeco-Roman legend of Hercules rending Gibraltar's mountain, leaving two pillars that marked the world's edge. In the modern-day event, an athlete stands between two gigantic pillars, each weighing over 150 kilos, holding them apart unti...