Mumbai's Shailesh Sahay to attempt human flag record

Shailesh Sahay (27), Marine Lines resident calls himself a, 'crazy boy'. The parkour instructor, runs training classes at Malabar Hill in parkour and human flag training.

Shailesh Sahay doing his human flag act

Parkour is the art of using urban infrastructure for different physical feats of strength and endurance, like leaping over a bus stop, or climbing a wall. The human flag or bar hold is a feat of strength, where the body is parallel to the ground supported by a vertical bar. A straight line is formed using the arms and body. The body looks like a flag on the pole and requires tremendous core strength.

Sahay claims there is no human flag record in India, so he wants to create a create a record of 30 seconds as a human flag. He says, "I have been in touch with the Limca Book of Records personnel. They have asked me to send videos and relevant documents of this feat by June 30. Then, they will scrutinise it, it will go through the relevant process and may find itself in the 2017 edition."

Sahay says he will be dispatching this to the Limca Book, "very soon, in fact, I am ready every day," he laughs. This coach, trains at least seven to eight hours a day, "I train at night, and sleep for a few hours in the day, that is why I call myself crazy," he says, "with an accent on core strength and upper body strength."

Shailesh Sahay

Sahay's training schedule is a light bodyweight workout, working out on bars like climbing and parallel hangs, and an exercise regime called the muscle up. He also incorporates a Bruce Lee style workout in his regime. Martial arts followers know that Bruce Lee believed in the most effective methods of training and combat. Bruce Lee was not one to be bogged down by rigid framework of a particular style of fighting. Lee's most memorable words encapsulating his fighting philosophy were: 'I am no styles; but I am all styles.' It is this mix of fluidity, efficacy and zen-like philosophy that Sahay includes in his training.

Sahay adds, "the key really is consistency. I am extremely regular in my exercise schedule." Sahay's diet includes a mix of carbs and protein, "I do not eat very oily or spicy stuff, I also skip dinner," he says, adding, "when we are sleeping the body does not need those calories, I eat something if I am working out at night."

This gymnastics teacher, whose muscular body has people giving him second or third glances, especially when he trains near the Hanging Garden, says discipline and dedication are what it takes to achieve anything. Sahay ends, "One day, I will try for the world record in the human flag, which currently stands at 1 min 5.71 seconds." That's a tall, or should we say vertically challenging order. Till that happens Sahay, will continue to train like a 'crazy boy' as his motto is, 'believe in yourself and all things are possible'.