A Chinese man has broken a Guinness World Record by spinning 33 hula hoops while hanging upside down in Guilin, Guangxi. Yan Yanjia performed the unusual feat on playground equipment. Two friends helped pull the hoops over his head and position them around his hips. Guinness World Records confirmed that Yan now holds the title for the most hula hoops spun while suspended upside down. The record attempt took place on November 29, 2025. Guinness released details and footage of the feat this week. Its official record page says Yan maintained the movement for roughly 20 rotations. His total of 33 hoops beat the previous record by 10. Weight-loss exercise turns into record attempt Yan, who works as a farmer, started hula hooping in 2018. He initially took up the activity after a health warning encouraged him to lose weight. “In 2018, I was diagnosed with fatty liver due to obesity, and my doctor advised me to lose weight. At that time, I bought a 2-kilogram [4.4-pound] hula hoop for exercise, and in a month, I went from 80 kg [175 pounds] to 63 kg [132 pounds],” he told Guinness World Records. Read More: Man Pulls 21,000-Pound Bus With Neck to Break Guinness Record Yan also stressed that exercise was not the only factor behind the weight change. “Of course, the main factor in successful fat loss is gradual control of diet.” What began as a fitness activity gradually developed into an unusual skill. Guinness said Yan later watched a viral video featuring Hong Kong actor and singer Nicholas Tse hula hooping in a difficult position. Three to four years of upside-down practice The video encouraged Yan to test whether he could perform the exercise while hanging upside down. “I suddenly wondered if I could practise hanging and spinning hula hoops upside down, and it took me about three or four years to reach this level,” Yan said. For the record attempt, Yan climbed onto the playground structure and hung from it by his feet. His two friends then moved all 33 hoops into place. Read More: A Chicken That Beat the Odds: Guinness Crowns Texas Hen as World’s Oldest Chicken He successfully kept them spinning for the required period. Guinness now officially lists 33 as the record for the category. The footage drew wider attention after Guinness published it on August 11. UPI also reported the unusual achievement the same day. Yan already targets another world record Yan has no plans to stop after securing his first title. He is now considering another challenge involving hula hoops and pull-ups. “This exercise consumes many times more force than dozens of hula hoops upside down, requiring much greater core stability,” he explained. Guinness said Yan has already practised other hula-hooping moves and believes he can challenge additional records. His world record marks an extraordinary transformation of a hobby that began eight years ago as a fitness activity. Years of practice eventually turned the weighted hoop exercise into a Guinness-recognised achievement.