I have always been obsessed with the clock. Over the years I have picked up a few Guinness World Records for speed dressing like the most t-shirts put on in 30 seconds , the team challenge with my wife putting on shirts for a minute, and the fastest time to get 10 on (which once caught the eye of Mr. Beast). However, the one minute challenge is a completely different beast.
The issue is how quickly the mechanics of this break down. Once you get past the tenth shirt you are not just fighting the clock anymore because you are fighting the fabric. Each layer compresses and your arms lose range of motion. You are essentially wrestling a straitjacket.
I spent weeks training at the local YMCA where I refined my setup and motion. I had the shirts laid out in a circle to minimize movement. For every shirt I had to nail the sequence. That meant hands through the arm holes, over the head, and a firm tug in the back to ensure the hem cleared my waist. That last step is the hardest part of the process, but it is non negotiable because if that hem does not clear your waist all the way around it simply does not count.
On record day I finally made the official attempt and as each layer was added I strained against the shirts exaggerating my motions to add the next. When the timer hit zero I had donned 35 shirts. I was exhausted.
When the official results came back from Guinness they credited me with 32. It was a bit of a reality check. They disqualified three of them, most likely because those specific hems did not fully clear the waistline under the pressure of the massive stack.
It is frustrating to lose a few to technicalities, but at the end of the day it did not really matter. The target was 25 and I walked away with 32. I did not just beat the record, I stretched the gap. Not bad for a minute of work.