The world record holder for the most press-ups on one finger is turning his powerful hand to kickboxing, opening a new club in Colliers Wood.

Paul Lynch, 40, managed 124 push-ups on his right index finger in the early 1990s.

It wasn't just records he smashed - the Balham resident also shattered the bones in his finger in the attempt.

"It felt like sticking my finger in an electrical socket.

"Given the number of people who wanted to shake my hand afterwards, I was lucky to get my finger back," he said.

Irish-born Paul's fascination with record breaking began while he worked as a lifeguard at Latchmere Leisure Centre.

Learning that the highest recorded number of continuous conventional press-ups was 532, he vowed to beat that total and began practising beside the pool.

"I told myself I would do it or die trying, and I carried on with the sweat dripping off my nose," he said.

Managing to top the record, he started doing press-ups on one arm, before progressing to just one finger. He claims to have broken more than 22 press-up related records in total and appeared on the TV show Record Breakers three times.

Perhaps the most impressive of his achievements was a 24-hour stint, in which he completed 40,401 press-ups and lost a stone-and-a-half (9.5kg) in the process.

Satisfied that he has proven himself, Paul spends his time now as a personal trainer, having helped hone the bodies of stars such as Daniel Craig, Juliette Lewis and Robson Green over the years.

"Breaking a record is just something you want to do once.

"When you've lost lots of weight in 24 hours and are worrying the life out of your mum, there comes a point where you have to stop," he said.

His latest venture is a kickboxing club, the Dragon Kickboxing Kai, which will open at Christchurch Hall in Colliers Wood on March 18.

There will be sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 7pm to 9pm. It is open to everyone, including beginners.

To find out about kickboxing, or to book a personal training session with Paul, call 020 8673 0616.