Training and Techniques
Kobayashi expands his stomach for a competition by eating larger and larger amounts of food, and then exercises to ensure that fat will not impede expansion of his stomach during a competition.
Kobayashi's official web site gives his height as 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) and his weight as 58 kg (128 lb). However he's weighed as much as 87 kg (191.8 lb) according to a June 29, 2006 blog entry. As of July 4, 2009, Kobayashi weighed in at 60 kg (132 lb) for the annual Fourth of July hot dog eating competition on Coney Island.
Kobayashi is also known for his trademark body wiggle, referred to by some as the "Kobayashi Shake", to force food down his esophagus and settle more compactly in his stomach. He eats the hot dogs by splitting the frankfurter in half, dipping the buns in water, Sprite, or 7-Up and then stuffing both parts in his mouth. He calls this the Solomon Method.
Read more about this topic: Takeru Kobayashi
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