The Dreaded ‘B Word’ That Is Helping Save Millions

Every November for men’s health month, Burpees for Bros asks a simple, yet terrifying question: How many consecutive burpees can you do in one hour? Every year, more people dare to answer by challenging their physical limits and raising money for the cause. To think it all began with one man’s desire for a meaningful stache.

Austinite Pete Tulumba wanted a culturally acceptable excuse to grow a mustache. He also wanted to support Movember, a global charity that asks men to forgo the razor for the month of November and help raise funds for men’s issues. Movember launched 15 years ago and has since funded more than 1,200 projects related to prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.

“In the beginning, I wanted to support the movement and see what kind of moustache I could grow,” Tulumba says. “But I didn’t raise any money, so the stache felt kind of hollow. After that, I was determined to make a difference, so I launched Burpees for Bros.”

Burpees for Bros is a charity event hosted by participating gyms, which invites men and women — stache or no stache — to help raise money for Movember. The only requirements are the will to do burpees for an hour straight and a strong sense of humor when the body begins to shut down. Just kidding. Sort of.

In the five years since its inaugural event, Burpees for Bros has spanned across four states and raised over $40,000 for Movember. This year, Austin is one the biggest participants and includes local gyms like Danes Body Shop, Heat Bootcamp and CrossFit Lumos. But can one of Austin’s own burpee goers beat the record of 760 in an hour?

Here’s how to find out: Sign up for the Burpees for Bros Movember team at Moteam.co/burpeesforbros. After signing up, start telling everyone what you’re up to and ask sponsors to commit to a donation. Donations can be as little as a penny. Then, find your gym and get ready for a kickass workout, commemorative t shirt, and the knowledge that you made a difference.

Burpees to beat:

-Most Burpees male: 760

-Most Burpees female: 715

-Yearly Burpee average: 370

For Gyms: Gym owners who want to host an event can contact Pete at @Burpeesforbros on Instagram.