FORT MEADE, Md. -- An Army cadet from Michigan State University recently set a Guinness World Record for the most chest-to-ground burpees completed in 12 hours, an effort that helped him raise more than $7,800 for his nonprofit group for wounded veterans.
4,689. That's the number of burpees Bryan Abell, a 23-year-old ROTC cadet, accomplished July 7 in his hometown of Milford, Michigan. His original goal was 4,500, the minimum number required by Guinness to set the record, but Abell kept going when there was time to spare.
Abell's drive to push forward is rooted in the Army's core values, he said. Before becoming an ROTC cadet his sophomore year, Abell originally enlisted as a National Guard infantryman in 2015, assigned to the 126th Infantry Regiment for the Michigan National Guard.
"If I wasn't in the military, I wouldn't have broken the record," he said. The Army has taught me "to be proud of what you're doing and to keep moving forward. I wanted to prove to myself I could do it."
Abell not only proved it to himself, he proved it to the world.
Guinness officially certified his record shortly before he started Cadet Summer Training-Advanced Camp at Fort Knox, Kentucky, last month. CST is a must-pass field training program for cadets and a stepping stone in becoming an officer in the Army.
TRAINING FOR A WORLD RECORD
No stranger to physical activity, Abell is a veteran of multiple ultra-marathons, often running more than 50 miles through the winding wooded trails of Michigan's countryside.
At first, Abell planned to vie for the record of "most burpees in an hour," but after seeing nobody had accomplished the 12-hour record, he changed his mind.
After planning his record setting goal, Abell started a training regimen in his parents' backyard. He initiated training by doing more than 500 burpees a day and over time he increased his daily total to more than 1,500. During the six weeks he trained, Abell did nearly 33,000 total burpees.
A dirt hole, where Abell trained, formed in the grass of his parents' backyard. As the hole became deeper, it served as a testament to his will to set the world record. Although Abell was stronger with each passing day, his dad "wasn't very happy with the hole," he joked.
Today, the yard is back in the pristine condition his dad generally maintains it at, and the once deep, dirt hole has become a faded memory.
BURPEES FOR A PURPOSE
Milford, a Detroit suburb with a population of more than 6,000, was handpicked by Abell as the location for the world record attempt. The reason was simple -- Abell said "it was home," and he "just wanted to see it in the record books."
That said, the clerical tasks of setting a world record weren't as simple. Breaking a record can be a tedious job, he admitted, "It became pretty stressful. I didn't realize how much time would go into (filling out paperwork)."
In addition, with CST on the horizon, Abell needed to speed up the application and training process. Luckily, Guinness offered two options: 12-week review or a priority, five-day application review. Abell opted for the quicker option.
"I chose the priority option because I didn't have much time," Abell said. "I wanted to (attempt the record) before I came to advanced camp. The application came back within five days and basically from there, I had to set a date."
After establishing the application process, the next step was his favorite part: gunning for the record books.
"I just wanted to do the burpees," Abell joked.
With hometown pride, the day finally came. From 7:05 a.m. to 7:05 p.m., and only resting periodically, Abell averaged at least six to seven chest-to-ground burpees a minute.
"I could only rest for 20-30 seconds," said Abell, who also took short restroom breaks during the timed event.
In lieu of a witness from Guinness, Abell took a different route to provide proof of his record. He set up multiple cameras from different angles to watch his proper form, and he had six individuals working two-person, four-hour shifts while he contended for the world record at the Carls Family YMCA.
At least one of the witnesses, at any given time, was required to have a fitness-related certification.
The event was live streamed on social media from his nonprofit organization's page, Stronger Warrior Foundation, where he also received donations.
A GOOD CAUSE
Stronger Warrior Foundation, officially incorporated in January, is a nonprofit Abell founded with his sister, Katelyn, during his sophomore year in college.
The siblings started "from the ground up", he said, and their main purpose is to help servicemembers and veterans who have been wounded or have suffered disabilities from combat-related service.
The live streamed, half-day challenge raised more than $1,300, with more donations generated after he set the world record.
Abell doesn't plan to give up his record anytime soon.
When asked what he'd do if someone does 5,000 chest-to-ground burpees and breaks it, he laughed and said, "Then I'd have to do 5,001."
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