Every Memorial Day, we take a moment to remember the brave souls who’ve given their lives while serving in the US military.
One unique way people mark this day is by doing a special workout known as the “Murph”. This workout became famous thanks to the CrossFit community, which often creates exercises to honor fallen heroes. These are known as the Hero’s Workout of the Day.
A man named Michael Murphy, who was a Navy Lieutenant, is the reason behind the “Murph”. Tragically, he was killed in action in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. The workout we know today was actually his favorite, and he used to call it “Body Armor”. That’s why you often see people doing it with a 20 lb vest or body armor.
If you’ve ever seen the movie “Lone Survivor” or read the book it’s based on, then you know about Michael Murphy. This workout is now done across the US on Memorial Day, both to raise money for the LT Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation and to pay respect to all those who’ve served and sacrificed.
The regular “Murph” workout goes like this:
For time:
Run a mile
Do 100 Pull-Ups
Do 200 Push-Ups
Do 300 Air Squats
Run another mile
*Do all of these with a 20 lb Vest or Body Armor
You can break up the pull-ups, push-ups, and air squats into smaller sets if you like.
Many people like to do 20 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 air squats.
If you’re a kettlebell fan, here’s a version of the Murph you can do:
For time:
Run a mile
Do 100 kettlebell swings or snatches (53 lbs for men / 35 lbs for women)
Do 200 Push-Ups
Do 300 Air Squats
Run another mile
And if you’re new to this or want a simpler version, here’s one:
Run 1/2 a mile
Do 50 kettlebell swings or snatches (53 lbs for men / 35 lbs for women)
Do 100 push-ups (modify to knees / by elevating hands if needed)
Do 150 squats
Run 1/2 a mile
The most important thing here is to remember and honor those who gave everything for our country while doing the workout.
Take the “Murph” Challenge.
Have a thoughtful Memorial Day.
Forest Vance
ForestVanceTraining.com
PS – the FVT Summer Boot Camp workout series, starts Saturday June 3 – sign up here, just 5 spots remain: https://forestvance.lpages.co/summer-boot-camp-workout-series-2023/