Each Memorial Day, the CrossFit community does what's best known as Murph: an intense challenge that involves running, pull ups, push ups and squats designed to make you feel the pain. But do you know where Murph comes from?
Lt. Michael P. Murphy was a Navy SEAL who was killed in action in Afghanistan during Operation Red Wings in 2005, where he received the Medal of Honor for the defense of his team while they were caught under heavy enemy fire. He loved CrossFit, and one of his favorite workouts consisted of the following:
Shortly after his passing, the workout took on Lt. Murphy's namesake, and has remained one of the toughest WOD challenges as well as a humble reminder of the sacrifice he and many others made ever since.
While the entire workout may seem daunting, anyone at any fitness level can adjust each movement to suit their needs. So this Memorial Day, you can join in honoring the memory of Lt. Murphy and all who gave their lives so we could stay free. Here's out top tips to keep going and push through Murph!
While the Murph is not made to be comfy, there are ways to get the same effect even if you can't do a full pull up or run a mile. For pull ups, you can do a version of a row instead, either pulling yourself up from your back to a bar, pulling up gallon jugs of water or even standing up and doing a towel row around a tree or strong poll. For push ups, you can use a stair step or wall for elevation, stay on your knees or get onto all fours and bow your head down while bending at the elbows. Squats can be done with your back against a wall and bending the knees as far as is comfortable so you sit low, or squatting onto a chair. And instead of a running, your mile could be jogging in place, walking up a hill, or ride on your Peloton. You also don't need to use a weighted vest (most don't, even experienced athletes). And of course, you can always partition the entire challenge by doing it in rounds!
Keep your momentum by not going all-out on each rep. Don't sprint your first mile or you'll burn out before you've even started! Instead, stay steady in your pace. If you go too slow, you'll actually make your muscles work harder, so a little bit of power behind each rep will save you in the long run (literally). You can also prime the tank by having a good warm up beforehand, with low-impact movement and stretches.
You can't always control the weather, but you don't want outside factors to distract you from the hard work you'll already be doing. Make sure you have plenty of water, your clothing is light and comfortable while you move, and of course a good sweat-absorbing headband to make sure you can stay focused on the task at hand is always a great idea. And remember, Murph can be done indoors just as well as out, so if the heat gets to you, stay inside!
One of the worst things you could do during Murph is to let the comparison game start playing in your head. While the tough workout is part of the challenge, the whole point is to remember the Why, not how well you're doing. A "just keep moving" mentality will help you, and when (not if) your muscles fail, know that you can always take a good break before getting back into it. One of our favorite tips is to memorize a portion of the SEAL ethos, found here, while keeping fallen soldiers like Lt. Murphy in the forefront of your mind and taking it one step at a time.
If you would like to learn more about the Murph challenge and the man behind the mission, go to The Murph Challenge to read more on Lt. Murphy's story and about the Murphy Foundation.
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