What is the ‘Murph” Workout (and why do we do it on Memorial Day)?

You’ll probably have heard about the ‘Murph’ challenge if you're into Crossfit. People worldwide participate in this workout yearly to honor fallen armed forces and challenge themselves mentally and physically.

And nowadays, it goes beyond Crossfit; you’ll find athletes from all walks of life participating in the yearly challenge to help raise funds for the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation.

But what is the Murph challenge?

And what is the meaning behind why we do it?

What is the ‘Murph’ Workout?

So, firstly let's look at what the workout involves.

The Murph is one of Crossfit’s “hero” WODs (workout of the day) - which gives people a chance to reflect on the sacrifices of fallen heroes.

The workout involves:

And you do all this while wearing a 20-pound weighted vest if you want.

The Murph Challenge pushes you to the physical and mental limit; it’s about overcoming the pain and exhaustion to finish the challenge.

Who was ‘Murph’?

The workout was created in honor of Lieutenant Michael Murphy, a SEAL who was killed in action in June 2005 at age 29 in Afghanistan.

He loved fitness and believed that fitness and fighting were intertwined and that training off the field was crucial to success on the field.

One of his go-to's, no-equipment workouts was what is now known as “The Murph”, a tough session that works everyone part of the body in under an hour. It’s an insight into the physical demands of being a soldier and the training they must undertake to protect the lives of every person in the USA.

The US armed forces recently created new fitness standards to prepare for battle demands.

The origins of the ‘Murph’ workout

Dr. Joshua Appel was the team leader who helped recover Lieutenant Michael Murphy’s body in 2005.

Two years later, in 2007, he gathered his Crossfit gym for a workout to recognize Michael Murphy and the lives of other brave soldiers that have fallen in defense of their country.

In 2010 they decided to create a national fundraiser alongside the challenge to help raise funds for the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation. The Murph challenge is the primary driver of funds for the foundation.

Thousands of people sign up each year, paying a small fee to help raise money for a worthy cause. And since 2014, the challenge alone has raised over $2,000,000+.

You can sign up for the Murph challenge here.