“MURPH”: More Than a Workout

Why do CrossFit gyms around the country do the workout “Murph” every year on Memorial Day? “Murph” is a CrossFit hero workout, meaning it is a workout created in honor and in memory of fallen service member. U.S. Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy, the workout’s namesake, died heroically in action in 2005 in Afganistan. Learn more about Lt. Micheal Murphy here.

“Murph” is a tough workout. It’s long, usually taking between 40-70 minutes. It asks a great deal of anyone who chooses to take it on. But more - truly everything - is asked of our U.S. service men and women every day, and every day they willingly step up and accept that task. So we do “Murph” on Memorial Day, not to get the best time or get a cool workout picture, but to express our gratitude to those who gave all. Because it’s in the moments when the workout gets hard, when you just want to quit, when it’s just you and the reps and the sound of your own breath that you look at the American flag hanging in the gym and feel a wave of humble gratitude crash over you for this moment you’re in that’s possible because of those who sacrificed for our freedom. It’s an honor and a gift to get to do a hard workout with your gym community. So let it be hard. The hard is where you come face to face with the deep gratitude for the life you have and the opportunity afforded us all.

“MURPH”

1 Mile Run
100 Push-ups
200 Pull-ups
300 Air Squats
1 Mile Run

* Partition body weight movements as desired. Scale as needed.

This Memorial Day, CrossFit Hopkins will do “Murph” as a community. We are proud to be an official host for The Murph Challenge - a non-profit started by Lt. Murphy’s family to raise funds for education in honor of Michel Murphy. If you’d like to register for The Murph Challenge or donate to the fundraising efforts, you can do so here: https://themurphchallenge.com