We are T-minus seven days until Murph! I genuinely believe there’s a version of Murph for everyone and today, I want to talk you through mini Murph–which is one of my favorite versions for beginners (or anyone who just doesn’t want to do the whole shebang).
Mini Murph is also one of my go-tos year-round when I want a good bodyweight workout and don’t have much time.
Before I walk you through this scaled-back version of Murph, let’s talk first about what a full Murph looks like.
What is Murph?
Murph is a Hero WOD (workout of the day, for those who don’t speak CrossFit) created in honor of Navy Lieutenant Michael “Murph” Murphy.
On June 28, 2005, Murphy and a small group of Navy SEALs were ambushed by Taliban forces while conducting a reconnaissance mission in Kunar province, Afghanistan.
Realizing how dire their situation was, Murphy ran into gunfire to get a clear signal to his satellite phone and request help for his team. He was shot more than a dozen times and died from his wounds.
The workout we now know as Murph was one of Murphy’s favorites when deployed. He originally called it “Body Armor” because he wore his weighted body armor while doing it.
The RX version of the workout is as follows (with a 20-pound vest for the guys and a 14-pound vest for the ladies):
1-mile run
100 pull-ups
200 push-ups
300 squats
1-mile run
It’s a CrossFit tradition to complete Murph on Memorial Day weekend to honor Lt. Murphy and the thousands of brave men and women who’ve given their lives to protect our freedom.
What is Mini Murph?
Don’t panic if two miles, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, and three squats wearing a weighted vest isn’t quite in your wheelhouse.
Because Mini Murph very well could be!
There are a couple different versions of Mini Murph, but the most popular is simply a half Murph, done without a weight vest:
800-meter run
50 pull-ups
100 push-ups
150 squats
800-meter run
You can also do a quarter Murph, which is half a half Murph!
At this point, you might think, “but Kim–I can’t DO pull-ups!”
No worries! Every movement in this workout can be modified, whether you do a full Murph, a half Murph, or a quarter Murph.
For example, you could bike instead of running, do ring rows in place of pull-ups, and do your push-ups to a tall box.
As I said, there’s a version for everyone.
Ready to Try Mini Murph?
Have I convinced you to try Mini Murph yet?
Awesome!
If you’re in St. Louis, we’ll do it at 9:30 a.m. on Memorial Day at Two Six. The drop-in fee is $20.
You can also find a park with a pull-up bar and get to work!
But no matter what version you choose, don’t forget to take a moment to reflect on why we do Murph on Memorial Day.