Is it just me, or has the year flown by? It seems like just yesterday that we threw down some serious holiday funk at 12 Days of Christmas, but it’s already time for Murph! We have lots of awesome athletes that are new to 26, so I thought it might be helpful to explain why Murph on Memorial Day.
Each Memorial Day, Crossfit gyms across the nation do a Hero WOD in honor of Navy Lieutenant Michael “Murph” Murphy, who died in the line of duty in Afghanistan in 2005. At 26, we will do Murph on Monday, May 27, at 9:30 a.m. This will be the only class of the day.
So what is this benchmark workout? Read on for details.
What is Murph Rx?
Murph consists of the following, performed as fast as safely possible:
1-mile run
100 pull-ups
200 push-ups
300 air squats
1-mile run
Why this workout? Because it was one of Lieutenant Murphy’s favorite workouts. He called it “Body Armor,” and wore armor while doing it. As such, the Rx for this workout involves wearing a weighted vest or body armor–20 pounds for the guys, 14 pounds for the ladies.
You are welcome to break up the movements sandwiched between the mile runs. Many athletes do 20 rounds of Cindy (5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 air squats), while others do 25 rounds of 4 pull-ups, 8 push-ups, and 12 squats. Totally up to you–just pick a rep scheme that keeps you moving!
How to Scale Murph
Are you tired just reading the workout description? I get it! Murph is a doozy! The great thing about Murph is that it can be scaled to accommodate just about any athlete.
One common scale is to do a “Smurf”–just cut each component of the workout in half:
800 m run
50 pull-ups
100 push-ups
200 air squats
800 m run
However, you can scale the movements as needed. Ring rows, banded pull-ups, or jumping pull-ups are good options for those who need a little boost. Push-ups can be done from the knees, to a bench, or even to a wall. You can row the 800s instead of running them. The most important thing is to stay safe (and have fun!).
Murph at 26
Why Murph on Memorial Day? To honor a fallen soldier, to take part in Crossfit tradition, and to have an amazing sense of accomplishment when you’re done. We hope you’ll join our gym family for Murph this Monday! USMC veteran and 26 coach Josh will lead the workout and provide his insights on why we honor the heroic Lieutenant Murphy.
Until then, keep an eye on the 26 socials for more info on how to prep for Murph!