Murph Challenge

On Memorial Day we pay tribute to our fallen heroes. The Murph Challenge is named in honor of Lt. Michael Murphy (US Navy – SEAL Team DVT-1), who was a focused warrior and great American who wanted to serve this great country and the people who make it what it is. Though this workout is named in honor of Lt. Murphy, we participate in this hero workout in honor of all of our fallen service members. Since 9/11, approximately 7,000 military members have made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan, and the Philippines.

What Is The Murph Challenge?

The challenge is as follows:

For Time:

• 1 Mile run
• 100 Pull-ups
• 200 Push-ups
• 300 Squats
• 1 Mile run

The pull-ups, push-ups and squats may be partitioned as needed. 

Complete the WOD as an individual or gather your team/group (the goal is participation in honor of our fallen service members). We'll have resistance bands available to assist folks with pull ups. 

Date: 27 May 2021

Time: 1000 to 1400 Heats every 30 minutes. 

Location: Indian Field

No registration is required. Show up and get to work. The first 30 participants on the day of the event will get a free Murph Challenge T-shirt.

Background Information about Murph Workout/Challenge:

In memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, NY, who was killed in Afghanistan June 28, 2005. A U.S. Navy SEAL officer, Murphy was awarded the U.S. military’s highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the War in Afghanistan. His other posthumous awards include the Silver Star Medal (which was later upgraded to the Medal of Honor) and the Purple Heart.

Lt. Murphy was an avid CrossFitter. This grueling workout was one of his favorites, and he would regularly do it wearing body armor instead of a 20 lb weighted vest. As such, he fondly nicknamed the workout “Body Armor”.

“Murph” has become one of the most famous CrossFit hero workouts, especially as a tribute on U.S. Memorial Day. Hero workouts are usually a benchmark WOD that people use as a metric to track their fitness improvements over time, but tend to be more grueling and longer in duration. Hero workouts are named after fallen soldiers and are designed to push you to the brink physically and mentally.

The workout, as prescribed, requires a 20 lb. weight vest but allows the athlete to partition the work as needed. 

Score is the time it takes to complete all the movements, including both runs.

• Beginner: 63-71 minutes
• Intermediate: 47-58 minutes
• Advanced: 36-41 minutes
• Elite: <35 minutes

Tip for the Murph Challenge:

If you choose to partition the reps (which is the original intent of the workout) partition them as follows: 20 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 air squats. This is known as performing 20 rounds of "Cindy." It's the most efficient way to partition such a high volume of reps.

Prepare to compete in the Murph Challenge!

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