Murph workout Memorial Day routine

Memorial Day weekend Murph events drew participants around the United States for a workout that combines a set routine with a military tribute. The workout is named for Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2005, and has become a regular Memorial Day observance at CrossFit gyms, boot camps and community fundraisers. FOX 5 said the event has grown into a national tribute, while the official Murph Challenge site describes it as an annual fundraiser for the LT. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation. ### What exactly do people do when they say they are doing “Murph”? CrossFit and multiple local event listings gave the same standard version of Murph: a 1-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats and another 1-mile run. CrossFit’s workout page said athletes can partition the pull-ups, push-ups and squats as desired rather than doing all reps in one block. CrossFit Mt. Juliet posted the workout for May 23 with the classic rep scheme, and CrossFit New Hampshire published the same format for its Memorial Day programming. (foxla.com) Those gym posts matched local news descriptions from Peoria and Blacksburg. ### Why is a 20-pound vest part of the conversation? CrossFit’s official Murph page said participants can wear a 14- or 20-pound vest or body armor, and local gym programming pages commonly used the 20-pound version as the benchmark. (crossfit.com) CrossFit Mt. Juliet told participants, “If you have a 20# vest or body armor, wear it.” FOX coverage described the vest as part of the challenge many participants associate with Memorial Day Murph events, but it is not required to complete the workout. (crossfitmtjuliet.com) Several gyms also publish scaled or intermediate versions with lower rep counts or no vest. ### Who was Michael Murphy, and why is the workout tied to Memorial Day? FOX said the workout honors Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy, and CrossFit’s Murph material identifies it as one of the brand’s “Hero” workouts. (crossfit.com) CrossFit’s background page said the event grew from a workout Murphy himself favored and later became a broader annual act of remembrance. The official Murph Challenge site said the event is the annual fundraiser of the LT. (foxla.com) Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation. The Navy SEAL Museum’s Murph page said the challenge has grown into worldwide participation and has raised more than $2.25 million for the foundation since 2014 through the Forged campaign. ### How are local communities using Murph this year? Peoria, Illinois, held its fourth annual Murph Challenge on May 23 at The House Barbell Club, according to Central Illinois Proud. (foxla.com) The station said The Resilience Project hosted the event to honor fallen service members and support local veterans, with proceeds going back into veteran programs. Blacksburg, Virginia, scheduled its sixth annual Murph Challenge through Fit Body Boot Camp over Memorial Day weekend, according to WDBJ reporting carried by NewsBreak. (themurphchallenge.com) That event was framed as both a tribute to Murphy and other fallen service members and a fundraiser tied to the local community. ### Is Murph only for elite athletes? CrossFit’s official workout page includes an intermediate version with half the reps, and gym programming pages routinely tell athletes to partition movements or choose scaled options. (centralillinoisproud.com) That means the event is often organized less as a single race standard than as a common format that different participants can modify. Memorial Day events continue through Monday, May 25, with official hosts, local gyms and community groups posting times and results through the Murph Challenge site and their own event pages. (newsbreak.com) (themurphchallenge.com) (crossfit.com)