On Memorial Day, we honor the brave men and women who have died while serving in the United States military.
In addition to solemn remembrances and ceremonies, many people also observe Memorial Day with a special workout known as the “Murph”.
The workout was first made popular by the CrossFit community, who perform many workouts created to honor fallen heroes, commonly called the Hero’s WOD (Workout of the Day).
Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy was killed in action in Afghanistan on June 28th, 2005.
The workout itself was Michael’s favorite workout to do, which at the time referred to it as “Body Armor”, hence the 20 lb vest or body armor as part of the workout prescription.
The movie Lone Survivor was released in 2013, which tells the story of Michael Murphy and his men based off the book written by Marcus Luttrell, the lone surviving SEAL from Murphy’s group.
The Murph is now performed by men and women accross the US on Memorial Day as a fundraiser for the LT Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation, and to honor all those who have served and sacrificed in the line of duty.
The standard “Murph” workout looks like this:
For time:
1 mile Run
100 Pull-Ups
200 Push-Ups
300 Air Squats
1 mile Run
*With a 20 lb Vest or Body Armor
The pull ups, push ups, and air squats can be “partishioned” – the most common strategy is to partition the reps into 20 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 air squats.
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Here is a kettlebell version of Murph to do today, in honor of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice:
For time:
1 mile Run
100 KB swings / snatches (53 lbs men / 35 lbs women)
200 Push-Ups
300 Air Squats
1 mile Run
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If you’re looking for a more beginner / scaled-down version, you can also do:
1/2 mile run
50 KB swings / snatches (53 lbs men / 35 lbs women)
100 push ups (modify to knees / by elevating hands if needed)
150 bodyweight squats
1/2 mile run
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Doing the workout, thinking of, and honoring those who served and sacrificed for our country is the main point.
Take the “Murph” Challenge.
And have a thoughtful Memorial Day.
-Forest Vance
ForestVanceTraining.com
KettlebellBasics.net
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