Memorial Day is a week away, and that means it’s almost time for our traditional Memorial Day workout, “Murph”.

Murph is the probably the best known of all the Hero WODs (perhaps all CrossFit WODs for that matter) and is performed on Memorial Day by CrossFitters all over the world in honor of the man the workout is named after (Lt. Michael Murphy) and all service members who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

We will be running three heats of Murph on Monday morning: 8:00 am, 8:45 am, and 9:30 am. There will be no regular classes that day. If you haven’t signed up already, you can come join in for the 9:30 am heat. If you pre-registered, you will get your shirt later this week or the day of the event. For those not pre-registered, we ordered a couple extra shirts in most sizes. If you would like to one, please reach out to me or Jaime. If you want to do the workout, but don’t want a shirt, we ask that you join us in making a donation to the LT Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation.

For those of you new to this, Murph is a long and arduous workout. It’s original purpose was to help Navy SEALs to better prepare for the rigors of combat.

Here is the workout as originally programmed by CrossFit Headquaters:

For time:

1 mile Run

100 Pull-ups

200 Push-ups

300 Squats

1 mile Run

*Partition pull-ups, push-ups, & squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run. If you have a 20-pound vest or body armor, wear it.

That’s a LOT! The workout takes most people well over 30 minutes with an “average” time being closer to an hour. You should be prepared to grind away for some time, but like always, put yourself in a good position come “go time” to be able to not only finish, but finish strong.

Here are a few notes on how to approach Murph

Scaling

It is totally okay and in fact advisable for beginners to scale Murph. For some, that may mean movement modifications such as changing out the pull-ups for ring rows or jumping pull-ups and elevating the push-ups to knees or a box. Volume can also be an issue. We highly encourage people not to do a full volume Murph if it’s their first time. Instead, consider doing “Half Murph”, which is:

For Time:

800M Run

50 Pull-ups/Ring Rows/JPU

100 Push-ups/Elevated Push-ups

150 Air Squats

800M Run

Half Murph can actually be a much more challenging workout for a lot of people because the reduced amount of work means you can keep a far more aggressive pace and really push yourself.

There is also the option to do a partner Murph or team Murph where you work with one or two friends to complete all of the work as a team, splitting it up as desired.

Keep in mind that Murph is a Hero WOD. While we want to do as well as we can, the emphasis is more on finishing the workout and using it for reflection and perspective. So, if you are on the bubble of being able to do Murph as prescribed, it may not be a bad idea to give it a shot and don’t worry about your time.

Should you Wear a Weight Vest?

This is pretty simple. If you have to ask, then answer is probably no.

If you haven’t done a full Murph without a weight vest before, then definitely don’t wear one this year. We have a few weight vests at the gym that people can borrow, but if you know you want to wear a vest (and are confident you’re capable of doing the workout in a vest), then you’ll want to bring your own to be sure you have one.

Breaking up the Bodyweight Movements

The bodyweight section of the workout to be broken up as desired. You can choose to go each movement in order without breaking them up. While that’s certainly and admirable feat, you’re in for a much longer workout that’s going to feel a lot more like a grind with a lot of time spent looking up at the pull-up bar and laying down on the ground during the push-ups.

The obvious way to break things up is “Cindy Style” (we conveniently just did Cindy on Saturday!) Here’s Cindy:

20 Rounds

5 Pull-ups

10 Push-ups

15 Squats

That keeps you pretty fresh and moving consistently throughout. You should basically try and not move from right under the pull-up bar if possible. The goal should be to keep moving the entire time, but for many people, push-ups become the limiting factor. If that’s the case for you, you could try splitting up the push-ups:

20 Rounds

5 Pull-ups

5 Push-ups

15 Squats

5 Pushups

That lets you sandwich the pushups around other movements, so you only have to do small sets. I tend to start with classic Cindy style and then transition to the second style when my push-ups start fading.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate…. Then hydrate some more

We should be drinking plenty of water all of the time, but if you know you’re not drinking enough water or if you just unsure, start drinking extra water now. A gallon per day is not a bad idea. Also bring water to drink during the workout. It’s a good idea to pre-plan breaks for water, but try not to drink too much or too often so that you’re taking too many breaks. A good strategy may be to get quick sip after the run, around a quarter of the way through bodyweight work, halfway through, three-quarters of the way through, and before taking off on the second run.

That’s about all I can think to say right now, but as always, don’t hesitate to ask myself or any other coach if you have a question about Murph. I hope you’re as excited for Memorial Day as we are!

And here’s this week’s workouts…