Murph: Why You Do This Ridiculous Workout (and Why You Shouldn’t Whine About It)

Let’s be honest: Murph is one of the most grueling, over-the-top workouts you’ll do all year. It’s long, it’s hard, it’ll shred your hands and make you question your fitness life choices.

And yet — every Memorial Day, you and your gym buddies willingly sign up to do it. Why? Because it matters. Here’s the what, why, and how of this legendary CrossFit benchmark — minus the fluff.

What Is Murph?

Murph is a Hero WOD named after Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a Navy SEAL who was killed in Afghanistan in 2005. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor for exposing himself to enemy fire to call for help for his team. The guy was an actual hero — not your PR-by-3-seconds kind of “hero,” but the real kind. The kind worth sweating for.

This was his favorite workout, which he called “Body Armor.” Here’s what it looks like:

• 1 mile run
• 100 pull-ups
• 200 push-ups
• 300 air squats
• 1 mile run
• Oh — and do all of that with a weight vest if you’re going Rx.

Yes, it’s objectively terrible. And no, scaling it doesn’t make you weak. It makes you smart (more on that below).

Why Do People Willingly Do This to Themselves?

1. It’s Not About You

Murph is done on Memorial Day, a U.S. holiday meant to honor the military personnel who died in service. This WOD is a way of paying tribute — especially to Lt. Murphy and others like him who never made it home.

No, your 47-minute scaled Murph doesn’t bring them back. But it’s a moment to reflect, respect, and do something hard on purpose — which is rare these days.

2. It Builds Grit (Whether You Want It or Not)

Murph is long. It hurts. You’ll want to quit. That’s the point.

It’s not some fun EMOM with kettlebells and upbeat music. This is a mental test disguised as a physical one — and it’ll humble you, no matter how fit you are.

3. It’s a Community Thing

You suffer, they suffer, everyone suffers — together. That’s bonding, baby. You’ll see high-fives, tears, and probably someone forgetting how to count to 10 halfway through the squats.

How to Not Be Dumb About Murph

Here’s where we get practical. Unless you’re in SEAL Team 6 or doing kipping pull-ups in your sleep, you should probably consider some strategy and scaling.

✅ Partition the Reps

The classic “Cindy-style” (20 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats) is the most popular for a reason. Keeps you moving. Avoids giant brick walls of fatigue.

✅ Scale Like You’ve Got a Brain

• Can’t do 100 pull-ups? Cool. Do ring rows or banded pull-ups.
• No vest? Totally fine.
• Just had a baby / coming back from injury / ate like garbage last night? Maybe skip the Rx this year.
• Ask and actually listen to your coach in your gym. They are there for a reason, let them help you figure out good scaling options for you.

There’s no prize for finishing Murph Rx’d but broken.

✅ Respect the Run

That first mile? Go easy. That second mile? You’re going to hate everything — pace accordingly.

Real Talk About Lt. Michael Murphy

This workout honors a guy who literally died while trying to save his team. He ran into open gunfire just to get a signal to call for backup — knowing full well what it could cost.

So yeah, you can deal with 200 push-ups and a little soreness.

Final Thoughts

Murph is not a fat-burning blast. It’s not a fun “let’s crush some abs” kind of WOD. It’s a tribute. A mental grind. A workout with real purpose. And one of the best opportunities to show yourself (and your community) what you’re made of.

So when Memorial Day comes, lace up, shut up, and show up.

Whether you Rx it or scale the hell out of it — you’re doing it right.

Are you going to be in the Huntsville, AL area for Memorial Day? Great! Come out and sweat alongside us. We will be running heats for all those who come out. Heats will start at 7am and run every hour after that. Last heat will kick off at 10am.

Email us at info@invigoratefitness.com for more information!