Most people will spend the next few days throwing back a few beers and grilling burgers. But for the CrossFit community, the highlight of Memorial Day weekend isn’t setting up an out-of-office automated reply on your work email; it’s completing the Murph Challenge.
The Murph Challenge was created in 2014 to honor of Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a Navy SEAL and recipient of the Medal of Honor for distinguished acts of valor during the war in Afghanistan. Lt. Murphy was killed in action in 2005, but his legacy lives on through the Murph Challenge, which has raised more than $1 million for the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation. The challenge is a way to remember all fallen veterans; exactly what Memorial Day is truly about while coming together as a fit squad.
“The ‘Murph‘ is more than just a workout, it is a tradition that helps push us, humble us, and dedicate a bit of pain and sweat to honor a man who gave everything he had,” the foundation explains.
So, what exactly does the challenge involve? Here’s a breakdown:
How to complete the Murph Challenge
- 1 mile run
- 100 pullups
- 200 pushups
- 300 squats
- 1 mile run (yep, again)
Intense, right? Only with CrossFit, it seems, do reps rise into the hundreds. But there’s a little twist to make this workout even harder. It’s all done while wearing a 20-pound weight vest. Nope, not a joke.
The Murph Challenge is exactly what it sounds like: a challenge. In fact, it just might be the toughest workout you’ll ever do. But if you’re looking to really push yourself to the limit, this could be just what you’re looking for.
Can’t do a single pull-up? Here’s how to get strong enough to drop and gimme 20. Push-ups? We got you.
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