The late May bank holiday weekend coincides with Memorial Day in the US, and is the date we take on the hero workout “Murph”.
WHAT IS MURPH?
Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy was killed in Afghanistan on 28th June 2005, during Operation Red Wings. His courage and selflessness in combat later awarded him the Medal of Honor. His favourite workout (also known as “Body Armour”) was renamed to become a CrossFit Hero workout by way of honouring his sacrifice. 21 years later, it is one of the most recognised traditions in CrossFit.
At CrossFit DireWolf, our members had the option of Full Murph, Mini Murph (where the distance and reps are halved), Pairs Murph (where the distance is synchro and the reps are shared), or Scaled Murph (with progressions as needed) so that no matter their ability, our entire community could get involved and move together with a shared purpose.
Murph is a representation of what our training methodology is capable of, and echoes the importance of overcoming challenges and the bond created through shared suffering.
CARRYING MEANING THROUGH MOVEMENT
Whichever version they chose, all our members know it all counts. Scaling isn’t failing, and while there is absolutely something to be said for any athletes taking on the workout Rx in a weight vest, the point of the challenge every year is to bring people together, rather than segregate or exclude them.
Whether it was their first Murph this weekend, or their 21st, the newbies and the seasoned CrossFit Athletes worked out side-by-side, sharing the experience together. What mattered wasn’t finish times to chase, or Rx movements to master…
… what mattered was showing up and taking part in something bigger.