Memorial Day is right around the corner you guys! It’s one of the greatest holidays because it gives us a chance to pay our respects to those who have served our country in defense of the freedom we enjoy.
Here at IdealFit, we’re going to be honoring this Memorial Day with a special workout.
How exactly? By participating in the Murph Challenge!
If you’ve never heard of the Murph Challenge, or about the amazing individual whom this workout is named after, we’ve got you covered.
The Murph Challenge
Named after the man who invented it, The Murph Challenge is a Navy SEAL workout adopted by fitness lovers as a way to honor servicemen and women both past and current.
For those who may not be familiar with the story of Lt. Murphy and his men, read on.
In the summer of 2005, Lt. Michael P. Murphy led his 4 man team of Navy SEALs into the mountains of Afghanistan on a secret mission to capture a Taliban leader. The mission took a turn for the worst when Lt. Murphy and his team found themselves surrounded and impossibly outnumbered by enemy troops deep in the backcountry, miles from help.
Unable to establish communication from their covered position, Lt. Murphy risked his life by heading to an open area where a distress call could be placed. This risk would prove to be the ultimate sacrifice, as he was fatally wounded while calling for help.
Two other members of his team were killed in the fight, while the fourth man, Marcus Luttrell, was seriously injured but survived. For his service and sacrifice, Lt. Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, Silver Star, and Purple Heart, among other honors.
The Murph Challenge was created by Lt. Murphy himself, who called it “Body of Armor” because he would do the workout while wearing a 20 lb armored vest. After his death, the story of Lt. Murphy spread. His workout, which was already well-known among fellow soldiers, became famous.
In memory of his heroic service, and as a salute to America and those who serve and have served, the Murph Challenge has become the unofficial workout of Memorial Day. Every year thousands of people around the country gather to accept this strenuous challenge as a fun way to honor America and to raise money for a scholarship foundation created in his honor (to donate, visit the official Murph Challenge home page).
Participants in the Murph Challenge complete the following:
- 1-mile run
- 100 pull-ups
- 200 push-ups
- 300 body squats
- 1-mile run
Scaling options would be to do jumping pull-ups. For the push-ups you can go to your knees or agains a box or counter. Squats can be done to a box. The Runs can be walked. There is even a scale where you do half of everything.
I hope you all enjoy this and it is definitely a longer workout than I usually prescribe. But it is a great workout to honor those who have served.