How to Do Murph Wherever You Are With Whatever You Have

Memorial Day is quickly approaching, which generally means “Murph.” The iconic hero workout is done in CrossFit affiliates across the globe in honor of Lt. Michael P. Murphy, killed in Afghanistan on June 28th, 2005 at the age of 29.

We all get together and perform “Murph” on Memorial Day in honor of Lieutenant Michael Murphy. His courage and bravery in battle is hard to truly appreciate. His ultimate sacrifice to save his brothers is hard to fathom. He was a true hero. We encourage you to read more about his story here.

Normally, we’d be having a big event at the gym in celebration of Murph. We’d obviously knock out the workout, but it would be followed by a huge barbecue, good food, high fives, games, and a few drinks.

Murph is going to look a bit different this Memorial Day, but the intent is still there. We still have the opportunity to complete a difficult workout as a small tribute to a true hero and the idea of being part of something bigger than ourselves. Here are a few options to knock out Murph wherever you are with whatever you have.

Regardless of how you get in Murph, please share a pic with us using #UndeniableAnywhere and #Murph.

Option 1: Do Murph in Westminster City Park

Westminster City Park offers a large grassy area and an 800m loop for running. We’ll be out at the park on Saturday, May 23rd from 8AM to 11AM near the pavilion. We’ll have a whiteboard for you to record your score and some free FitAid for anyone that shows up.

Athletes and friends are welcome to come anytime they’d like and complete a “no equipment” version of Murph. There’s no official start time or group warm-up. Just come, say hi to a coach, find a spot in the huge field, and get started. We’ll encourage physical distancing and require small groups to spread out around the area. You’re encouraged to bring a beach towel for the grass.

Will it be different than previous years? Absolutely. However, at the end of the day, we’ll have a whiteboard full of names that put in a hard effort for Murph, and that’s what matters.

Option 2: Find a pull-up bar and do Murph on your own

We understand that not everyone will feel comfortable at the park even with physical distancing guidelines enforced. Or, you might want to get in the prescribed version of Murph with the traditional pull-ups instead of the modified sit-ups. That’s totally fine, and encouraged!

We want everyone to do Murph however they can. If you have a pull-up bar or you can find one, that’s totally fine. Get it done! Wear a weight vest if you have one.

If you don’t have a pull-up bar but you have a pair of rings, substitute ring rows for the pull-ups.

Option 3: Do a “no equipment” version of Murph

Even if you won’t be joining us in the park and don’t have a pull-up bar, you can complete the “no equipment” version of Murph, which we’ll be doing at the park.

Murph Variations

You’re welcome to attack the push-ups, squats, and situps in any way you’d like (breaking into 20 sets is a popular option for traditional Murph). You’re also welcome to scale the reps to fit your current fitness level. If Half Murph is too much, you can scale down to a quarter of the reps—totally fine!

Wherever you are with whatever you have, get a version of Murph done and tag us with #UndeniableAnywhere and #Murph.