Memorial Day Murph

Over the past couple of weeks, you may have noticed a shift in our programming- more pull-ups, more air squats, more running, and yes… a lot more push-ups. That’s not by accident. We’re preparing for one of the most well-known and meaningful workouts in the CrossFit community: Murph.

What is Murph?

Murph is a “Hero WOD,” a special class of workouts within CrossFit that are designed to honor and remember fallen service members. These workouts are meant to be challenging by design, symbolizing sacrifice, resilience, and grit. In this case, Murph honors Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, a U.S. Navy SEAL who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2005. The workout itself was one of his favorites, originally known as Body Armor. Over time, the CrossFit community adopted the workout and renamed it Murph in his honor.

Every year on Memorial Day, thousands of gyms and individuals come together to complete Murph, not just as a physical challenge, but as a way to pay respect. It’s a chance to pause, reflect, and remember the true meaning behind the holiday. While it’s undeniably tough, that difficulty is part of its purpose—it connects us, in a small way, to the sacrifice it represents.

The standard Murph workout looks like this:

• 1 mile run
• 100 pull-ups
• 200 push-ups
• 300 air squats
• 1 mile run
  (Optionally wearing a weighted vest)

Every year on Memorial Day, we come together as a community to take on this challenge.

“I Can’t Do That Workout…”

If you’re looking at those numbers and thinking, there’s no way I can do that– you’re not alone. And more importantly, you’re not expected to do it as written, only if you choose to do it that way.

Like everything we do, Murph is completely scalable.

You can:

• Partition the reps (like 20 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats)
• Modify movements (jumping pull-ups, banded pull-ups, incline or knee push-ups)
• Cut the volume (half Murph is a great option)
• Adjust the runs

The goal isn’t to survive someone else’s version of Murph. The goal is to complete a version that challenges you.

Why We Prepare

Murph isn’t just another workout—it’s a true test of both physical and mental endurance. It challenges your stamina, your strength, and your ability to stay focused when things start to get uncomfortable. That’s exactly why you’ve been seeing these movements show up more frequently in class. The push-ups, the squats, the pull-ups, the running—they’re not random. They’re intentional building blocks. Each rep is an opportunity to get a little bit stronger, a little more efficient, and a little more confident in your ability to handle what’s coming.

What’s just as important as the physical preparation is the mental side of it. Murph is long. It’s repetitive. It asks you to keep going when you’d rather stop. And that’s something you train, just like anything else. Every time you show up to class and push through a tough workout, you’re practicing that resilience. You’re proving to yourself that you can do hard things.

The best thing you can do between now and Memorial Day isn’t to overthink it or try to “cram” extra work—it’s to stay consistent. Show up, put in the effort, trust the process, and let the programming do its job. Progress adds up quickly when you’re consistent, and by the time Murph rolls around, you’ll be more prepared than you think.

A Personal Note

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Murph.

It’s brutally hard, no matter how many times you’ve done it. But it’s also incredibly meaningful to me. Murph was the very first workout I ever did at EverProven. My first ever CrossFit workout. A friend brought me in, I gave it a shot, and the rest is history. Eight years later I’m still here. I love what it represents and what it’s brought into my life…even though it’s really hard.

More Than a Workout

At EverProven, Murph is about more than fitness.

It’s about honoring a hero.
It’s about pushing through something hard.
And most importantly, it’s about doing it together.

There’s something powerful about a room full of people taking on the same challenge—cheering each other on, pushing through the tough moments, and celebrating at the end. It’s one of the best examples of what our community is all about.

We encourage you to bring friends, bring family, and come experience it with us.

Let’s get to work.