Murph: More than just a Workout

“It’s all about mindset,” said Lizzie Michael, Whole Strength CrossFit and Nutrition CrossFit coach. “It’s so emotional. I feel like there’s such an emotional connection to the workout.”

For many Veterans, Murph is more than just another workout on Memorial Day. It is a chance to honor and remember those individuals who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

“It’s not just for me, It’s not just for a workout. It’s not just to have a BBQ afterward. I’m going to push myself to my limits as much as I can,” said Michael, also a Veteran who receives care at Tennessee Valley Healthcare System.

The Lt. Michael Murphy, or “Murph,” Workout began its legacy as a CrossFit Hero workout of the day (WOD), posted to the CrossFit main website in August 2005, according to WODWell. This workout was a favorite of Murphy and referred to it as "Body Armor." It was a difficult workout, even by CrossFit standards, and it caught the attention of Dr. Josh Appel, who has a special connection to Murphy. Appel served as a pararescue man in the U. S. Airforce, and it was his team that rescued Marcus Luttrell, and recovered the bodies of Michael Murphy and the rest of their U.S. Navy SEAL team. The story of their mission was made well-known through the release of Lutrell’s book, Lone Survivor.

Appel inspired the tradition of performing the Murph workout on Memorial Day as an honorable tradition.

“It has been amazing to watch the Memorial Day Murph tradition take off and grow every year,” said Appel, who currently serves as the Chief of Emergency Medicine at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System. “I knew it would be popular among the CrossFit community but did not expect it to bleed over into so many other areas.”

Michael used her GI bill after deployment to get certified in nutrition and wellness and referenced her military experiences and education to help improve the lives of the members of her gym and the Veterans that she works with. 

“We all go through hard times, but to be able to find the grit to push through challenging things is important,” said Michael. “When other challenges in life come up or things do not go your way. Take a breath and keep going through it. The pain will pass. The storm will pass.”

CrossFit, and the Murph, is not only a physical challenge but also a mental one. Learning to overcome the mental traps, or pitfalls, that trick individuals into giving up, is part of the process, said Michael. She believes Hero WODs like Murph, which are meant to be challenging workouts, is half the importance of their nature.

“That’s why I love all the hero WODs – especially when I’m coaching it,” said Michael. “When you’re sore or tired during this, I encourage those individuals to think about how sore and tired folks like Murph were. To remember what they went through, and work through your own internal struggle.”

Veterans, first responders, emergency medical services, and more, share a common bond of working through dangerous and difficult times. It is during Memorial Day that most individuals honor those lost in varying different forms. This Memorial Day, rain or shine, Michael and many other Veterans will be strapping on their weight vest to pay honor to Murph, and many others, with their sweat and tears.

“There is a saying that the dead are not truly gone until we stop saying their names. I think events like Memorial Day Murph and others help remind us of those sacrifices and keep the fallen in our thoughts,” said Appel.