Post Murph - Why is Murph so important?
Luke Espe • May 29, 2025
Nearly 200 athletes showed up across the 12 Labours locations this past Memorial Day to honor our fallen heroes. Year after year, Murph is an event that takes over fitness locations across the country, and not just CrossFit gyms. People can be seen ripping it in their local commercial gyms, running around the neighborhood doing pullups in the garage, on military bases, and more. I got asked an interesting question the other day by someone who was newer to the fitness space, and they asked why Murph is such a popular workout. My initial answer was that it is in remembrance of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, but later on that day, I thought a little deeper into that question.
When hero workouts were first brought to the fitness space, they were created to remember those who were lost. Whether those were soldiers, first responders, police officers, etc, they were meant as a way to remember, usually through shared suffering of something difficult. Murph was developed specifically for Lt. Michael Murphy, a Navy SEAL who gave his life for his fellow soldiers during Operation Red Wings. Since that time, Murph has transcended the idea of representing a single person, and is now done on Memorial Day across the globe, remembering all those who have lost their lives in service to this great country.
But why is this specific workout so popular, and why Murph? I think the answer goes a little deeper than just the words, Memorial Day Murph sounding good. As humans, we inherently like to be challenged, and we search for that feeling of accomplishment at the end of something difficult. Murph gives every single person, no matter the skill level, the opportunity to go through something extremely difficult, and gives them the sense that they pushed themselves to their limit as a token of appreciation and thanks for those heroes we lost. Can't run? There are rowers, bikes, or you can walk. No pullups? Whether due to strength constraints or injury, there are ways to scale that. Pushups too difficult? Knee pushups or pushing off a box it is. Feeling extremely fit? Let's throw a vest on and see how that goes! No matter the issue, there is a way to alter this workout to meet the needs of every single person of every single skill level.
I know what some of you are thinking: all workouts are scalable, and I would agree with you. But sometimes that takes a little bit of expertise to choose the correct scales in order to get the desired response. For Murph, those scales are very obvious, require very little equipment, and ultimately make it easier for everyone to be able to challenge themselves in a manner that would make those we are doing this for proud. What we have now is a gigantic group of people pushing themselves to the limit, regardless of what that limit is for their level, honoring those who gave their all for our freedom.
In the end, this is what makes the CrossFit community so special, and Murph truly embodies that idea. Whether we are doing to same weights or not, whether we are scaling up or down, we are all showing up and giving our best in an effort to keep moving forward. Constantly moving that needle, and consistently pushing the limits to be better are the values that those heroes were fighting for. Keep that momentum going, treat every day like it is Murph...not by trashing yourself in the gym, but in the idea of striving for excellence, of getting better every single day. And the best part about it all is that we are doing it together, keeping each other accountable and supporting our team.
Thank you to all for showing up and giving it your all. Every single year, I am amped up after Murph to get after it, and this year is no different. I feel inspired by this group and will continue to push on to be better today than I was yesterday. Let's get it!
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