Could you handle this gruelling Navy SEAL workout?
Named after the late Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy who died in Afghanistan in 2005, the Murph Challenge has become a Navy SEAL-approved tradition for CrossFit enthusiasts.
Memorial Day took place in America on Monday, with numerous tributes paid to men and women who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.
One such measure of respect is significantly more demanding than others, though. And it’s this super-intense gym session.
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The workout invites you to complete the following:
- one-mile run
- 100 pull-ups
- 200 push-ups
- 300 air squats
- one-mile run
If they didn’t sound tough enough, all must be performed while sporting a 20-pound weight vest / body armour.
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The Murph Challenge takes approximately 45 minutes to an hour (or more) to complete, and has evolved into a huge, celebrity-endorsed event.
Since 2014, it has raised over $1 million for the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation.
Navy SEALS are arguably the fittest people on Earth, but top CrossFit competitors are certainly up there too.
Just look at some of the main events from the annual CrossFit Games. It’s easy to see why the sport’s top athletes such as Rich Froning and Mat Fraser have been referred to in the past as the “fittest men on Earth”.
Day one of last year’s Games saw the following workout laid on the line:
- 10-lap bike race around a 1200 metre course [finish within 30 mins]
- 30 gymnastic ring muscle-ups in under 5 minutes
- 1 rep max on barbell squat, shoulder press and deadlift
- Marathon row: 26 miles on the rowing machine [finish within 4 hours]
CrossFit’s head honcho Dave Castro said at the time that this was the “hardest day in the history of CrossFit”.
Maybe so, but the Navy SEAL Murph Challenge will also take you firmly outside your comfort zone. That’s where the magic happens.
