Attempting the Murph Workout for the First Time

The Famous Murph Workout — My First Time Attempting It at 47 Years Old

This workout became famous because of one elite and humble human being named Michael Patrick Murphy.

His love, courage, and dedication to his team became immortalized not only by his family and fellow Navy SEALs, but also throughout the fitness community. What started inside the CrossFit world has now spread into almost every exercise community across the country.

For those who don’t know his story, Michael Patrick Murphy (May 7, 1976 – June 28, 2005) was a United States Navy SEAL officer who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the War in Afghanistan.

He gave the ultimate sacrifice — his life — to help protect and save members of his team during Operation Red Wings.

And every Memorial Day, thousands and thousands of people honor him and everyone who gave their lives for this country by attempting one of the most brutal and mentally demanding workouts most regular people will ever try:

The Murph.

What Exactly Is the Murph Workout?

Lieutenant Murphy was known for doing an intense workout he originally called “Body Armor.”

After his death, the founder of CrossFit, Greg Glassman, posted the workout online as a Workout of the Day (WOD), and it eventually became known worldwide as “Murph.”

The workout is:

• 1 mile run
• 100 pull-ups
• 200 push-ups
• 300 air squats
• 1 final mile run

Traditionally performed while wearing a weighted vest or body armor.

And let me tell you right now…

This is NOT easy.

Not even close.

There Are Different Versions of Murph

The full RX (as prescribed) version is done:

• with the weighted vest,
• and often with minimal rest.

That version is absolutely brutal and definitely not beginner-friendly unless you’ve specifically trained for it.

Thankfully, there are scaled versions for normal human beings like me.

For first-timers, many people recommend:

• no weighted vest,
• partitioning the reps,
• and pacing yourself properly.

One of the most common beginner approaches is:

• 20 rounds of:
  • 5 pull-ups
  • 10 push-ups
  • 15 squats

This breaks the workout into manageable pieces while still preserving the full volume.

And trust me…
even THAT version is extremely difficult.

Why I Decided to Do It

This Memorial Day, I decided to join the millions of people honoring our fallen heroes by attempting the Murph for the first time myself.

Not to compete.
Not to set a record.
Not to prove I’m some elite athlete.

I simply wanted to finish it.

At 47 years old, as a husband, father, and working man, I think there’s something important about still challenging yourself physically and mentally.

Too many men slowly stop testing themselves as they age.

We get comfortable.
We get softer.
We stop doing hard things.

I don’t want that for myself.

I want my boys to see their dad still pushing himself.
Still trying.
Still fighting against weakness and complacency.

So I decided to do it.

How I Approached It

I did the beginner partitioned version:

• 20 rounds
• 5 pull-ups
• 10 push-ups
• 15 squats

No weighted vest.

And honestly?
That was more than enough.

I also allowed myself to rest between rounds, usually anywhere from:

• 30 seconds
• to around 70 seconds depending on the round.

I wasn’t chasing a leaderboard.
I wasn’t trying to impress social media.

The goal was simple:

Finish.

I did it completely alone at home.

No cheering crowd.
No gym energy.
No music blasting.
Just me, my breathing, and my own thoughts.

The Hardest Part

The hardest part for me wasn’t actually the pull-ups or even the push-ups.

It was the final rounds of squats.

Especially those last few rounds.

My legs were burning.
My lungs were working overtime.
And mentally, your brain starts negotiating with you.

“You can stop now.”
“You already did enough.”
“Nobody would care if you quit.”

That’s where the real battle starts.

Breathing helped me more than anything.

Slowing down.
Controlling my breathing.
Focusing on one round at a time instead of thinking about the entire workout.

That’s what got me through it.

Finishing the Last Mile

When I finally finished the last round and started that final mile run, I was exhausted.

But honestly?

I also felt proud.

Not proud because I did it fast.
Not proud because it looked impressive.

Proud because I finished something difficult that I honestly wasn’t sure I could complete when I started.

That feeling matters.

Especially as we get older.

My Final Time

I finished in approximately:

• 1 hour and 15 minutes.

I know because I recorded the entire thing.

Even though I had some technical issues while filming, all the clips combined came out to around 75 minutes total.

And honestly?
For my first Murph at 47 years old…
I’ll gladly take it.

Important Advice Before Trying Murph

If you’re thinking about attempting Murph for the first time, please respect this workout.

This is not something most people should randomly attempt without preparation.

You should absolutely:

• build up your pull-up capacity first,
• practice push-up volume,
• condition your legs and lungs,
• hydrate properly,
• recover properly,
• and prepare for several weeks beforehand.

Think about it like preparing for a long race or endurance event.

And if possible, do it with a gym, CrossFit box, or fitness community.

That support helps a LOT.

People encourage each other, share pacing tips, help with scaling options, and usually create a safer environment where you’re less likely to push yourself into injury.

There’s a reason Murph has become such a respected tradition:
it tests your body, your lungs, and especially your mindset.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, Murph reminded me of something important:

Our bodies are capable of more than we think when we stay consistent, train regularly, eat real food, recover properly, and refuse to mentally quit.

No, I’m not a Navy SEAL.
Not even close.

But doing something hard in honor of men like Lieutenant Murphy gave me a deeper appreciation for sacrifice, discipline, and resilience.

And honestly…
it also reminded me that at 47 years old, I’m still capable of hard things too.

View the video till the end to see how I did.

Stay dangerous,

Omar

 

PS: Workouts like Murph also remind me how important recovery, hydration, sleep, protein intake, and proper supplementation become as we get older.