Honor Navy SEAL Michael Murphy: The Inspiring Story Behind the 'Murph' Workout

On Memorial Day, fitness enthusiasts across the globe will strap on 20-pound weight vests to endure a punishing regimen: a one-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, and another grueling one-mile run. In the fitness community, it is simply known as "Murph."



But long before it became a holiday tradition programmed across thousands of gyms, the workout wasn't a fitness trend. It was a routine a real-life warrior did to prepare his body for war. Navy Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy - the man who gave his life for his country (which are exactly the people we're supposed to honor on Memorial Day) was motivated by his brothers in arms, and the fundamental belief that bullies must be stopped.

'The Protector'

Long before he wore the Navy SEAL trident, Michael Murphy was known to his family in Patchogue, New York, as "The Protector." It was a nickname he earned after getting suspended in elementary school for fighting off bullies who were attempting to stuff a special-needs child into a locker. Later in life, he intervened again when a group of youths targeted a homeless man.



A graduate of Pennsylvania State University, Murphy was accepted into multiple law schools. However, deeply moved by the tragic events of September 11, he chose a different path: officer candidate school and the grueling pipeline to become an elite Navy SEAL officer.



"He said there are bullies in the world and people who're oppressed," his mother, Maureen Murphy, recalled. "And he said, 'Sometimes they have to be taken care of.'"

Operation Red Wings

On June 28, 2005, Lieutenant Murphy was leading a four-man SEAL reconnaissance team in the unforgiving, 10,000-foot peaks of northeastern Afghanistan's Kunar Province. Their mission was to track an insurgent commander tied to the Taliban.



The team's position was severely compromised when three local goat herders stumbled upon their hiding spot. Holding the herders at gunpoint, Murphy, Petty Officer Marcus Luttrell, Petty Officer Matthew Axelson, and Petty Officer Danny Dietz faced a harrowing moral dilemma. If they released them, they risked alerting nearby enemy fighters; if they executed them, they would violate strict military rules of engagement.



Murphy guided a tense discussion weighing the moral and tactical implications. Believing the herders were civilians, Murphy made the decision to release them. An hour later, the team was ambushed by over 100 Taliban fighters armed with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades.



Outnumbered and taking heavy fire from the high ground, the SEALs fought a desperate, two-hour battle, tumbling down rocky cliffs while sustaining horrific injuries. Early in the fight, Murphy was shot in the stomach but ignored the wound to continue leading his men.

With the team's radio equipment failing in the deep terrain, Murphy knew they needed outside intervention to survive. He made a calculated, suicidal choice. Stepping out from cover, he walked into the wide-open center of the clearing - completely exposing himself to a barrage of enemy gunfire - to get a clear signal on a satellite phone.



Even while bleeding out from a gunshot wound to the chest, Murphy maintained his signature composure, politely thanking the operator before returning to the firefight to defend his men.



Murphy, Dietz, and Axelson died on that mountainside. The tragedy deepened when an MH-47 Chinook helicopter carrying 16 rescue personnel was shot down by an RPG while attempting to reach the team, killing everyone on board. It marked the largest single-day loss in naval special warfare history. For his extraordinary heroism, Lieutenant Murphy was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

From 'Body Armor' to 'Murph'

Before his death, Murphy's favorite personal workout consisted of that exact bodyweight routine, which he performed while wearing his full 20-pound tactical body armor. He simply called the workout "Body Armor."



On August 18, 2005, less than two months after his death, CrossFit officially renamed the routine "Murph" to honor his legacy. Today, the workout serves as a global, living memorial to keep the story of Lt. Murphy alive.



Depending on your fitness level, the routine can be scaled to fit your capabilities on Memorial Day:



Rx (Advanced): Run 1 mile, then complete 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, and 300 air squats, followed by a final 1-mile run. The repetitions can be partitioned as needed, and advanced athletes perform the entire workout wearing a 14 to 20-pound weight vest.

Intermediate: Run 1 mile, then complete 50 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, and 150 air squats, wrapped up with a final 1-mile run. reps can be broken up as desired.

Beginner: Run 800 meters, then complete 10 rounds of 5 ring rows, 10 modified push-ups, and 15 air squats, finished with a final 800-meter run.

This Memorial Day, when the physical pain of the workout sets in and your lungs begin to burn, remember the man who stood up in the middle of a firefight, took a bullet to the back, and whispered four words into a satellite phone to save his brothers: "Roger that, thank you."

So, if you're looking for a way to honor the fallen this Memorial Day (and we hope that you are), Murph is the best way to do it if you want your butt kicked in the process. And if you are someone who participates in the Murph workout or you plan to, we'd love to hear about it!

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the Health & Fitness section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 9:12 PM.