BY MAGGIE BEAMGUARD, Insider Editor
Memorial Day is coming soon with its cookouts, sales, concerts, parades — and workouts. One workout, known in athletic circles simply as “The Murph,” has grown in popularity since its release in August 2005.
Chris McNamara, owner of Evolution Athletics in West End, explains that The Murph is a “hero workout,” created in tribute to a fallen first responder or member of the military who died by serving honorably in the line of duty.
The workout is named for its creator, Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy, who was killed in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor “for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life.”
The annual Murph Challenge takes place on Memorial Day and raises both awareness and money for the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation. Evolution Athletics is hosting a Murph challenge this May 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Murphy originally called it the “Body Armor” workout, owing at least partially to the 20-pound vest or body armor worn while completing an initial mile-long run, followed by 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats and a final mile run.
The workout challenges even seasoned athletes, but folks at all activity levels can participate. “Our coaches will provide guidance, set safety parameters and offer scaling options based on your ability and comfort levels,” McNamara said. “The entire group will help with motivation along the way.”
Additionally, those wanting to train for the event can take advantage of the gym programming of Evolution Athletics.
“We will help with training safely, picking up any skills needed for the full workout and providing the motivation to train for an event like this,” McNamara said. “If you can’t join us to prepare, we recommend you slowly start building up the capacity for this workout. Add in run and body weight workouts two or three days a week until you can accumulate that many reps.”
Every “hero workout” begins by sharing a description of who the workout has been created for, the big picture of that hero’s life and a reminder that the day is about more than an individual workout.
“This kind of mental framing,”McNamara says, “generally helps people push harder and further than they normally would on a workout. In addition to that, our entire gym community will be cheering everyone on for the duration of the event. It is truly a powerful experience.”
Evolution Athletics is offering this event in memory and honor of the fallen for free to the public. Donations to the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation can be made through TheMurphChallenge.com.
While many of the coaches and members of Evolution Athletics have done the workout since it was first released in 2005, McNamara says they have only hosted the workout since opening in 2014. In previous years they have had more than 100 participants.
Participation usually depends on how many members are deployed at the time. “This year,” notes McNamara, “many of our gym members who are in Poland with the 82nd Airborne Division will be doing it from afar.”
Notably, Obstacle Course Racing superstar Hunter McIntyre set the world record for this workout during the Evolution Athletics event on May 23, 2020.
Evolution Athletics can help you set your own records: “We help people get more out of life by getting more out of their body,” McNamara said. “Whether it is a hero workout like this or simply living a more healthy and fulfilling life, we can help. Anyone can come to try it for a week for free and see what we are all about.”
Evolution Athletics is located at 2065 Juniper Lake Road in West End. For more information about this event, contact Rebecka Rodriguez at rodriguezz.becka@gmail.com or (910) 479-4488.
Contact Maggie Beamguard at maggie@thepilot.com.
