Seven Weeks Till Murph...

​​On Memorial Day (Monday, May 27th, 2019) the Axistence community will once again come together for “Murph”. 

Here’s Why:

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Who was Michael Murphy?
Lieutenant Michael Patrick “Murph” Murphy was a United States Navy SEAL officer. On June 28th, 2005 while on assingment in Afganistan, he and the rest of his team were surrounded by Taliban forces.
 
In what can only be described as an act of pure selflessness and heroism, Lt. Murphy left his cover position and entered a clearing in order to use a satellite phone to call for backup. He was able to make contact, relay his team’s position, but this ultimately left him vulnerable to enemy fire. Murphy put his life on the line for his team and payed the ultimate price. 
 
If you’d like to read the full story, click here:

https://www.navy.mil/ah_online/moh/murphy.html

Lt. Murphy had a favorite workout that he called “body armor”. In his honor, the workout has since been re-named “Murph”.
 
The workout:
 
1 Mile Run
100 Pull-ups
200 Push-ups
300 Air Squats
1 Mile Run
(Men wear a 20lb vest, women wear a 14lb vest)
 
Every year on Memorial Day, fitness centers and communities around the world get together to honor not just Michael Murphy but all those who have sacrificed their lives for others.
 
If you intend on taking on Murph with us this year (and we hope you do) here’s are a few FAQs
 
Can I do this? “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t you’re right”. - Henry Ford. 
 
Anyone can participate, you just have to find the right option for you. PHYSICALLY you can absolutely do at least some version of it. MENTALLY is where most will falter.
 
Can I wear a weight vest? You can do whatever floats your boat. HOWEVER, we highly recommend that if you choose to do wear a vest, you should have the following:
A minimum of 10 Pull-ups in a row* (Remember, you’ll be doing 100 of them) A minimum of 20 push-ups in a row* (you’ll be doing 200 of them)

*You can use any rep scheme you like. These numbers are just suggestions.
 
Can I borrow a weight vest? If you can find someone to loan you a weight vest, you should buy them dinner. Weight vests are a fairly personal item….they can get funky. The training center does not keep weight vests hanging around like jump ropes. However, you’re serious about getting one, here’s a link to several options from Rogue’s website.
     
What if I’m unable to complete the workout as prescribed due to an injury? EVERYTHING can be scaled.

​Now before you go scaling everything, remember this: This workout isn’t supposed to be easy. It’s supposed to make you think about things bigger than yourself. It should take you out of your comfort zone. We don’t do Murph for bigger biceps or a nicer butt. We do Murph to remember the fallen. We do Murph to challenge ourselves physically and mentally.
 
What’s Rhabdo?
From WEBMD: “Rhabdomyolysis is a serious syndrome due to a direct or indirect muscle injury. It results from the death of muscle fibers and release of their contents into the bloodstream. This can lead to serious complications such as renal (kidney) failure. This means the kidneys cannot remove waste and concentrated urine. In rare cases, rhabdomyolysis can even cause death.” 
 
In the 6 years that Axistence has been alive, there hasn’t been a single report of anyone getting Rhabdo and we’d like to keep it that way.
 
Ways to ensure that your pee doesn’t look ike Coca Cola (Sign of Rhabdo):

• Train consistently (Plan below)
• Stay hydrated (A Nuun tablet in your water would be a good idea)
• Do NOT do negatives on the pull-ups
• Do NOT wear a vest if you don’t have at least 10 pull-ups in a row

 
MURPH PREP TRAINING PLAN
 
For those that wish to take on the challenge and you don’t want it to wreck you, we suggest the following training plan. This can be followed in or outside of the training center.

​If you decide to follow the training plan, please know that there are several ways to attack it. The most important aspect of the program that you accumulate the volume. This means that you’re getting the appropriate number of reps in each week. Do this and you should be fine.
 
Option 1:
Wednesday “Open Gym” workouts. You could pick the reps in the table above and knock them out in any order you see fit. For example, on week 4, you need to accumulate the following:
1 Mile Run
40 Pull-ups
80 Push-ups
120 Air Squats
 
If you split the run in half, that’s .5 miles on the front and the back. The other sets are divisible by 8, so:
 
8 Rounds
5 Pull-ups 
10 Push-ups
15 Air Squats
 
Option 2:
Start a weekly practice of supplemental pull-ups, push-ups, and air squats. These don’t have to be done daily, but think about it as a new morning routine several days per week. Imagine how you would feel if you were able to do push-ups, pull-ups and squats everyday… Well you’ll be sore at first, but then your body will adapt. It will change. You will become stronger, mentally and physically.
 
While we’re giving tips, check out David Goggins book “Can’t Hurt Me” while you’re at it. Seriously, if you haven’t read it, you’re missing out on some serious GAINZ.
 
If you have any further questions about Murph or how to ensure you’re ready, please see an Axistence coach.