Memorial Day is just around the corner. You know what that means – Murph! For our pregnant and postpartum moms, we’ve put together some considerations when planning to do this workout, along with a couple of demos for how you can modify the required movements. But first, for those of you who are less familiar than others, let’s take a brief look at the actual workout.
The Murph Workout
Murph is a CrossFit Hero WOD, completed by most athletes and CrossFit enthusiasts each Memorial Day. This workout, in particular, is meant to honor Navy Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, who was killed in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. To read more about Lieutenant Murphy’s story, and the backstory of the Murph workout, click here.
As prescribed (Rx), the Murph workout is as follows:
For Time
1 mile Run
100 Pull-Ups
200 Push-Ups
300 Air Squats
1 mile Run
All with a Weight Vest (20lb/14lb)
Murph, Scaled for Moms
Keep in mind that the prescribed version of Murph listed above is for the advanced-level CrossFit athletes. For our pregnant and postpartum moms, Murph can- and probably should be- scaled.
Take a moment to watch this video by our very own, Coach Tina:
Scaled Exercise Demos
SQUAT-TO-OBJECT
Instead of a normal air squat, try this modification of a squat-to-object. Any surface, such as a chair, can be used to raise or lower the depth of the movement to ensure you are not surpassing your body’s squatting ability.
BENT OVER DUMBBELL ROW
Bent over rows are a great upper-body pulling option to replace standard pull-ups. Using a chair or other similar surface will provide you some additional support, and the addition of a free-weight (instead of bodyweight) means you can scale to your own strength.
