When you think of tough and working out, what comes to mind? Is it squatting four plates, clean & jerking 300 lbs, or lifting a 400 lb Atlas stone? In their own respects, these could all be classified as tough, but for this article, we’re going to talk doing 24-hours-of-the-Murph-Hero-WOD-tough.
Dave Barry, 59, of CrossFit Truro in Cornwall, United Kingdom, wanted to give something back to the soldiers in his life and around the world. Barry’s end goal for his 24-hour bout with Murph was to shine light and bring attention to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Barry wasn’t a soldier himself, but he has friends who suffer from PTSD, and understands how much of a silent killer this disorder can be.
Barry was able to complete 11 full rounds of Murph in the 24-hour span, a full round more than the most we’ve seen done in a row. And he had the support of CrossFit Truro’s community by his side. Check out the video below.
Every time he’d go through a round of Murph, another gym member would accompany him. The two of them would go reps for reps, so if Barry did 10 squats, then the other gym member would equal him, and so forth.
History of Murph
Murph is one of CrossFit’s many Hero WODs, which are workouts named after fallen soldiers. The functional fitness community’s support of the soldiers and the loss of 29 year old Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy in 2005 is what led to the creation of the famed Murph workout. The workout is performed with a 20 lb weighted vest and follows the below rep scheme.
- 1 Mile Run
- 100 Pull-Ups
- 200 Push Ups
- 300 Squats
- 1 Mile Run
Murph is done for time and if performed every year on Memorial Day. Before passing, Lieutenant Murphy was a CrossFitter himself and called this particular workout “Body Armour”. It was one of his favorites.
Barry performed 11 total rounds, which means he ran a total of 22 miles and completed 1,100 pull-ups, 2,200 push ups, and 3,300 squats. That amount of volume not only requires physical toughness, but mental tenacity to keep pushing. Barry displayed both in an epic display to honor soldiers everywhere.
Feature image screenshot from CrossFit’s YouTube Channel.
