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The intended stimulus of Murph is to push your aerobic capacity, muscular endurance and mental toughness. That being said, maintaining proper technique and good pacing over the grueling hero workout is vital. While this workout is meant to push your limits, most athletes will modify this workout to meet their athletic abilities. The options to modify this workout are endless however, I will list a few great options below. Murph as written is: 1 mile run 100 pullups 200 pushups 300 air squats 1 mile run *If you have a vest or body armor, wear it * The pullups, pushups and air squats are partitioned as needed The first way to modify this workout is to remove the vest or body armor and complete the workout as written. Below are ways to partition the pullups, pushups and air squats: 5 pullups 10 pushups 15 air squats For 20 rounds 5 pullups 5 pushups 15 air squats 5 pushups For 20 rounds If you are working on building strength for pullups, the best modification would be to substitute ring rows. A great modification for pushups is to elevate your hands. This way you can work on core stability while decreasing the range of motion. If the volume needs to be scaled, here are a few options to choose from: 1 mile run 50 pullups 100 pushups 150 air squats 1 mile run 800m run 50 pullups 100 pushups 150 air squats 800m row A fun way to complete Murph would be to have a partner! You can complete the two runs together and break the 3 movements up between the two of you as needed. One partner could complete a round of the 3 movements while the other partner rests until the reps are completed. If you are working on building your aerobic capacity, a great modification would be to build in rest. After completing the first run, break the 3 movements up into workable sets while working for 2 minutes and resting for 1. Use this format until you complete the number of reps planned or for 10 rounds maximum. Then you can finish your second run. There are so many ways we can scale Murph we cannot list them all. Some athletes will use a combination of these modifications while others will be able to complete the workout as written. We want everyone to remember the main reason we are all there this Memorial Day. To have a challenging workout while honoring the sacrifice of those in the military who have died in service, particularly, Lt. Michael J. Murphy

As a community that supports a seemingly unending list of causes, we often find ourselves inundated with a myriad of events that require a physical, and oftentimes emotional, offering to illustrate the depth of support found uniquely within our tribe. Hero workouts, which hold the names of men and women who gave their lives as offering to a cause, allow each and every one of us to honor their sacrifice through an admittedly brief period of discomfort. LT Michael Murphy, who ‘Murph’ is aptly named in reverence to, gave his life to protect the men fighting with him on a remote mountain in Afghanistan, far removed from the safety and security of our gyms nestled across the United States. Yet his sacrifice was not just for those men, but for each and every person who stands beneath the same flag proudly worn on his uniform. We may fall short on a daily basis in honoring his sacrifice, but today we are given the opportunity to extend every ounce of ourselves as thanks. We owe a debt that can never be paid; however, we can ensure the memory of these brave men and women never falls into the realm of obscurity within our national conscience. -Written by Joe Manno

Join us in the Columbia District for our beginner's class: Elements Elements with Coach Emily offers a beginner-based class with low skill and modified movements. This class is a good opportunity for beginners to learn new movements at a slower pace before joining our CrossFit group classes. Elements programming is very similar to our regular CrossFit class programming but slows it down the pace a bit. This gives us more time to spend on learning and understanding the movements, class flow, terminology, etc. “Elements is one of my favorite classes to coach. Everyone is nervous together, but welcoming and so eager to learn. When you enter the gym, it may be overwhelming, but you are not alone. Being able to be a part of someone’s growth in the gym is one of the most rewarding parts of coaching.” - Coach Emily Have you been interested in trying CrossFit but have been hesitant to start? Elements is the perfect was to introduce CrossFit. Try out a week for free by emailing: chelsea@the12labours.com

This past weekend, the energy was electric, and the barbells were flying high at the Cap City Open. We’re incredibly proud to congratulate our lifters—Alex, Carlin, Sally Mimi, and Katie—for their outstanding performances and hard-earned moments on the platform. Each athlete brought their own style and story to the platform, making this event not only a showcase of physical strength but also one of resilience, camaraderie, and competitive spirit. The Cap City Open wasn’t just about totals or podium finishes—it was about lifters pushing limits, supporting one another, and stepping out of their comfort zone. Alex, Carlin, Sally, Mimi, and Katie each left their mark on the meet, reminding everyone why we love weightlifting. Our weightlifters are back on the platform this week with a new training cycle. 12 Labours next meet will be Tough Temple July 12-13. If anyone is interested in joining us, please reach out to info@the12labours.com

We have gone over this in a newsletter before, but the topic of gymnastics grips is always a hot topic, especially around Murph time. So let us dive into this and explain the different types, the goals, and some tips on how to get better usage out of the gymnastics grip. Let us start by understanding that there are two different types of grips, hand protection, and grip enhancement. They both have their uses, but in my opinion the grip enhancement is far superior, especially for the type of stuff we are doing. Hand Protection grips are really more like gloves than anything else. They protect the palm of the hand, but offer nothing in terms of grip enhancement, and in most cases actually make it more difficult to hold onto the bar. The main goal of this post is to understand the difference, and make sure we are sizing/utilizing our grips to offer hand protection AND grip enhancement. There are a million different styles of grips out there, and we can't go over them all, but these principles will apply to any style of grip you choose. We will break this down into 3 parts, sizing/placement, utilizing the fold and/or friction, and hand position on the bar. Let's go. Sizing A proper gymnastics grip should be large, and at least extend to the last knuckle of the fingers.

2025 summer line will be pre-order only so make sure to get your orders in! You can check out more details and place your order at 12labours.bigcartel.com Orders are due by Friday May 9, 2025

As many of our Annapolis members know, in Fall 2024, 12 Labours started an official Barbell Club class on Monday and Wednesday at 5:30 pm in Annapolis. During our first 12 week cycle, the focus was on building awareness and stability in the proper positions necessary for the snatch and clean and jerk (olympic weightlifting), as well as the back squat, bench and deadlift (powerlifting). Our members who have attended have experienced immense success in their lifts, both in improving form, as well as improving strength. The second cycle which started in January 2025 has been focused on first continuing to build technical proficiency, followed by improving strength with technical proficiency, and finally working towards some of our olympic lifting member’s first competition at the Cap City Open on April 27. As we look to the future with Barbell Club, we are hoping to not only invite more members into our lifting sessions to continue building technical proficiency in the lifts but also enhance the process of working towards competition for members who would like this opportunity. Barbell club programming for the Olympic Weightlifting side will involve two tracks, a locally competitive track, and a nationally competitive track. For anyone new to the sport of Olympic weightlifting (snatch, clean and jerk), local competitions can be entered by any athlete who fulfills the requirements of that specific meet (USAW sanctioned meets require a USAW membership). Athletes are designated to the weight class of their choosing (we typically guide towards competing at a weight class that your body is naturally comfortable at) and can be Junior (under 18 years old), Senior (over 18 years old), and Masters (35 years old and over) age groups. National and International meets can only be entered by athletes who have posted a qualifying total at a local meet, or more competitive meet depending on what the athlete is hoping to register for. A qualifying total is the total kilograms that the athlete must lift, at a minimum, to be able to register for that meet. For a 12 Labours member who would like to compete locally, the Barbell programming will include: 2x/week Barbell Programming (M/W 5:30 pm class) + Squat/Accessory Day (to be performed independently) We strongly suggest attending as many in - person barbell classes as possible if you plan on competing to maximize success and comfort when stepping onto the platforms in competition. There will be 2-3 opportunities for local competition each competitive year. For a 12 Labours member who would like to compete nationally, there are a few other requirements to be fulfilled: Athletes must have competed at a local level and have a qualifying total to register for this next level of competition. 3-4x/week Barbell Programming - This will be an expanded version of the Barbell class programming to work towards the level of commitment necessary to compete at this level. There will be 2-3 opportunities for national/international competition each year. We are excited to open up more opportunities for our 12 Labours members to get stronger and perform better both within and outside of the gym. Please do not forget that Barbell classes are open for all 12 Labours members, and you DO NOT have to compete to attend. We are happy to coach anyone who wants to learn more about the lifts, improve technique and get stronger! We will be starting a new cycle on April 28, which will also help us work towards our next local meet, Tough Temple, held in Rockville, MD on July 12-13, 2025.

As we continue to strive to make an impact on our communities, we were honored to host the Mid Atlantic Collegiate Championship for Navy's CrossFit, Blue and Gold. This is a yearly competition between 5 schools in the Mid-Atlantic region and give the students an opportunity to showcase their fitness. Producing an event that we can be proud of is no easy task and requires a lot of people. And so, a massive THANK YOU is owed to the volunteers who made this event possible. Thank you for dedicating your time energy, knowledge and wisdom to supporting our vision of empowering our communities through fitness.

As we move into the next cycle of programming you are going to see some changes. In an effort to create some clarity we are renaming the tracks. Instead of Rx+/Rx/Scaled you will now see Sport/Fitness/Wellness. These words will more accurately represent the goal associated with each track rather than the undefined categories we have previously used. As always members are not confined to one track; we encourage you to move between tracks as your goals change, your fitness improves, and you explore your strengths and weaknesses. Hopefully, this allows you all to see better results based on your personal goals. Below is a short description of each track to provide some clarity. Sport- You want to compete in regional and local competitions and be competitive. You have a firm grasp on movement patterns and skills and are highly conditioned. Your main goal is to become better at CrossFit as a sport. Fitness- You want to be as fit as you possibly can at this stage of your life. You want to be able to use your fitness for pursuits outside of our walls such as your career, other sports, or just because you want to be a badass. Health- You want to live long and prosper. Being healthy enough to enjoy your daily life and hobbies is the number one priority. You are less concerned with the weight on the bar and the gymnastics skills; instead you are focused on how well you feel mentally and physically. As always, our goal is to create an atmosphere where you are empowered to achieve YOUR best human potential.