May Fitness Challenge

Daily fitness challenge for the month of May: Five sets of five pull-ups, ten push-ups, and fifteen air squats.

This month I’m posting the exact same challenge I did last May. Of all the daily challenges I’ve done for a month, this one was the most transformative. It was also the most grueling. The Murph Workout is one of my favorite full body workouts that tests your mind, body, and spirit. At 38 years old last year, I was able to beat my previous best time from ten years prior by almost five minutes. This daily challenge, with modifications to make it variable in difficulty, is how I prepared. It is wild what you can accomplish in a month with intention, effort, and consistency.

---

Daily Challenge

As a functional fitness coach of several years, I run a community-based fitness group outside of my gym. We discuss goals, meet weekly for outdoor workouts, and tackle a new daily challenge each month.

The intent of these daily challenges is to create productive habits and induce both mental and physical adaptations. The at-home exercise is never more than ten minutes - often less. Short, achievable tasks provide an opportunity to still earn the day when your plans get disrupted.

Consistency will always produce better and more lasting results than intermittent intensity.

Anyone can find a few minutes to do something beneficial for themselves.

That’s all you need to begin seeing progress.

The Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands (SAID) Principle is an exercise physiology concept that demonstrates the more you do anything, the better you get at that specific thing.

The body’s ability to physiologically adapt and optimize performance based on what we consistently put it through is amazing. Even more impressive is the mind’s plasticity in response to stress.

Machine learning for humans.

Fitness serves as a vehicle for resilience training, with the physical benefits secondary to the mental skills developed.

Showing up daily isn’t easy but it’s how lasting change is formed.

Enhance resilience by consistently embracing self-created challenges.

---

May Daily Challenge: Complete 5 sets of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 air squats

Pulling, pushing, and squatting account for some of the most basic human movements. Pull-ups, push-ups, and air squats make up the best bodyweight exercises to enhance these functional patterns.

Pull-ups enhance:

• Neuromuscular pulling strength of the upper body

• Posterior chain stability and posture

• Grip strength

• Shoulder and elbow stability and mobility

• Muscular endurance in the upper body and core

Push-ups enhance:

• Neuromuscular pushing strength of the upper body

• Shoulder, elbow, and wrist stability and mobility

• Core and posterior chain stability

• Muscular endurance in the upper body and core

Air squats enhance:

• Neuromuscular pushing strength of the lower body

• Hip, knee, and ankle stability and mobility

• Core and posterior chain stability

• Proprioception, body awareness, and balance development

• Muscular endurance in the lower body and core

Stacked skill development opportunity for functional fitness and resilience.

---

Technique & Modifications

* Watch video for technical demonstration and discussion. The written steps can help add detail to the micro-movements as needed *

Pull-up variations:

• Unmodified pull-up: Start in a hanging position without your feet touching the ground. While maintaining good posture and core muscle engagement, pull yourself up until your chin is in line with the surface you’re hanging from. Descend back to the starting position for one rep.

• Platform assisted pull-up: Start with a chair or stable object you can stand on. Ideally, a surface that is tall enough for your head to reach the pull-up bar while standing up straight. Use this platform to support as much of your weight as needed while practicing the motion that is a pull-up. Engage your back and arm muscles, maintain good posture, grip the bar tightly, and begin pull-up movement. The less you support yourself with your legs, the harder the rep.

• Negative pull-up: Using a platform or jumping from the ground, begin in the top position of a pull-up and support your weight in that position. When ready, descend at a slow, controlled pace.

• Band-assisted pull-up: Resistance bands, like a platform, support your weight while training proper technique for a pull-up. Wrap a band around your bar and then insert one of your feet to begin performing this modification. The less resistance in a band, the more strength required to complete a pull-up.

• Pull-up alternatives: If you do not have a pull-up bar/surface to perform the movement on, there are many pulling movements that can serve as alternatives. A few considerations are inverted rows, bent over rows, or band pulldowns.

Push-up variations:

• Unmodified push-up: Start in a high plank position with hands shoulder width apart. While maintaining good posture and core muscle engagement, bend at the elbows and descend toward the ground until your chest touches the floor and/or your arms go beyond a 90-degree angle at the elbow. While maintaining the same form, push yourself back to the starting position. Keep your neck aligned with your back by looking straight down at the floor throughout movement.

• Knee push-up: Same upper body form as an unmodified push-up. Only difference is the knees are on the floor instead of the feet. The closer the knees are to the hands, the easier the rep.

• Incline push-up: Same upper body form as an unmodified push-up. Only difference is the hands are placed on a surface higher than the feet. Options include the stairs, counter, or a wall. The higher the surface, the easier the rep.

Air Squat:

• Unmodified air squat: Start with your feet shoulder width apart and toes either pointing forward or slightly outward. Hinge at the hips and begin to lower body by bending your knees while keeping your chest up, back straight, core engaged, and feet flat. Knees should stay in alignment with the toes throughout the movement. Continue to lower your body until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Return to the standing/starting position while continuing to keep your neck and spine straight. No bending or looking down at any point during this movement.

• Half or quarter squat: Using the same form as an unmodified squat, descend halfway or a quarter of the way down before returning to starting position.

• Chair squat: Using same form as an unmodified squat, sit down to a chair or stable surface. Stand back up unassisted, with momentum, or by using the surface for support as needed.

• Supported squat: All squat variations can be assisted by holding onto a stable object while completing the movements with focus on proper form and muscle engagement.

---

Progression Guide

For beginners:

• Don’t wear a weighted vest

• Decrease rep count for any all movements

• Decrease set count

• Focus on proper form rather than speed

• Start with modifications and progressively increase difficulty as you’re able to complete the prescribed rep count

For intermediate/advanced:

• Time yourself and attempt to go faster each subsequent attempt

• Focus on efficiency without compromising form

• Increase set count once you’re able to complete five sets in less than five minutes

• Change the amount of weight you’re wearing to vary the stimulus - no weight for speed work to heavier weight for strength building

• Add in cardio (running, stationary equipment, jumping rope, or jumping jacks) before and/or after your sets.

**This is a difficult daily challenge. For those doing other forms of training with competing goals, split up your regular training with this challenge as much as possible. For athletes, the daily challenge is intended to supplement your typical training schedule, not compromise or replace it. Listen to your body and either modify down or take days off as needed.**

As always, compete with yourself yesterday.

Quality of movement is more important than quantity of repetitions. Become comfortable with the technique first, then increase your volume.

If you can’t do it slow, you can’t do it fast.

Show up and do your best.

Battle your internal resistance and get that small win.

Everything feels easier when you occasionally make things a little harder on purpose.

---

Murph

Lieutenant Michael Murphy was a former United States Navy SEAL who sacrificed his life for his teammates during an operation in Afghanistan in 2005. Due to his heroic actions on that day, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2007.

Having been familiar with his name and story due to the book Lone Survivor, I was excited to read SEAL of Honor, which was one of the featured books available for trainees, when I attended Officer Development School in Newport, Rhode Island in September 2013. I ended up reading through the incredible life biography of Michael Murphy twice over the five weeks I was in that training program.

If you aren’t familiar with his name, do yourself a favor and go read both of those books. Lone Survivor was also made into a movie back in 2013. Excellent film but the books are even better as they reveal what is impossible to capture in a film - the character of the man and the admiration all of his teammates and family had for him throughout his life.

Michael Murphy was a man of virtue. His biography demonstrates the will he possessed since childhood to protect and serve others. To do the right thing regardless of adversity. To sacrifice for the greater good. To lead by character. To be the best that he could be.

One of his favorite workouts was called “Body Armor.” Unmodified, the workout consists of wearing a 20-pound weight vest and then completing:

• 1-mile run

• 100 pull-ups

• 200 push-ups

• 300 air squats

• 1-mile run

Following his death, this workout became known as Murph and is done by thousands of people every year on Memorial Day - a United States holiday that honors those who have sacrificed their lives in support of their country.

The daily challenge this month is designed to help you practice the standard approach many people use to break up the movements between the runs. Rather than doing all the reps straight, many do twenty sets of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 squats.

The Murph is a whole-body functional fitness workout. It tests your mind, body, and spirit regardless of modifications.

Watch the technique video above to learn about modifications so you can start at a manageable level based on experience and proficiency with movements.

This daily challenge is intended to help you develop the proficiency to perform The Murph if you so choose. If not, you’ll be developing several skills to enhance performance in all life domains.

Productive skill development within fitness makes the task exponentially more beneficial.

Stacking valuable inputs in training adds quality to the limited quantity of time we have throughout the day.

This is self-care.

The primary purpose of all of this - resilience development physically, mentally, and spiritually.

---

Get Ready

I’m posting this a day early so everyone, including my international friends, can prepare to start strong on day one at their own skill and comfort level.

Track your times and modifications only to set a goal for the following day. The outcome doesn’t matter as long as you show up and put out.

Consistent effort leads to improved performance over time.

How will you respond when you don’t feel like it?

These are the days that matter most.

These are the moments you see what you’re made of.

This is a transformative opportunity.

This is how resilient mental states are developed.

Embrace the challenge of discipline to optimize the skill of resilience.

Deliberate discomfort daily can cause improved satisfaction elsewhere forever.

By the end of May, if you consistently complete this challenge regardless of modifications, your neuromuscular strength and endurance for pulling, pushing, and squatting will be enhanced.

Use a brief fitness routine to insert control and success into every day.

Self-care through self-challenge.

A few minutes a day can change your life.

---

*Special Offer*

Join our community and earn a 15-min phone call with me to discuss your fitness or life goals:

• Complete the challenge for more than half the month.

In our community chat, we’ll hold each other accountable by posting a ✅ after completing each day’s challenge. Timing and modifications don’t matter—just show up and do your best.

To claim your 15-min call, share your story at the end of May:

Share a reflection on your progress (either in the community chat or privately with me) and then I’ll confirm your ✅ count.

Join our community, and let’s improve together.

---

Disclaimer:

The content provided is intended for general knowledge and informational purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional prior to making any decisions or changes relating to your health. Kyle Shepard is not responsible for any adverse effects resulting from the use of information in this publication.