Murph Appling Hits the Weights and the Pushups to Stay Toned for the Season
By Steve LaMontia, Director of Communications
Murph Appling is a Memphis MSBL veteran living in Germantown, Tennessee and a long standing MSBL World Series participant as a member of the powerhouse USA Volkers of the 70-over division and the Puget Sound Mariners in the 65’s. Murph has a very regimented workout schedule that keeps him fit during the current pandemic so that he is ready to go when the bell rings. I have no doubt that Murph would be able to keep up with enthusiasts half his age if they laid out their programs side by side. Only Murph can explain what he’s up to.
“I purchased a ‘Chuck Norris Total Gym’ back in 2011 and it’s the best $300 we ever spent,” explained Murph. “I use it at least three to five times per week in conjunction with my crazy pushup routine.”
We of course had to ask about Murph’s pushup routine. “My goal is to perform 1,000 pushups in one day. I don’t always get there, but just the other day I did 404 in a two hour period and a personal best of 240 in one hour. This morning (Friday April 10th) is my ‘day of days’ and will be attempting 1,000 pushups this morning. I’ll let you know how it goes!”
Murph isn’t all about arms. He also performs three sets of 12 rep squats using two 50 lb. dumbbells with heels elevated. This is in conjunction with ‘negative pull ups’ where he tackles four sets of 16-20 seconds with the legs at a 90-degree angles. That is certainly a productive way to stay active during these times.
“I also coach high school baseball that usually starts in February but we are on hold right now. I usually throw a lot of batting practice and hit a ton of fungos. So, to stay on top of that I average 80-100 swings with a six-pound bat off a tee in the backyard every other day. When August rolls around I’ll get back to my routine of a couple sets of stadium steps and pushing the 125 lb. sled.”
“I want to wish a Happy Easter to all of the MSBL boys and girls!”