A Minnesota bodybuilder ended up in the hospital after his arms “blew up” attempting the Murph Challenge, which he claims nearly cost him his life.
Michael Congdon, 32, was a top finisher in the World’s Strongest Man competition in 2018. Last May, he attempted the Murph Challenge, which ultimately landed him in the hospital.
The Murph Challenge honors late U.S. Navy SEAL Lieutenant Michael Murphy. It starts and finishes with a 1-mile run, along with 100 pullups, 200 pushups, and 300 squats in between—all performed while wearing a 20-pound vest or body armor. It is traditionally programmed at CrossFit boxes on Memorial Day weekend. And many athletes scale the challenge to their ability.
Despite seemingly having the muscles and credentials to take on the challenge, Congdon admitted he was unprepared, with only four prior CrossFit workouts under his belt, according to the Daily Mail.
Congdon expected the challenge to be less intense than powerlifting, but halfway through, he was puking and delirious. His arms swelled up and locked, leaving him unable to bend them.
Two days later, Congdon said he “looked like a balloon animal,” with his arms so swollen they seemed “inflated by a pump.”
In excruciating pain and tears, he was rushed to the hospital by his fiancée, where blood tests revealed unreadable creatine levels—confirming he had developed rhabdomyolysis.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, rhabdomyolysis, or rhabdo, is a serious condition where the muscles break down, leading to muscle death. It’s often triggered by injury or extreme exercise without proper rest.
When this happens, toxic muscle proteins enter the bloodstream, potentially harming the kidneys.
“I was really scared for my life. That moment alone terrified me so much that I rescinded any need to find any of my physical limits ever again. I’d never experienced that sort of pain in my life,” Congdon said.
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