GUIDE TO THE MURPH WORKOUT

Murph is a ‘hero’ workout dedicated to the memory of US Navy Seal Lt. Michael Murphy, who lost his life on active service in Afghanistan in 2005.

The workout is one Murphy used to complete: he named it ‘body armour’, but in light of his passing it was renamed ‘Murph’. It has since become a yearly staple within the cross training community with affiliates coming together on Memorial Day to complete the gruelling workout.

The workout has also featured twice at the CrossFit® Games, once in 2015 and again a year later in 2016.

MURPH

To be performed while wearing a 20lb/10kg weighted vest.

1 mile run
100 pull ups
200 press ups
300 air squats
1 mile run

The first thing you need to understand is your own capacity and fitness level before attempting ‘Murph’. With the high-volume nature of the workout and the extra weight provided by the weighted vest, the full RX version may not be achievable for everyone to start with.

Attempting other workouts that are similar to Murph, such as ‘Cindy’ or ‘Chelsea’ would be a good place to start and understand your capacity and if you complete Murph RX or scale it down.

CINDY

Cindy mirrors the largest section of Murph, but without the weighted vest.

AMRAP 20

5 pull ups
10 press ups
15 air squats

CHELSEA

To be performed while wearing a 20lb/10kg weighted vest.

EMOM 30

5 pull ups
10 press ups
15 air squats

A beefed up version of Cindy, the addition of the weighted vest is more akin to Murph. Hitting the movements in an EMOM format makes Chelsea less intense than Cindy, but the extra 10 minutes and sheer volume should be reserved for the more experienced athletes. 

For a more detailed training program you can also follow themurphchallenge.com who provide a 5 week training program aiming to build your capacity and volume to tackle the workout.

As mentioned above, knowing your level and capacity is essential when deciding how to attempt Murph.

Substituting the run for C2 bike or Row if you’re struggling to run is a good option. if you don’t have 100 pull ups, then jumping pull ups from a box, or ring rows are good options. if you struggle with RX press ups then press ups on your knees or dumbbell floor pressES are good substitutes. You could also simply complete the workout without a weighted vest.

A good pair of running shoes are essential to completing Murph. It may only be a 2 mile run, but with the extra weight from the vest (if you choose to wear one) and the volume of squats, you want something light and comfortable. Our new ROADFLY™ MAX running shoes are a great choice if you’re looking for a pair of runners to tackle Murph. 

Gymnastic grips for the 100 pull ups are a must. You don’t want to rip your hands 10 pull ups in and ruin your workout. Wearing sweat bands under the grips adds some cushioning and will stop the straps rubbing against your wrists.

Similarly knee sleeves might be an option, you can pull them up once you get to the squats and they’ll aid you in with the mammoth 300 reps. Then pull them back down when you head out on the final run.

There are many versions of Murph and many ways to split the repetitions. Here are a few ideas you could try:

1. Complete Murph without a weighted vest
2. Murph RX wearing a weighted version - Partitioned
   

   Breakdown the reps as follows

   20 rounds
   5 pull ups
   10 press ups
   15 air squats

   Or

   10 rounds
   10 pull ups
   20 press ups
   30 air squats

3. 2015 games version - Unpartitioned
   

   Breakdown the reps as follows

   Do all 100 pull ups
   then move onto all 200 press ups
   finally all 300 air squats

4. 2016 games version – Partitioned
   

   Breakdown reps as follows

   5 rounds
   20 pull ups
   40 push ups
   60 squats

It’s a brutal workout to honour a heroic sacrifice. Tackling Murph is no small feat. You need to be honest with yourself about your current ability, then train or modify the workout to suit. A rite of passage for many cross training athletes, Murph is an iconic test of all round fitness.