CrossFit Murph Workout Scaled

Murph is a brutal workout. Going into it without any prep is asking for an overuse injury like tennis elbow. Or worse.

What is Murph?

Murph is an official CrossFit hero WOD (workout of the day) named for Navy SEAL LT. Michael Murphy. A CrossFit hero workout commemorates fallen service members and first responders. Murphy, or “Murph,” was killed during the Afghanistan war. His heroic actions during a Taliban siege earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor, the military’s highest award. Marcus Luttrell depicted Murphy’s actions during the battle in his book Lone Survivor. 

The workout begins and ends with a one-mile run. It includes three movements – the pull-up, push-up, and air squat.

This page contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Murph WOD

 For time while wearing a weighted vest (20 lb/15 lb)

• 1 mile run
• 100 pull-ups
• 200 push-ups
• 300 air squats
• 1 mile run

Murph Difficulty Level

Murph is a challenging workout. Even the most seasoned CrossFitter struggles with the 20 lb weight vest. For newer athletes, the best way to approach the CrossFit Murph workout is a scaled approach.

It’s popular for the CrossFit community and other gyms to do Murph on Memorial Day. The “Murph Challenge” event supports the LT. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation. The CrossFit Games have also included Murph, which helped spread its popularity.

My Experience with the Murph WOD

On Memorial Day 2021, I was deployed with some hard-charging Marines. They organized a Memorial Day Murph Challenge for our unit. It’s common for service members to host their own Murph events.

I had focused on lifting heavy, not bodyweight movements for several months. It had been years since I had done Murph or anything with that much volume. But I didn’t want to let my Marine friends down by sitting this out, so I joined the challenge.

About halfway through, I felt some tension in my left rotator cuff. I should have stopped right there. But of course, I wasn’t going to let the Marines see me quit. I would never have heard the end of it! So, I powered through and finished the workout. 

Later that day, we were offloading supplies. I was on a ladder hoisting boxes to the guy above me. The guy below me heaved a box of 8 Costco-sized cans of tomato sauce up the ladder. I grabbed the box and attempted to hand it to the guy above me. As I pressed the box up, I heard a loud pop in my left shoulder. In the exact spot where I felt the pain doing Murph. 

An MRI would later confirm I tore the labrum in my left rotator cuff. This was the consequence of going into Murph unprepared. You must give your body time to strengthen in progressive increments. Going into Murph cold is like trying to deadlift 300 pounds after years of doing bodyweight work. 

That’s why I put together this staged plan for achieving your first Murph. I recommend starting this 12 – 16 weeks out from your first attempt. If you’ve already been working toward Murph, hop in at the stage that suits your current fitness level. 

A lot of non-CrossFiters and inexperienced fitness enthusiasts do Murph on Memorial Day. That’s why I’ve scaled this for someone who is not used to CrossFit-style workouts.

FAQs

What about the weight vest?

A true Murph should be completed with a 20-pound vest for men and a 15-pound vest for women. Including the weight vest depends on your goal and your starting fitness level. Achieving a complete Murph without the weight vest is respectable. Completing it with the weight vest is beastly.

If you decide to use the weight vest, I advise starting with it on day one. If you try adding it a few weeks in, it will feel like carrying a tank. It’s best to adjust to the weight vest early when the training volume is low.

What if I can only do one pull-up at a time?

It’s okay to do only one pull-up at a time starting out. By the end, you will be able to do tons of pull-ups in a row. For now, take your time on the pull-up bar. Focus on proper form and technique to reduce the risk of injury. You will complete Murph “for time.” Meaning you are only competing against the clock. Start out slow and controlled, and the speed will come.

You can also use a supported pull-up machine or a resistance band. But don’t rely on these tools for the entire program. You will need to get to a point where you can do the pull-ups on your own.

What if I can’t do regular push-ups?

If you can’t do regular push-ups, I recommend doing box push-ups. If you don’t have a box, any incline push-ups will work. You can start with box push-ups and then work up to regular ones.

What about overtraining?

Overtraining and its less severe cousin, overreaching, can hamper your training goals. Overtraining can take weeks or months to recover. It involves decreased performance, increased fatigue, and hormonal disturbances. In other words, you don’t want to overtrain.

Overreaching takes days to weeks to recover. Performance is also decreased. Both of these situations can happen with high-volume workouts like Murph. That’s why working up to a workout like this is so important. If you increase progression at too fast a rate, it can lead to several issues. 

What rep scheme should I use?

Most people will do a set number of reps for each movement based on their skill level. The idea is to break up the entire workout into small sets without stopping. You want to keep moving the whole time. If you take too long of a break, starting back up won’t be easy.

Should I do a warm-up?

A light warm-up is always a good idea. You will also help warm up your body during the first-mile run, so your warm-up should not be too intense.

Here are a few examples of how to break the reps up.

• 1 pull-up, 5 push-ups, 10 air squats
• 2 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 air squats
• 5 pull-ups, 15 push-ups, 25 air squats
• 10 pull-ups, 20 push-ups, 30 air squats

What if I can already do a good part of the workout?

Scroll through each week’s training schedule below. Start on the scaling option that works best for you.

What are the goal times for Murph?

Murph does not have a time cap. According to wodstar.com, good times to shoot for based on skill include:

• 75+ Minutes – Beginner

• 60 to 75 Minutes –Level 1

• 50 to 60 Minutes – Level 2

• 45 to 50 Minutes – Level 3

• 40 to 45 Minutes – Elite

• Under 40 Minutes – Super Elite

If you need more than 75 minutes, take it. The goal is to finish.

What is an unpartitioned Murph?

An unpartitioned Murph is when you complete each movement’s reps in order. So you would complete all 100 pull-ups before moving on to the push-ups and so on. This version of the workout is how the CrossFit Games required athletes to complete it. Unless you are a CrossFit Games athlete, I recommend partitioning it into smaller sets.

Final pro tip

Keep a large water bottle and a sports drink on hand. You will sweat a lot during the workout. You will need to stay hydrated.

You may also enjoy these CrossFit articles!

• 35 Hardcore CrossFit Hero Workouts You Should Try in 2024
• 6 of the Best CrossFit Warm Up Ideas from CrossFit Athletes
• 35 Best CrossFit Workouts at Home Without Equipment

Stage 1: Weeks 1-4

Each day will include a set amount of reps from each part of the Murph workout. This consists of a run, push-ups, pull-ups, and air squats. You can break up the reps in whatever way works best for you. Trying Murph for the first time when you aren’t used to the movements can be challenging. That’s why the first few weeks will start with low volume.

If you don’t feel ready to move on to the next stage, continue the current stage for another two weeks. Then, reassess your progress.

Week 1

• Monday: .25 mile run. 10 pull-ups, 20 push-ups, 25 air squats 
• Wednesday: .25 mile run. 10 pull-ups, 20 push-ups, 25 air squats 
• Saturday: .25 mile run. 10 pull-ups, 20 push-ups, 25 air squats 

Week 2

• Monday: .50 mile run, 15 pull-ups, 30 push-ups, 40 air squats 
• Wednesday: .50 mile run, 15 pull-ups, 30 push-ups, 40 air squats 
• Saturday: .50 mile run, 15 pull-ups, 30 push-ups, 40 air squats 

Week 3

• Monday: .75 mile run, 25 pull-ups, 45 push-ups, 60 air squats 
• Wednesday: .75 mile run, 25 pull-ups, 45 push-ups, 60 air squats 
• Saturday: .75 mile run, 25 pull-ups, 45 push-ups, 60 air squats 

Week 4

• Monday: 1-mile run, 30 pull-ups, 60 push-ups, 100 air squats 
• Wednesday: 1-mile run, 30 pull-ups, 60 push-ups, 100 air squats 
• Saturday: 1-mile run, 30 pull-ups, 60 push-ups, 100 air squats 

Stage 2: Weeks 5-8

Starting in week five, we will have three levels of the scaled Murph. The first will be the most intense, and then we’ll scale down the second and third workouts. This undulating volume will push you with a high rate of progression early in the week. The following two workouts tapper off with lower reps. This will allow you to recover better before upping the intensity the following week.

Week 5

• Monday: 1-mile run, 40 pull-ups, 90 push-ups, 130 air squats, .25 mile run
• Wednesday:  1-mile run, 30 pull-ups, 60 push-ups, 100 air squats
• Saturday: 1-mile run, 20 pull-ups, 40 push-ups, 100 air squats 

Week 6

• Monday: 1-mile run, 55 pull-ups, 115 push-ups, 150 air squats, .5 mile run
• Wednesday: 1-mile run, 40 pull-ups, 90 push-ups, 130 air squats, .25 mile run
• Saturday: 1-mile run, 25 pull-ups, 50 push-ups, 100 air squats 

Week 7

• Monday: 1-mile run, 70 pull-ups, 130 push-ups, 175 air squats, .75 mile run
• Wednesday: 1-mile run, 55 pull-ups, 115 push-ups, 150 air squats, .5 mile run
• Saturday: 1-mile run, 40 pull-ups, 90 push-ups, 130 air squats, .25 mile run

Week 8 is a de-load week. Here, you will scale back the volume to allow yourself to recover. Then, you will move into the higher volume training days starting in week 9.

Week 8

• Monday: .5mile run, 30 pull-ups, 80 push-ups, 125 air squats, .25 mile run
• Wednesday:  .5mile run, 25 pull-ups, 60 push-ups, 100 air squats, .25 mile run
• Saturday: .25 mile run, 15 pull-ups, 40 push-ups, 75 air squats, .25 mile run

Starting in week nine, you will go down to two training days per week with two rest days after each session.

Stage 3: Weeks 9-12

Week 9

• Monday: 1-mile run, 75 pull-ups, 150 push-ups, 200 air squats, 1-mile run
• Thursday: 1-mile run, 25 pull-ups, 50 push-ups, 100 air squats, 1-mile run

Week 10

• Monday: 1-mile run, 85 pull-ups, 175 push-ups, 250 air squats, 1-mile run
• Thursday: 1-mile run, 35 pull-ups, 60 push-ups, 120 air squats, 1-mile run

Week 11

• Monday: 1-mile run, 90 pull-ups, 185 push-ups, 275 air squats, 1-mile run
• Thursday: 1-mile run, 45 pull-ups, 70 push-ups, 130 air squats, 1-mile run

If you’ve made it this far, you are ready to test the full Murph. Over the last 11 weeks, you’ve worked hard and primed your body for the intense volume of this workout.

Week 12

• Any day you feel fresh and rejuvenated: 1-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, 1-mile run.

Now that you’ve completed the whole thing, you can work on achieving your best time. Keep practicing Murph. By next year, you will be able to do it with ease.

CrossFit Murph Workout Scaled

Murph is a great CrossFit workout. Training for it is a fantastic way to get in shape with minimal equipment. Scaling the volume and intensity is always essential in strength and conditioning. If you tried this training program, send me an email or DM me on social media to let me know how it went.

You may also enjoy these CrossFit articles!

• Chipper Workouts CrossFit: 21 Best Chipper WODs
• CrossFit Running Workout: 36 Run WODs for Better Endurance
• CrossFit Swim WODs (Workouts) You Can Do In The Pool

Make sure to subscribe to the Outdoor Muscle Newsletter and YouTube Channel for the latest CrossFit content!