Murph Workout: The Full Hero WOD, Scaling, and How to Train For It
Quick answer
Murph is a CrossFit hero workout done for time: 1 mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, then a second 1 mile run. The runs bookend the workout. The 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, and 300 squats in the middle can be broken up and mixed in any order you like. As prescribed, the whole thing is done wearing a 20 lb weight vest for men or a 14 lb vest for women.
It is named for Navy Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005 and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Most fit recreational athletes finish in 45 to 70 minutes. Beginners should scale it and forget the clock.
Every Memorial Day, tens of thousands of people around the world take on the same test. It is long, it is unglamorous, and it wrecks people who go out too fast. It is also the most widely performed hero workout on earth. This guide covers the full standard, the story behind it, how to partition the reps, how to scale it if you are not ready for the full version, what a realistic finish time looks like, and an eight week plan to get you there.
The Murph workout, exactly as written
For time, in this order:
- 1 mile run
- 100 pull-ups
- 200 push-ups
- 300 air squats
- 1 mile run
Two rules matter. First, the runs come first and last and cannot be broken up. Second, the middle block of 600 reps can be partitioned however you want, as long as all the reps get done before you start the second run. That single allowance is what makes Murph finishable for normal humans.
Total volume is 600 bodyweight reps plus two miles of running. Under a vest, that is a very different workout than it looks like on paper. A 20 lb vest adds roughly 12,000 lb of extra work across the push-ups alone, and it changes your running pace more than most people expect.
Who Murph honors
Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy was a US Navy SEAL officer. On June 28, 2005, during Operation Red Wings in the mountains of Kunar Province, Afghanistan, his four man reconnaissance team was discovered and surrounded by a much larger enemy force. Unable to get a signal from cover, Murphy deliberately moved into open ground under fire to transmit his team's position and call for help. He was killed during the engagement. Of the four men on the team, only Hospital Corpsman Second Class Marcus Luttrell survived. A helicopter carrying a rescue force was shot down as it responded, killing everyone aboard.
In October 2007 Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the first awarded for actions in Afghanistan and the first to a Navy SEAL for that conflict.
The workout itself was one Murphy did in training and called Body Armor, because he performed it wearing his armor. CrossFit later published it as a hero workout under the name Murph. It has since become an annual Memorial Day tradition, and it is the basis for The Murph Challenge, the official annual fundraiser for the LT. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation.
Worth saying plainly: this is a memorial, not a marketing event. Doing it well means doing it honestly, and doing it in a way you can actually finish.
Should you wear a vest for Murph?
If you want the workout as prescribed, yes. The traditional standard is a 20 lb vest for men and a 14 lb vest for women, an echo of the body armor Murphy wore when he did it. Anything heavier is not more authentic, it is just heavier.
Whether you should wear one this year is a separate question. Use this test: if you cannot complete an unweighted Murph in under about 60 minutes with clean push-ups, the vest will turn the workout into a grind that teaches you bad mechanics. Do it unweighted, get faster, then add the vest.
If you do wear one, the fit matters more than the number. A vest that rides up on the pull-up bar or bounces on the run will cost you more than the weight itself. Our guide to how heavy your vest should be covers load selection for training in general, and it applies here.
DO MURPH IN A VEST
Hybrid Weight Vest MK2
Adjustable to the traditional 20 lb Murph standard, and back down again for training days. Low profile so it stays put through pull-ups, push-ups, and both miles. $199.99.
Shop now →How to partition Murph
Doing 100 straight pull-ups before you touch a push-up is the fastest way to end your day early. Pick a partition before you start and stick to it.
20 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats
The classic. It is the CrossFit benchmark Cindy repeated twenty times, and it is the most popular Murph partition for good reason. No single set approaches failure, the pacing stays flat, and the mental math is easy. If you have never done Murph, use this.
10 rounds of 10, 20, 30
Fewer transitions, bigger sets. Good for athletes with a strong pull-up base who lose more time moving between stations than they lose resting. Risky if your push-ups fade, because a set of 20 push-ups in round eight is a long way from home.
20 rounds of 5, 5, 5, 5, 15
Same volume as the classic, but the push-ups are split into two sets of five with pull-ups sandwiched between. This is the best option for anyone whose push-ups fail before their pull-ups do, which is most people who have never done the workout.
Chipper by movement, in blocks
Some athletes prefer to hit all pull-ups in sets of 5 to 10, then all push-ups, then all squats. It is simpler to track, and the squats at the end are a genuine break for the upper body. It also means a long stretch of push-up work with no upper body recovery, so only use it if you have tested it.
Murph scaled: how to make it doable
Scaled Murph is not a lesser version. It is the correct version for most people. Scale in this order, and only take the next step if you need it.
- Drop the vest. This alone cuts 10 to 20 minutes off a typical finish time.
- Partition aggressively. Smaller sets, more of them.
- Substitute the pull-up. Ring rows, banded pull-ups, or jumping pull-ups all count. Pick the version you can do for reps with control.
- Scale the push-up. Elevate your hands on a box or bench rather than dropping to your knees. Elevated push-ups keep the plank position honest.
- Cut the volume. Half Murph is 800 m run, 50 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, 150 squats, 800 m run. It is a real workout and a great first target.
- Swap the run. If running is the limiter, row 2,000 m or bike an equivalent distance in place of each mile.
Finishing a scaled Murph with good positions beats limping through the full version with sagging hips and half depth squats.
Realistic Murph times
Times vary enormously, and the vest is the biggest variable. Rough brackets:
- Elite, weighted: under 35 minutes. A handful of people go under 33.
- Advanced, weighted: 40 to 50 minutes.
- Fit recreational athlete, weighted: 50 to 70 minutes.
- Fit recreational athlete, unweighted: 38 to 55 minutes.
- First timer, scaled or unweighted: 55 to 90 minutes. Finishing is the result.
If you are chasing a number, the two highest leverage places to find time are transitions and push-up management, not raw strength.
An 8 week Murph training plan
Four sessions a week. Two build strict upper body volume, two build the engine.
Weeks 1 to 3: build the base
Day 1: strict pull-ups 5 sets of 5, push-ups 5 sets of 10, air squats 3 sets of 25. Day 2: easy 2 to 3 mile run at conversational pace. Day 3: half Cindy, 10 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats, no vest, moderate pace. Day 4: 1 mile time trial plus 3 by 400 m repeats. Add dead hangs at the end of Day 1 if your hands give out before your back does. Grip endurance, not lat strength, is what ends most people's pull-ups.
Weeks 4 to 6: add volume and load
Push Cindy to 15 rounds, then 20. Introduce the vest on one session per week only, starting with the run, not the pull-ups. Keep total weekly push-up volume climbing by roughly 10 percent a week. Add load slowly. Shoulders and knees adapt more slowly than lungs do.
Weeks 7 and 8: rehearse and taper
Week 7: a full unweighted Murph at controlled pace, using the exact partition you plan to use on the day. This is a dress rehearsal, not a test. Week 8: cut volume in half, keep some intensity, and take two full rest days before you go.
Common Murph mistakes
- Sprinting the first mile. Run it 45 to 60 seconds slower than your mile pace. You will get all of it back.
- Going to failure on early sets. Leave two or three reps in reserve every set for the first half.
- Kipping push-ups. Snaking your hips through a push-up is how shoulders and lower backs get angry. Break sooner instead.
- No plan for the vest. Wear it in training at least three times before the day. Chafing is real and blood on a gray shirt is avoidable.
- Skipping the second run mentally. Save something. The last mile is where the workout is won or lost.
- Under-hydrating. It is usually hot, it is usually long, and cramping in the squats is common.
After Murph
Expect real soreness for two to four days, concentrated in the chest, triceps, and lats. Walk that evening, eat protein, hydrate, and skip upper body pressing for at least 48 hours. Delayed onset soreness after 600 bodyweight reps is normal, but sharp joint pain is not.
Murph workout FAQ
What is the Murph workout?
A 1 mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, and a 1 mile run, for time, wearing a 20 lb vest for men or 14 lb for women. The middle 600 reps can be partitioned in any order.
How long does Murph take?
Most fit athletes land between 45 and 70 minutes weighted, or 38 to 55 minutes unweighted. Elite times are under 35 minutes. First timers commonly take 60 to 90 minutes.
Do I have to wear a weight vest?
No. The vest is what makes it Rx, but the unweighted version is a serious workout and the right call for anyone doing it for the first time. Add the vest next year.
What is a scaled Murph?
Any honest reduction that lets you finish with good mechanics: no vest, banded pull-ups or ring rows, elevated push-ups, or half volume. Half Murph is 800 m run, 50 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, 150 squats, 800 m run.
When do people do Murph?
Memorial Day is the tradition, and that is when the organized event happens. Plenty of athletes also use it as a quarterly benchmark, since it is a clean measure of hybrid fitness that requires almost no equipment.
