Murph Workout Guide: How to Train For and Finish the Memorial Day Hero WOD
Every Memorial Day, thousands of athletes step up to the same brutal test: run a mile, knock out 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, and 300 squats, then run another mile. If you are doing it right, you are wearing a weight vest the whole time. This is Murph, the most famous hero WOD in the world, and finishing it well takes more than guts. It takes a plan.
What Is the Murph Workout?
Murph honors Navy SEAL Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2005 during Operation Red Wings and posthumously received the Medal of Honor. The workout was one of his personal favorites. He called it Body Armor, because he did it wearing his vest. After his death, the CrossFit community renamed it Murph, and it has grown into an annual Memorial Day tradition that raises money for the LT. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation.
The Official Murph Standard
The full workout, in order: 1 mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, 1 mile run. The prescribed load is a 20 lb vest for men and 14 lb for women. The middle work can be partitioned any way you like, and most athletes should partition it. Doing 100 straight pull-ups before touching a push-up is a fast way to blow up your arms 20 minutes into a 45 to 70 minute workout.
Partition Strategies That Work
The Cindy Method: 20 rounds of 5-10-15
Five pull-ups, ten push-ups, fifteen squats, twenty times. This is the most popular partition for good reason: no single set approaches failure and pacing stays even. If you only remember one strategy, make it this one.
10 rounds of 10-20-30
Bigger sets, fewer transitions. Best for athletes with strong pull-up numbers who lose time switching stations.
The push-up insurance plan
Push-ups are where most Murph attempts fall apart. Break them early and often, even when you feel fresh. Sets of 5 to 10 from the first round will save you from 90 seconds of staring at the ground in round fifteen.
8-Week Murph Training Plan
Train four days per week. Two days build strict strength, two days build engine.
Weeks 1 to 3: Build the base
Day 1: strict pull-ups 5x5 and push-ups 5x10. Day 2: easy 2 to 3 mile run. Day 3: half Cindy, 10 rounds of 5-10-15, no vest. Day 4: 1 mile time trial plus 3x400m repeats. If pull-ups are your weak point, run our pull-up progression plan alongside this block.
Weeks 4 to 6: Add volume, add load
Push Cindy to 15 rounds. Add the vest to your runs and bodyweight circuits one session per week, starting with just the vest and no extra volume. Our guide to weight vest training covers how to introduce load without wrecking your joints.
Weeks 7 to 8: Rehearse and taper
Week 7: full unweighted Murph at a controlled pace. Week 8: cut volume in half, keep intensity, rest two full days before test day.
Murph Ready
Hybrid Weight Vest MK2
A snug, no-bounce vest built for running, pull-ups, and push-ups under load, $199.99.
Shop now →Scaling Murph the Smart Way
First Murph? Drop the vest. The unweighted version is still a serious test. From there, scale in this order: partition the reps, then cut total volume to a half Murph, then substitute ring rows or band-assisted pull-ups if you cannot yet do strict reps. Finishing a scaled Murph with good form beats limping through the full version with rounded-back push-ups and half squats. If you train at home, resistance bands make assisted pull-ups and push-up progressions simple to set up.
Recovery and What Comes After
Expect serious soreness for 2 to 4 days, especially in the chest and lats. Walk, hydrate, eat protein, and skip upper-body training for at least 48 hours. Then channel the momentum: Murph fitness is hybrid fitness, and the same engine transfers directly to military PT tests. Compare your run pace against your branch standards with our free military PT calculators.
Train Anywhere
The Battle Bundle
Resistance bands and hanging ab straps: everything you need for assisted pull-ups and home Murph prep.
Shop now →Murph Workout FAQ
How long does Murph take?
Elite athletes finish weighted in under 40 minutes. A strong recreational athlete typically lands between 45 and 60 minutes weighted, or 35 to 50 unweighted. First-timers should ignore the clock and aim to finish.
Do I have to wear a weight vest?
Only if you want the workout as prescribed. The 20 lb and 14 lb standards echo the body armor Lt. Murphy trained in, but most first-timers should go unweighted and add the vest next year.
Can I do Murph if I cannot do pull-ups yet?
Yes. Substitute band-assisted pull-ups or ring rows and follow a structured pull-up progression so next time you are doing the real thing.
When should I do Murph?
Memorial Day is the tradition, but the workout is a year-round benchmark. Testing it quarterly is a great way to track your hybrid fitness.
