There are two ways to complete Murph, unpartitioned and partitioned. You will always begin with a 1 mile run to start and 1 mile run finish, but the pull ups, push ups, and air squats can be partitioned. Performing “Murph” in the un-partitioned manner is the most difficult of the two strategies.
Athletes may partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and air squats as needed. For an extra challenge, some experienced athletes perform each movement's repetitions unpartitioned and follow the original workout recommendation to add body armor or a weight vest.
In Murph, while the run portions must be done as a sandwich around the reps, athletes may break up the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats however they'd like. Spending a bit of time thinking through your rep scheme can help both the newbie and veteran athlete succeed in this workout.
It's simple: Run one mile, do 100 pull-ups, do 200 push-ups, do 300 body-weight squats, then run another mile.
You will always begin with a 1 mile run to start and 1 mile run finish, but the pull ups, push ups, and air squats can be partitioned. Performing “Murph” in the un-partitioned manner is the most difficult of the two strategies. The partitioned option allows you to chip away, thus not burning out as quickly.
The run is completed first in its entirety, and then you have the option to partition, or break up, the reps of the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats, or you can complete each section before moving on to the next, finishing with the 1-mile run. No matter how you break it down, it's a tough workout!
What types of pull ups are in Murph? Any pull-up variation is acceptable; providing you begin (or pass through) under the bar with straight arms and finish the rep with your chin above the bar. This can be achieved with strict pull-ups, kipping pull-ups or butterfly pull-ups.
On average, you're looking at burning anywhere from 500 to 800 calories.
The Murph workout is challenging because it stresses most major muscle groups: the back and shoulder muscles with the pull ups, the chest with the push ups, and the legs and torso with the squats.
a) Divide the exercises into rounds
So if you can do a maximum of 10 push-ups and 5 pull-ups at a time (unexhausted), simply divide the exercises into 20 rounds. Then 5 pull-ups followed by 10 push-ups and 15 squats are completed and the whole thing is repeated 20 times.
Option 1: You do it all as-is. After running one mile, you do 100 pull-ups, then 200 push-ups, followed by 300 squats, and another 1-mile run, with or without the vest. Adding the vest is called the RX version, AKA the most challenging version. Many cannot perform their first Murph this way, and that's ok.
For elite athletes, knocking it out in under 30-40 minutes is the gold standard. For most gym athletes, a strong target is between 35-60 minutes. Beginners, don't sweat the clock—focus on scaling until you're ready to crush it Rx'd in under 60 minutes.
'Murph' World Record Holder Hunter McIntyre Shared How He Trains for the CrossFit Workout. McIntyre breaks down his best advice on how to prepare for the infamously tough CrossFit workout.
In this blog post, we'll explore what the CrossFit Murph is and what it entails. The workout is typically done for time, and there is a 60-minute time cap. The Murph is a grueling workout that requires a lot of strength, endurance, and mental toughness.
Every single day for 362 days straight (as of publication), Jim Lubonski has put on a 20-pound weighted vest. Then he runs one mile, does 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 squats, and follows that with another one mile run. If he's still feeling good, he finishes up by doing his own workout as well.
The MURPH WOD is a demanding workout consisting of a mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and finished with another mile run. Sounds difficult right? That is only part of the story. An official MURPH time requires doing the workout while wearing a weight vest of 20lbs (men) or 14lbs (women).
Burns Calories
When performed properly, high-intensity workouts like CrossFit are extremely difficult. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) reports that men can burn 15 to 18 calories per minute and women can burn 13 to 15 calories per minute doing the workouts.
The good Murph times by age group 35-39 are: 40:16 for “Advanced” athletes, 35:25 for “Competitor” athletes, and 32:35 for “Elite” athletes. The good Murph times by age group 40-44 are: 43:16 for “Advanced” athletes, 35:31 for “Competitor” athletes, and 34:48 for “Elite” athletes.
Murph Tip #1: Break up your reps (if you choose)
The pull-ups, push-ups and air squats are going to take up the majority of the workout, so if you can break them up in a way that will let you keep moving with minimal rest, you're setting yourself up for success.
Beginner: 63-80 minutes. Intermediate: 50-58 minutes. Advanced: 40-50 minutes. Elite: < 40 minutes.
Incorporate a mix of running, pull-ups, push-ups, and squats into your workouts, gradually increasing the volume and intensity over time. CrossFit gyms often offer Murph-specific training programs leading up to Memorial Day, when Murph is traditionally performed in honor of Lieutenant Murphy.
The Murph requires endurance, so if you can only do 20 pushups, don't start with 100+ pushups in your training workouts. You'll burn out and won't recover well enough for your next session. Here are some tips for anyone taking on the Murph: Allow 4-8 weeks to build the strength and endurance to complete the challenge.