I recommend a building strategy during your first run. Meaning that your first 400m should be the slowest, then each 400m gets a little bit faster. I aim to run around a 7:15-7:30 mile pace in my first mile (~20% slower than a PR mile), and I pace that out as 1:55, 1:50, 1:48, 1:45 or as close as I can to that.
Elite: A good time for an elite athlete would be under 30 minutes. Average Gym Athlete: For an average gym athlete, a good time would be between 35-50 minutes. Beginner: For a beginner, a good time would be anything under 75 minutes.
It's simple: Run one mile, do 100 pull-ups, do 200 push-ups, do 300 body-weight squats, then run another mile.
In our 5/10/15 example, this would become: 5 pull-ups / 5 push-ups / 15 air squats / 5 push-ups. By dividing the set of push-ups into two, you eliminate time standing around waiting to become fresh enough to complete the set.
Beginner Strategy
If you're a beginner and you've never done a Murph workout before, break up the pull-ups, push-ups, and air squats into 20 rounds of 5 pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 air squats.
I recommend a building strategy during your first run. Meaning that your first 400m should be the slowest, then each 400m gets a little bit faster. I aim to run around a 7:15-7:30 mile pace in my first mile (~20% slower than a PR mile), and I pace that out as 1:55, 1:50, 1:48, 1:45 or as close as I can to that.
What's the hardest part of Murph? The toughest part of the "CrossFit® Murph Challenge" is the mental and physical endurance it demands. This workout is designed to push you to your absolute limits. The mix of running, pull-ups, push-ups, and squats is no joke—especially when you throw on a weighted vest.
What is a 'Good' MURPH Time? What's considered a good time is relative to the exerciser. If you're a beginner, less than 60 minutes is considered a good finish time. For exercisers who are advanced, you'll want to complete it in less than 45 minutes, and for elite athletes, less than 35 minutes.
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.
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.
Plus the work is bodyweight exercise which isn't going to be as much as moving barbells full of plates. Due to the duration of Murph it's likely that you aren't going as hard as on shorter WOD's either. Assuming a 200 pound athlete, I'd estimate you're in the 600-700 calorie range if you did Murph in 45 minutes.
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.
Prior to my 32:41 on June 18th, 2021, Hunter McIntyre held the record for the fastest known weighted & unpartitioned Murph with a time of 34:13. I believe the record will fall again soon and continue to drop quickly as more athletes attempt it as a standalone competition.
But yes, it was a thing. Perhaps regional, as I'm also from California. If I remember correctly, the difference between a wedgie and a murph, is that a wedgie is intentional, usually provided by some bully, whereas a murph just happened naturally, perhaps from, say, wearing tight pants or roughhousing.
As prescribed, Murph is performed for time. It starts with a 1-mile run, followed by a grueling sequence of 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, and 300 air squats. The workout concludes with another 1-mile run. Athletes may partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and air squats as needed.
Sub 40 Minute Murph Strategy:
For context, I run a ~5:45 mile so a 7:30 vested mile is annoying but not too difficult. I finish each of the early rounds in about :50 and the later rounds in about 1:00. That leaves :10-:15 of rest between rounds, enough time to quickly chalk/drink water.
Experienced: This strategy includes 5 rounds of 20 pull-ups, 40 push-ups, and 60 air squats and is required for athletes competing in the Crossfit Games. Expert: This strategy is Murph Workout Rx. 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, and 300 air squats without partitioning or breaks in between.
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.
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.
Carbohydrates will be your friend before starting. Carbohydrates are our body's preferred fuel source. Before exercising, we want to prioritize simple carbohydrate intake. Fruits, dairy, white breads, white rice, and table sugar are all examples of foods that contain simple carbohydrates.
Day Murph workout tradition today. It honors Michael Murphy, a Navy SEAL killed in Afghanistan in 2005 and awarded the Medal of Honor. The standard workout asks you to wear a 20-pound weighted vest and: Run one mile —> Do 100 pullups —> Do 200 Pushups —> Do 300 Squats —> Run one mile.
The final variation of Murph is that with a weight vest, or without. According to beyond the whiteboard, the average time of completion without a weight vest is around 49 minutes for Men and 53 minutes for Women.