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. Following an unpartitioned format will take the longest.
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.
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. The good Murph times by age group 45-50 are: 44:09 for “Advanced” athletes, 39:04 for “Competitor” athletes, and 36:09 for “Elite” athletes.
Doing the workout “unpartitioned” requires you to complete all 100 pull-ups before moving on to the push-ups, then all 200 push-ups before moving on to the squats. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It's a tough workout, but you don't have to be a Navy SEAL to join the thousands who complete it each year. The Murph workout can be scaled for any fitness level, from beginners completing their first to elite athletes aiming for record times. Here's how we get ready to take on this Hero WOD...
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” consists of a mile run to begin, then 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, and 300 squats in no particular order. That is followed by another mile run. Approximately 75 6th RTB Soldiers completed the workout.
Typically, the Murph Workout is completed FOR TIME with a 14 lb (6 kg) weight vest for women and a 20 lb (9 kg) weight vest for men.
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. Following an unpartitioned format will take the longest.
The Murph Workout also helps to improve strength, power and endurance. The combination of running and bodyweight exercises helps to build lean muscle mass, allowing you to become stronger and more powerful. This can help to improve athletic performance in any activity or sport.
An overhand grip pull-up is the hardest to do, because it places more of the workload on your lats. The wider your grip, the less help your lats get from other muscles, making a rep harder.
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.
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.
The night before “Murph,” consume your normal fat intake (roughly 60-percent of your daily Caloric intake in this example). The morning of, or even if you're still eating carbs by the barrel, keep fat calories to a minimum, as it tends to slow down digestion.