What to eat before the Murph Challenge?

Author: Rafaela Farrell  |  Last update: Saturday, January 24, 2026

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.

What to eat before doing a murph?

When: Eat your pre-workout meal 2-3 hours before starting Murph. What: Focus on a meal rich in complex carbohydrates to provide sustained energy. Examples include oatmeal with fruit, a whole-grain bagel with peanut butter and banana, or brown rice with lean protein and vegetables.

How do you prepare for the Murph Challenge?

The most common way to train for The Murph is to partition with 20 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 squats. That's the format this training program follows.

How do I prepare for Murph the day before?

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.

What is the best thing to eat before an early morning workout?

To prepare a healthy breakfast before a workout, consider oatmeal with berries and nuts, yogurt with fruit and granola, whole-wheat toast with avocado and eggs, banana with peanut butter, and a smoothie made with fruits, vegetables, and yogurt. Th...

I Did Murph for 1000 Days, This is What Happened

Is it best to workout on an empty stomach in the morning?

“Moderate-to-high intensity workouts and prolonged endurance workouts (more than 1.5 hours) are going to benefit more from eating beforehand,” she said. “It's difficult to maintain higher intensities once glycogen and blood glucose are depleted, which happens quicker when fasted.”

Can I eat oatmeal 30 minutes before a workout?

During your workout, oats can act as a go-to pre-workout meal. Much like whole grains, they supply tons of energy that are released slowly. Any type of oats, such as steel-cut or whole, may provide a fantastic pre-workout meal. Have oatmeal with an avocado, granola, or raisins, mashed banana, and some honey.

What is a good first Murph time?

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.

What is the hardest part of the Murph?

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.

How to survive the murph?

If this is your first Murph, make sure you:
  1. - DON'T sprint the first mile. “Imagine trying to PR your mile, then having to finish a 10K race,” he says. ...
  2. - DON'T sprint the first five rounds of calisthenics. “You need to start with a measured pace out of the gate.”
  3. - DON'T wear the weight vest. ...
  4. - DO break up the sets.

How difficult is the murph?

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...

Can you break up Murph?

Here you divide the exercises (pull-ups, push-ups, squats) into rounds with fewer repetitions. Thus, the total volume remains the same, but the volume per set is reduced and equalized in time. 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.

How can I improve my Murph time?

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.

How long to rest after murph?

The recovery time from the Murph workout varies from person to person, depending on factors such as your fitness level, overall health, and recovery techniques used. Some people may feel back to normal after a couple of days, while others might take up to a week or more to fully recover.

How many calories do you burn during Murph?

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.

How do you warm up for Murph?

Warm Up and Prep for 'Murph'
  1. First (ideally) Walk 5-10 mins.
  2. Second: perform 3-5 rounds of: Light jog 30 seconds. 2 hamstring stretches. 2 hip stretches. 2 lunge stretches.
  3. Third: perform 1 round. 5 Lateral Lunges Each Side. Straight arm banded pull down 10 reps. 1 Small set of pull ups, 3-5 reps.

Is Murph strict pull ups?

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.

What is a good Murph time by age?

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.

What is the beginner strategy for Murph?

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.

How fast did Josh Bridges do Murph?

Josh Bridges holds the record at 28 minutes and 45 seconds, set back in 2014.

Who holds the MURPH record?

'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.

What is a murph wedgie?

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.

Is it better to eat apples or bananas before workout?

Both apples and bananas have their slots for pre-workout snacking. If you need a quick energy boost, bananas might be the perfect snack for you. If you need a steady supply of energy without burning out and are not in a rush to hit the gym right this minute, the apple might be your best friend.

Can I eat eggs before a workout?

Eating Eggs Pre-Workout

If you want to work out or exercise, avoid eating large, heavy meals that are difficult to digest. Try eating at least an hour before any physical activity. A light meal, consisting of easily digested foods such as scrambled or poached eggs on toast with a banana or some yoghurt is ideal.

Is peanut butter good pre-workout?

Eating peanut butter before working out increases blood sugar levels so that you have the energy to focus on a longer workout. The energy boost from a peanut butter pre-workout is caused by the high carbohydrate and protein content, which provides consistent and noticeable stamina throughout an exercise routine.

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