A Murph is a grueling full-body workout consisting of a 1-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, and a second 1-mile run, all performed in that order. It’s one of the most well-known “Hero WODs” (Workouts of the Day) in CrossFit, named after Navy SEAL Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2005. The prescribed version adds a weighted vest: 20 pounds for men, 14 pounds for women.
The Story Behind the Workout
Lt. Michael Murphy was a Penn State graduate who had deployed three times as a Navy SEAL before his final mission. On June 28, 2005, Murphy led a four-man reconnaissance team into the mountains of eastern Afghanistan during Operation Red Wings. Their mission was to confirm the presence of a Taliban leader in a nearby village. The team was discovered and ambushed. Murphy exposed himself to enemy fire to get a clear satellite signal and call for backup. He completed the call but was shot in the back during the transmission. Murphy and two of his teammates died that day. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor.
Murphy had created the workout himself before his death, calling it “Body Armor” because he performed it while wearing a weighted vest. CrossFit adopted it as an official Hero workout in 2005, renaming it “Murph” in his honor. It has since become a Memorial Day tradition, with thousands of athletes worldwide completing it each year to honor fallen service members.
The Full Workout Breakdown
The workout is straightforward in structure but massive in volume:
- 1-mile run
- 100 pull-ups
- 200 push-ups
- 300 air squats
- 1-mile run
That’s 600 total reps of bodyweight movements sandwiched between two miles of running. The prescribed (or “Rx”) version requires a 20-pound vest for men and a 14-pound vest for women, worn throughout the entire workout including the runs. Many athletes skip the vest, especially the first time, and that’s perfectly acceptable.
How Athletes Break Up the Reps
You don’t have to do all 100 pull-ups before starting the push-ups. The official rules allow you to partition the middle section however you like, and almost everyone does.
The most popular strategy borrows from another CrossFit workout called “Cindy.” You break the work into 20 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 air squats. This keeps each set manageable and spreads the fatigue across all three movement patterns instead of burning out one muscle group completely before moving to the next. Some athletes prefer 10 rounds of 10 pull-ups, 20 push-ups, and 30 squats, though the smaller sets are generally easier to sustain. A good target is to finish the entire middle section in about 20 minutes, regardless of how you divide it.
The unpartitioned version, where you do all 100 pull-ups straight through before any push-ups, is significantly harder and slower. It’s considered a badge of honor among experienced athletes, but it’s not required and not recommended for most people.
What Counts as a Good Time
Finishing at all is an accomplishment. For beginners, anything under 60 minutes is a solid result. Advanced athletes typically aim for under 45 minutes, and elite competitors finish in under 35 minutes. The verified world record for an unpartitioned, weighted Murph is 32 minutes and 41 seconds, set by Alec Blenis in June 2021. That number gives you a sense of where the human ceiling sits on this workout.
Your time will vary dramatically depending on whether you wear a vest, whether you partition the reps, and your baseline fitness. Most first-timers doing a partitioned, unweighted version land somewhere between 45 and 60 minutes.
Scaling for Beginners
If you can’t do strict pull-ups, push-ups on your toes, or a full mile without stopping, you can still do a Murph. Every component has a modification.
For pull-ups, resistance bands looped over the bar provide assistance. You can start with a lighter band and switch to a heavier one as fatigue sets in. Ring rows (pulling yourself toward a set of gymnastics rings or a TRX strap from an angled standing position) are another solid substitute. Jumping pull-ups or slow negatives, where you jump to the top position and lower yourself as slowly as possible, also work.
For push-ups, placing your hands on a bench or box (incline push-ups) reduces the load significantly. This is a better option than dropping to your knees because it keeps a similar body position to a full push-up.
For the runs, you can shorten the distance, alternate between jogging and walking in 30-second intervals, or swap in rowing, cycling, or jump rope. Some beginners skip the second run entirely.
A common beginner approach is the “Half Murph”: a half-mile run, then 10 rounds of 5 banded pull-ups, 10 incline push-ups, and 15 air squats, followed by another half-mile run. This cuts the total volume in half while preserving the structure and spirit of the workout.
Why the Volume Is Risky
The sheer number of reps in a Murph, particularly the 200 push-ups and 300 squats, creates a real risk of exertional rhabdomyolysis. This is a condition where muscle fibers break down so severely that they release their contents into the bloodstream. In mild cases, you’ll feel extreme soreness and notice dark, cola-colored urine. In serious cases, the proteins released from damaged muscles can clog the kidneys and cause acute kidney injury, dangerous shifts in potassium levels, and in rare situations, cardiac complications.
Movements with a strong eccentric (lowering) component, like push-ups, squats, and running downhill, carry the highest risk. The danger increases sharply when the volume is unfamiliar. If you normally do 30 push-ups in a workout and suddenly attempt 200, your muscles face a workload they’re not adapted to handle.
The most important safeguard is building up gradually. Don’t attempt a full Murph as your first hard workout of the season. Train the individual movements at increasing volume over several weeks. Stay well hydrated before and during the workout, especially in hot weather. If you develop extreme muscle swelling, unusual weakness, or dark urine in the hours or days after, those are signs to seek medical attention promptly. Rest for at least 72 hours after a max-effort Murph before any intense training.
Equipment You Actually Need
At minimum, you need a pull-up bar and a place to run. That’s it. The workout is entirely bodyweight, which is part of why it’s become so popular outside of CrossFit gyms. You can do it in a park, a garage, or a backyard with a doorframe pull-up bar.
If you want to do the prescribed version, you’ll need a weight vest. The standard is 20 pounds for men and 14 pounds for women. A vest that sits snug against your torso without bouncing during the runs makes a noticeable difference in comfort. Plates that shift around will slow you down and irritate your shoulders over two miles of running and hundreds of reps.