Memorial Day is almost here, and if you’ve been around a CrossFit gym for more than five minutes, you’ve probably heard someone mention “Murph.” People talk about it with a mix of reverence and dread — and for good reason. It’s one of the most meaningful workouts in CrossFit, and it’s also genuinely hard.
If you’re newer to CrossFit and wondering what the heck Murph actually is — and whether it’s something you can do — this post is for you.
Murph (as prescribed):
For time:
1 Mile Run
100 Pullups
200 Pushups
300 Air Squats
1 Mile Run
“Rx” is done wearing a 20 lb vest (14 lb for women).
Total volume: 600 reps sandwiched between two miles of running.
That’s the full thing. Yes, it’s a lot.
Murph is named after Navy Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, a Navy SEAL who was killed in action in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. He was 29 years old. Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during Operation Red Wings, choosing to expose himself to enemy fire to call for help for his team.
This workout was one of Murphy’s favorites — he called it “Body Armor.” We (and CrossFitters all over the world) do it every Memorial Day to honor him and all who have given their lives in service.
When you understand that context, the workout feels different. The discomfort has a purpose.
That’s 100% ok; most of us can’t! Our community is about participation, not competition.
This is important to understand: scaling Murph is not “cheating.” It’s smart training. With proper scaling, everyone can have a great Murph experience. The goal is to complete the workout in a way that’s challenging and sustainable for your current fitness level.
Here are common ways we scale the movements:
Pull-ups → Ring rows, banded pull-ups, or jumping pull-ups
Push-ups → Knee push-ups or elevated push-ups
Volume → Half Murph (half the reps, half the runs) or quarter Murph
Vest → Skip it. Most people skip it, even experienced athletes
If you’re in your first year of CrossFit, we strongly recommend scaling. There’s no award for “suffering the most”, and being out of training for a week afterward isn’t cool at all.
Not sure where to start? Here are some common Murph variations that work well depending on your fitness level:
Half Murph — Half-mile run, 50 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, 150 squats, half-mile run. The recommended starting point for year-one athletes.
Strict Murph — Full volume, no kipping on pull-ups. A popular variation for experienced athletes who want a different stimulus without the vest.
Partner Murph — Split the entire workout with a partner, including the runs. One person works while the other rests. Great for newer athletes who want to experience the full event without doing it solo.
Sprint Murph — Quarter-mile run, 25 pull-ups, 50 push-ups, 75 squats, quarter-mile run. A solid option if you’re very new or coming back from time off.
The right version is the one you can finish with good movement and at a sustainable, steady pace. There’s a version of this workout for every fitness level — don’t let “Rx” intimidate you out of participating.
Your first Murph experience will teach you several valuable lessons, both about yourself and about the workout itself. Here are a handful of “pro tips”.
1. Respect the runs. Going out too hot on the first mile can backfire. We know you’re excited, but run conservatively — you have a long way to go.
2. Break early, break often. Smaller sets and more frequent rest is usually a winning strategy. Staying ahead of failure is faster than recovering from it.
3. Pace for the pushups. Pushups are typically where Murph falls apart. If your arms are toast 35 reps in, you’re in trouble. Scale or break them up earlier than feels necessary.
4. Wear the right shoes. You’re running a long way — wear your comfortable running shoes, not your lifters.
5. Hydrate, eat, and sleep well. This isn’t the workout to do hung over, sleep deprived, or under-fueled, especially in late May when it’s already warming up in Atlanta.
6. Have a plan before you start. Know your scaling options and your approach going in. Most people partition the middle section into rounds — 20 rounds of 5 pullups / 10 pushups / 15 squats is the most common breakdown. If you know you’ll struggle on the runs, perhaps 20-second run/walk intervals.
The weight vest is the most visible part of Murph Rx, and for a lot of newer athletes, it becomes a point of pride before it should be. We get it — the vest looks cool, and doing Murph “as prescribed” feels like the right way to honor the workout.
But here’s an honest take: the vest is earned, not assumed.
Lt. Murphy didn’t just wake up one day and run two miles in body armor. He built that capacity over years of deliberate training. Showing up to your first Murph and strapping on a vest before you’ve built a solid aerobic base, consistent pullup strength, and the structural resilience to handle 600 reps — that’s not honoring the workout. It’s rushing it.
Intelligent scaling looks like this:
Year One: Half Murph — half-mile run, 50 pullups, 100 pushups, 150 squats, half-mile run. Scale movements as needed. Build the habit, learn the workout, finish strong.
Year Two: Full Murph, no vest. All the volume, honest movement, tight standards, no shortcuts. This is a major milestone on its own.
Year Three: Now you’ve earned the conversation about the vest.
The athletes who show up year after year and keep improving are the ones who were honest with themselves early on. They scaled when it made sense, they built the foundation, and they added challenge progressively — the same way we approach everything else in CrossFit.
Murph isn’t going anywhere. It’ll be here next year, and the year after that. Do it right for where you are now, and the vest will mean something when you finally put it on.
There’s something about doing Murph as a community that makes it different from any other workout. You’re tired, it’s hot, and everyone around you is grinding through the same thing. It’s one of those rare workouts where you can feel the reason behind every rep.
We do Murph at CFC every Memorial Day. Whether it’s your first time or your tenth, you belong here, and we’ll get through it together.
See you on the floor.
