The “Murph” is a quintessential CrossFit workout and falls into the “rounds for time” type of workout. In its most traditional format, weighted vests (9 kilos (approx.) for men, 6 kilos (approx.) for women) are worn by athletes for the full workout. The workout includes completing the following movements in order:
- 1-mile run
- 100 pull-ups
- 200 push-ups
- 300 squats
- 1-mile run
Kate Meier, certified CrossFit Level 1 trainer and co-owner of CrossFit Doors of Daring in North Carolina explained that the Murph workout is extremely tough and shouldn’t be attempted by beginners. However, like all CrossFit workouts, Murph can be scaled to your ability level. Your goal should be to modify the workout so you can finish in under an hour, Meier said. To start, try shedding the weighted vest.
Then, break up the reps. “Instead of doing all 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups and 300 squats, you do sets of smaller rep counts”, Meier said.
You can modify the exercises, too. Pull-ups can be done with resistance bands or subbed with inverted rows. Push-ups can be performed on your knees or with your hands elevated. If running a total of 2 miles also feels a bit much, cut down the distance to something you can cover in less than 10 minutes. If running isn’t available to you, consider an alternative form of cardio such as rowing, riding an assault bike or walking.
If you still think the workout will take you an hour or more to finish, halve the pull-ups, push-ups and squats.
On the day of the workout, make sure you move at a manageable pace. “Murph is one of the longest CrossFit workouts, so do the best version for where you’re at”, Meier said.
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