Murph Prep: 8 Weeks Out

Murph is a CrossFit Hero workout that gyms nationwide will complete on Memorial Day. 

From CrossFit.com:

“Murph is a CrossFit Hero workout that stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of U.S. Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy, who died heroically in the line of duty in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005.

Murph was introduced as a CrossFit Hero workout on Aug. 18, 2005, and has become a long-standing tradition observed by CrossFit and a broader global community of athletes. Thousands of CrossFit gyms program Murph each year on Memorial Day as a way to honor Lt. Murphy and all others who have served.”

The workout consists of the following:

The workout is long and grueling, but with the right preparation, you can get yourself ready to get after in come Memorial Day. 

Though it may seem far off, Memorial Day is just 8 weeks away, and those weeks will go fast.

While we will be mixing in some Murph prep in our programming at CrossFit Billings, we will explore a few other ways to get yourself Murph-ready. 

Though Murph’s movements are simple, there are a lot of reps. It is important to take the time to build up to this volume to be comfortable with this many reps. 

Murph includes running, pull-ups, push-ups, and air squats. We need to build up our capacity with all these movements. Starting 8 weeks out, we can do that at a manageable rate. 

Deciding on your Murph Goals

If this will be your first year completing Murph, you may want to partition the reps are do a half-Murph instead.

If you want to go for the full, unpartitioned Murph, it will be more important to build capacity with these movements while under fatigue. It will also help to train your mentality when approaching large pull-ups and push-ups. 

If you want to wear a weighted vest, you should practice runs and reps in a weighted vest. 

Creating a base

For the first 1-3 weeks, focus on building a base with your running and movements. 

Mix in 1-2 runs a week. Depending on your fitness level, this can be a mile at an easy pace or interval work. 

At least once a week: Complete 3-4 sets of 5-10 strict pull-ups and 10-25 push-ups. Wear a vest if desired. After, complete 3 sets of 10-20 kip swings to build capacity in the kip. 

Squats: Squat moderate to heavy weight once a week. Then, mix in 3-4 sets of 20-40 air squats another time. These can be intermixed with another workout or dispersed throughout the day. Wear a vest if desired. 

Building volume under fatigue

For the next 3-4 weeks, focus on building your capacity with these movements together. 

Keep running 1-2 times a week. However, mix it up here and there. For example:

Complete a 20-minute run. Every 4 minutes, complete 20 squats and 10 push-ups. 

For interval work, consider the following:

Pull-ups: Continue to include strict pull-ups in your plan, but add in sets of kipping if its what you plan to do during Murph. 

For example: Include 3-4 Sets of strict or strict weighted pull-ups once a week. Perform after a workout. Another time that week, perform a workout with kipping pull-ups while under fatigue. Wear a weight vest if desired. 

Push-ups: Get used to doing larger sets. Perform 25-50 push-ups before and after a workout a couple of times a week. 

Consider adding in workouts like the following:

Modify workouts such as these to get at least 90 seconds on the push-ups. Get as many reps as possible. 

Air Squats: Just like the push-ups, focus on getting larger sets under fatigue. Perform 50-100 air squats twice a week before and/or after class. Or, consider a workout like the following:

Workouts like this will help you not only build your fitness but also build capacity with your squats. 

Putting it together

In the final 2-3 weeks before Murph, start putting all these pieces together. Keep up your running, and increase the volume. 

Start getting more specific to what you will see in Murph.

Complete workouts like the following:

Wear a vest if that is how you plan to compete Murph. Modify reps up or down if needed. 

If you are going for the full Murph, do a half-Murph to prepare:

Create variations where you are performing the movements of Murph together to get your body ready to get after it on Memorial Day. You can even do mini Murph intervals:

Murph is just around the corner

It always comes up fast every year. So, use this year to start early and begin preparing NOW.