Quick Answer
The Murph workout: 1 mile run → 100 pull-ups → 200 push-ups → 300 air squats → 1 mile run. Completed for time. Wear a 20lb vest (men) / 14lb vest (women) if prescribed (Rx’d). Reps can be partitioned in any order. Average time: 49 minutes (men), 53 minutes (women) without a vest.
Who Was Lieutenant Michael Murphy?
Lieutenant Michael Patrick Murphy was born on May 7, 1976, in Smithtown, New York. He joined the United States Navy in 2000, completed BUD/S training, and became a Navy SEAL. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2005 as part of Operation Red Wings.
On June 28, 2005, Murphy’s four-man reconnaissance team was compromised by enemy combatants in the mountains of Kunar Province. Vastly outnumbered and under heavy fire, Murphy moved into an exposed position to make a satellite phone call requesting immediate support — knowing the action would expose him to enemy fire. He was fatally shot during the call. He was 29 years old.
Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor — the first awarded to a US Navy SEAL since the Vietnam War. He was also awarded the Navy Cross, the Purple Heart, and the Combat Action Ribbon. In 2013, the film Lone Survivor, based on the account of Marcus Luttrell — the sole survivor of Operation Red Wings — depicted the events of that day.
Murphy was a CrossFit athlete who regularly wore his combat body armor during training. His favourite workout, which he called “Body Armor,” was posted to the CrossFit website on August 18, 2005 — weeks after his death — and renamed “Murph” in his honour. Since 2014, the Murph Challenge has served as an official annual fundraiser for the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation.
The Murph Workout: Full Details
Murph (Rx’d)
For time:
1 mile run
100 pull-ups
200 push-ups
300 air squats
1 mile run
Wear a 20lb weight vest (men) / 14lb weight vest (women).
Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and air squats as needed.
The workout is completed for time — the clock starts when the first run begins and stops when the second run is completed. Pull-ups, push-ups, and air squats can be completed in any order and broken into any number of sets between the two runs. The weight vest is worn for the entire workout including both runs.
“Rx’d” means performing the workout exactly as prescribed — with the vest, with full pull-ups (not ring rows or banded), with full push-ups (not from knees), and with full air squats. Many athletes complete Murph without a vest or with scaling modifications — this is entirely legitimate and is how most people should approach their first attempt.
Average Murph Times by Ability Level
| Ability level | Men's time | Women's time | Vest? | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-timer / beginner | 75:00–90:00+ | 80:00–100:00+ | No vest | First Murph; may use scaled movements |
| Recreational | 55:00–70:00 | 60:00–75:00 | No vest | General fitness background; some CrossFit experience |
| Average gym athlete | 45:00–55:00 | 50:00–60:00 | No vest | Regular CrossFit or strength training; solid pull-up capacity |
| Competitive | 40:00–50:00 | 45:00–55:00 | With vest | Consistent CrossFit training; strong in all movements |
| Elite | Under 40:00 | Under 42:00 | With vest | Competitive CrossFit level; elite movement efficiency |
| CrossFit Games record | 34:38 | 36:42 | With vest | Josh Bridges / Kari Pearce (2016, partitioned) |
Average times without a vest: approximately 49 minutes (men) and 53 minutes (women), based on Beyond the Whiteboard data from thousands of recorded completions.
How to Partition the Murph Workout
Partitioning is the most important tactical decision in Murph. The workout allows pull-ups, push-ups, and air squats to be completed in any combination of sets — the only fixed elements are the two mile runs at the start and finish.
The 20-round “Cindy” method (most popular): Complete 20 rounds of 5 pull-ups / 10 push-ups / 15 air squats between the two runs. This distributes the volume evenly, keeps sets small enough to maintain movement quality throughout, and mirrors the CrossFit benchmark workout “Cindy.” Most athletes who do Murph regularly use this format. The maths work perfectly: 20 × 5 = 100 pull-ups, 20 × 10 = 200 push-ups, 20 × 15 = 300 air squats.
The block method (less recommended): Complete all 100 pull-ups, then all 200 push-ups, then all 300 air squats. This sounds straightforward but becomes very difficult in practice — pull-up fatigue makes push-ups harder than they would be if interleaved, and the late stages of 300 consecutive air squats are brutal. Most athletes who try the block method switch to rounds on subsequent attempts.
Larger rounds (advanced): Elite athletes may complete 10 rounds of 10/20/30 or even fewer, larger rounds. This works when the athlete has the strength and recovery capacity to maintain large sets without extended rest between them — but adds significant risk of form breakdown.
The core principle: smaller sets with minimal rest between them is almost always faster than larger sets with necessary long rests. Aim to be always moving, not always maxing.
Scaling Options for All Levels
Murph can and should be scaled to match current fitness. There is no shame in scaling — the goal is a meaningful, challenging workout, not a specific rep count.
Half Murph: 800m run → 50 pull-ups → 100 push-ups → 150 air squats → 800m run. This is the recommended first step for athletes who are new to high-volume bodyweight work or who are uncertain whether they can complete the full version. Half Murph in 10 rounds of 5/10/15 is the cleanest approach.
Quarter Murph: 400m run → 25 pull-ups → 50 push-ups → 75 air squats → 400m run. An excellent introduction for beginners or those returning after a long break from training.
Pull-up modifications: Ring rows (lying under a fixed bar or rings and pulling the chest up) are the most accessible pull-up substitute. Banded pull-ups reduce the bodyweight load. Jumping pull-ups (using a slight leg drive to assist) are also used. Avoid using a machine-assisted pull-up for Murph — it changes the movement pattern too significantly.
Push-up modifications: Knee push-ups reduce load. Elevated push-ups (hands on a box) are preferable to knee push-ups for maintaining a horizontal body position. Full push-ups with a controlled range of motion are always better than fast, shallow knee push-ups.
No weight vest: For most athletes, completing Murph without a vest before attempting it with a vest is the correct progression. The vest adds significant difficulty to both the runs and the bodyweight movements — if finishing without a vest takes more than 50–55 minutes, adding a vest will extend that to 65–75+ minutes and substantially increase fatigue and injury risk.
Our cardiovascular fitness guide covers how high-intensity workouts like Murph fit within a broader weekly training structure, and our gym exercises for runners covers the bodyweight and strength work that builds the pull-up and push-up capacity Murph requires.
How to Improve Your Murph Time
Build pull-up volume. Pull-ups are the movement most likely to slow you down in Murph. If you can do 5–8 unbroken pull-ups, you will find the 20-round Cindy format manageable. If you can only do 2–3, the workout becomes very slow. A simple weekly programme of 3–5 sets of pull-ups to near-failure, twice per week, builds the specific pulling strength Murph demands. Our strength training guide covers how to programme pulling exercises alongside running and cardio training.
Run your miles conservatively. The opening mile sets the tone for the entire workout. Running the first mile too hard — faster than approximately 7:30–8:00/mile for most athletes — elevates heart rate into a range that makes the subsequent bodyweight work much harder to recover from. Aim for a controlled, conversational-pace first mile and leave the faster running for the second mile when all the bodyweight work is behind you.
Never stop moving. Rest is the primary enemy of a fast Murph time. Ten seconds of rest between sets, across 20 rounds, adds over 3 minutes to your time. The discipline of staying in motion — even if the “motion” is a slow air squat — produces better results than stopping to recover between sets. Pace your sets so you never need to stop, not so you push to the edge and then collapse.
Practice the format in training. Murph is a benchmark — meaning its purpose is to be tested, tracked, and improved over time. Training the specific format (20 rounds of 5/10/15, runs included) 4–6 weeks before Memorial Day allows you to identify your weak points and address them specifically. Our running training plans build the aerobic base that makes the two mile runs in Murph feel manageable.
Build the Fitness to Tackle Murph
SportCoaching's running and fitness coaching builds the aerobic base and strength that makes high-intensity challenges like Murph achievable — and makes the mile runs feel like the easy part.
FAQ: Murph Workout
What is the Murph workout?
For time: 1 mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, 1 mile run. Wear a 20lb vest (men) / 14lb (women) if Rx’d. Reps can be partitioned. Named after US Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy, who died in action in Afghanistan in 2005. Performed traditionally on Memorial Day.
What is a good Murph time?
Average without vest: 49 min (men), 53 min (women). Elite (with vest): under 40 min. Competitive (with vest): 40–50 min. Recreational (no vest): 50–65 min. First-timer goal: under 75–90 min. CrossFit Games record: 34:38 (Josh Bridges) / 36:42 (Kari Pearce), both 2016.
How do you partition the Murph workout?
Most popular: 20 rounds of 5 pull-ups / 10 push-ups / 15 air squats (the “Cindy” format). This distributes volume evenly, keeps sets manageable, and is the approach used by most experienced athletes. Smaller sets with less rest is almost always faster than larger sets with longer rest.
Can beginners do the Murph workout?
Yes — scale it. Half Murph (800m / 50 / 100 / 150 / 800m) is the best starting point. Use ring rows for pull-ups, knee or elevated push-ups. No vest until you can complete full Murph without one in under 55 minutes. Quarter Murph is appropriate for those new to high-volume bodyweight training.
Who was Lieutenant Michael Murphy?
US Navy SEAL, born 1976, died June 28, 2005, aged 29, during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan. Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Murphy’s favourite workout — which he called “Body Armor” — was posted to CrossFit in August 2005 and renamed Murph in his honour.
