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Every year around this time, the Murph shows up in conversations at gyms across the country. People either know exactly what it is and start quietly dreading it in May, or they hear about it for the first time and think someone made up a workout name after a cartoon character.
It's neither. And if you've been curious about it, this is your guide.
The Murph is named after Navy SEAL Lieutenant Michael Murphy, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. He was 29 years old and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during Operation Red Wings. Before he died, he had a favorite workout he called "Body Armor." After his passing, the CrossFit community took that workout, gave it his name, and turned it into one of the most widely performed Memorial Day traditions in fitness.
The workout itself:
Traditionally done wearing a 20-pound weight vest, though most people doing it for the first time (and plenty who have done it many times) skip the vest entirely.
At Capital City Fitness, we have been doing the Murph for the past 15 years. It's become one of the most meaningful days on our calendar, not because of the physical challenge, but because of what it represents. This year we're doing it on Monday, May 25th, and we'd love to have you join us.
Here's the honest answer: it depends on where you are right now.
If you train consistently, a few days a week, and bodyweight movements are part of your routine, the full Murph is within reach. It will be hard. It will take longer than you think. But you can finish it.
If you're newer to fitness or coming back after time away, we have a modified version that still earns its name. You'll sweat, you'll feel it the next day, and it will still matter.
Nobody is turned away. That's not the point of this workout.
The weekend before the Murph is not the time to experiment with food. Stick to things that work for you. Focus on getting enough protein, plenty of vegetables, and quality carbohydrates like rice, sweet potatoes, or oats. Stay hydrated on Saturday and don't stay out late on Sunday night.
The morning of, keep it simple and light. Something like Greek yogurt with half a banana, a piece of toast with peanut butter, or a small bowl of oatmeal is plenty. You want fuel in your system without anything heavy sitting in your stomach. Eat about an hour to an hour and a half before you start, and bring water.
That's really it. Don't overthink the nutrition side.
The biggest mistake people make with the Murph is treating it like separate blocks: do all the pull-ups, then move to push-ups, then knock out the squats. That approach works for a small percentage of very strong people and leaves most folks in a heap on the floor somewhere around rep 150 of the push-ups.
What works instead is partitioning the reps across rounds:
5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats. Repeat 20 times.
Run the math and you'll see it gets you to exactly 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, and 300 squats. But instead of grinding through enormous sets with muscle groups giving out, you're moving continuously at a pace your body can actually sustain. Each round becomes a small, manageable task instead of one overwhelming mountain.
This is how we coach the Murph, and after 15 years of watching people get through it, we stand behind this method completely.
That first mile is where most people go wrong. You're fresh, the group is moving, and it feels like the right moment to push. It is not.
Run the first mile at a pace where you could hold a short conversation. Slower than your instinct tells you. You need energy reserves for 600 reps of bodyweight movements, and you need enough left over to actually run that second mile instead of shuffling through it.
A controlled first mile almost always leads to a stronger finish. A fast first mile usually leads to regret somewhere around round 12.
Pull-ups are the biggest barrier for most people, and there's no reason to let them stop you from participating.
For pull-ups:
For push-ups:
Good form on a modified movement beats ugly reps on the prescribed version every time. Your joints will thank you.
For anyone newer to fitness or returning after a break, the Half Murph is a legitimate option and a great goal in its own right:
Completing the Half Murph and building toward the full version over time is smart training. It's how sustainable fitness actually works.
Somewhere in the middle of this workout, your body is going to send a very clear message that it would like to stop. That moment, whatever round it hits you, is what the Murph is actually testing.
The physical preparation matters. The nutrition and the strategy and the modifications all matter. But the real question the Murph asks is what you do when it gets genuinely hard and quitting feels reasonable.
We don't compete with anyone else at our gym. We show up, we do the work, and we measure ourselves against who we were yesterday. That's the whole game.
If you want to take on the Murph this Memorial Day, good luck to you. Use these strategies, respect the distance, and don't go out too fast.
And if you want to do it with a community around you, come join us at Capital City Fitness on Monday, May 25th.
Not sure where to start with your fitness? Text "CONSULT" to 402-405-2797 to setup a free consultation. We'll figure out the right path forward together.
Listen more about the Murph on the Healthy Living Lincoln Podcast. New episodes released weekly.
https://capitalcityfit.com/healthy-living-lincoln-podcast