1 mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, 1 mile run
Last year, we broke down different strategies you can use to break up Murph reps, like the Leg Saver and Pushup Saver. This year, we want to show you different workouts you can do each week in May to prep you for Memorial Day Murph. The foundation of CrossFit was built on variety and intensity, and these workouts bring just that!
Prep Mentality
It’s a gym classic to prep for Murph with rounds of Cindy – first 5, then 10, all working your way to 20 rounds. But that can start to feel monotonous. These are different than your usual 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 air squats. These prep workouts are designed to keep you moving and motivated. Note: you can wear a vest for any of these workouts for extra intensity and Murph prep.
Depeche Murph
In this workout, the goal is to do as many reps as you can in the 20 second window. Consider focusing your effort on the movement you feel most confident in, and setting goals a little bit past your comfort zone on the other two movements. For example, completing 12 air squats in 20 seconds, then pushing yourself to complete 3 kipping pull-ups or 5 RX push-ups.
200 reps for time:
20 seconds of pull-ups
10 seconds of rest
20 seconds of push-ups
10 seconds of rest
20 seconds of air squats
10 seconds of rest
The Phantom Murph-nace
This prep workout is heavy cardio and endurance. There’s also more running here than the other options, which is important in prepping for Murph! A mile run is no joke, and finishing 8 rounds of this workout equals one mile before you even know it. Set a goal for the number of rounds you want to complete and really push yourself to hit it!
20:00 AMRAP:
3 pull-ups
6 push-ups
12 air squats
200m Run
Excali-Murph
If your goal for Murph is to complete it straight through without breaking up the reps, then this workout is for you! High volume means high fatigue, so use this workout to get your body used to working through that fatigue. Focus on large sets of reps, test how many reps you can do without stopping!
2 RFT:
75 air squats
25 push-ups
25 pull-ups
21 Murph Street
There’s two ways you can approach this one – pushing the pace, or using it as a test environment. With a short run and few rounds of Cindy, you can sprint through the reps and see how fast you can go. OR you can use this as a chance to test yourself- can you do a few RX pull-ups or pushups in each round of Cindy? Then after the 6 minutes of rest, see if you can do it again!
400m Run
5 Rounds of Cindy
400m Run
-REST 6 minutes-
400m Run
5 Rounds of Cindy
400m Run
Scaling Options
A key thing to remember is that CrossFit is infinitely scalable. Murph looks intense at a glance, and you may see movements you can’t yet complete RX. Let’s scale! Depending on your goal, like if you want to finish under 60 mins or want to RX a new movement, here are options to scale:
Push-ups – from the knees, from a box
Pull-ups – jumping pull-ups, ring rows
1 mile run – scale to 800m or 400m
Also consider 1/2 murph! 800m run, 50 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, 150 air squats, 800m run.
If you try any of these workouts, we want to know! Comment on this post which workout you tried and your score. We hope this year’s Murph feels faster, lighter, or heavier if you decide to wear a weight vest 😉 Good luck!