Apr 30, 2025

The Murph Guide

The Murph is more than a workout.
Every year on Memorial Day, people across the country lace up, strap in, and take on one of the toughest bodyweight workouts ever created.

But The Murph isn’t just about sweat. It’s about sacrifice.

It’s a test of character, a moment to honor the fallen, and a chance to push yourself in the name of something bigger.

At Wolf Tactical, we don’t just train for performance. We train with purpose. And no workout captures that better than The Murph.

Who Was Lt. Michael P. Murphy?

Lt. Michael P. Murphy was a Navy SEAL and a grinder in every sense of the word. He gave his life during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan in 2005, exposing himself to enemy fire to make a satellite call that saved his teammates.

For that heroic act, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The highest military decoration in the United States.

Murph was known for his courage, leadership, and discipline. And he trained relentlessly.

One of his go-to routines? A brutal, bodyweight workout he called “Body Armor.”

He created and named it himself, because he often performed it wearing his gear or a weighted vest, not just for the challenge, but to mimic combat conditions.
It wasn’t a once-in-a-while test, it was part of his regular training, a personal standard he used to sharpen both body and mind.
After his death, CrossFit renamed the workout The Murph, and it became one of the most iconic Hero WODs in the world.

“It was just a workout he’d do all the time,” said Daniel Murphy, his father. “It was his favorite.”

What Is the Murph Workout?

Here’s the classic Murph challenge:

1 mile run
100 pull-ups
200 push-ups
300 air squats
1 mile run
(Traditionally done in a 20 lb weighted vest or body armor)

You can break up the reps if needed. A popular option:
20 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 squats.

How to Scale Murph (And Still Earn It)

Not everyone can crank out 100 pull-ups or run two miles in a weighted vest, and that’s okay. The Murph isn’t about perfection. It’s about effort.

Here are a few ways to scale without watering it down:

Beginner-Friendly Murph

1 mile walk
50 seconds of pull-up holds (broken into manageable sets)
100 push-ups (on knees or incline)
150 air squats
1 mile walk

Modify reps. Modify movements. Never modify effort.

Half Murph

½ mile run
50 pull-ups
100 push-ups
150 squats
½ mile run

Partner Murph

Pair up. Split the reps. You both run the miles.

Why These Movements?

These aren’t random. Every movement in The Murph mimics real-world demands:

Pull-ups build upper-body strength and grip, essential for climbing, hauling, and controlling your body under stress.
Push-ups reinforce pressing power, core control, and combat readiness.
Air squats train leg endurance and total-body resilience.
Running tests your mental toughness from start to finish.

Every rep builds the kind of strength you can’t fake, only earn.

Why We Do The Murph on Memorial Day

The Murph is part of the Hero WOD tradition in CrossFit. Grueling workouts named after fallen military and first responders.

They’re meant to be hard. They’re meant to hurt.
Because pain is part of remembering.
Memorial Day isn’t just a long weekend. It’s a moment to reflect. To honor those who gave everything.

When you want to quit, remember who you’re doing it for.

Gear That Honors the Grind

If you’re taking on The Murph this year, don’t just show up, level up.

Our Wolf Tactical Weighted Training Vest is made for athletes, warriors, and anyone ready to grind through every rep with meaning, whether you're going all-in or building your way up.

This isn’t a one-size-fits-all vest, it’s a fully adjustable training tool.

Each vest includes removable 2 lb iron blocks, so you can scale your weight from light to heavy as your performance improves.

Start with just a few blocks and add more as you get stronger, or strip it down when it’s time to focus on endurance.

WORK UP TO MURPH: 4-WEEK PROGRESSION PLAN

Just getting started? Here’s how to scale up week by week:

Week	Pull-Up Holds	Push-Ups	Air Squats	Run/Walk	Suggested Load
1	3x15 sec holds	3x10	3x20	1 mile walk	6 lbs (3 blocks)
2	3x20 sec holds	4x12	3x25	1 mile jog/walk	10 lbs (5 blocks)
3	4x20 sec holds	5x15	4x30	1 mile jog	16 lbs (8 blocks)
4	5x20 sec holds	5x20	5x30	1 mile run	25 lbs (Full 12 blocks)

THE SCIENCE OF FEELING LIGHT ON GAME DAY

There’s a principle in strength and conditioning called Post-Activation Potentiation (PAP), and it’s the reason training with a weighted vest can make The Murph feel easier when it counts.

Here’s the idea:
When you train with added resistance (like a weighted vest), your nervous system is forced to recruit more muscle fibers.

Then, when you remove the weight, your body temporarily performs better with the same movements. You feel faster, lighter, and more explosive.

Translation?
If you’ve been grinding through push-ups, squats, and runs in a 25 lb vest...
Doing Murph bodyweight (or even with the vest if you’ve trained up to it) feels like flipping a switch.

Train heavier. Move better. Unleash your peak when it matters most.

That’s why the Wolf Tactical Weighted Vest isn’t just for toughness, it’s a tool to build next-level performance.

Final Word

The Murph isn’t just a workout. It’s a statement.
It’s not about PRs. It’s about presence.
So whether this is your first time or your fifteenth, show up with grit. Push yourself with purpose. And finish with honor.

Do it for Lt. Michael P. Murphy.
Do it for those who never came home.
Do it because you can.