Surviving 'The Murph'

It’s one of CrossFit’s hardest workouts. It is a prolonged WOD that blends endurance and calisthenics with a whole lot of time in your head, beating the voice in your head telling you to slow down or tap out. Brutal in its simplicity, utterly daunting and yet remarkably approachable, all you need is a weighted vest, pullup bar, grips, and an engine of a cardiovascular system.

Before you crash and burn and go hell for leather from the start, we thought some tips from BLK BOX Athlete Gus Vas Tostes might help you get your strategy in place, after all – this hero WOD is all about being smart from the start.

‘Hell of a workout’

1. If you are a rookie and it’s your first time trying The Murph, you might not have this volume of reps in your locker. Be honest and scale to your ability, so you are able to complete the workout safely.
2. Believe us, The Murph is more challenging than it looks on paper. Don’t go out to hot i.e. don’t sprint the first mile. Remember the WOD is the meaty part in the middle. So set a measured pace out of the gate.
3. Break it up! Mini sets will be your best friend for this workout. For example 5 rounds of 20 pull-ups, 40 push ups, and 60 squats or 20 sets of 5 pullups, 10 push ups, and 15 squats.
4. Never move until failure – keep the movement consistent. This helps you get back to your next set faster. Shaving a little bit of effort off each rep will translate to huge energy savings towards the end of the WOD.
5. Gear up. No matter how you slice it, 100 pullups is a lot of wear and tear on your hands, we can hear them ripping from here. Get yourself some grips, prevent the painful ripping mid workout.
6. Remember: Mind over matter. Keep the movement consistent and take it one rep at a time.

Fingers crossed you run, pull, push, and squat your way to your best time yet.