Prepping for Murph...a PT Perspective

With Memorial Day around the corner (already?!?), many of you are gearing up for the Murph Challenge—a powerful way to honor service members through physical effort.

As physical therapists who work with active adults, we want to share a few key tips to help you prepare safely and effectively so you can complete the workout feeling strong—and without setbacks.

What Is Murph?

1 mile run

100 pull-ups

200 push-ups

300 air squats

1 mile run

(Optional: with a 20 lb weight vest)

This is a high-volume, full-body challenge. It demands muscular endurance, joint mobility, and mental resilience.

Here’s how to prep your body:

1. Respect the Volume

Start building tolerance gradually. Break the reps into manageable sets (e.g., 5–10 rounds of “Cindy”: 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats). If you’re jumping from typical workouts into Murph without progressive buildup, you’re at higher risk for overuse injuries—especially in the shoulders, elbows, and knees.

2. Prioritize Form Over Speed

Fatigue leads to compensation. As PTs, we see most injuries come from form breakdown under high volume. Focus on quality movement—keep your shoulders packed during pull-ups, avoid flaring elbows in push-ups, and maintain hip-knee alignment on squats.

3. Modify Without Ego

Scaling is a great idea: Band-assisted pull-ups, incline push-ups, or reduced reps can help you maintain proper mechanics while still getting the full experience. If you haven’t trained with a weighted vest, we don’t recommend introducing it for the first time on Murph day. Many people do half the distances running and half the reps total (Smurph).

4. Take Recovery Seriously

Mobility and recovery are just as important as training. Prioritize:

• Daily hip and shoulder mobility
  
  
• Foam rolling and soft tissue work
  
  
• Hydration and nutrition to support tissue repair
  
  
• At least 7–8 hours of sleep
  
  

5. Know Your Body

If you’ve had shoulder, elbow, or knee issues in the past, now’s the time to listen closely. Prehab and warm up accordingly. If something doesn’t feel right—address it before it becomes a problem.

Murph isn’t just about surviving a workout—it’s about showing up with intention, humility, and respect. Prepare well, scale as needed, and treat your body like the long-term investment it is.

If you want help modifying or ramping up your training, let us know—we’re here to support you in training smart and staying injury-free. If you have been having any issues during your training please click the "CONTACT" page above to set up a Discovery Call and see how we can help you today!