Hero · Scaled
/ Half
Half Murph
800 mRun
50Pull-ups
100Push-ups
150Air squats
800 mRun
Workout / Half Murph
Half
Half
/ Murph.
800m run. 50 pull-ups. 100 push-ups. 150 air squats. 800m run. Half the volume, all of the meaning — the scaled-down version of the Memorial Day Hero WOD honoring Navy Lt. Michael Murphy. The bridge to full Murph, and a legitimate test in its own right.
Why Half Murph exists
The scaling
The scaling
/ bridge.
Full Murph — 1-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, 1-mile run — is the most volume-heavy Hero WOD on the list. Named for Navy Lt. Michael P. Murphy, killed in Afghanistan in 2005 during Operation Red Wings. He programmed the workout as his favorite training piece (then called "Body Armor"); the CrossFit® community adopted it after his death and it became the official Memorial Day workout in 2009.
Full Murph is brutal. For most athletes, sub-60 the first time is a real achievement; many take 75–90 minutes. The volume can be unsafe in heat or for athletes without established pull-up and push-up training. Half Murph emerged as the scaling bridge: same architecture, half the reps, accessible to an order-of-magnitude wider population.
- Same run-chipper-run architecture as full Murph
- Half the volume across all three calisthenics
- Rx vest (14/20 lb) optional — most scale without
- A legitimate Hero-WOD-style test in its own right
Hero · Full
/ Full
Murph
1 miRun
100Pull-ups
200Push-ups
300Air squats
1 miRun
Targets & strategyPacing
Pacing
/ the chipper.
Without a vest. With a vest, add roughly 3–5 minutes to each band.
Sub-15 min.
Sub-3:30 800m splits and unbroken push-ups. Cindy-style partition throughout.
15–18 min.
Strong gymnastics base, comfortable running. Push-ups in 10s never breaking.
18–22 min.
The most common finishing band. Plan the partition before you start.
How to partition the 50-100-150
Cindy-style
Cindy-style
/ wins.
10 rounds of 5 pull-ups + 10 push-ups + 15 air squats — the exact rep scheme of Cindy. Nearly every fast Murph athlete uses this; it transfers to Half Murph directly. Each round is short enough you never approach failure on any movement, and you alternate muscle groups every 30 seconds.
- Cindy-style — 10 rounds of 5/10/15 (recommended)
- Straight sets — only for specialists with elite push-up endurance
- Opening 800m: conversational, ~85% of 800m PR
- Closing 800m: spend whatever's left
Strategy · Partition
/ 10 rds
Cindy 10s
— Each round
5Pull-ups
10Push-ups
15Air squats
Working up to full MurphThe
The
/ ladder.
The progression most athletes follow on the road to vested full Murph.
The underlying scheme.
A solid 20-round Cindy means the chipper math is in reach.
400m / 25 / 50 / 75 / 400m.
The lightest exposure to the run-chipper-run architecture.
Sub-20 = ready.
The main scaling bridge. Sub-20 minutes is the readiness signal for full Murph.
The standard.
First attempt usually targets unbroken running and a Cindy-style partition.
14 / 20 lb vest Rx.
Only attempted after a clean unvested Murph under 50 minutes.
Banded · jumping · knee.
Scale by movement before scaling by volume. Maintain the 50/100/150.
QuestionsHalf Murph
Half Murph
/ FAQ.
The vest, the partition, the runs.
What is Half Murph?
Half Murph is the scaled, half-volume version of the Murph Memorial Day workout. It's an 800m run, followed by 50 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, and 150 air squats (partitioned as needed), followed by another 800m run. The full Murph is double those numbers: a 1-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, and a 1-mile run.
What is a good Half Murph time?
Without a weight vest: under 22 minutes is good, under 18 minutes is advanced, sub-15 is elite. With a 14lb or 20lb vest, add roughly 3-5 minutes to each band. Most athletes scaling up to full Murph use Half Murph as a benchmark; getting under 20 minutes typically signals you're ready to attempt full Murph.
Should I do Half Murph with a vest?
Only if you've already completed Half Murph without a vest under 20 minutes and have trained vested running and push-ups. The 14lb / 20lb vest is the Rx prescription for full Murph but adds substantial shoulder fatigue on push-ups. Most athletes should run unweighted Half Murph two or three times before adding a vest.
How should I partition Half Murph?
The two dominant strategies. (1) Cindy-style rounds: 10 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 air squats. This mirrors the Cindy AMRAP pattern. (2) Straight sets: do all pull-ups, then all push-ups, then all squats. Cindy-style is faster for most athletes because it spreads shoulder fatigue. Straight sets are only competitive for athletes with very strong push-up endurance.
Half Murph vs full Murph: which should I do?
Do Half Murph if you've never completed full Murph, if your last full Murph took over 60 minutes, or if you're training in heat or at altitude where the volume becomes a safety concern. Full Murph is the standard for athletes with established pull-up and push-up volume. Half Murph is a legitimate hero-WOD-style test in its own right, not just a stepping stone.