4 Warm-Up Routines That Make Murph Easier

If you want to crush Murph—whether it’s on Memorial Day or during your regular training cycle—the warm-up you choose matters more than you think. Murph is a high-volume, high-intensity grinder that demands mobility, stability, and muscular endurance before you even hit the clock. A proper warm-up doesn’t just “loosen you up”—it improves movement quality, reduces injury risk, and helps you maintain pace deeper into the workout. Here are Four Proven Warm-Up Routines That Make Murph Easier, smoother, and far more efficient.

1. The Mobility-First Warm-Up (5–7 Minutes)

Murph punishes tight hips, stiff shoulders, and locked-up thoracic spines. If you jump straight into the workout without addressing mobility, your pull-ups feel heavier, your push-ups collapse faster, and your squats lose depth.

Do this mobility sequence before anything else:

Cat–Cow (30 seconds) — Wakes up the spine and improves breathing mechanics.
World’s Greatest Stretch (1 minute each side) — Opens hips, hamstrings, and thoracic rotation.
Banded Shoulder Dislocates (20–30 reps) — Primes shoulder flexion and overhead stability for pull-ups.
Ankle Rockers (1 minute) — Helps you hit full-depth squats without knee strain.

Why it works:
Murph is deceptively simple, but the movement patterns are demanding. This mobility-first warm-up ensures your joints move freely so your muscles can do their job. You’ll feel smoother on every rep.

2. The Pull-Up Prep Warm-Up (5 Minutes)

Most athletes underestimate how much shoulder activation Murph requires. Even if you partition the reps, 100 pull-ups is a massive volume spike. This warm-up routine builds stability and primes the exact muscles you need for efficient, pain-free reps.

Try this pull-up activation circuit:

Scapular Pull-Ups (10–12 reps) — Engages the lats and teaches proper pulling mechanics.
Banded Lat Pulldowns (20 reps) — Activates the pulling chain without fatigue.
Banded External Rotations (15 reps each side) — Strengthens the rotator cuff for safer kipping or strict reps.
Dead Hang (20–30 seconds) — Lengthens the lats and preps grip endurance.

Why it works:
When your shoulders and lats are activated, you rely less on momentum and more on strong, efficient pulling. This reduces early fatigue and protects your shoulders during high-volume kipping.

3. The Push-Up & Core Activation Warm-Up (4–6 Minutes)

Push-ups are where most athletes hit the wall. Chest and triceps fatigue early, and the core collapses, turning reps into slow, sloppy grinders. This warm-up routine fires up the stabilizers that keep your midline tight and your push-ups crisp.

Use this quick activation flow:

Plank Hold (45–60 seconds) — Reinforces bracing and neutral spine.
Slow Tempo Push-Ups (8–10 reps) — Teaches control and activates the chest without burning you out.
Hollow Body Hold (20–30 seconds) — Builds core tension for both push-ups and kipping pull-ups.
Glute Bridge (20 reps) — Stabilizes the pelvis and reduces low-back strain during squats.

Why it works:
Push-ups fail when the core fails. This warm-up builds the foundation for consistent, unbroken sets—even late in the workout.

4. The Squat & Run Prep Warm-Up (5–7 Minutes)

Murph starts and ends with a mile run, and the 300 air squats in the middle demand strong, stable legs. This warm-up routine prepares your quads, glutes, and calves for both the running and squatting portions.

Run-prep and squat-prep sequence:

Light Jog or Row (2 minutes) — Elevates heart rate without fatigue.
Walking Lunges (20 steps) — Activates glutes and improves hip stability.
Air Squats (15–20 reps) — Reinforces depth and mechanics.
Calf Raises (20 reps) — Reduces cramping during the run.
High Knees + Butt Kicks (30 seconds each) — Primes stride mechanics for the opening mile.

Why it works:
This warm-up ensures your legs are ready for both explosive squatting and steady running. You’ll feel lighter on the run and more stable during high-rep squats.