Crossfit Murph Training for an At Home Wod
It's already here- time to start training for the hero honoring MURPH WOD. This memorial WOD is the perfect reminder that everyone can benefit from improving their pull ups, push ups and squats and this year almost everyone will be training at home in order to dominate murph. A great way to improve the foundational exercises of Murph (Push Ups, Pull Ups, Squats) is to perform different variations of the exercises using different angles, loads and speeds.
Due to COVID-19 at home workouts are essential so we’ve provided up to 6 variations and training tips for these moves which you can safely do at home. More than ever primal patterns like squats, push ups and pull ups are being used to stay healthy and fit so check out our variations to keep your at home workouts interesting and more effective.
PUSH UP VARIATIONS
Proper push ups are truly a full body exercise. Though push ups primarily target the chest, shoulders, and triceps, your core, lats, glutes, and quads must all stay engaged to perform successfully. The best way to improve your push up is to perform different variations at different tempos which is easy to accomplish for an at home wod.
- Hands Elevated
- Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart on a sturdy chair, box, or other elevated surface. The higher the surface the easier the push up will be.
- Maintain a tight core and straight line ear to ankle as you lower your body and return to the starting position.
- Loaded Push Up with weight vest
- Adding a weight vest to the standard push up will create an overload that will force your brain to activate additional muscle fibers while building greater strength.
- Begin with hands slightly wider than shoulder width and a long and strong body from ears to ankles.
- Lower while guiding your elbows back approximately 45 degrees. Another variation is to let your elbows tuck in along your sides which places a greater emphasis on your triceps.
- Yoga Block Eccentric Push Up
- Space two yoga blocks slightly wider than shoulder width. Begin at the top of the push up with your hands supported on the blocks.
- Maintain a rigid frame as you slowly lower taking 5-10 seconds for your chest to reach the floor.
- Push back on to your knees and reset.
- Adding a weight vest is a great way to overload this move since you're about 50% stronger eccentrically (lowering of the weight). There is also a positive carryover to your concentric and isometric muscle actions.
- Decline Feet Elevated
- The decline push up is a great way to target your upper chest. The is an alternative body weight exercise to take the place of the incline barbell or dumbbell press.
- Find a sturdy surface that is approximately knee height. The higher the surface the greater the emphasis on the upper chest and shoulders.
- Place your toes on the elevated surface and hands on the ground maintaining a strong, rigid frame, not allowing your hips to sag.
- Lower your body until your chest is approximately 6” off the floor the press back up to the starting position.
- Hands on Swiss Ball
- Grip a swiss ball with your hands turning out to the sides and start in a high plank position.
- Lower your body until your chest touches the ball then press back up to the starting position.
- Feet on Swiss Ball
- Place your hands on the ground slightly wider than shoulder width and carefully, one foot at a time, place the tops of your feet on the ball.
- Once under control lower your chest toward the ground stopping approximately 6” off the floor.
- Press back up to the starting position and repeat.
SQUAT VARIATIONS
The squat is an overall gauge of one’s functional strength. Adequate strength and mobility must be present to perform a proper squat. This is a primal pattern that is foundational to all movement and is essential to lower body strength and bone health.
- Hands on Wall Squat
- Stand with toes approximately 12” from the wall (closer to wall is more challenging)
- Place your hands on the wall in front of you shoulder width apart and at about eye height.
- Push your hips back as you lower into a squat letting your arms extend overhead trying to keep your hands in the same place they started.
- Maintain equal pressure around your feet and stand back up.
- Stability (Swiss) Ball on Wall Squat
- Position a swiss ball against a wall and behind your low back.
- With feet shoulder width apart lower into a squat allowing your hips to travel back under the ball while keeping your chest up.
- Butt tap Squat
- Place an elevated stable surface behind you that’s approximately knee height.
- Face away with feet hip to shoulder width apart and slowly lower pushing your hips back.
- Lightly tap your butt to the box, chair, etc.. and return to the starting position.
- Loaded Bulgarian Split Squat with weight vest
- Stand in front of an elevated stable surface that is approximately knee height.
- Face away and place the top of one foot on the surface and hop the opposite lead leg out so there’s roughly a 90 degree bend in the front knee when in the bottom position.
- Maintain good posture as you lower your elevated knee down and back towards the support.
- Keep the lead foot in full contact with the ground.
- Once your lead thigh is parallel to the ground drive back up to the starting position.
- Squat with Offset Weight
- Grab a 5-15lb sandbell.
- Begin standing tall with feet hip to shoulder width apart
- Squat by pushing the hips back while keeping the chest up maintaining full contact with your feet on the ground.
- As you squat press the weight directly in front of you which should allow you to drop deeper into the squat while maintaining good posture and keeping your heels on the ground.
PULL UP VARIATIONS
Most have a love-hate relationship with pull ups because it’s by far one of the most challenging exercises. These variations will help you strengthen your pull ups whether preparing to complete Murph, or just trying to get stronger for your at home wod.
- Chair assisted or knees bent toes down on floor smith machine pull up
- Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width.
- Place a chair, plyo box, or something sturdy behind you that’s approximately knee height.
- Perform a pull up while extending your knees, pressing the tops of your feet into the chair or box to assist.
- Band assisted
- Wrap a continuous loop band around the bar. Pull the band down and place one knee into the band and cross your ankles.
- Loaded Eccentric Pull Up with weight vest
- Jump up to start in the top position of the pull up.
- Slowly lower taking 5-10 seconds to fully extend arms.
- Chin up
- Reverse grip shoulder width apart.
- Loaded Standard Pull Up with weight vest
- Perform as many standard reps as possible then immediately superset by removing the vest and knocking out as many as you can without the vest
- Standard Pull Up
- Grip the bar approximately shoulder width apart.
- Begin by setting your scapulae and pulling your chest toward the bar.
- Lower back to the starting position and repeat.
- If using an at home pull up bar you will need to cross and bend your legs.
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