It’s hard to imagine the iconic Murph challenge workout without pull-ups, the iconic military exercise. However, if you don’t have access to a pull-up bar (or won’t on Memorial Day), there are numerous ways to modify the Murph workout to complete Murph without pull-ups.
Completing a modified Murph workout without pull-ups is very doable. Most modifications involve substituting the 100 pull-up requirement with a different pulling exercise, like inverted rows, towel rows, or resistance band rows. However, it is also acceptable to skip pull-ups altogether if you’re simply unable to do them.
If you either can’t or don’t want to do pull-ups during the Murph Challenge, you can scale Murph by using the following options to complete the challenge without a pull-up bar.
There are two perfectly acceptable reasons to try and find a pull-up alternative for Murph:
Both of these reasons are completely understandable. Pull-ups are the number one reason that gives people pause when considering training for Murph.
This is the option that most people seem to recommend first when a participant either doesn’t have a pull-up bar or struggles with pull-ups in general (if strength is an issue, see our full article on exercises to help with pull-ups). Sometimes called “reverse push-ups” or Australian pull-ups, inverted rows are an exercise that involves laying on one’s back and grasping something to pull oneself up in a horizontal row.
Of course, inverted rows can be completed using gymnastic rings, suspension trainers (TRX or blast straps), or by laying a barbell across the safety spotter arms on a squat rack.
However, they can also easily be done at home by placing a broom handle across two chairs or done off of a table.
This makes the inverted row an excellent option for someone looking to complete the Murph Challenge at home without a pull-up bar.
Another viable Murph pull-up substitute is to use an exercise called a towel row. While this exercise looks like it would be significantly easier than regular inverted rows, it’s deceptively tough on the forearms and grip muscles.
To complete it, place a towel in a doorway or around a pole, or upright somewhere around your house or gym. From here, grasp both ends of the towel and complete your horizontal pulling that way.
Get ready for your grip to start burning!
One of my favorite minimalist back exercises is the seated resistance band row. This exercise is fantastic because it’s so portable, which is what also makes it a great Murph pull-up alternative.
Simply sit down with legs outstretched, as if you were going to do a low cable row. Wrap your resistance band around your feet and take the tension out of the band. Complete rows in the same fashion as you would a normal cable row in a gym.
The only modification I like to make to resistance band rows is to add a pause at the end of the range of motion. The nature of resistance bands is such that the tension builds as the band is stretched, meaning the end of the range is the toughest.
Adding a pause at the end of the range of motion allows us to get a greater overall training effect from each rep.
Regardless of your plans for partitioning the Murph workout, we’re not going to pretend here that doing 200 push-ups and 300 air squats isn’t challenging, even without the pull-up requirement. In fact, this variation may actually be tougher in some respects since we’ll get less rest between bouts of weighted push-ups and weighted vest squats.
Whatever the case, skipping pull-ups altogether is a legitimate option if you really can’t (or don’t want to) do pull-ups on Memorial Day.
If you’re planning to skip pull-ups during your next Murph Challenge, here are two considerations for you, depending on the reason you’ve decided to skip pull-ups:
Whether you're doing Murph for the first time, or simply trying to best last year's time, developing a strategy for Murph is essential. While pull-ups are a traditional component of this iconic hero WOD, there are several effective alternatives if you need or want to do Murph with no pull-up bar. These alternatives can help you target the same muscle groups and achieve a challenging full-body workout.
No matter which option you choose, there are plenty of options available to ensure that you can still perform a challenging and effective Murph workout without a pull-up bar.
Ultimately, the key is to stay consistent with your training and keep pushing yourself to reach your fitness goals, regardless of the equipment you have available.