Workouts

Hero / WODs

Hero WODs are named for military service members, first responders and police officers who died in service. Most are long and deliberately hard, and many people do them on days of remembrance.

The Hero WODs23

For time60 min capMurph1 mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, 1 mile run For time35 min capHalf Murph800m run, 50 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, 150 air squats, 800m run For timeDT5 rounds: deadlifts, hang power cleans, push jerks For time60 min capChad1,000 box step-ups in a weight vest AMRAP20 minNateMuscle-ups, handstand push-ups and kettlebell swings For timeRyanMuscle-ups and burpees For timeLuceRunning, muscle-ups and air squats in a weight vest For timeWittman7 rounds: kettlebell swings, power cleans, box jumps For timeLoredoAir squats, push-ups, lunges and 400m runs For timeJag 28Runs, kettlebell swings, presses and front squats For timeDanielPull-ups, thrusters and running For timeThe Seven7 rounds of 7 movements, 7 reps each For timeBadger3 rounds: squat cleans, pull-ups, 800m run For timeRJRunning, rope climbs and push-ups in a weight vest For timeWhitten5 rounds of a five-movement chipper For timeKlepto4 rounds: box jumps, burpees, squat cleans For timeHolleyman30 rounds: wall balls, handstand push-ups, a heavy power clean For timeTommy VDescending thrusters and rope climbs For timeMichael3 rounds: 800m run, back extensions, sit-ups For timeGriff800m and 400m runs, forwards and backwards For timeHelton3 rounds: running, dumbbell squat cleans, burpees Ladder15 min capJTDescending handstand push-ups, ring dips and push-ups For time10 min capRandy75 power snatches

How to scale them

The point is the effort, not the prescribed load. Keep the time domain and the main stimulus, and scale the load, the vest or the volume first.

Murph: drop or lighten the vest, partition the reps, and use ring rows in place of pull-ups if you need to.
DT: drop the barbell to 135/95, 115/75 or 95/65 lb, and break to singles when the form goes.
Chad: scale the vest, use a lower box or reduce the total to 500 step-ups.
Nate: swap muscle-ups for chest-to-bar pull-ups and handstand push-ups for pike push-ups.

For a first attempt at Murph, start with Half Murph.

Before you take one on

Hero WODs are long, high in volume and often done in heat or a weight vest. Treat them as an event in your training, not a normal session, and give yourself two or three easier days afterwards.

Know the volume. Very high volume that you are not used to, such as hundreds of push-ups or squats in one go, can cause rhabdomyolysis, a serious muscle injury. If a Hero WOD is far beyond anything you normally do, halve it. Half Murph exists for exactly this reason.

Pacing the long ones. Most of them reward a pace that feels too easy for the first ten minutes. For Murph, partitioning the middle into rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups and 15 squats keeps any one movement from failing. For barbell heroes like DT, pick a load you could do in sets of five when fresh, not one that only works for the first round.

Heat and kit. Drink before you start, have water within reach, and leave the vest out on your first attempt. If you feel dizzy or stop sweating in the heat, stop.

Mistakes to avoid.

Wearing the vest the first time. Earn it with a clean unvested attempt first.
Doing two in one week. One a month is plenty for most people.
Treating the scaled version as lesser. Finishing the effort is the tribute, whatever the load.

Questions

How to log a score →

What is a Hero WOD?

A Hero WOD is a workout named for a military service member, first responder or police officer who died in service. Most are long and deliberately hard. Murph, the best known, is a 1 mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats and another 1 mile run, traditionally in a 20lb vest.

How should I scale a Hero WOD?

Keep the time domain and the main stimulus, and reduce the load, volume or vest before you change the movements. For Murph, drop the vest, split the reps into rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups and 15 squats, or try Half Murph first.

Why do some Hero WODs have unusual rep numbers?

Many carry a meaning. The Seven uses sevens for the seven officers it honours, Whitten uses 22 reps, and Jag 28 marks 28 soldiers.

Log them in Fiz

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