Murph, Cindy & DT: Guide to CrossFit's Most Famous Hero WODs
Some of CrossFit's most demanding and respected workouts aren't just random combinations of exercises – they are named in memory of fallen soldiers and first responders. Murph, Cindy, and DT are three of the most well-known, and they are performed by CrossFitters worldwide precisely because they test both physical and mental strength to the extreme. What they all have in common is that they cannot be cheated – there are no shortcuts, only willpower and a solid technical foundation. In this guide, you will get the history behind all three, the precise prescription, and practical advice on how to get started, whether you are a beginner or have been doing CrossFit for years.
What is a Hero WOD?
A Hero WOD is a workout named after a soldier, police officer, firefighter, or other first responder who died in the line of duty. It is the CrossFit community's way of honoring their memory – not with words, but with sweat and completion. Hero WODs are generally among the toughest workouts in CrossFit, and this is intentional: they are meant to feel like something you truly have to fight through, as a form of respect for the sacrifice of those they are named after.
This philosophy is closely aligned with the DNA of Barsk, where our roots in the Danish special forces and our support for Danish veterans are an integral part of who we are. When you complete a Hero WOD, it is therefore not only a personal achievement – it is also a small moment of respect for those the workout is named after.
Murph – the workout that honors a hero
Murph is probably the most famous Hero WOD of them all. It is named after Lieutenant Michael Murphy of the U.S. Navy, who lost his life in Afghanistan in 2005. The workout consists of:
- 1-mile run (approx. 1.6 km)
- 100 pull-ups
- 200 push-ups
- 300 air squats
- 1-mile run (approx. 1.6 km)
Traditionally, Murph is performed with a 9-10 kg weight vest, but most – especially first-timers – scale it down without a vest or with lighter weight. Many also break up the 300 repetitions into smaller rounds (e.g., 20 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 air squats) instead of doing all repetitions of each exercise at once. Murph is traditionally done on Memorial Day in the US, but is performed year-round by CrossFitters as a test of both strength and mental resilience.
The biggest pitfall in Murph is starting too hard – many "bonk" halfway through because they used too much energy in the first rounds. Maintain a calm, steady pace from the start. If you don't have pull-up strength yet, you can substitute with ring rows or banded pull-ups, and push-ups can be performed on your knees to maintain good technique through all 200 repetitions.
Cindy – the classic AMRAP benchmark
Cindy is one of CrossFit's most famous "girl WODs" – a group of benchmark workouts named after women's names, used to measure progress over time. Cindy is a 20-minute AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible), where you repeat the following round as many times as possible:
- 5 pull-ups
- 10 push-ups
- 15 air squats
Cindy seems simple on paper, but the low weight and high volume make it an effective test of muscular endurance, technique, and the ability to maintain a steady pace over a long period. Many beginners underestimate Cindy because none of the exercises require extra weight – but precisely for this reason, it is difficult to "hide" in it. Your result is measured in the number of completed rounds, which makes it ideal for tracking your progress month by month.
A good strategy in Cindy is to maintain a pace you can genuinely sustain for all 20 minutes, rather than rushing through the first rounds. Experienced athletes typically achieve between 20 and 30 rounds, while beginners often score lower – but the number is less important than being able to see progress over time. Scale pull-ups to ring rows or jumping pull-ups, and potentially reduce the number of repetitions per round if 20 minutes of full volume is too much to start with.
DT – heavy, technical, and brutally tough
DT is named after Sergeant Timothy P. Hetland Jr., who died in Afghanistan in 2006. Unlike Murph and Cindy, DT involves heavy barbell lifts and is significantly more technically demanding. The workout consists of 5 rounds of:
- 12 deadlifts
- 9 hang power cleans
- 6 push jerks
All three exercises are performed with the same weight on the barbell, typically 70 kg for men and 47.5 kg for women in the original version. What makes DT particularly challenging is that you do not put the bar down between exercises – your grip and shoulders are tested throughout the entire workout. Good technique in the transitions between deadlift, hang power clean, and push jerk is crucial for saving energy and completing all 5 rounds efficiently.
Because DT is so technical, it is usually the weight – not the conditioning – that becomes the limiting factor, especially in the last few rounds, where grip strength fails first. Choose a weight you can maintain through all 5 rounds with good technique, even if it means starting lighter than you could actually lift in a single lift. It is advisable to practice the transition from hang power clean to push jerk in isolation, as this is where many lose unnecessary time and energy.
How to train for Hero WODs
Common to all three is that they require a solid foundation in functional movements, combined with the ability to maintain pace under fatigue. Build your capacity gradually: practice the individual movements separately before combining them, and scale down in weight or repetitions until your technique is solid – even under high heart rate. It is far better to complete a scaled version with good technique than to force the full version and end up with poor form or injuries.
A good approach is to test each workout scaled the first time, note your time or number of rounds, and then gradually increase weight, repetitions, or intensity as you progress. Also, allow your body proper recovery between each time you test a Hero WOD – they place significantly more strain than a regular training day.
If you are interested in delving deeper into the underlying movements, you can read more in our guides to the exercises you encounter in these workouts and many other CrossFit benchmarks.
Mental strategy – it's about more than just physique
What truly distinguishes Hero WODs from ordinary training sessions is the mental aspect. Both Murph, Cindy, and DT are long enough that at some point you will feel the desire to stop or significantly slow down. Here, it helps to break down the workout into smaller, manageable chunks in your head – think in rounds or minutes rather than the total number of repetitions ahead of you. This makes the task less overwhelming and easier to cope with along the way.
It can also help to train with others – the shared struggle makes it harder to give up. Remind yourself along the way why the workout is named as it is, and let that be part of your motivation to persevere.
Get started
Hero WODs are not just tough training – they are a reminder to give it your all when it truly counts. Whether you're tackling Murph, Cindy, or DT, you need clothing that can keep up all the way through, without restricting you along the way. See our CrossFit apparel for men or CrossFit apparel for women, and find inspiration to honor the history behind these workouts in our Never Give Up collection.
