Introduction
Memorial Day Murph is coming, and you have no vest, or one that rubbed your shoulders raw by round twelve.
The Murph weighted vest weight at Rx is 20 lb for men and 14 lb for women. CrossFit's own guidance points anyone who'd need more than 46 minutes at Rx toward a scaled, vest-free version.
If you wear one, it needs weeks of training, not a race-day debut. Know your load before you shop vests and other wearable weights.
Vested Murph is high volume, often in late-May heat, so overexertion and exertional rhabdomyolysis are real risks. With a heart or kidney condition, or on medication, see a physician first.
Where the 20 lb and 14 lb Rule Comes From
At Rx today, the Murph weighted vest weight is 20 lb for men and 14 lb for women. The 20 lb traces to CrossFit's 2005 original; the 14 lb women's load arrived later, through competition. Here's who set each standard and when.
Source | Year | Load | Vest required? |
CrossFit's first post | 2005 | 20 lb, everyone | If you own one |
CrossFit Games Murph | 2015–2016 | 20 lb men, 14 lb women | Yes, throughout |
CrossFit's Murph page | 2026 | 14/20 lb | If you own one |
Local events | Varies | Set by host | Set by host |
What CrossFit Wrote in 2005
CrossFit first posted Murph on August 18, 2005, with one load for everyone: "If you've got a twenty-pound vest or body armor, wear it." Lt. Michael Murphy, a Navy SEAL killed in Afghanistan that June, called it body armor.
The 20 lb is CrossFit's figure; his armor's exact weight is unverified.
How the 14 lb Load Arrived
The 14 lb women's load came through competition: the 2015 CrossFit Games ran Murph at 20/14, and CrossFit's own Murph page now lists 14/20.
A 2010 CrossFit workout post logged a woman's time in a 15 lb vest, a load some guides still print.
Why 14? CrossFit hasn't said. It mirrors the 20/14 lb wall-ball standard, which is a pattern rather than a stated reason.
Which Other Hero WODs Use a Vest
Several Hero WODs carry a vest line, but CrossFit's pages don't agree on the load. Luce lists 14/20, while Brenton, with its burpees and broad jumps, still asks for one 20 lb vest if you have it. Check each workout's own page.
Should You Wear the Vest This Year?
Wear the vest only if you expect to finish Rx Murph, the full prescribed version, in about 46 minutes or less. CrossFit's own guidance puts Rx at 36 to 46 minutes and points anyone slower toward its intermediate or beginner versions, so the vest is the first thing to drop, not the last.
That line is stricter than the 60-minute cutoff many guides repeat. Nearly quitting at round twelve of twenty last year usually means your pace was already past it.
First Murph, or no recent time? Scale in this order:
Drop the vest and keep the full volume.
Halve the volume to 50 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, and 150 squats, and start the second mile by 25:00.
Switch to the beginner version: half-mile runs around 10 rounds of 5 ring rows, 10 push-ups, and 15 squats, with the second run started by 20:00.
Can't do strict pull-ups yet? Use resistance bands for assisted pull-ups in steps 1 or 2.
What Counts as Rx at Your Event
Your event decides what counts as Rx. CrossFit's own line makes the vest conditional, Games events made 20/14 mandatory, and local hosts vary. Whatever the rule, the plain reading is the total you wear: carrier, plates, or sandbags counted together.
When a Vest Is Required for Rx
A vest is required for Rx only when your event's rules say it is, so ask the host before you buy.
Competition vest rules differ by host. One box runs 20 lb for everyone, and a military event offered 20 or 24 lb. Weigh-ins are event-specific too, and a 20-for-all box changes what a woman should buy.
Plate Carrier or Weighted Vest?
A plate carrier and a weighted vest both satisfy the "vest or body armor" wording. An empty tactical carrier typically weighs 2 to 3 lb before any plate goes in, though, so the carrier counts toward your total.
Flat plates keep push-ups level but can bounce on runs; stuffed pouches can tilt the push-up.
Plate-loaded vests climb in plate steps; the smallest we carry is a 3.5 lb vest plate.
If a listing skips that figure, ask our team for the empty weight, then weigh the full vest.
Which Vest Survives 600 Reps?
The vest that survives Memorial Day Murph stays flat through 200 push-ups, tight through two miles, and anchored through 100 pull-ups. Games athletes wore body armor, and boxes use fixed or adjustable vests, but construction predicts survival better than type. Run these checks, then compare weighted vests by load and style.
What Construction Holds Up
For durability through burpees and push-ups, check six points before you buy, starting with the front panel and strap anchors:
Front panel flat enough for chest-to-floor push-ups
Strap anchors double-stitched, not single seams
Closure that holds when soaked
Hem that clears the hip crease in a squat
Shoulder padding that stays put on pull-ups
Load split front and back, not front-heavy
Three Stocked Vests Matched to Rx
For the men's Rx load, a vest that tops out at 20 lb removes guesswork; for 14 lb, one-pound steps land it exactly. Prices are from September 2026.
The Body-Solid BSTWVP20 20 lb vest ($120) uses removable sandbags, ships free, and is rated for commercial use. It's empty, and sandbag weights aren't published, so weigh it on arrival.
The adjustable vest with one-pound bags ($51.15) hits 14 lb exactly and builds a pound at a time. Its home-use rating and six-month warranty make it a poor shared box vest.
The Hudson plate-loaded weight vest ($199) suits athletes who want a body-armor feel. It's private invoice only, with plates sold separately and no published capacity.
How to Stop Bounce and Chafing
Bounce is a fit problem and chafing is a skin problem, and both surface in the middle rounds. Tighten the vest until it moves with your torso, not after it, and protect the skin it touches before the first mile.
Fixes for a Bouncing Vest
A vest bounces when it's loose at the waist or high on the chest, so tighten the waist strap first, then the chest.
Test it at home with box jumps on a plyo box for landing tests; if it lifts on landing, tighten again.
Fixes for Shoulder and Chest Chafing
Vest chafing during Murph comes from a damp edge rubbing one spot for an hour, so protect those spots before you start.
Wear a fitted compression shirt, not cotton
Tape nipples and last year's rub spots
Lube armpits and shoulder edges
Retire frayed or hardened straps
Check the armholes on day one; return terms for unused gear exclude a sweated-in vest.
A Six-Week Vest Build for Murph
Give the vest six weeks of training for Murph, and never debut it on race day. A first vested Murph stacks an unfamiliar load on 600 reps, and unaccustomed volume is a known trigger for exertional muscle breakdown. Keep your free weights for separate strength days.
Add Vest Time Before Volume
Build time under the vest before you build reps under it: vested runs, then a partitioned half Murph, then one full rehearsal.
Weeks 1–2: one vested easy run a week, rounds unvested
Weeks 3–4: a vested, partitioned half Murph
Weeks 5–6: one full rehearsal, then taper
Partition as 20 rounds of 5/10/15, and practice vested pull-ups on a home pull-up bar. Adjust this starting plan with your coach.
Heat, Volume, and Warning Signs
Heat multiplies the risk and can tip vested Murph into heat illness or exertional rhabdomyolysis, a muscle breakdown that can harm the kidneys.
The 2015 Games saw both; in 2016, the women's heat started at 7 a.m. On hot days, start at sunrise or run the miles on a treadmill indoors.
Get urgent care for any of these:
Dark, cola-colored urine after training
Swelling or pain far beyond normal soreness
Arm weakness that makes lifting hard
Confusion or collapse in the heat
One rhabdomyolysis cluster blamed on Murph also involved days of prior training and forced drinking, so drink normally.
FAQ
Do you wear the vest for the whole Murph?
Yes. At Rx the vest stays on from first mile to last, and 2016 Games athletes wore body armor throughout. Removing it for the runs scores as scaled.
Can you do Murph with a backpack instead of a vest?
Not for an Rx score: a pack is neither a vest nor body armor, so it misses the written standard. It also swings on pull-ups, so keep it for training.
How do you wash a weighted vest after Murph?
Remove the sandbags or plates, hand-wash the shell in cold water with mild detergent, and air-dry it fully before reloading. Keep sandbags dry and follow any maker's label.
When should you buy a vest for Memorial Day, Murph?
Early enough to train in it for six weeks: Memorial Day 2027 falls on May 31, so have it by mid-April. Body-Solid vests ship free nationwide.
Final Thought
At most events, Rx means 20 lb for men and 14 lb for women, counted as the total you wear, but your host decides. Past 46 minutes at Rx, skip the vest.
If it goes on, give it six weeks of training. Murph is a memorial first. Pick yours from Hamilton Home Fitness, shipped nationwide from Tennessee.
