Every year, thousands of CrossFit® athletes around the world take on Murph. It’s a hero WOD that’s as mentally demanding as it is physical, and if you’re not careful, the air squats in the middle can absolutely wreck your chances of a strong finish.
Murph isn’t just about grinding through a long workout. It’s about doing it well, with smart pacing, movement quality, and mechanics that hold up even when your legs feel like jelly.
One of the most overlooked aspects? The humble air squat.
Before we dive in, this article’s part of a series to help you get your best Murph score yet. Want the full breakdown? Hit the links at the bottom.
Why Air Squats Matter in Murph
You’ve got 300 of them to do. That’s not a typo. Three. Hundred. And the difference between smooth reps and sloppy ones can make or break your overall Murph time.
Bad squats will leave your quads and knees screaming. Good squats? They’ll let you flow through with better rhythm, less fatigue, and more energy left for the final mile.
For many athletes, push-ups end up being the bottleneck in Murph, but squats still matter.
Poor squat form quietly wears you down and wrecks your rhythm, especially when fatigue kicks in around the halfway mark. We want you standing tall at the end, not crawling toward the finish line.
How to Know If You’re Doing Them Right
Here’s a quick and easy test.
Set up your phone, hit record, and film yourself doing five air squats from the side. Now look at the footage.
Did your hips go back first, or did your knees dive forward like you were trying to launch into a broad jump? If your first move is the knees, that’s a red flag.
The correct way to initiate a squat is by unlocking the hips first. Push your hips back slightly, then let the knees bend naturally.
Your knees should track just outside the toes. Not way outside, not collapsing in, just gently opening up so the ankle stays neutral and your foot maintains a strong arch.
When done correctly, your weight should feel balanced through the middle of your foot. Not up on your toes, not glued into your heels.
Think “plant, squat, stand,” not “tip, fall, wobble.”. You should feel like you could pause mid-squat and hang out there for a while without falling in any direction.
There’s a simple rhythm to follow. Hips back, knees out, sit down, stand tall. That’s it. No rushing, no flailing. Just smooth, repeatable movement.
If you’ve been squatting with poor form for a while, this may feel awkward at first, but with consistent focus, it becomes second nature. It’s also the key to lasting power when fatigue kicks in mid-Murph.
Don’t Fall for the Heel Cue Trap
Let’s clear something up.
You may have heard a coach yell “keep your weight in your heels,” and while the intention is good, it can lead to a common and pretty comical mistake.
Athletes take it too literally and end up squatting with their toes flying off the floor like they’re trying to launch into space.
That is not balance. That’s a recipe for losing control and placing unnecessary stress on your knees and hips.
Instead, think about distributing your weight evenly through your entire foot. Yes, slightly toward the heel is okay, but you still want full contact through your toes and forefoot. Your big toe, pinky toe, and heel should all stay grounded. That gives you a stable tripod to push from.
When you squat correctly, you should be able to pause in the bottom position with your chest tall, hips back, and knees tracking out, and feel totally in control.
If you have to wobble or shift just to hold position, your weight’s off. Squat with balance, not fear of falling forward.
The Box Drill That Can Change Your Squat
One of our favorite drills at WODprep for fixing squat mechanics is the sit-to-stand box squat. It’s simple but powerful. Grab a box that lets you squat to just below parallel and sit all the way down on it, don’t just tap it and bounce up like you’re in a rush. Actually sit and let your legs relax for a second.
Now, reset your feet and knees. Make sure your feet are in the position you want, about shoulder-width apart, with the toes slightly out if that feels natural. Your knees should be tracking gently outside your toes.
Then from that relaxed seated position, simply stand. No jump, no explosion. Just a clean, controlled rise from a stable base.
This teaches your body how to stand with proper alignment and power. Once you’ve built confidence in that movement, start practicing the reverse, learning how to lower into the squat with intention.
That’s where squat therapy comes in.
Hold a light plate or dumbbell out in front of you like a counterweight. Now squat down slowly. The counterbalance will naturally keep your chest more upright and help you avoid falling forward.
It also helps your hips move back first, keeps the knees from collapsing in, and reinforces a clean, strong pattern. Plus, your upper back gets a little love too, which never hurts.
Foot Angle: Straight vs. Slight Turnout?
If you’ve been around the CrossFit® world long enough, you’ve probably heard different opinions on how your feet should be positioned in a squat. Some say they must be perfectly straight. Others argue for a slight turnout. Who’s right?
The answer, as with most things, is it depends. But here’s what we recommend. For your first ten thousand squats, yes, really, aim to keep your feet as straight as possible.
Why? Because most of us have spent years sitting at desks, in cars, and on couches. Our hips are tight, our ankles are stiff, and a straight-footed squat is a great way to restore mobility and control.
Eventually, after you’ve built enough reps with good form, you’ll naturally settle into the stance that works best for your anatomy.For some people, like Olympic weightlifters, that might mean a slight turnout.
And that’s totally fine, as long as a few key things are happening: your knees are tracking properly, your ankles stay in a strong position, and you’re balanced in the foot.
Don’t worry about matching someone else’s stance. Find the setup that allows you to squat with good form, feel strong, and move without pain. That’s your squat.
Common Mistakes That Blow Up Your Murph Time
Murph isn’t about winning the first five minutes. It’s about holding form for the entire hour. Here are the most common mistakes that sabotage athletes mid-WOD.
- Starting with your knees. This ruins your balance from rep one.Starting each squat by bending the knees is a fast track to disaster.
It pushes your weight forward, limits your range of motion, and throws off your balance. Always unlock the hips first. - Caving your knees in. Not only is this inefficient - it’s a fast track to injury.Letting your knees cave in is a huge red flag.
Not only does it drain your power, but it also increases the risk of injury. Keep the knees driving out over the toes, even when you’re tired. - Rushing for speed, not quality. Fast is good. But fast and bad? That just gets you tired faster.Speed without form is just chaos. You might fly through the first 100 reps, but poor mechanics will catch up with you. Your legs will blow up, your back will tighten, and the final push becomes a crawl.
- Poor pacing strategy. Don’t hit 50 unbroken in round one then hit a wall. Smart reps win Murph.Going unbroken on the first few rounds feels great until it doesn’t.
Then suddenly, you’re spending more time catching your breath than actually working. Murph is written as partitioned however needed, and for most athletes, it should be.
The unpartitioned version (completing all 100 pull-ups, then 200 push-ups, then 300 air squats) is a serious test, and not one that’s ideal for the majority.
The smarter approach? Break it into rounds right from the start.A classic structure is 20 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 air squats. You could also try 10 rounds of 10–20–30 or 25 rounds of 4–8–12 depending on what keeps your form tight and your engine ticking.
If you're scaling, focus on preserving intensity and quality, not just cutting reps.
Past Lessons From Murph Veterans
We’ve seen so many athletes hit the wall in Murph, and it usually happens right in the middle of the squats. Around rep 120, things start to fall apart. Knees cave in, chest collapses, and every rep starts looking like a guessing game.
But then there are the athletes who shine. They’ve trained good mechanics. They know how to move efficiently. They take short rests, stay calm, and never let their form break down. And more often than not, those are the people who PR.
The best advice we hear year after year from Murph veterans is simple: respect the squats. You might think the runs or push-ups are going to be your toughest sections, but once your legs go, it’s game over. Keep them moving well, and Murph becomes a whole lot more manageable.
Final Tips to Dial in Your Form
If you want to feel confident heading into Murph, practice smart. Start each workout with a set of intentional air squats. Three sets of ten reps with perfect form can do more for your mechanics than a hundred rushed reps ever will.
Do them daily for the two to three weeks leading into the workout, and you’ll be surprised at the difference.
If you’re doing Murph with a weight vest, check your ego at the door. Extra weight doesn’t fix bad form. In fact, it exposes it.
So if your air squat still feels wobbly or forced, consider doing the workout without the vest this year. You’ll get more out of clean movement than you will from grinding through with poor mechanics.
And remember, this is a hero workout. You want to honor it by doing your best. That doesn’t mean just going hard. It means going well. Show up with solid movement, a smart plan, and the grit to finish strong.
One Last Thing
We’re not here to shame your squat. We’re here to help you make it better, one rep at a time.
Air squats might seem basic, but doing them right takes focus and practice. And if you want to crush Murph this year, mastering them could be your secret weapon.
Go slow, build the habit, and remember: hips first, knees out, balance always.Let’s get better, together.
This article’s part of a series to help you get your best Murph score yet. Want the full breakdown? Check out the rest of the series below:
- The Ultimate Checklist: Murph Memorial Workout For Beginners
- How to Scale Murph Workout With These Easy Steps!
- How to Scale Pull-Ups for Murph Workout
- How to Use a Weighted Vest for Murph Workout
- Memorial Day Murph Workout: The Ultimate Strategy
- Murph Workout Training Plan
- What is the CrossFit Murph Challenge?
- What’s a Good Time for Murph? Let's break it down
- Crush 200 Push-Ups in Murph Without Burning Out
- Pace Murph Workout Based on Your Fitness Level
- Recover After Murph Workout Without Losing a Week
Your Questions Answered...
1. How do I know if I’m doing air squats correctly during Murph?
Film yourself from the side. If your knees shoot forward before your hips move back, that’s a red flag. A good squat starts with hips back, knees tracking slightly out, and your weight balanced in the middle of your foot, not toes or heels.
2. Why do air squats matter so much in Murph?
Because there are 300 of them. Bad form adds up fast—destroying your legs, wrecking your rhythm, and making that final mile a sufferfest. Clean squats keep your energy steady and your reps efficient.
3. What’s the “heel cue trap” and how do I avoid it?
Some athletes take “weight in your heels” too literally and lift their toes off the ground. That kills your balance. Instead, ground all three points of your foot—heel, big toe, pinky toe, and move from that tripod base.
4. How should I fix my squat if my form’s off?
Start with sit-to-stand box squats. Pause, reset, and stand clean. Add counterbalance squats with a light plate or dumbbell to reinforce upright posture. Do a few perfect sets daily in the lead-up to Murph.
5. Should my feet be straight or turned out?
Begin with feet as straight as you can, especially if you’re newer. Over time, a slight turnout is fine if your knees track well and you feel strong. Don’t copy someone else’s stance. Find what lets you move well, pain-free.