How Running + Push-Ups with the Core Bomb RUNCLUB Unexpectedly Helped Me PR Murph - Core Bomb

How Running + Push-Ups with the Core Bomb RUNCLUB Unexpectedly Helped Me PR Murph

For over six months, my training looked very different than what most people would expect.

I wasn't following a traditional strength program. I wasn't spending hours in the gym. I wasn't performing dedicated pull-up sessions. In fact, I didn't complete a single pull-up during that entire period.

Instead, I did something incredibly simple.

I ran with the Core Bomb RUNCLUB and periodically stopped to perform push-ups.

That was it.

No complicated programming. No bodybuilding splits. No elaborate accessory work. Just loaded running with the RUNCLUB combined with frequent push-up volume throughout my runs.

Then Memorial Day arrived.

I decided to visit my former gym, CrossFit Roselle — the gym I founded and owned for fifteen years — and participate in Murph.

For those unfamiliar with Murph, it consists of:

  • 1-mile run
  • 100 pull-ups
  • 200 push-ups
  • 300 air squats
  • 1-mile run

Most athletes choose to break the repetitions into smaller rounds throughout the workout because fatigue can become overwhelming.

I decided to perform the workout straight through without partitioning the reps.

I also wore a 20-pound weight vest.

To my surprise, I not only completed the workout, but I finished in just under 55 minutes — a personal record for going straight through.

Even more surprising: I hadn't done pull-up training for over six months.

So what happened?

Loaded Running Does More Than Just Build Endurance

Most people think running primarily trains the cardiovascular system. Traditional running certainly does. But running while carrying the Core Bomb RUNCLUB creates a completely different challenge.

Every step forces your body to stabilize an offset load.

Your grip stays active.

Your shoulders remain engaged.

Your core continuously resists unwanted rotation.

Your posture constantly adjusts to maintain efficient movement.

But there is another important element that often gets overlooked: your upper-body pulling muscles remain active for the entire run.

Holding and controlling the RUNCLUB isn't passive. The body has to continuously create tension through the arms and back to maintain control while moving. Over time, this means repeated work for:

  • Grip and forearm muscles
  • Biceps
  • Lats
  • Upper back stabilizers
  • Rotational and anti-rotational core muscles

The biceps and lats are particularly interesting because they are two of the major muscle groups involved in pull-ups. While running with the RUNCLUB obviously isn't identical to hanging from a pull-up bar, it still creates prolonged tension and endurance demands through many of the same supporting muscles.

Unlike steady-state running where the arms move passively, loaded running turns the entire body into part of the exercise.

Over time, those miles become repeated opportunities to build:

  • Grip endurance
  • Shoulder stamina
  • Rotational strength
  • Anti-rotational control
  • Core endurance
  • Postural stability
  • Upper-body pulling endurance

These qualities happen to matter a lot during workouts like Murph.

Push-Ups May Be More Powerful Than People Realize

Push-ups are often viewed as a "basic" exercise.

But high-volume push-ups can create substantial benefits:

  • Upper body muscular endurance
  • Shoulder stability
  • Core bracing strength
  • Triceps and chest endurance
  • Improved body control under fatigue

Stopping during runs to knock out push-ups created a simple but effective pairing.

The push-ups challenged pressing endurance while fatigued.

The running challenged posture and total-body stability.

Together they created a form of hybrid training that blended strength and conditioning without needing an entire gym.

The Pull-Up Surprise

The biggest lesson wasn't that push-ups somehow replaced pull-ups.

The lesson was that strength qualities overlap more than many people realize.

Grip endurance carries over.

Shoulder stability carries over.

Core strength carries over.

Upper-body endurance carries over.

And perhaps most surprising, loaded running with the Core Bomb RUNCLUB was also creating continuous work for the biceps and lats — two major contributors to pull-up performance.

Even though I hadn't specifically trained pull-ups, I had spent months strengthening many of the physical qualities and muscle groups that support them.

When Murph arrived, the foundation was already there.

Simplicity Can Win

Fitness often becomes overly complicated.

We chase the newest programs, complicated exercise combinations, and endless equipment.

But sometimes consistent work with simple movements can produce surprising results.

For six months, I essentially trained using two things:

Run.

Stop and do push-ups.

Repeat.

And that simple approach helped produce one of my best Murph performances ever.

The takeaway isn't that everyone should stop doing pull-ups.

The takeaway is this:

High-quality movement performed consistently can build far more capacity than most people realize.

By combining loaded running and high-volume push-ups, you can train nearly your entire upper body while simultaneously improving conditioning, posture, grip, and core strength.

Sometimes doing less really can deliver more.

*Pictured is my good friend, Matt.

Back to blog