Le WOD Cindy : 20 minutes que vous n'êtes pas près d'oublier | Charlie Tango Fitness

The Cindy WOD: 20 minutes you won't soon forget

No, you don't need to be a CrossFit Games athlete to try the Cindy WOD.


What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word “iconic”? Chances are it’s Michael Jackson or Prince. Or maybe Friends. For many CrossFitters, it’s Cindy’s WOD that comes to mind.

Classed as a benchmark workout, the Cindy WOD is as iconic as CrossFit workouts get. It’s one of the few workouts that almost every CrossFitter in the world has done and repeats every few months to measure their progress.

Sure, it might sound a little intimidating. But while many CrossFit workouts involve heavy dumbbells, Cirque du Soleil-esque gymnastics moves, and confusing equipment like the GHD machine or the Erg ski, Cindy's WOD isn't.

Instead, this popular workout involves performing three simple bodyweight movements: push-ups, pull-ups, and squats.

This is part of why the Cindy WOD is an incredibly accessible workout that non-CrossFitters, CrossFit Games athletes, and everyone in between can do—or a variation of it—and get a great workout.

Curious? Here's what you need to know about CrossFit Cindy's workout , including what the Cindy WOD is made of , why it's challenging and beneficial, and how to tailor the workout to your current fitness needs.

wod-crossfit-cindy

What is CrossFit Cindy's WOD?

Cindy is an AMRAP (as more rep as possible) style workout, so the goal is to complete as many rounds as possible before the 20' minutes are up.

Your score is based on the number of rounds you completed and the total number of reps that resulted. (If you're keeping score for your own process—as opposed to competing at the CrossFit Games —feel free to count partial sets or reps, as that effort counts in full.)

Here is the WOD Cindy:

20 minutes AMRAP of ;

5 pull-ups

10 push-ups

15 air squats

If you think this sounds simple, you are absolutely right. It is simple but very effective.

In fact, a 2014 study revealed just how effective it is: Researchers put a group of CrossFitters through the workout and found that, on average, they burned 13 calories per minute, or about 260 calories total in just 20 minutes (for comparison, jogging only burns about 150 calories in the same amount of time).

The reason Cindy WOD burns so many calories is because it was designed by experts. There is little interference between the movements because they all target different muscle groups.

Pull-ups work the lats, back, and biceps, push-ups work the chest, front delts, and triceps, and squats work the quads, glutes, adductors, and hamstrings.

So while you're performing one movement, the muscle groups used during the other two movements are resting...without you stopping to rest.

The result? You move and move more or less nonstop, which increases your heart rate and causes you to burn more calories.

How to try CrossFit's Cindy workout?

cindy-wod

Before you try this full-body, limited-rest workout, you need to determine whether you can do the workout exactly as written (in CrossFit, this is called doing the " Rx" workout) , or whether you need to reduce the movements.

Can you do a push-up? How about 12 in a row? Can you do a pull-up? How about eight in a row?

If you answered "yes" to all four of these questions, you are considered to have the strength and skills to perform the workout as written.

If not, don't worry, there are a myriad of ways to adapt the workout to your needs. You just have to adapt the movements.

To adapt the tractions...

If you are unable to do bodyweight pull-ups, belt pull-ups, resistance band-assisted pull-ups, or box jump pull-ups are recommended. If none of these methods are available, try TRX rings or rows.

cindy-wod-traction


You may be wondering if rope pull-ups (i.e. pull-ups that use momentum to bring your chin over the bar) are allowed.

Yes, they are, but we would like to point out that you should only incorporate them if you have mastered the movement and have already chained them together in a training session.

You're going to be doing a lot of reps in this workout, so if you can't kip safely, you risk injury.

To scale the pumps...

crossfit-incline-pushups

If you can't do push-ups or can't do many in a row with good form (remember: elbows back, core tight, chest on the floor), modify the movement by doing knee push-ups, elevated hand push-ups (with hands on a step, bench, or box), or dumbbell chest presses on the floor.

Don't play the hero: If you start with regular push-ups and the mechanics break down, modify the movement to avoid injury.

To adapt squats...

What about squats? The goal is to go down past parallel. If you can't do that due to limited mobility, squat as low as you can.

If you are a total beginner...

cindy-wod-crossfit

If you're completely new to fitness in general, it's recommended to make your workout a 10-minute AMRAP (instead of 20) or incorporate a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio. In other words, you'll do a set of exercises, rest for the same amount of time it took you, then start over and follow that pattern for 20 minutes.

The Cindy WOD makes you accumulate volume very quickly, more volume than normal for someone who is new to the exercise.


How to make the Cindy WOD even harder?

Three words: Go faster ! The Cindy WOD can't be too easy for you, because you can always go faster.

You can try wearing a weighted vest , doing strict pull-ups (assuming you would normally do rope pull-ups), or doing chest-to-bar pull-ups.

Just understand that these options will slow you down and make the workout less cardiovascular focused, and therefore change the intended stimulus for the workout.

If you can't do Cindy as written, don't try to do a more elaborate variation of it. Focus on learning the movements of the original workout.

What is a good time for a CrossFit Cindy workout?

A “good” score depends on your current fitness level. Elite CrossFit athletes (do the names Tia Clair Toomey, Kari Pearce, or Annie Thoridottir ring a bell?) can complete 25 sets.

The one and only time this workout made an appearance at the CrossFit Games in 2009, legendary athlete Chris Spealler crushed his opponents with 38 rounds!

Chris-Spealler-cindy-wod


Intermediate CrossFit athletes should expect 15 to 20 rounds, and beginners should aim for 10 rounds. But if you're new to CrossFit, instead of tapping into your inner competitor, focus on your form and pacing.

Start the workout at about 70-80% and watch the clock after completing one round. Try to complete each set that follows in the same amount of time.

Whichever variation of Cindy you do, write down your score. Then come back and try that benchmark WOD again in three months, and be amazed at how much you've improved.

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