Benchmark Review: Cindy

Cindy was one of the first workouts I tried at my crossfit gym.  It is also one of the first workouts I beat much more experienced and let's be honest here 'better' Crossfiters at.  The reason I was able to beat those other Crossfitters that smoked me in previous workouts is simple.  Cindy is very low skill workout but it pushes your strength and endurance to levels you couldn't imagine.

Cindy

5 Pull-ups 10 Push-ups 15 Squats

As many rounds as possible in 20 min

So if you're someone who is fit but new to Crossfit this is a great workout to test your physical fitness level and it is an encouraging workout because it will instill the fact that you just need to get your movements down and you'll be banging out the more skilled workouts in no time

The workout does involve pull-ups but in low amounts at one time. So even if you haven't mastered kipping pull-ups like myself you may be able to get by on strict pull-ups which are much, much more stressing on the body.

For Cindy you will perform these movements consecutively for rouns dor twenty minutes.  That means 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups and 15 air squats.  The sxore you want to go for if you want to be considered a solid competitor is 20.  The real advamced athletes will get around 25 but beginners should be around 15.

I asked my coach his opinion on the workout and where he thought I should be "Cindy is a great workout to test out volume and endurance.  It is a true test of a strong mind to to keep fighting through the pain that will surely come.  A round a minute is where someone fit should be so shoot for 20.  Anything more is gravy unless you're planning on competing" Coach Ben told me this with some confidence so I felt good. 

 When I completed a little more than 20 rounds I couldn't have been more pumped.  At round 15 it was a struggle. I asked a fellow Crossfitter what he thought of the workout "The rest is really when you're doing the squats because your legs should be able to handle the volume of the workout as a crossfitter.  The hard part should be the upper body stuff because of the stress on your shoulders"  said Blake Morelli an experienced Crossfitter and coach.  Funny thing is for me the hardest part were the squats which I had to break up into 5's while I could bang out the pull-ups and push-ups unbroken.  Years of weightlifting paying off!

Overall I give the workout an7.5
Skill level-3
Endurance-8
Strength-4
Fitness rating-9