Benchmark WOD
Cindy
Five pull-ups, ten push-ups and fifteen air squats — as many rounds as you can in twenty minutes. No barbell, no box, just a bar to hang from. It is the benchmark most people can do on day one, and one they keep coming back to for years.
Opens a 20-minute countdown with the round listed. Count your rounds; it calls the final seconds out loud. No account needed.
- Clock
- 20 minutes
- Each round
- 5 pull-ups · 10 push-ups · 15 air squats
- Rest
- None planned
- Score
- Rounds + reps
- Equipment
- A pull-up bar
Where it comes from
Cindy is one of the original CrossFit “Girls” benchmarks. It needs nothing but a bar, which is why it turns up in hotel gyms, parks and garages as often as in boxes — and why it is such a good test to repeat: the only variable is you.
Pacing twenty minutes
A round of Cindy takes most people between fifty seconds and a minute and a half. The score depends less on how fast you move than on how evenly: the people with the highest scores are usually the ones whose last round took about as long as their first.
| Target score | Pace per round | What it usually takes |
|---|---|---|
| 10 rounds | 2:00 | Steady movement, push-ups in small sets |
| 15 rounds | 1:20 | Push-ups broken early, quick transitions |
| 20 rounds | 1:00 | Unbroken sets for most of the workout |
| 25 rounds | 0:48 | An elite engine and deep push-up capacity |
Push-ups are almost always the limiter. Splitting them 5 + 5 from the first round feels unnecessary at minute two and saves you at minute fourteen.
What a good score is
| Level | Rounds | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner, scaled | 10–15 | Ring rows or banded pull-ups, knee push-ups |
| Intermediate | 15–20 | Rx movements, some broken sets |
| Advanced | 20–25 | Steady pace to the end |
| Elite | 25+ | The very top reaches the 30s |
These are rough ranges from what athletes commonly report, not standards. Compare against your own previous Cindy first.
Scaling, and its relatives
Swap pull-ups for ring rows or banded pull-ups and push-ups for elevated or knee push-ups, but keep the round the same shape. Two other workouts share this round: Chelsea asks for one Cindy round at the top of every minute for thirty minutes, and the middle of Murph is traditionally done as twenty Cindy rounds.
Why the countdown should speak
In Cindy, knowing that a minute is left changes what you do with it — the last round is worth sprinting only if you know you can finish it. LuxFit counts the final seconds out loud over your music, so you spend them working instead of looking.
Common questions
What is the Cindy workout?
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups and 15 air squats. Your score is completed rounds plus any extra reps.
What is a good Cindy score?
Around 15 rounds is a solid score for a regular trainee; 20 or more is advanced, and 25+ is elite. Compare against your own previous Cindy first.
How do I count a partial round?
Write it as rounds + reps: 17 + 8 means seventeen full rounds and eight reps into the eighteenth — five pull-ups and three push-ups.
Can I do Cindy without a pull-up bar?
Swap the pull-ups for ring or TRX rows, and note the change when you log it. It is a different workout from Rx Cindy, but still a useful one to repeat.
What is the difference between Cindy and Chelsea?
Same round, different format. Cindy is a 20-minute AMRAP; Chelsea asks for one full round at the top of every minute for 30 minutes, and ends when you miss one.