CrossFit: The Girls

What are “The Girls?”

“The Girls” is a series of workouts originally released by CrossFit.com in 2003. These workouts set the very beginning foundations for what CrossFit is today.

The original workouts consist of: Angie, Barbara, Chelsea, Diane, Elizabeth, and Fran. Grace and Helen were added shortly after, and the list continues to grow as the sport evolves.

While the list may grow, the workouts themselves never change. Each one tests your fitness in different ways, and can be used as a starting point or as a way to gauge your progress.

Why are they women’s names?

These workouts are named after girls similar to the way storms are named. They are extremely physically demanding workouts and are intended to feel as though you’ve been hit by a storm upon completion.

What are benchmark workouts?

Benchmark workouts are considered a standard, and act as a way for you to not only compare your results in the same workout over time as well as compare your results to other people.

Benchmarks aren’t just an important way to gauge your fitness, though. These workouts also aim to expose your flaws by testing a variety of movements.

For example, let’s take a look at the workout “Diane.”

21-15-9:

Deadlift (225/155 lb)

Handstand Push-Ups

While you may have a strong deadlift, you may struggle with your gymnastics movements and handstand push-ups will slow down your overall time score.

Alternatively, you may be highly skilled in gymnastics movements (relative strength) but have a weaker deadlift (objective strength). Many of the “Girls” feature a variety of movements so you have to be skilled all around.

How do CrossFit gyms use benchmarks?

 Different CrossFit gyms use benchmarks in different ways. For example, at Holy City CrossFit, they use something called The Level Method. The Level Method aims to do the same thing that some of the standard benchmarks do: test your fitness and expose where you may have flaws & weaknesses.

With the Level Method your overall fitness level isn’t based off of your highest level, or average level, it’s based off the lowest level – this forces you to focus on your weaknesses, and bring them up to your strengths.

This is done to encourage you to work on those difficult movements! It’s easy to look at a workout and skip that day because you see a movement that you lack ability in. The Level Method provides scaling options that help build strength in those movements and motivation to show up on those days and work to crush those flaws!

Additionally, while you won’t see them with the same names, you’ll see some of the standard Girls workouts show their faces at the higher levels. Because the intent of these is a certain physical response from the body, they are modified at the lower levels to still obtain that same physical response, regardless of where you’re starting from.

Will there be more “Girls?”

Other “Girls” are continuing to be added by CrossFit via the main site and by boxes across the nation. New takes consisting of altered rep schemes and weights are also being implemented at gyms all over.

I believe that we will continue to see different spins on these original benchmarks but it’s always good to remember how they started! This is just one of the many ways that CrossFit remains exciting and maintains its reputation of being constantly varied.

The Girls

Here is a detailed list of the original “Girls” workouts:

Angie – (2003)

For time:

100 Pull-Ups

100 Push-Ups

100 Sit-Ups 

100 Air Squats

Barbara – (2003)

5 Rounds for time:

20 Pull-Ups

30 Push-Ups

40 Sit-Ups 

50 Air squats

3 minute rest

Chelsea – (2003)

30 min EMOM:

5 Pull-Ups

10 Push-Ups

15 Air Squats

Diane – (2003)

21-15-9:

Deadlift (225/155 lb)

Handstand Push-Ups

Elizabeth – (2003)

21-15-9:

Cleans (135/95 lb)

Ring Dip

Fran – (2003)

21-15-9:

Thrusters (95/65 lb)

Pull-Ups

Grace – (2003)

For time:

30 Clean and Jerk (135/95 lb)

Helen – (2003)

3 Rounds for time:

400 Meter Run

21 Kettlebell Swings (1.5/1 pood)

12 Pull-Ups 

Annie – (2005)

50-40-30-20-10:

Double-Unders

Sit-Ups 

Eva – (2008)

5 Rounds for time:

800 Meter Run

30 Kettlebell Swings (2/1.5 pood)

30 Pull-Ups

*Pood is a Russian unit of measurement popularly used in association with kettlebells. 

Pood Conversions:

1 Pood = 36.11 lbs = 16.38 kg

1.5 Pood = 54.17 lbs = 24.57 kg

2 Pood = 72.23 lbs = 32 kg

In 2010 six girls (“The New Girls”) we’re added to the list: Isabel, Jackie, Karen, Linda, Mary, Nancy.

Isabel – (2010)

For time:

30 Snatches (135/95 lb)

Jackie – (2010)

For time:

1000 Meter Row

50 Thrusters (45/35 lb)

30 Pull-Ups

Karen – (2010)

For time:

150 Wallball Shots (20/14 lb – 10/9 ft target)

Linda – (2010)

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1:

Deadlift (1.5x body weight)

Bench Press (body weight)

Clean (.75x body weight)

Mary – (2010)

20 Minute AMRAP:

5 Handstand Push-Ups

10 Alternating Pistols

15 Pull-Ups 

Nancy – (2010)

5 Rounds for time:

400 Meter Run

15 Overhead Squats (95/65)

Which of the Girls workouts is your favorite? Tell us in the comments!