I Did CrossFit’s 20-Minute Cindy Workout Three Times a Week for a Month

I’ve been a personal trainer for more than 30 years. During that time, I’ve studied some of the most well-known training programs ever written. I’ve tried many of them for myself to discover if they live up to the hype.

In my experience, the best workout plans are often the simplest, as they’re usually the ones that are easiest to stick to.

That’s not to say that complex training programs don’t work—they definitely do. But the more time and mental energy you have to put into them, the more likely you are to start skipping sessions or looking for something more convenient.

And when it comes to fitness success, consistency is king. Missed workouts, even the well-planned ones, do not produce results!

But what if you strip your workout down to the bare minimum—say pull-ups, push-ups, and air squats? After all, between them, these exercises work almost every major muscle. Can such a minimalist approach produce results?

The classic CrossFit workout Cindy does precisely that. Requiring nothing more than a pull-up bar and a timer, it’s about as spartan as a workout can be, but it’s also brutally challenging.

I’ve always liked the Cindy workout but have never used it as my sole training method. As such, I was interested to find out what would happen if I did it three times a week for a month in place of my usual routine.

Would it make or break me?

In this article, I share my experiences and results from doing a month of thrice-weekly Cindy workouts.  

What is the Cindy Workout?

Cindy is a classic CrossFit benchmark WOD (workout of the day). Benchmark WODs allow participants to tack their fitness progress over time. There are several other benchmark workouts—some of which have female names.

However, they’re not named after actual people. Rather, like hurricanes, they’ve got human names to make them easier to talk about and remember.

Cindy is a 20-minute bodyweight-only AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) workout. The goal? In the allotted time, complete as many circuits as possible of the following basic calisthenic exercises:

That’s it—no equipment apart from a pull-up bar, and no rest breaks beyond what you need to catch your breath. The workout is as simple as it gets but soon turns into a test of muscular endurance, mental toughness, and pacing.

The Rules of Cindy

While there are numerous scaling options and unofficial variations of Cindy, according to CrossFit HQ, the rules for performing this WOD correctly are:

• Each exercise must be completed in order: pull-ups first, then push-ups, then air squats.
• You can rest as needed, but the 20-minute countdown never stops.
• Kipping and butterfly pull-ups (using momentum to get over the bar) are allowed, but strict pull-ups can be used as a tougher variation.
• Your final score is the number of full rounds completed plus any extra reps at the 20-minute mark.

As I was using Cindy as a developmental workout, I didn’t do kipping pull-ups and performed all the exercises using good form, albeit at a brisk pace. That said, I still worked hard to complete as many rounds as possible. This ensured that any increase in the number of laps would be down to needing less rest between exercises and cycles rather than rushing through the reps.

Speaking of round counts, CrossFit HQ suggests the following scores for Cindy:

• Beginner: 5–10 rounds
• Intermediate: 11–16 rounds
• Advanced: 17–23 rounds
• Elite: 24+ rounds

Related: Zero to CrossFit Hero in 8 Weeks: Your Ultimate Beginner’s Guide

Top CrossFit athletes have logged more than 30 rounds, with a few reports of scores even exceeding 35 rounds—a staggering 1.5 rounds per minute! While I had no hope of ever reaching the elite level, I had high hopes of reaching the 17-24 round mark so I could call myself an advanced Cindy WOD CrossFitter.

Looking for a similar but even more challenging workout? Try Chelsea!  

How did I get on? Here’s a week-by-week breakdown of my one-month experiment of doing three Cindy WODs a week.

Week 1 – Learning to Pace: Cindy Isn’t a Sprint

On paper, Cindy looks pretty easy. After all, it’s just 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 air squats, and 20 minutes. However, beneath this veneer of simplicity lies a monster of a workout that loves to catch unexpecting exercisers unaware!         

As such, my first Cindy WOD was an unmitigated disaster—I set off far too fast and was all but exhausted by the 12^th minute. I completed a very poor 10 laps and felt like a prize chump. However, even 10 laps mean I chalked up a respectable 50 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, and 150 squats in 20 minutes, which is a reasonable amount of reps.

The next two workouts went much more smoothly as I learned the power of proper pacing. Setting off a little slower seemed counterintuitive but meant I ended up finishing stronger and completing more laps.

Best Score for Week 1: 13 laps plus 5 pull-ups and 8 push-ups.

Week 2 – Filling the Gaps: Minimal Additions for Better Balance

Cindy is an excellent standalone workout that hits almost all your major muscles. However, midway through week two, I noticed that some areas of my body were getting hammered while a few others felt neglected. If ignored, this could lead to muscle imbalances or even injury.

So, I decided to supplement my Cindy workouts with a few carefully chosen assistance exercises. They would help plug any gaps left by spending most of my time and energy doing pull-ups, push-ups, and air squats.

I did these supplementary exercises after completing Cindy so as not to take anything away from the main part of my workout, limiting myself to no more than three per day. While I varied the exercises workout by workout, they included:

• Leg curls
• Romanian deadlifts
• Calf raises
• Lateral raises
• Face pulls
• Overhead presses
• Cable woodchop
• Pallof presses

Cindy-wise, my workouts continued to go well. I was becoming much better at pacing and felt that I was transitioning faster between exercises, needing less rest between laps. This was reflected in my best score for the week.

Best Score for Week 2: 14 laps plus 5 pull-ups.

Week 3 – Clock Pressure and Fatigue: Every Second Counts

While I wasn’t trying to set any CrossFit world records, I was consciously working to improve my score for Cindy. I really wanted to break the 17-lap barrier so I could count myself among the advanced for this classic WOD.

However, having this goal hanging over me meant that I started every workout feeling under pressure, and tempted to sacrifice good—and safe—exercise technique for more reps. I noticed my form was getting a little sloppy and started to feel that sloppiness in my joints.

With that in mind, I made the decision to perform Cindy at a conservative pace twice a week and only unleash the beast and push myself on Fridays. This strategy would enhance recovery and reduce the time pressure that was starting to weigh on my mind.

As you’ll see from my result below, this new approach worked well, and I took another step closer to my 17-lap target.

Best Score for Week 3: 15 laps plus 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 11 air squats.

Week 4 – Building Efficiency: Stronger, Smoother, Sharper

I started this four-week challenge feeling like a Cindy novice. Sure, I’d done this workout numerous times since discovering it nearly 20 years ago, but I’d never done it so regularly or exclusively.

That said, I was ending the month feeling like a certified Cindy expert!

After 12 successful Cindy workouts, I was virtually sprinting from exercise to exercise and needed very little time between rounds. With improved conditioning and better muscular endurance, I was free to focus on not just surviving Cindy but kicking its butt!

On the downside, I was getting pretty bored of doing the same workout over and over again, but this was a small price to pay for such a minimalist, time-efficient routine.

So, when Friday arrived, I made sure I was well-rested, properly fueled, and ready to challenge my best score for Cindy. Would I break the 17-lap barrier? It was going to be close!

 Best Score for Week 4: 16 laps plus 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups. *

*I did do 17 laps, but needed an extra 15 seconds so it doesn’t count. Still, I’m very happy with my progress and believe that I’d break 17 laps with a few more weeks of training.  

One Month of Cindy WODs: Results and Takeaways

Despite being such a minimalist routine, my month of doing nothing but CrossFit’s Cindy WOD still delivered some impressive results—beyond just increasing my lap count.

Its simplicity made it easier to stay consistent, and the short training duration—barely 90 minutes a week, even with the added support work—demonstrated that you don’t have to dedicate your entire life to working out, and a little exercise can go a long way toward helping you achieve your fitness goals.

Here’s a breakdown of the physical and psychological effects of the challenge, plus a few key takeaways from my month of minimalist training:

Improved Conditioning

My Cindy workouts never felt any easier. However, I was able to increase my pace and needed less rest between exercises and laps. This was a clear indicator that my conditioning and work capacity improved during this one-month experiment. Subsequent conventional workouts far easier, and my recovery was much improved.

Increased Cardiovascular Fitness

The fast-paced, non-stop nature of Cindy meant that it raised my heart and breathing rate without the use of cardio exercises. So, even though I did no running, cycling, rowing, etc. during my month of Cindy WODs, my fitness still improved. This is an excellent result that confirms the efficiency of this type of training.

Reduced Body Fat

I normally exercise for 5-6 hours a week. However, for my month of Cindy WODs, this was reduced to closer to 90 minutes. That’s a huge reduction in training time.

Despite this, and without adjusting my diet, I still noticeably lost body fat—2% according to my bioelectrical impedance scales. However, my body weight remained relatively unchanged, which suggests I built a little extra muscle as I lost fat.

Improved Performance

Doing the Cindy WOD for a month had a big impact on my ability to pump out laps of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 air squats for 20 minutes. I went from struggling to complete ten laps in the time allowed to falling just short of breaking the 17-lap advanced-level barrier. That’s an improvement of 65 %, which shows the power of exercise specificity.

The Downsides…

While doing nothing but CrossFit’s Cindy WOD definitely delivered some favorable results, there were a few notable drawbacks too. These included:

• Every workout felt like a race—because it was! The unrelenting time pressure took some of the enjoyment out of my training and occasionally led me to accept poorly performed reps instead of perfect form.
• Doing the same workout 12 times in a row soon became boring. I enjoy varied workouts, and I didn’t like being locked into such a repetitive routine.
• Overuse aches and pains became a problem during the last 10 days of this challenge. My elbows and shoulders were feeling the strain of doing so many push-ups and pull-ups.
• My legs felt relatively unchallenged by the workouts. Cindy is harder on the back, chest, arms, and shoulders than it is on the lower body. As such, this workout could create muscle imbalances.

Closing Thoughts

After one month of doing Cindy exclusively, I can confidently say that it’s an excellent workout that produces superb results in minimal time and with hardly any equipment. It will improve your fitness and muscular endurance while burning fat and building mental toughness.

Best of all, its brevity and simplicity make it easy to stick to—even on busy days. All you need is a pull-up bar and 20 minutes!

While I wouldn’t want to do Cindy forever, it proved to be a highly effective short-term challenge. If you want a no-frills routine that delivers, Cindy might just be the minimalist workout you’ve been looking for.

Related: The Minimalist Powerbuilding Program: Only 4 Lifts, 3 Days a Week for Strength & Size – My 8-Week Results