There are many complex routines in the world of exercise and CrossFit today. However, when it comes down to it, you only need a pull-up bar and some floor space to get a total body, high-intensity workout.

Cindy is the perfect routine for anyone looking to improve their basic calisthenics moves while getting a great pump at the same time.

What Does Cindy Consist Of?
As was previously mentioned, Cindy is a total body workout that requires only a pull-up bar. 

For this workout, you’ll set a timer for 20 minutes and aim to complete as many rounds as possible of 5 pull-ups, 10 pushups, and 15 squats. 

What Is a Good Score for Cindy?
With any CrossFit workout, you should mainly be concerned with performing better than YOU did previously, not competing with any others, or trying to beat a specific score. 

However, if you’re looking for some basic scores to shoot for, here you go.

Beginners should aim to complete 10 rounds. This means you’re completing 1 round every 2 minutes: a very respectable score. 

Intermediate exercisers should strive to complete 15-20 rounds, with the upper range correlating with about 1 minute per round.

Elite, top-of-their-game CrossFitters should attempt to complete 30 rounds. This will only include a tiny percentage of the population.

How to Improve Your Cindy Score
For most people, the pull-up portion of this workout will be the limiting factor.

Even novice exercisers can usually knock out quite a few pushups and squats without much of an issue.

Therefore, you should strive to improve your pull-up performance as much as possible or modify this portion of the workout. Additionally, you should perform regular exercise for the muscles used during the pull-up. Specifically, you can work on bent-over rows to strengthen the back and bicep muscles for improved pulling ability.

You can substitute band-assisted pull-ups, Aussie pull-ups, or another variation on this part of the WOD (Workout Of the Day).

Regardless of how you scale the workout, it’s a killer!

Progressions on Cindy
If you feel you’ve mastered Cindy (either by completing 30 rounds or simply feeling that it’s getting too easy), you may consider moving on to Mary. Mary uses a similar structure (20 minutes of as many rounds as possible) but substitutes 5 handstand pushups, 10 pistol squats, and 15 chin-ups.

Undoubtedly, Mary will be more difficult than Cindy for most people. But, in a pinch, Cindy is an excellent option for exercisers of all ability levels.

Conclusion
Cindy provides a quick, effective workout for all of the body's major muscles. Plus, the fast-paced nature of the WOD can also lead to improved cardiorespiratory endurance if you’re pushing yourself to the limit.

Next time you’re looking for a great, new WOD to try, give Cindy a spin and see how you do. Can you surpass 30 rounds and mingle with the elites of the CrossFit world?

Good luck!