Fact checked by Today, let’s discuss another of the original “girl” WODs, Angie. This is a benchmark workout meant to test your strength and endurance all at once. With proper scaling, it can be done by athletes of all levels.
Just like all other girl WODs, Angie is meant to drain you and set new PRs. This is a workout done for time to measure your overall progress. Beware, ike its sisters, like Grace, who are excruciating all over and get only harder as you go, Angie is a killer benchmark workout as well!
How is that possible? Let’s find out!
What Is Angie WOD?
Angie was a part of the initial programs created by Greg Glassman. It focuses heavily on the gymnastics part of the CrossFit exercise programming. There are two other modalities used in the program – metabolic conditioning and weightlifting. If you are interested in how the initial CrossFit programs were composed, you can check it in the official CrossFit Journal.
Back to Angie!
Angie consists of 4 exercises, 100 reps each. AFAP.
100 Pull-Ups
100 Push-Ups
100 Sit-Ups
100 Air Squats
The numbers seem scary on paper and are hard to do in life. However, a unique transition occurs between the second and third exercises – the WOD changes group muscles. As you switch from the exhausted upper body to the rested lower/midbody muscles, your sit-ups should be energetic, light, and fast! Here’s where the WOD can be divided into two parts.
Murph WOD: Setup, Safety, and Scaling
Considering the complexity of the initial two exercises, it’s recommended to scale Angie to suit your fitness skills.
With scaling, Angie becomes available to all kinds of CrossFit athletes.
Scaling
With Angie, scaling options are two-fold.
Firstly, you can cut the number of reps.
Secondly, you can substitute the harder pull-ups and push-ups with their beginner alternatives like banded pull-ups, knee or bench push-ups, etc.
From practice, beginners will require both to reduce the reps and substitute specific exercises. The possible options recommended by CrossFit coaches are:
Intermediate Option
For time:
- 60 pull-ups
- 60 push-ups
- 100 sit-ups
- 100 squats
Beginner Option
For time:
- 50 ring rows
- 50 knee push-ups
- 50 sit-ups
- 50 squats
Advanced option
For time:
- 100 pull-ups
- 100 push-ups
- 200 sit-ups
- 300 squats
What Are Angie WOD Goals?
Angie is an AFAP WOD, meaning it’s done “as fast as possible.” Thus, your goal is to set new personal time records every time you perform Angie. And although this is a highly individual workout, there are recognized time goals set in the community.
The official WOD Time Calculator sets them this way:
Beginner: 26-35 minutes
Intermediate: 21-25 minutes
Advanced: 15-20 minutes
Elite: under 14 minutes
Scaling is recommended if you cannot complete the WOD in under 35 minutes!
There is also an ANgie variation, Angie plus,
How to Do Angie WOD?
Overall, Angie consists of four basic calisthenics exercises. They are all bodyweight and require only a pull-up bar.
However, even though these are “basic” exercises for athletes, you shouldn’t neglect proper form!
Pull-Ups
It’s recommended to start the WOD under a pull-up bar immediately.
Place your hands in an overhand grip slightly wider than a shoulder-width apart. (If you do an alternative with the band, attach it beforehand; or you can do jumping pull-ups) Lift your feet off the floor, engage your core, and pull your shoulders slightly back and down. Bend your elbows and pull your chest up towards the bard. The pull-up is counted when your chin raises above the bar. Lower to the starting positions (legs lifted) and repeat. If you do jumping pullus, lower all the way to the ground.
Push-ups
Get on the floor in a plank position, hands beneath shoulders and slightly wider. Tighten your core. Slowly bend your elbows and lower your torso until your elbows are at 90 degrees. Push back up through your hands. Keep your whole body straight this whole time.
Sit-ups
Lie face-up on the floor and bend your knees up. You can tuck your feet under a sturdy surface like a couch or a bench for additional support.
Cindy WOD: Setup, Safety, and Scaling
Cross your arms over the chest or place them under your head. Engage your core and lift your torso up towards your knees. Lower back to the floor.
Squats
Stand up; keep your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly outward. Engage your core and squat down (remember to move your hips slightly back and align knees with toes). Raise to the starting position.
Angie WOD Safety and Tips
- To complete the WOD in time, you have to pace your exercises properly. Remember that the second part of it is going to be quicker. Devote more time to the pull and push to store enough strength for the later two exercises. Try to avoid anyone exercise taking more than 8 minutes.
- Important: Try to avoid anyone exercise taking more than 8 minutes if you are an intermediate athlete.
- Separate pull-ups and push-ups into several sets: 4 sets of 25 or 5 sets of 20 will be good for pull-ups. For push-ups, go for 4 sets of 25 or 3 of 30 plus 10.
- Bruising during sit-ups. This is the basic exercise that all of us have tried to do a least once in our lives. If you’ve done so too, you know painful it can be for your tailbone. To alleviate the pain yet get all its benefits, use a yoga mat for additional softness while maintaining a straight surface.
- Do not strain your neck and put pressure on it with your hands as you do sit-ups. Remember that your neck should not be engaged in these movements and just remain straight and still. If you keep your hands behind the head, do not push – support.
- Do not push your knees further than your toes – this is the standard squat rule.
What Are the Benefits of Angie WOD?
Angie is a whole-body routine with a bigger focus on the upper body. Thus, you get proper training of your lower body and exhausting training of the upper body. Most of the time, CrossFit is not about the upper/lower body split we’ve mentioned but about exhausting your whole body. It comes with several benefits
First of all, high repetition and the time limits rushing you make for a good cardio workout. An elevated heartbeat strengthens your cardiovascular system and improves your health later in life.
Also, the prolonged high tempo trains your endurance which is essential for most CrossFit WODs.
This benchmark workout efficiently measures your overall fitness performance and progress in a short under half an hour session. In addition, it tests your strength and endurance progress all in one set.
By incorporating sit-ups, you increase your core strength, which is obviously highly important for all sorts of active movements and the quality of your everyday motions.
Helen WOD: Setup, Safety, and Scaling
Although Angie is not meant to be done weekly, if you do it fairly regularly, it will improve your back pains with the help f powering up upper body muscles.
Overall balance is also going to be checked via the second part of the WOD. Checked and improved in the process!
In Conclusion
In short, Angie is a typical “girl” WOD that is not for “weak girls” at all. Not to say that CrossFit girls are not impressively strong.
This is a benchmark WOD, so you won’t face it too often, not on a weekly basis for sure. However, this is one of the most widespread benchmarks due to its versatility and full-body span.
Qualified coaches should set up personalized goals and scaling options for their beginner trainees due to Angie’s difficulty, even despite its visual simplicity. Note that if Angie takes you well more than 30 minutes, you should scale down either the number of reps or switch to exercise alternatives.
Sources
- A Theoretical Template for CrossFit’s Programming by Greg Glassman – (CrossFit Journal Article Reprint. First Published in CrossFit Journal Issue 06 – February 2003)
- WOD Time Calculator – (wodtimecalculator.com)
- Workout of the Day – (2021, CrossFit.com)
- 9 Benefits of Sit-Ups and How to Do Them – (Healthline.com)
