CrossFit For Time Benchmarks: How to Test Your Fitness

In CrossFit, progress isn't just measured by looking in the mirror. It's measured in seconds, pounds, and reps. Among the most popular ways to track physical progression are the famous "For Time" Benchmark Workouts.

A "For Time" workout is simple in concept: you are given a specific workload, and you must finish it as fast as possible. In this article, we explain the history of CrossFit's benchmark workouts (the Girls and the Hero WODs) and how to test yourself safely.

The "Girls" and the "Hero" WODs

CrossFit founder Greg Glassman created benchmark workouts to act as physical tests. By repeating these exact workouts every few months, athletes can objectively measure whether their conditioning, power, and efficiency have improved.

The Girls

Glassman named the initial benchmarks after women, similar to how the National Weather Service names storms. These workouts are notoriously intense and test specific physical systems. Famous examples include:

• Fran: 21-15-9 reps of Thrusters and Pull-ups. A sprint that tests raw power output and lactic threshold. World-class times are under 2 minutes.
• Grace: 30 Clean and Jerks for time. A test of heavy barbell cycling and power endurance.
• Karen: 150 Wall Ball Shots for time. A brutal quad and lung burn.

The Heroes

Hero workouts are named after military personnel, firefighters, and police officers who died in the line of duty. These workouts are longer, heavier, and test mental toughness. The most famous is:

• Murph: 1-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, 1-mile run (often performed wearing a 20lb weighted vest).

"Benchmark workouts are not meant to be done daily. They are baseline tests. Treat them like exam days at school—prepare for them, perform at 100% effort, and record your score."

The Importance of a Time Cap

One of the biggest mistakes beginners make when attempting benchmark workouts is not setting a Time Cap (a maximum allowed time).
For example, "Fran" is designed to be a short, intense sprint. If an athlete takes 25 minutes to complete Fran because the weights are too heavy, they lose the intended metabolic response. Instead, they should scale the movements and set a 8-10 minute time cap.

Always set a realistic time cap to stay safe, avoid joint strain, and maintain the correct cardiovascular stimulation.