Do I have to take the full 3-minute rest?

The 3-minute rest is mandatory for the standard workout. Starting early doesn't count - your time includes all rest periods.

How should I track my time?

Track both total time (including rest) and individual round times. Consistent round times indicate good pacing.

Is Barbara easier than Angie?

Barbara has more total reps (700 vs 400) but the built-in rest makes it more manageable. Most people find Barbara less mentally challenging.

What's a good round time?

Elite athletes finish rounds in 3-4 minutes. Intermediate athletes should aim for 5-6 minutes per round.

Barbara

Rounds

One of the original CrossFit Girl workouts. The mandatory rest periods make this a unique test of repeated effort capacity.

The CrossFit Girls Benchmark Bodyweight Gymnastics

The Workout

5 rounds for time (3 min rest between rounds)

120 Pull-ups
230 Push-ups
340 Sit-ups
450 Air Squats

Time Cap: 45 minutes

Equipment Needed

Pull-up barAbMat (optional)

Target Time

Beginner

35-40 minutes (total)

Intermediate

28-35 minutes (total)

Advanced

23-28 minutes (total)

Strategy & Tips

Barbara is unique because of the mandatory 3-minute rest between rounds. This means you can push harder each round since recovery is built in. Track your round times for consistency.

Push hard each round - you have 3 minutes to recover
Break pull-ups strategically (sets of 5-10)
Push-ups are where you'll fatigue - plan your breaks
Sit-ups and squats should be unbroken or nearly so
Use the 3-minute rest wisely - walk, shake out, hydrate

Pacing

Treat each round as its own mini-workout. Go harder than you would in a continuous workout since rest is guaranteed.

Scaling Options

Scaled

10 Pull-ups (or ring rows)
15 Push-ups (knee push-ups OK)
20 Sit-ups
25 Air Squats

RX+

20 Chest-to-bar Pull-ups
30 Push-ups
40 GHD Sit-ups
50 Air Squats

Benchmark Times

Elite

sub 23:00

Advanced

23:00-28:00

Intermediate

28:00-35:00

Beginner

35:00-40:00

Workout Variations

Barbara Lite

3 rounds with same rep scheme and rest periods

No Rest Barbara

5 rounds continuous without the 3-minute rest periods

Strict Barbara

All strict pull-ups - significantly increases difficulty

Related Workouts

Angie

For Time

For time

100 Pull-ups • 100 Push-ups • 100 Sit-ups • 100 Air Squats

Cindy

AMRAP

20 minute AMRAP

5 Pull-ups • 10 Push-ups • 15 Air Squats

Murph

For Time

For time (partition pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed)

1 mile Run • 100 Pull-ups • 200 Push-ups • 300 Air Squats • 1 mile Run

Frequently Asked Questions