Benchmark WOD “Angie” is a popular workout in cross-functional fitness that belongs to the series of workouts with “female” names. The basic exercise complex is designed for beginners in this field or for those who set a goal to establish their first basic level. This is a fairly simple workout that requires minimal sports equipment, and the only exercise in the program that requires special equipment is pull-ups. In this review, we’ll get acquainted with “Angie” workouts and useful recommendations for beginners in cross-functional fitness.

History of WOD “Angie”

“Angie” today is called one of the most famous complexes from “The Girls” series, which were created back in the 2000s when the field of cross-functional fitness was gradually becoming popular worldwide. Greg Glassman, as the creator of cross-functional fitness, gave these WODs female names. His choice can be explained by the fact that all hurricanes are called by female names, so workouts, like storms, are also felt physically and leave a trace, but in this case, a trace on the athlete’s body.

Main goals of creating “Angie”:

  • Provide athletes with a unified system for testing their own physical fitness, which can be repeated and compared from time to time.
  • Test muscular endurance and teach each athlete to cope with monotonous loads, as well as effectively work with their own body weight when performing exercises.
  • Using the adaptation method, allow each athlete, regardless of their initial level of preparation, to perform exactly the same workouts that real professionals choose.

The first time people heard about “Angie” was in 2003, when this workout became the first in benchmark style and was included in one list with equally famous ones: “Fran,” “Cindy,” and “Helen.”

Most athletes call their first “Angie” workout as “enlightenment.” After all, this is not just physical load but a complete psychological test. After completing 100 pull-ups, the athlete stops thinking about time, as the only thought in their head is related to completing all repetitions as quickly as possible and finishing the workout.

Evolution of “Angie”

Since its appearance, “Angie” has actively evolved, so it’s important to trace its gradual development from the moment of appearance in cross-functional fitness.

Conditionally, the evolution process can be divided into several key stages:

  1. Appearance – this is the period of 2003-2005. This is one of the first WODs that was initially based on one’s own body weight, so the workouts were called accessible to absolutely every athlete.
  2. Gradual growth in popularity – this is the period of 2006-2012. During this period, there was active development of cross-functional fitness, the emergence of a new competitive culture in sports, which led to the creation of clear standards: for example, kipping and butterfly pull-ups were allowed, but technique had to be perfect.
  3. “Angie” establishment – this is the period of 2013-2019. The number of gyms where these exercises began to be used for testing muscular endurance and mental stability gradually increased.
  4. New variations and progress – this is the period of 2020-2023. Starting from this period, various modifications of “Angie” actively appeared, more complex versions of workouts. For example, Weighted Angie – training with a vest; Team Angie – training in pairs where both participants divide exercises in half; EMOM Angie – each 1-minute segment includes 10 repetitions of one movement.
  5. Modern approaches in “Angie” – this is the period of 2024-2025. Now this exercise complex is called a basic physical strength test that will be especially useful for beginners and athletes with average preparation. This is an integral part of “Baseline Benchmark” workouts that are conducted several times a year to control specific progress. Sometimes “Angie” is used as additional workouts in rehabilitation programs, taking into account adaptation to each person’s individual characteristics. After all, the principle remains unchanged – working with one’s own body and weight.

The “Angie” complex gained popularity for several reasons directly related to the standard list of advantages.

Among such advantages, it’s worth highlighting:

  • Active development of strength and endurance with one’s own weight. As a result, functional strength can be developed: for example, pull-ups are responsible for back and biceps, push-ups – for chest and triceps, squats – for legs, and abs – for core.
  • Simple but quite effective test of athlete’s physical form. With the help of such a test, you can assess muscular endurance, body control, mental stability, and ability to work under high-volume conditions. By repeating the same exercises after a couple of months, you can easily see significant progress both in time and execution technique.

In addition, “Angie” doesn’t require a huge amount of equipment, which means exercises can be performed anywhere.

Preparation: What should you know and remember?

Benchmark WOD “Angie” is one of the most famous classic cross-functional fitness complexes. These are standard workouts that were initially created to assess the athlete’s overall physical form and gradually track their progress.

As a result, the athlete must complete the following exercise complex for time:

  • 100 pull-ups;
  • 100 push-ups;
  • 100 squats;
  • 100 sit-ups.

You need to start the workout with a clear setting of your own goals. After all, the athlete is expecting 400 repetitions ahead, which will require considerable effort. The starting point is a precise understanding of how much effort will need to be applied.

For most athletes, the most difficult part is the first 100 pull-ups, which is where the entire workout begins. However, this exercise was specifically chosen first because the athlete’s back and arms are still fresh.

To make the task easier, it’s recommended to develop an appropriate strategy: consistently perform 10 repetitions 10 times. Another equally effective option: divide the set into 40 repetitions, then reduce to 30, 20, and 10 repetitions. You need to find the most comfortable strategy and convenient number of repetitions for yourself.

A losing strategy for every beginner can be called the strategy when the athlete gives 110% already in the first set (even before the break). Despite the fact that this strategy allows you to perform 20 to 40 times in a row in one set (with fresh strength), the total time of the entire workout will significantly decrease due to overstrain and fatigue. After all, the effect of sprints on each person’s body and muscles is directly related to their physiological individual characteristics. Many trainers note that “training to failure” has a beneficial effect on the athlete’s physical condition. However, this strategy is not suitable if the result depends on established time. In this case, it’s important for the athlete that their muscles work well when performing other exercises: for example, during push-ups, when biceps, shoulders, and various muscles are engaged.

If you perform the entire “Angie” workout correctly, the pace will be stable from the very beginning to its logical completion. Moreover, the relative difficulty of each new exercise in the complex will gradually decrease. After all, performing 100 pull-ups requires more rest breaks than performing 100 push-ups. And step by step, the number of breaks will decrease, which positively affects the overall indicator – the time spent on the entire exercise complex.

Mandatory condition – warm-up

Before starting the workout, you should “warm up” your own muscles. For this, you’ll need to perform several mobility exercises. After all, for training with your own body weight, you can’t do without a combination of perfect balance of flexibility + strength.

Priority attention should be given to:

  • latissimus dorsi muscles;
  • hips;
  • biceps;
  • quadriceps.

After this, you can dedicate some time to repeat a couple of exercises provided in the “Angie” complex. This approach will help work out the correct technique when performing exercises. Remember that at the beginning of training, you should pay due attention to actively developing initial muscle memory. As a result, you’ll be able to maintain correct technique even under conditions of fatigue and stress.

You need to start “Angie” immediately after the warm-up, as soon as the first sweat appears. Another excellent warm-up option is light jogging/rowing to improve blood circulation throughout the body. This is a good starting point for your metabolism.

Important technical aspects

The “Angie” workout includes 4 basic exercises that are most commonly found in cross-functional fitness and other sports. Despite all the simplicity, you should pay due attention to technique, which shouldn’t falter. To avoid such failures, you need to stick to a pre-selected strategy. For example, during pull-ups, you need to control your head, which should remain in a neutral position. An excellent solution is the kipping or butterfly strategy, thanks to which you can reduce the load on neck, back, and biceps. Kipping or butterfly pull-ups allow you to transfer all efforts and direct them to speed. Before initially choosing a specific type of pull-up, you should adapt your warm-up, which should correspond to your specific individual approach. Remember that high heart rate can cause rapid athlete fatigue.

If the athlete decided to use the butterfly pull-up technique, they need to be initially confident that they can perform it regularly. Special attention should be paid to the fact that this technique needs to be reinforced and constantly applied in training. Beginners often encounter a common mistake: they use this technique and immediately expect it to become perfect within a week or two, without previous quality practice. After all, this technique is classified as a technique that needs regular practice, after which you can evaluate the first effective results.

Improving performance – one of the athlete’s main tasks

Improving performance cannot be imagined without regular training, which means you need to systematically perform the required number of squats, push-ups, and crunches. This approach allows you to improve each athlete’s initial indicators, demonstrating their personal progress. One of the best methods to reduce training time is the ability to focus on pull-ups, as well as developing strength and endurance when performing this technique.

After all, this part of the “Angie” workout can safely be called the most difficult, which will require the most time for rest between sets. Therefore, if the athlete doesn’t have any weak sides in other exercises, it’s best to stick to a strategy focused on pull-ups.