Tom Holland's Physique: The Cindy Workout and How to Scale It

The workout Tom Holland actually does

Holland's routine is a classic CrossFit benchmark called "Cindy". One round is 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups and 15 air squats. You repeat that round as many times as possible — an AMRAP — for 20 minutes, and all you need is a pull-up bar and a timer. Holland has said his personal record is 27 rounds. Do the arithmetic and that is 135 pull-ups, 270 push-ups and 405 squats — 810 reps in 20 minutes. It is a seriously high bar, and it goes a long way to explaining the physique.

The appeal for the rest of us is the simplicity. No equipment to fight over, no complicated programming — just three movements almost everyone already knows, stacked into a test of stamina.

Why it's harder than it looks

On paper, five, ten and fifteen sounds gentle. The trap is pacing. The first three or four rounds feel almost too easy, so most people sprint — and then the push-ups fall apart around minute six and the whole thing grinds to a halt. Cindy is not really a strength test; it is a pacing test. The people who score well go slower than they want to at the start and keep the rounds smooth and unbroken, so the clock, not their form, is the thing that runs out.

How to scale it to your level

The best thing about Cindy is that it scales without losing its character. If you cannot yet do five strict pull-ups, you do not skip the workout — you adjust the movement. Standard scaling swaps strict pull-ups for banded or assisted pull-ups, or horizontal ring rows; swaps full push-ups for elevated (hands on a box or bench) or knee push-ups; and, for a true beginner, drops the reps to a 3-6-9 scheme and shortens the clock to 10 to 12 minutes. Learn the movement standards first — the exercise library shows a clean push-up and squat — then pick your tier:

None of these is a lesser workout — a scaled Cindy done with good form beats a full one done badly, and it is exactly how you earn the strict version over a few weeks.

A smart way to pace it

If you tend to go out too fast, cap yourself with an EMOM: at the top of every minute you do one full round, then rest whatever is left of that minute before the next one starts. It forces even pacing, protects your form when you are tired, and still leaves you working for the full 20 minutes. It is the difference between finishing strong and stalling at minute eight. This kind of high-intensity engine work is exactly what a HIIT session builds, and a coached functional fitness class will teach you to hold a smooth round under fatigue.

Take on the challenge at GymNation

You do not need Spider-Man's schedule to train like this — you need a pull-up bar, 20 minutes and a plan to scale. If you want rigs, coaching and a room full of people chasing the same clock, join GymNation today, pick your tier, and see how many rounds you can string together. Beat your own score before you worry about Holland's.

Sources:
tbreak.com
crossfit.com
marathonhandbook.com

The opinions shared in the GymNation blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.