CrossFit and WOD founder Greg Glassman decided to name CrossFit’s ‘benchmark’ WODs after women after drawing inspiration from the process for naming storms – once stating that he did so because ‘these workouts are so physically demanding, they leave you feeling as if a storm had just hit you.’
These benchmark workouts, often referred to as ‘the girls’ are named after women who have truly left their mark on the CrossFit community, and include Angie, Barbara, Chelsea, Diane, Elizabeth, Fran, Helen, Grace, Isabel, Jackie, Karen, Linda, Mary, and Nancy. The girls are generally thought of as important training milestones, and when completed multiple times over a set timeframe, are a great way to test and evidence your fitness progress.