Do whip-like body lashings and lower back bruisings sound like fun to you?
If so, get excited; we’re talking about Annie today!
(at least this is what the Annie WOD was like for me the first time through, whipping myself with the rope and getting rugburn from the floor without an AbMat!)
Annie is one of the original “CrossFit Girls” and is actually named after one of the most famous female CrossFit athletes of all time (Annie Sakamoto…not Annie Thorsdottir).
It doesn’t get more “CrossFit” than that!
The Annie WOD is also one of the more polarizing CrossFit workouts out there.
Consisting of exactly 150 double-unders and 150 AbMat sit-ups, it’s a workout that can be completed pretty quickly and without excess exhaustion for those who “have” double-unders.
…or turn into a nightmare for those who don’t “have” double-unders.
Let’s take a look at this iconic workout in greater detail; we’ll discuss modifications, as well as the story behind the WOD.
Table of Contents
What is the Annie WOD?
As mentioned above, the Annie CrossFit workout involves two movements: double-unders and AbMat sit-ups. It takes on a descending rep pattern, beginning with 50 repetitions of each exercise and systematically working down to 10 repetitions of each.
No barbells necessary. Not a dumbbell in sight. If you have a few square feet of space and less than $50 in equipment, you can tackle the Annie WOD in the comfort of your own garage!
Like this guy:
Under 6 minutes is pretty good (Mr. Laich obviously didn’t take any breaks!) but is it “elite”?
Good Annie WOD times
As mentioned, Mr. Laich’s sub-6:00 time above is pretty good (he obviously didn’t waste any time or miss any reps!), but is it “elite”?
As you can see, Laich would have to go a bit faster to qualify as “elite” on Annie.
…but are those “elite” times a little “too elite” in this case?
Let’s see what happens when regular CrossFit Games athlete Noah Ohlsen and popular CrossFit Youtube commentator (and CrossFit Regional athlete) Andrew Hiller take on the Annie WOD.
Top-level athletes finishing in the ~6:20-range.
Now, these men (especially Ohlsen) don’t appear to really be pushing it. However, this leads me to believe that this is one of the cases where wodtimecalculator’s fitness levels are slightly off.
Annie CrossFit Workout Strategy
Your strategy for Annie can really be broken down into two major camps, both directly related to your ability to do double-unders. If you can consistently knock out big sets (~20 or more) you fall into the first camp and if you cannot, you fall into the second camp.
Big Sets of Double-unders
Great! You have been practicing your “dubs’ and feel confident in your ability to complete a lot of them really quickly.
So…you’re going to do them really quickly.
In the grand scheme of things, 150 double-unders, split up over 6-plus minutes isn’t that debilitating. You honestly may as well go for it.
If you’re really good at dubs, the sit-ups are going to be what slows you down and what might catch up with you.
If you’re blowing through the double-unders and moving through sit-ups at a good pace, be mindful that during the first few big sets, you might find yourself cramping.
So…go fast during the double-unders. Maybe go fast with your sit-ups, but at worst, allow yourself a short break after every 15th or 20th rep. This really only translates into 4 or 5 breaks so you’ll still post a good score. Plus you’ll have a good data point on how you felt which will be very useful on your second attempt.
Small Sets of Double-unders
Okay, Annie is probably going to be a bit tougher for you.
But don’t despair! The clean and even rep increments make the Annie WOD ideal for planned sets, whether your double-undering in sets of 15, 10, or even 5.
For example, if you can consistently do between 10 and 15 double-unders, you might consider straight sets of 10. For the first set, this looks like:
10-10-10-10-10
You hit your tenth rep each time, have a short, “celebratory break”, and gear up for the next 10.
Now, there will probably be some breaks here and there, but be sure to save the actual breaks for the 10th rep each time. Something like this will still get you through the first set:
8,2 – 10 – 6,3,1 – 8,2 – 5,3,2
Now, the flip side of this is, you’re really going to want to push the sit-ups. To be fair, you will probably exert a bit more energy (I know I get more tired from missed reps than I do from completed ones!) than someone going unbroken, but there will be a greater time domain. To be frank, you’re getting more rest during the double-unders.
So ball out on the sit-ups!
Be mindful of the cramping possibilities mentioned above, though. Remember, on your first go of the Annie CrossFit workout, you’re mainly looking to:
- Get a good workout
- Collect some data points
Once you have your double-unders on lock, you’ll chuckle thinking about your first shot at Annie!
(I know I sure do; a couple of elementary school kids at my first CrossFit gym in Belgrade smoked me!)