Jackie is a benchmark WOD where the intended stimulus is meant to be a significant cardiovascular challenge. The intensity should be high, the thrusters should be light and the goal should be speed.

The Workout

“Jackie”
For time:
1000 meter Row
50 Thrusters (Men – 45 lbs; Women – 35 lbs)
30 Pull-Ups

This workout is a single round with three parts. You start with a 1,000-meter row, then complete 50 thrusters and finish up with 30 pull-ups. Your score is your total time.

The History

Jackie first appeared on the CrossFit main site back in March 2009. Like Fran and Cindy, Jackie doesn’t look that bad. But also like Fran and Cindy, it’s one of “The Girls” for a reason.

Breakdown, Strategy and Scaling

Here are a few suggestions on how to approach this benchmark workout.

Row

Mentally prepare yourself for the 1000 meter row to take about half of your total workout time. If you go out too fast, you’ll suffer even more on the thrusters and pull-ups. Keep a steady pace, somewhere around 90% of your fastest 1,000-meter row.

Thrusters

Some people will be able to do all 50 thrusters unbroken. If you are not (yet) one of those people, make a plan for how you’ll break up the thrusters. The goal is to get through these as quickly as possible, so your best strategy might be shorter sets. For example, doing 5 sets of 10 quick reps will yield a faster time than trying to slog through larger sets of 25+ slower reps.

Pull-ups

Again, some people will be able to do 30 unbroken pull-ups. Or, you might be better off breaking these up. Find a way to break up the pull-ups so that you can continue moving quickly through the workout. For example, you might be able to keep up a faster pace by doing 3 sets of 10 or 5 sets of 6 pull-ups.

Scaling

If you scale, keep a record of how you modified this benchmark workout so that you have measurable and repeatable data for the next time you do Jackie.

  • Row: Shorten the distance of the row.
  • Thrusters: Drop the weight.
  • Pull-ups: Substitute in banded pull-ups or ring rows.

The next time you take on Jackie, remember to pace yourself on the row. Keep the thrusters light and fast (and scale if necessary). And break up the thrusters and pull-ups in a way that keeps you moving quickly. 3-2-1…go!

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