Every other benchmark in this library has a clock somewhere — a finishing time, a time cap, an EMOM interval, an AMRAP window. Lynne doesn’t. Rest as long as you need between rounds. Your score is total reps, and rushing only hurts you.
Lynne is the first workout in this library with no time component at all — not a finishing time, not a time cap, not an interval. You perform 5 rounds of max-effort bodyweight bench press and max-effort pull-ups, resting as long as you need between rounds and between movements. Your score is the combined total of every rep across all 5 rounds of both movements.
This is deliberate. Lynne is a strength and muscular-endurance test, not a conditioning test — rushing your rest to “beat a clock” that doesn’t exist here just means smaller sets and a lower score. The correct move is the opposite of every other benchmark in this library: take your time.
Score: total reps of both movements combined, across all 5 rounds — not a time. Rest as long as you need between rounds and between movements; nothing here is timed.
Lynne scales per movement. Choose the row below that produces real, double-digit sets every round — not the heaviest load you can technically lift a few times.
| Level | Bench Press | Pull-Up | Target Reps/Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rx | Bodyweight | Full ROM, kipping allowed | 10+ each, even fatigued |
| Scaled | 75% bodyweight | Banded or jumping pull-ups | 10+ each, even fatigued |
| Beginner | 50% bodyweight, or push-ups | Ring rows | 7+ each, even fatigued |
The right scale for both movements is whatever lets you get double-digit reps even in round 5 — if a round is producing 2–3 reps, the load or movement is too advanced for a useful score here, regardless of what you could technically lift once.
Rest 2–4 minutes between rounds — this isn’t optional generosity, it’s what the workout is designed around. A rushed round 2 because you only rested 30 seconds produces a smaller set, which lowers your score for no benefit, since nothing is timing you.
Use a spotter for the bench press; you’re training to real or near-failure on every set, and that’s not a movement to push without one.
Bench press first, then pull-ups, every round — don’t reorder movements to chase easier numbers.
Lynne is a bench-and-pull-up-bar workout by design, but both movements survive straightforward substitutions.
| Equipment | Substitution | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| No bench | Floor press | 1:1 reps, same load |
| No pull-up bar | Ring rows | 1:1 reps |
| Limited pull-up capacity | Banded or jumping pull-ups | 1:1 reps |
| No spotter available | Dumbbell bench press (safer to bail from) | Same relative load |
FITL scales this automatically based on the equipment and experience level in your profile.
Roughly 75 total reps is a solid beginner benchmark, 125 for an average athlete, 200 for advanced, and 400+ for elite-level athletes. Since it’s a combined score across two very different movements, consistency across rounds matters more than one big opening set.
It’s testing strength and muscular endurance, not conditioning — a time cap would push athletes toward rushed, smaller sets, which works against what the workout is designed to measure.
If bodyweight is too heavy to get at least 7–10 reps in round 1, scale to a percentage of bodyweight (75% or 50%) rather than grinding out 2–3 reps at full load — the score is total reps, so a lighter load with real volume produces a more meaningful number.
With scaling, yes — reduce the bench press load and use an assisted pull-up variation. The lack of a time cap actually makes this more approachable for beginners than most benchmarks, since there’s no pressure to rush.
Get Lynne — and every benchmark WOD — automatically scaled to your equipment and experience level.