{"id":16691,"date":"2026-08-24T22:56:45","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T22:56:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=16691"},"modified":"2026-08-24T22:56:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T22:56:45","slug":"tom-hollands-cindy-will-make-you-a-better-outdoor-athlete","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=16691","title":{"rendered":"Tom Holland&#8217;s &#8216;Cindy&#8217; Will Make You a Better Outdoor Athlete"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"justify-start\">\n<nav class=\"align-left col-span-full mb-base\" data-pom-e2e-test-id=\"breadcrumbs\"\/>\n<p>Tom Holland&#8217;s go-to workout is just five pull-ups, ten push-ups, and 15 air squats on repeat\u2014but don&#8217;t let the simplicity fool you. A personal trainer explains why &#8220;the Cindy&#8221; builds serious endurance for hikers, runners, climbers, and everyone in between.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/p>\n<p class=\"fp-leadCaption py-tight text-left font-utility text-utility3-size leading-utility3-line-height text-secondary\"> (Photo: Tom Holland: WCGLA\/Mega\/Getty; Design: Ayana Underwood\/Canva )<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-body\">\n<p>Published August 24, 2026 04:22PM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>For seasoned outdoor athletes, a 20-minute bodyweight workout may sound ridiculously easy. But that\u2019s only if you haven\u2019t tried the Cindy\u2014the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.insidehook.com\/fitness\/tom-holland-viral-spider-man-workout\">viral CrossFit routine<\/a> that actor Tom Holland swears by.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/jennymccoywrites.com\/#about\">certified personal trainer<\/a>, and I agree this workout is pretty brutal, but adding these moves to your current training plan is a great way to build the endurance every hiker, climber, or runner needs. Here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n<h2>What Exercises Does the \u2018Cindy\u2019 Require?<\/h2>\n<p>In an interview with <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Dbzo5GgjogT\/?img_index=2\"><i>Men\u2019s Health UK<\/i><\/a> posted on Instagram recently, the 30-year-old <i>Spider-Man<\/i> star named the Cindy as his go-to workout when he\u2019s strapped for time but still needs a solid workout. The routine is simple: five pull-ups, ten push-ups, and 15 air squats. \u201cIt\u2019s great,\u201d Holland told <i>Men\u2019s Health UK. <\/i>\u201cLike, you don\u2019t have to think about anything; you just count your rounds.\u201d This routine is meant to build stamina and muscular endurance, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crossfit.com\/cindy\">according to CrossFit\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The hardest part is repeating that sequence as many times as you can in 20 minutes. Holland said his record is 27 rounds, and that even when he\u2019s feeling \u201creally tired,\u201d he can still eke out 20 rounds by repeating the sequence Every Minute On the Minute. In CrossFit terms, that\u2019s known as an EMOM workout.<\/p>\n<p>Try the Cindy just once, and you\u2019ll understand how impressive Holland\u2019s stats are. For perspective, CrossFit\u2019s website says that for intermediate athletes, a \u201cgood score\u201d is eight to ten rounds. Holland is leagues above intermediate.<\/p>\n<p><iframe class=\"fp-remove mx-auto fp-remove\" src=\"https:\/\/www.riddle.com\/view\/I7t0Jw7S\" height=\"900\"><span data-mce-type=\"&quot;bookmark&quot;\" style=\"&quot;display:\" inline-block=\"\" width:=\"\" overflow:=\"\" hidden=\"\" line-height:=\"\" class=\"&quot;mce_SELRES_start&quot;\">\ufeff<\/span><span data-mce-type=\"&quot;bookmark&quot;\" style=\"&quot;display:\" inline-block=\"\" width:=\"\" overflow:=\"\" hidden=\"\" line-height:=\"\" class=\"&quot;mce_SELRES_start&quot;\">\ufeff<\/span><span data-mce-type=\"&quot;bookmark&quot;\" style=\"&quot;display:\" inline-block=\"\" width:=\"\" overflow:=\"\" hidden=\"\" line-height:=\"\" class=\"&quot;mce_SELRES_start&quot;\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>How CrossFit\u2019s \u2018Cindy\u2019 Can Make You a Better Outdoor Athlete<\/h2>\n<p>Even if you\u2019re not at Holland\u2019s level, you can still gain a lot from this short-yet-intense routine. For starters, it\u2019s all about performing a bunch of reps in a row, which makes it stellar muscular endurance training. Muscular endurance is your muscles\u2019 ability to work for long periods of time. That carries over well to any outdoor sport, where the big-picture goal is continuous movement with solid form.<\/p>\n<h3>It Builds the Upper Body Strength Needed for Climbing, Paddling, and Swimming<\/h3>\n<p>The Cindy especially targets the core and upper-body muscles\u2014including the shoulders, chest, arms, back, and abs\u2014through pull-ups and push-ups, making it highly relevant to climbers, paddlers, and swimmers. Even though you\u2019re not using any external load (like dumbbells) to complete those exercises, they still involve moving a significant portion of your bodyweight against gravity (nearly 100 percent of your bodyweight in pull-ups, and up to <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/jnls\/nsca-jscr\/abstract\/10.1519\/jsc.0b013e3181bde2cf~the-effect-of-position-on-the-percentage-of-body-mass?redirectionsource=fulltextview\">75 percent in push-ups<\/a>), which is no easy feat.<\/p>\n<h3>It Targets the Lower Muscle Groups Needed for a Strong Hike<\/h3>\n<p>This workout also gives your lower body a great burn. The air squats will be the easiest of the three exercises, provided you don\u2019t have an existing knee or ankle injury. Compared to your upper body, the legs are a much stronger muscle group. So a basic squat without external resistance will feel less taxing than a standard push-up or pull-up.<\/p>\n<p>Because the Cindy centers on busting out as many reps as you can\u2013ten rounds work out to be a total of 150 squats\u2014your legs will still likely feel gassed by the end. That lower-body challenge also makes the Cindy pretty functional for leg-dominant activities like running and hiking.<\/p>\n<p>Another great benefit of the Cindy? It\u2019s a big test of mental fortitude. Your muscles and lungs will likely be screaming at you to stop well before that 20-minute timer goes off. Carrying on anyway, so long as you don\u2019t compromise your form or push into an unsafe intensity, can help sharpen your stamina for whatever outdoor adventure awaits you next.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><em><strong>About the author<\/strong>: <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/jennymccoywrites.com\/#about\">Jenny McCoy, CPT<\/a>, is a certified personal trainer and senior fitness and health journalist based in Colorado. As <\/em>Outside<em>\u2018s Moves columnist, she covers the best fitness routines for outdoor athletes. She earned her credentials through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). In her free time, she lifts weights, plays word games, and goes on outdoor adventures with her daughter, husband, and dog. In her previous story for <\/em>Outside<em>, she recommended the best standing exercises that can help improve stability in your favorite outdoor sport. You can read it here.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><b>Want more\u00a0<\/b><b><i>Outside<\/i><\/b><b>\u00a0health stories?\u00a0<\/b><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/hub.outsideinc.com\/bodywork_newsletter_sign_up-0\"><b>Sign up for the Bodywork newsletter<\/b><\/a><b>. And for tips on how to train, fuel, and recover better,\u00a0<\/b><b>sign up for the Sweat Science 101 newsletter<\/b><b>.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><span hidden=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/health\/training-performance\/tom-holland-cindy-workout\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tom Holland&#8217;s go-to workout is just five pull-ups, ten push-ups, and 15 air squats on repeat\u2014but don&#8217;t let the simplicity fool you. A personal trainer explains why &#8220;the Cindy&#8221; builds serious endurance for hikers, runners, climbers, and everyone in between. (Photo: Tom Holland: WCGLA\/Mega\/Getty; Design: Ayana Underwood\/Canva ) Published August 24, 2026 04:22PM For seasoned<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16692,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wild-living"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16691"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16691\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16692"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}