CrossFit Benchmark Calculator
The formula
What the rx % tells you
How far a CrossFit benchmark workout landed from prescription — completed reps (scaled half-credited) against the Rx rep target, with intensity as load·reps per minute.
Calculation: Percent-of-Rx completion with time-cap weighting. Enter your inputs and every substitution is shown below the result.
Reading the result
Two athletes at 80% Rx are not equal: the one who got there in 9 minutes owns the higher intensity score.
Rules of thumb: Cindy: 225+ rounds Rx is competitive; Fran sub-4:00 elite
Limitations and best practice
Half-credit scaling is a convention, not a law — comparing across boxes requires the same scaling policy.
This calculator gives an estimate based on standard formulas; it is not professional financial, medical, legal or engineering advice. Verify anything you plan to act on with a qualified professional and your own records.
Frequently asked questions
Why half credit for reps?
Do time caps count as finishes?
Source & methodology
CrossFit Games Open scoring conventions.
CrossFit Benchmark: the number, the method and the caveats
This page was written for one job: turning your own inputs into a defensible figure, with the working shown. Searchers land on a CrossFit Benchmark page for three reasons — to plan, to compare options, and to check that somebody else’s arithmetic is honest. This tool serves all three, and everything after the calculator explains the model instead of hiding it.
The useful way to hold CrossFit Benchmark is as a ratio with a story attached: Percent-of-Rx completion with time-cap weighting says how the parts combine, and the 70.0 % figure above is simply that sentence written in numbers. Everything that follows unpacks one clause of the sentence at a time.
Trends beat snapshots. CrossFit Benchmark measured once tells you where you stand today; measured monthly against Workout (Rx reps) tells you which way the needle is moving — and direction is the actionable information in Fitness Performance.
Nothing below is stock text pasted around a number: the worked example computes rx completion = 70.0 % from this tool’s own defaults, and the sensitivity section ranks the inputs that move the result — Workout first, at ≈11.1 % of the headline for a ten-percent error either way in that input. Read the sections in order and you will be able to reproduce every figure by hand.
How CrossFit Benchmark is computed, line by line
One formula, published in full: Percent-of-Rx completion with time-cap weighting. Anything you can read, you can reproduce in a spreadsheet, and that reproducibility is the whole point of printing it rather than hiding it behind a button.
Workout (Rx reps) (example value 20) is a quantity rather than a category — precision here is cheap and worth having. The example value is there to demonstrate the mechanics, not to describe your situation — overwrite it.
Reps completed (Rx) (example value 14) is a measured number in the unit named by the label; the formula does not convert for you. Replace the example with the figure from your own records — the tool recomputes instantly and the printed steps follow your numbers.
Load used (same units as Rx) (example value 89) is a measured number in the unit named by the label; the formula does not convert for you. Quantities scale everything downstream — a one-unit error here is multiplied across the whole result.
Time cap used (min) (example value 12) is a numeric input whose unit is fixed by the label; a wrong unit is a wrong answer wearing a plausible disguise. Use the value as of today, not as of the last time you looked — time fields drift silently.
Scaled reps if any (example value 0) is a plain measured quantity — the unit shown in the label is the unit the formula expects. Replace the example with the figure from your own records — the tool recomputes instantly and the printed steps follow your numbers.
CrossFit Benchmark with real numbers, step by step
Rather than describe the calculation, here it is end to end — every substitution in order, starting from the inputs above. Starting figures: Workout (Rx reps), Reps completed (Rx), Load used (same units as Rx), Time cap used (min). The endpoint of that chain is 70.0 % of rx completion, sitting in the “70% of Rx volume at an average of 104 load·reps/min — strong scaled effort; the gap is conditioning not strength” band.
- (done + 0.5×scaled) ÷ Rx = 70%
- Intensity = reps × load ÷ minutes = 104
- Benchmark scaling: same formula for Fran, Cindy, DT
Volume-load — 1,246. Read next to the headline, this is the figure that shows the shape of the trade-off.
Load reps/min — 103.8. This is the number experienced users quote when the headline alone would mislead.
Scaled credit — 0 × 0.5 reps. Read next to the headline, this is the figure that shows the shape of the trade-off.
Time-cap intact — yes. This is the number experienced users quote when the headline alone would mislead.
Overwrite any input above and every line of this example updates with it — the substitution is live, not a screenshot of somebody else’s numbers.
Scenario table: CrossFit Benchmark at ±10 % and ±20 % of the key input
The honest version of any estimate is a corridor, and this one is cheap to produce: CrossFit Benchmark was recomputed at 5 points along the dominant input, with every other field left untouched.
| Workout setting | Rx completion |
|---|---|
| 80 % of the example value | 87.5 % |
| 90 % of the example value | 77.8 % |
| example inputs | 70.0 % |
| 110 % of the example value | 63.6 % |
| 120 % of the example value | 58.3 % |
The corridor runs from 58.3 % to 87.5 % across that band — which is the range worth planning inside rather than the single 70.0 % point estimate. Reproduce it in the form above by editing Workout alone; the substitution steps will follow your figures exactly.
Sensitivity: which inputs change CrossFit Benchmark the most
This list was computed for this specific engine just now: each numeric input was nudged ±10 % while every other field held its example value, and the rx completion was recalculated from scratch. For CrossFit Benchmark the ranking is measured rather than guessed, and it belongs to these defaults: shift the starting point and the order can shift with it.
- Workout +10 % → CrossFit Benchmark = 63.6 % · −10 % → 77.8 % (the rx completion shifts ≈11.1 %)
- Reps completed: ten percent up gives 77.0 %, ten percent down gives 63.0 % — ≈10.0 % of the rx completion either way
Workout is the dominant lever here: ten percent either way moves the result by about 11.1 %, from 63.6 % to 77.8 %. That is where a careless figure does the most damage, so check it against a source, and treat Reps completed as the second priority (≈10.0 % per ten percent). The remaining fields can sit at safe defaults without materially changing the answer — knowing which is which is what separates a careful calculation from an anxious one.
Is your CrossFit Benchmark good — reading the result bands
Nobody acts on a bare figure — they act on a figure with a comparison attached. The verdict attached to the default calculation — “70% of Rx volume at an average of 104 load·reps/min — strong scaled effort; the gap is conditioning not strength” — is one band on a ladder your own figure may sit somewhere else on. The sensitivity list shows how far a modest input error moves you along that ladder: for Workout, ±10 % covers 63.6 % to 77.8 %. The practical reading rules: ask what would have to change to move you one band. If the answer is “a small, plausible input difference”, the band itself is not the finding — the uncertainty is.
Where CrossFit Benchmark sits next to similar measures: this tool answers “how much is the CrossFit Benchmark”, while the related calculators answer “what do I do about it”. Reading the result alone tends to over-weight a single snapshot; pairing it with the companion tools above turns the number into a decision.
Why CrossFit Benchmark results go wrong — and how to prevent it
Half-credit scaling is a convention, not a law — comparing across boxes requires the same scaling policy. This calculator gives an estimate based on standard formulas; it is not professional financial, medical, legal or engineering advice. Verify anything you plan to act on with a qualified professional and your own records.
Acting on one reading. Day-to-day variation is real; confirm any surprising CrossFit Benchmark on two separate occasions before changing behaviour.
Attention is also misallocated between fields. Having measured this engine, we can say where it belongs: Workout first, everything else second.
The subtlest error is answering the wrong question precisely. Confirm that rx completion is actually the quantity your decision needs — the arithmetic is flawless either way, which is what makes the mistake invisible.
Six things to confirm before acting on CrossFit Benchmark
- Compare the output against one published benchmark or a colleague’s independent estimate.
- Compare the result with one independent method or published benchmark.
- Check Workout before anything else: it is the measured dominant input, ≈11.1 % of CrossFit Benchmark per ten percent.
- State, in one sentence, which convention each rate, unit or period in the form is using.
- Check that every field the formula needs actually arrived from a document, not from recollection.
- Confirm the answer against one independent method or published benchmark for CrossFit Benchmark.
Five steps from raw inputs to a figure you can defend
Using a calculator well sounds trivial, but the difference between a decision-grade figure and a throwaway one lives entirely in the routine. The routine for CrossFit Benchmark takes a minute to learn and applies to every input above.
Step 1 — one document, one pass. Open the statement, label or record that holds workout (rx reps), reps completed (rx), load used (same units as rx), time cap used (min), scaled reps if any and transcribe straight into the form. Transcription from a single source removes the mismatch errors that appear when figures are assembled from three different places. Comparisons are cheap: run the identical calculation for the alternative and look at the gap.
Step 2 — compute the version you would not be embarrassed by. If a stranger audited your inputs, which set would you hand over? Enter that set, read the result, and treat everything else as upside. Note the assumption you are least sure about; that is where the real risk lives.
Step 3 — change one input at a time. Nudge a single field by ten percent, watch the headline and its companions move, then undo it. Two or three fields will dominate — the sensitivity table above already ranks them for this engine. Precision is a promise you make about your data; make sure your inputs can keep it.
Step 4 — stress before you commit. A decision that survives a ten-percent squeeze on its two biggest inputs needs no luck to be sound. One that does not survive is a decision about hope, not about arithmetic. If a result feels obviously right, that is the moment to check the inputs hardest.
Step 5 — record the context, not just the number. Note today’s date and the inputs alongside the 70.0 % output. Six months from now the context is what turns this figure into a trend. Suspiciously tidy answers deserve the same scrutiny as untidy ones.
The real-world conversations CrossFit Benchmark settles
In Fitness Performance the figure computed here is usually the first one somebody asks to see. Having it — with the formula behind it — changes your position in the conversation from participant to reference. Comparisons are cheap: run the identical calculation for the alternative and look at the gap.
The companion outputs — Volume-load and Load reps/min — exist for the second stage of that screen: the headline sizes the prize, while the companions describe the trade-off you are accepting to get it. The test of a good estimate is not that it feels right but that it changes what you do.
Re-running this page costs nothing and catches the slow drifts that never announce themselves. In Health & Medical the expensive mistakes are rarely sudden; they are small changes in Workout (Rx reps) that nobody recalculated for a year. Note the assumption you are least sure about; that is where the real risk lives.
The questions that come up most about CrossFit Benchmark
What affects CrossFit Benchmark the most?
The short answer: Workout. The longer answer is the sensitivity table on this page, where every numeric input was probed by ten percent and the rx completion recalculated — Workout moved it furthest, by roughly 11.1 % (63.6 % to 77.8 %).
Which matters more: reps completed or workout?
Workout, by a factor of about 1.1. Concretely: ten percent on Workout is worth ≈11.1 % of CrossFit Benchmark, the same nudge on Reps completed only ≈10.0 %. That ranking is re-computed for each page from that page’s own defaults.
What is a typical CrossFit Benchmark?
There is no honest universal average for CrossFit Benchmark, but there is a reference point: the defaults on this page produce 70.0 % (70% of Rx volume at an average of 104 load·reps/min — strong scaled effort; the gap is conditioning not strength). Replace the inputs with your own and compare — that comparison is the useful meaning of “typical”.
How do I calculate CrossFit Benchmark by hand?
Use the stated model — Percent-of-Rx completion with time-cap weighting — and substitute in the order the tool prints (it starts from (done + 0.5×scaled) ÷ Rx = 70%). On the example inputs the hand route lands on 70.0 %, exactly what the calculator shows. A spreadsheet reproduces it in two or three cells; doing it once by hand is what makes the automated answer trustworthy.
What happens to CrossFit Benchmark if workout changes by 10 %?
The engine was re-run with that field moved by ten percent while everything else stayed fixed: the rx completion goes across 63.6 % to 77.8 %, a swing of roughly 11.1 % around the 70.0 % baseline. That ratio is the practical definition of how much this input matters.
Is the CrossFit Benchmark result of 70.0 % good or bad?
Neither, on its own — the label “70% of Rx volume at an average of 104 load·reps/min — strong scaled effort; the gap is conditioning not strength” is the band this figure falls in for the example inputs, and your own inputs will place you elsewhere on the same ladder. Judge the number against your history and your alternatives, and remember that a ten-percent error in Workout alone moves it by ≈11.1 %.
How often should I check CrossFit Benchmark?
Whenever an input changes by more than a few percent, and otherwise on the rhythm of your decisions — before a purchase, a review, a renewal. CrossFit Benchmark is a snapshot, not a subscription; stale snapshots are the most common silent error in Health & Medical planning.
When should I take CrossFit Benchmark to a professional?
Whenever the verdict band is far from your everyday range, or the inputs include medication-influenced values. CrossFit Benchmark is a screening lens — a clinician holds the diagnostic instruments.
Why half credit for reps?
It keeps the stimulus honest when loads or movements are scaled, but it is coaching convention, not measurement.
Do time caps count as finishes?
No — reps after the cap are not credited; the workout ends at the horn.
Does this CrossFit Benchmark tool store my numbers?
No. The entire calculation runs in your browser session; nothing entered above is transmitted or saved, which is the correct behaviour for sensitive Health & Medical figures and the reason you can re-run this page as often as you like.
The vocabulary of CrossFit Benchmark
- Volume-load
- 1,246 in the default CrossFit Benchmark calculation — one of the secondary figures an experienced reader checks before trusting the primary number.
- Load reps/min
- 103.8 on the example inputs — a companion figure printed beside the headline of CrossFit Benchmark so that no result is read in isolation.
- Scaled credit
- 0 × 0.5 reps for the CrossFit Benchmark worked case; it sits next to the main result because it carries context the headline leaves out.
- Rx completion
- The primary output of this tool: 70.0 % for the default inputs, computed exactly from Percent-of-Rx completion with time-cap weighting.
- Worked example
- The calculation written out in full so that nothing on this page has to be taken on trust.
- Verdict band
- The plain-language label — here “70% of Rx volume at an average of 104 load·reps/min — strong scaled effort; the gap is conditioning not strength” — mapping the computed figure onto experience-based ranges for Health & Medical.
- Sensitivity (±10 %)
- How far the CrossFit Benchmark moves when a single input is nudged ten percent either way; the ranked list on this page is computed live from this engine.
Method, sources and what this tool cannot tell you
Everything above runs on one stated formula, applied without hidden coefficients: Percent-of-Rx completion with time-cap weighting. Source of record: CrossFit Games Open scoring conventions. Where a professional version of this calculation differs, it differs in inputs and jurisdiction-specific coefficients, not in the algebra — which is why re-checking your inputs beats hunting for a second calculator.
This page is an estimation aid, not professional advice. The design rule is simple: two people entering identical figures must get identical answers. Nothing is smoothed, weighted or adjusted behind the scenes; where judgement enters, this page says so and names the input responsible.
Turning this CrossFit Benchmark into a decision
Re-run the calculation with your own figures, stress the two most sensitive inputs by ±10 %, and only then act on the result.
The audience here is people who need one trustworthy number before their next decision. Everything you need to defend the result — formula, substitution, sensitivity, source — is printed above, so the only remaining variable is the honesty of your inputs.