Wednesday’s benchmark WOD is “Nasty Girls” – a triplet of air squats, visit this muscle ups and hang power cleans.  A little CrossFit history lesson:  I’m not sure that Nasty Girls was originally given a name.  I’m pretty sure it was named AFTER the WOD and CrossFit posted a video of Annie, click Eva T and Nicole performing the challenging WOD.  This was years before the Games were on ESPN or anyone really knew what CrossFit was.  I had not started CrossFit when this video was filmed (I think it was in ’04 or ’05).
Nasty Girls was the first CrossFit video I ever saw, buy and it was a similar introduction to many CrossFitter’s before the movement blew up.  Back then, CrossFit really was edgy.  Sexy women (that were stronger than me) working out like demons in a gym that was completely unfamiliar.  “Nasty Girls” was filmed in the original CrossFit Santa Cruz gym that the whole movement grew from.  That gym was filled with all kinds of cool equipment – rings, weights, a freaking pommel horse!  I was training in a globo gym, and this gym was like a fitness fantasy.
It may seem weird now, but at the time, this video kind of defined CrossFit to the masses.  It showed that workouts could be extremely challenging, that gyms and workouts could be individually created to the point of nearly being outdoors, that woman could be sexy and strong at the same time, and that we can learn so much about ourselves from challenges.  The end where Nicole becomes emotional, failing reps, but still fighting are still some of my favorite moments captured by CrossFit.
I just wish they didn’t change the music.  The original was set to a “nasty girls” remix with some record scratching.  Iconic, but apparently lost on the interwebz.
Strategy for Nasty Girls
There is not a lot to say here about the Cleans or the Squats – do them, get them done.  If you are able to do muscle ups, your grip will be taxed to the max.  Watch the video.  You may want to take planned rests on the MU, as if you over tax your grip you may begin to fail reps.  Failing muscle ups is very expensive.  You may want to rest more than you think you need to ensure adequate recovery.  But muscle ups are extremely individual, so you will have to find you threshold.
Scaling
Scale the barbell weight to something that is challenging, but is doable, at least for the first 10 reps.
If you don’t have muscle ups, feel free to scale with jumping or banded MU.  If this is not possible, try burpee pullups.  I imagine the triplet of squats/burpee pullups/cleans will be very challenging, so dig in and have fun.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0nPnElcqgU&w=420&h=315]
Workout of the Day
“Nasty Girls”
3RFT
50 Air Squats
7 Muscleups
10 Hang Power Cleans 135/85
There will be a 20 minute cap
Strength
Clean Pull Double
Following the WOD, work to a heavy Clean Pull Double.