Benchmarks now have their own home in the Workout Library, separate from individual Movements, and you can link one directly to a section inside the Workout Builder. This makes it easy to program a named workout like 'Fran' or 'Murph' once and reuse it consistently, so coaches and athletes can compare scores across every class where it's programmed.
This article walks through the difference between Movements and Benchmarks, how to create and manage benchmarks in the library, and how to link a benchmark to a workout section.
What You Can Do with Benchmarks
Create and save benchmark workouts in their own library tab, separate from individual Movements
Start with 40 pre-loaded benchmarks (The Girls + Hero WODs) already in your library
Link a benchmark to a specific section of a workout so its description and scoring type auto-fill
Create a brand-new benchmark without leaving the Workout Builder
Track an athlete's scores for the same benchmark across every class it's been programmed in
See the scoring type for every benchmark and movement at a glance in the library table
What's the Difference Between a Movement and a Benchmark?
A Movement is a single exercise, while a Benchmark is a complete, named workout made up of one or more movements. For example, Back Squat is a Movement. Fran — 21-15-9 Thrusters and Pull-Ups — is a Benchmark.
Movements and Benchmarks now live in separate tabs in the Workout Library:
Movements — individual exercises that can be performed, tracked, and used inside workouts
Benchmarks — standardized workouts or fitness tests made up of one or more movements, meant to be repeated over time so you can measure progress
Both tabs show a Scoring Type column so you can reference how each item is scored without opening it.
Which Default Benchmarks Come Preloaded in Kilo?
Every gym starts with 40 industry-standard benchmarks already in their library — no setup required. These are labeled with a Default badge in the Source column.
Benchmark | Description | Scoring Type |
|---|---|---|
Fran | 21-15-9 Thrusters, Pull-Ups | Time (lower is better) |
Cindy | 20-minute AMRAP: 5 Pull-Ups, 10 Push-Ups, 15 Air Squats | Rounds + Reps |
Helen | 3 Rounds for Time: 400m Run, 21 Kettlebell Swings, 12 Pull-Ups | Time (lower is better) |
Grace | 30 Clean & Jerks | Time (lower is better) |
Annie | 50-40-30-20-10 Double-Unders, Sit-Ups | Time (lower is better) |
Karen | 150 Wall Balls | Time (lower is better) |
Isabel | 30 Snatches | Time (lower is better) |
Diane | 21-15-9 Deadlifts, Handstand Push-Ups | Time (lower is better) |
Murph | 1 Mile Run, 100 Pull-Ups, 200 Push-Ups, 300 Air Squats, 1 Mile Run | Time (lower is better) |
Fight Gone Bad | 3 Rounds, 1 minute each: Wall Balls, Sumo Deadlift High Pulls, Box Jumps, Push Press, Row, Rest | Reps |
You can create additional custom benchmarks any time — see the next section.
How Do I Create a New Benchmark in the Library?
Go to the Benchmarks tab in your Workout Library and click New Benchmark.
Go to Workout Library → Benchmarks.
Click New Benchmark.
Enter a Name.
Enter a Description (required). Use the formatting toolbar the same way you would in the Workout Builder — bold, italics, and lists are supported.
Select a Scoring Type (optional) from the same options used in the workout scoring picker.
Click Save.
The new benchmark is now available to link inside the Workout Builder, and shows a Custom badge in the Source column along with your name in the Added By column.
How Do I Link a Benchmark to a Workout Section?
Inside any section of the Workout Builder, click Link Benchmark next to the "Describe the Workout" field. A benchmark links to one specific section — not the whole workout — so a workout can still contain a warm-up and strength piece alongside a benchmark WOD.
Open the Workout Builder and name your workout as usual.
Inside the section you want to use as the benchmark workout, click Link Benchmark.
Search for the benchmark by name in the dropdown.
Select it.
Click Save.
The workout title you entered stays exactly as you typed it — linking a benchmark never changes it. Only the section it's linked to is affected.
What Happens When I Link a Benchmark to a Section?
The section's description, scoring setup, and scoring type all auto-fill from the benchmark — and everything stays editable afterward. Specifically:
The "Describe the Workout" field fills in with the benchmark's name (bolded) and its description
Score Entire Section turns on automatically
The Scoring Type pre-fills from the benchmark's saved scoring type
The option to add and score individual movements is hidden, since the whole section is scored as one
The section name (like "Warm-up" or "Section A") is not auto-filled — you still set that yourself
A small pill appears next to the label showing the linked benchmark's name, with an option to unlink it
You can adjust any of the auto-filled fields for that specific class — for example, changing rep counts for a modified version. Those changes only apply to that one section instance.
Can I Edit a Section After Linking a Benchmark Without Changing the Benchmark Itself?
Yes — edits you make to a linked section only affect that one workout instance and never change the saved benchmark in your library. A benchmark works like a reusable template: once it's linked, the section becomes its own independent copy that coaches can adjust for that specific class (for example, scaling weights or reps) without altering what future coaches see when they link the same benchmark.
Can I Create a New Benchmark Without Leaving the Workout Builder?
Yes — if the benchmark you're looking for doesn't exist yet, you can create it inline from the Link Benchmark search. This saves it to your library at the same time it links it to the current section, so you don't have to stop and go to the Workout Library separately.
Inside a section, click Link Benchmark.
Type the name of the benchmark (for example, "Murph").
If it doesn't already exist, select New Benchmark from the dropdown.
Enter the description and, optionally, a scoring type.
Click Save.
The benchmark is saved to your library and linked to the current section in one step, and it's available to link into any future workout.
What Happens If I Click "Score Entire Section" Without a Benchmark Linked?
You'll see a prompt asking whether to save the workout as a new benchmark or just score the section on its own. This comes up when you score a full section that isn't already linked to a benchmark.
Save as Benchmark — enter a name and scoring type, and it's saved to your library and linked automatically, so you can reuse it later
Just Score This Section — scores the section for this class only, without adding anything to your benchmark library
Use Save as Benchmark any time you expect to program the same workout again in the future.
Can I Edit or Delete the Default Benchmarks?
You can change the scoring type on a default benchmark, but its name and description are locked. This keeps the standard version of workouts like Fran or Murph consistent across every gym.
Name and description: locked on default benchmarks; fully editable on custom benchmarks you've created
Scoring type: editable on both default and custom benchmarks
Delete: not available on default benchmarks; available on custom benchmarks
Duplicate: available on both default and custom benchmarks
If you want a modified version of a default benchmark, duplicate it first, then edit the copy.
How Do I Compare an Athlete's Scores for the Same Benchmark Over Time?
Because every instance of a benchmark links back to the same saved entity in your library, all of an athlete's scores for that benchmark stay connected no matter how many times it's been programmed. As long as coaches link the section to the same benchmark (for example, Fran) each time it's programmed, athlete scores from every class session roll up together, so you and your athletes can track progress over time without any extra setup.
Movements vs. Benchmarks: Which Should You Use?
Movements | Benchmarks | |
|---|---|---|
What it represents | A single exercise (e.g., Back Squat, Pull-Up) | A complete, named workout made of one or more movements (e.g., Fran, Murph) |
Where it lives | Workout Library → Movements tab | Workout Library → Benchmarks tab |
Used for | Building out individual exercises within a section | Scoring an entire section as one standardized workout |
Comes with defaults? | No | Yes — 40 preloaded (The Girls + Hero WODs) |
Name editable on default items? | No | No |
Description editable on default items? | Yes | No |
Best for tracking | Personal records on a specific exercise | Progress on a repeatable workout over time |
Helpful Tips
Use Save as Benchmark the first time you program a workout you know you'll repeat — it saves you from re-entering the description every time.
Linking a benchmark never changes your workout's title, so you're free to name the class whatever makes sense for your schedule (like "Tuesday WOD") while still linking the WOD itself to a benchmark.
If you need a scaled or modified version of a benchmark for one class, link the benchmark as usual and then edit the section directly — those edits won't affect the saved benchmark or other classes.
Duplicate a default benchmark before editing it if you want a customized variation while keeping the original intact.
The Scoring Type column in both library tabs is a quick way to check how an item is scored before you open it.
When This Feature Is Most Helpful
Programming recurring benchmark WODs like Fran, Murph, or Cindy and wanting scores to track consistently over time
Running a "Hero WOD" or competition-style class where standardized scoring matters
Building a workout with a warm-up and strength piece alongside a benchmark-based WOD in the same session
Letting athletes compare their performance on the same named workout across months or years
Creating a gym-specific benchmark that isn't one of the defaults and reusing it across future classes
If you have questions about creating and linking benchmarks in Kilo GMS, our Support team is happy to help. Reach us at hello@usekilo.com.