Why We Do “Chad” Every Year
Some workouts demand more than physical strength; they require deep, unwavering mental fortitude. In the world of CrossFit, no workout embodies this psychological crucible quite like Chad.
Chad is a Hero WOD named in honor of Navy SEAL Commander Chad Wilkinson, who died by suicide in 2018. This hero workout honors and pays tribute to anyone in your life who has died by suicide.
The Workout: 1,000 Box Step-Ups For Time
It sounds simple. It is anything but. This workout will be hard - maybe one of the hardest things you do this year.
The Hard Part: A War of Attrition
When you look at the whiteboard, 1,000 reps seems like a typo. It’s a number designed to test your attention span, posterior-chain endurance, and willpower to keep going.
1. The Sheer Volume
This workout is not a sprint; it’s an all-day marathon condensed into an hour or so.
Your lungs won't be screaming as they do during a thruster/burpee couplet. Instead, the challenge comes from the unrelenting, repetitive stress. Your quads and glutes will burn, your lower back will be tested, and the mental math of "how many more?" will become an effort in itself.
2. The Mental Grind
Physical pain is temporary, but the mental negotiation that starts around rep 300 is the real battle.
Your inner critic will tell you to stop, to take a five-minute break, to put the pack down and leave it there on the ground.
Chad forces you to practice the principle we constantly preach: consistency over intensity. You cannot win by going fast; you can only win by not stopping. This speaks true to anyone who is undergoing the mental challenges some of us face.
Why It's Worth It
So why put yourself through this?
The value of Chad lies in the payoff, which is far greater than calorie burn or leaderboard placement.
1. A Worthy Tribute
Hero WODs are designed to be difficult, pushing us to embrace the physical and mental discomfort that honors the dedication and sacrifice of the heroes they commemorate.
When you feel the weight of the reps, remember it’s a small, elective act of discipline compared to the weight carried by those in service or those fighting a silent battle.
Completing this workout is a powerful, tangible way to show respect.
2. Character Building
Chad strips away the need for fancy skills or complex movements, reducing fitness to its simplest form: show up and grind.
When you successfully hit 1,000 steps, you prove you can choose discipline over comfort for an extended period. That proof - that mental callus - carries over into every other area of your life, whether it’s business decisions, parenting, or pushing through a busy work week.
How to Conquer the Mountain
You don't just "do" Chad; you strategize for it.
Here are a few tips to ensure you finish strong and stay safe:
Break It Down: Don't think about 1,000. Think in chunks of 50 or 100. Commit to a 100-rep segment, take a controlled break (no longer than 30 seconds), and then commit to the next.
Pacing is Non-Negotiable: Find a sustainable, almost robotic pace from the start. If you feel good in the first 200 reps, slow down. You want your pace at rep 800 to be exactly the same as your pace at rep 80.
Scale Smartly: There is zero shame in scaling. If 45/35 lbs is too much for your back or core stability for 1,000 reps, reduce the weight (try 35/20 lbs) or skip the weight entirely and focus on the volume of the step-ups. If the 20” box is too much, reduce the height to a height that feels incredibly easy at the start.
The future you will thank you for being bold enough to keep growing.
