For time:
Row 2000 Meters
30 Box jump overs, 24″(20″)
30 Weighted ab mat sit ups, 20#(14#)
Row 1500 Meters
20 Box jump overs, 24″(20″)
20 Weighted ab mat sit ups, 20#(14#)
Row 1000 Meters
10 Box jump overs, 24″(20″)
10 Weighted ab mat sit ups, 20#(14#)

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Over the past several weeks you may have seen, or at least heard about, people doing the workout “Chad”, 1,000 weighted step-ups for time. Some of you may know the story behind this workout, but I would guess most of you do not. Should you ever endeavor to take on this workout yourself, please read the following so you know more about the man you honor in doing so:

The Story of Dave Castro’s Viral Hero WOD to Honor His Friend By Justin Lofranco of Morning Chalk Up

The story.

It was the afternoon of Friday, December 14. Jimi Letchford, James Hobart and Adrian Bozman joined Dave Castro downstairs in CrossFit HQ’s box. Each one with a 45-pound backpack strapped on, they began stepping, up and down on a 20” box, repeatedly for 1,000 steps.

The workout is called Chad — it was named after Chad Wilkinson, a friend of Castro’s and a 22-year active duty SEAL stationed in Virginia Beach, who took his own life on October 29th.

“When I posted the workout, I wasn’t trying to rally people to do it,” Dave Castro said in a phone interview.

But in the week since, hundreds if not thousands of individuals began to take on the workout themselves, in teams, and affiliates across the globe.

Some background.

Around 2008, Castro was a SEAL Qualification Training instructor down in Coronado when he met Wilkinson, who was already a SEAL and going through the course again after re-enlisting.

“We kinda treated him differently because he was already one of us,” Castro said.

The two developed a rapport and stayed in touch over the years especially as Wilkinson’s wife Sara became a L4 coach and flowmaster, who owned CrossFit Odyssey in Virginia Beach, where Chad was stationed.

When Sara spoke at her husband’s funeral, she recounted a recent story when she walked into the garage to find Wilkinson doing step-ups wearing a backpack. He was training to climb Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in South America, by doing 1000 step-ups at a time.

“You need to make that a Hero workout,” one of the CrossFit L1 seminar staff attendees whispered to Dave.

“I was blown away.”

When Dave Castro spoke on the death of his friend he told us, “I’ve lost a lot of friends as SEALs. It happens. But this was a shock. Suicide, that’s a tough one. I don’t understand it.”

Castro, who admitted he wasn’t trying to raise suicide awareness with this workout, recognized the burden many service members carry around, especially those in the elite special forces community.

“So many people who’ve done this for a long time have seen things and done things that most normal people don’t,” Castro said. “These people are carrying around things we don’t understand.”

In the week since Castro first posted the workout, the outpouring of support hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“I was blown away by the number of people doing this,” Castro said, who’s been reposting videos and images to his Instagram story of anyone who tags him doing the workout. “I’m really glad that so many people have done it and are rallying behind this. It’s all appreciated.”

The support has been so widespread that its caught the attention of Wilkinson’s wife Sara and daughter Kinsley.

“Thanks to everyone who’s done the workout in my dad’s name,” Kinsley wrote on her Instagram story.

Whole boxes have programmed it as their WOD. Gyms everywhere have been posting their Chad times and thanking him for his service. Boxes all over the US and boxes in Brazil, Sweden, Portugal, Argentina, and Ecuador did what is now called “Chad.”

Affiliates even as far away as Portugal are taking time to honor Chad. A member of Margem Sul CrossFit in Portugal told us they had nearly 60 people show up to do it. “We did it because we care about the community and it’s the only way we can honor Chad for the things he did for the world’s freedom.”

And that’s the thing about CrossFit — across languages, borders, countries and generations, we’re a family that takes care of their own.

We’ve got the watch, Senior.

Open Gym only today from 10:00 – 11:30 am. 

Come in, get your sweat on, and start 2019 off right!

3 Rounds for time of:
10 Muscle ups
20 Toes to bar
30(22) Calories on the rower

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Happy New Year’s Eve!!

We have some schedule changes these next few days:

Monday December 31st-

Schedule is normal in the morning and afternoon. Our last WOD class will be at 5:30pm and the last Sprint class will be at 5:30pm. There will not be any late evening classes or open gym tonight.

Tuesday January 1st-

We will have open gym only from 10:00 am – 11:30 am.  

Sunday January 6th-

We have one class at 8:00 am and then we are hosting the Functional Yoga for Athletics Seminar for the rest of the day.  Interested in attending?  Click HERE to register, it’s not too late. 

As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:
30 Double unders
20 Dumbbell hang power cleans
10 Box jump overs, 24″(20″)

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For time:
Row 500 Meters
then:
10 Rounds of:
10 Push ups
1 Power snatch 155#(105#)
then:
Row 500 Meters

Post time to BTWB

5 INGREDIENT VEGETABLE FRITTATA from Sweetphi.com

INGREDIENTS

• 4 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 medium tomato, chopped (about ½ cup chopped)
• ½ green bell pepper (about ½ cup chopped)
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried chives)
• ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and set aside.
• In a bowl whisk the eggs and salt, then add in the chopped vegetables and chives and ¼ cup of the cheddar cheese and whisk to combine. Pour into prepared skillet and sprinkle remaining ¼ cup cheddar cheese on top.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then slice and serve.

4 Rounds for time:
200 Meter run
20 Deadlift, 135#(95#)
5 Rope climbs

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The holidays is a hard time for the committed as well as a hard time for the occasional.

If you are someone committed to a strict diet throughout the year, the holidays becomes a time when we can begin to punish ourselves for enjoying ourselves. I’m here to remind you to stop. Just stop it. There is not need to workout for 3 hours before enjoying holiday dinner with family and friends. There is no need to work out for 3 hours AFTER enjoying dinner with family and friends. All you need to do is enjoy dinner with family and friends. Why do you adhere to the strict diet throughout the year? What is the why? What is the end goal? If the “why” is to be healthy, happy, and look like your best self and the end goal is forever. . . then part of that strict diet should include some days that are not so strict. Because what you eat is not the only key to health, happiness, and looking like the best version of yourself. It is a piece. Another piece is balance. Everyone needs balance in their life. That balance comes from time with people that make you feel happy, that make you feel like the best version of yourself, that make you smile and laugh. When that times comes, dive in head first and wade in it for hours. Soak it all in. Just be in it. Don’t be in it while also taking a tally of everything you consume so you can later make up for it and punish yourself with fitness. If you are compliant 80% of the year, the 20% deviation will not undo all that has been done.

If you are someone that only occasionally pays attention to what you eat, the holidays becomes a nightmare. Because it becomes an excuse, an excuse to consume all, indulge in all, and double down on all. And when the holidays come to an end, we sit back, look in the mirror, and sit on the scale and we feel filled with shame. Shame and cookies. I am here to tell you folks a few things. Just because you do not adhere to the strictest diet throughout the year doesn’t mean you haven’t earned the right to indulge and enjoy the holidays as well. But the bigger thing I want to remind you is this, 99% of food available during the holidays exist the other 364 days of the year. Don’t let the holiday parties and the family get together fool you in to thinking you need to eat it all now otherwise you won’t see it again until next year. You could have it next month if you want to. The holidays do not need to be all or nothing. With that said, a little helpful planning ahead of time Monday- Friday can allow for the extra cookies at the party on Saturday. I’ll say it again, the holidays do not need to be all or nothing. Rather than November 1st saying “fu*k it” until January 2nd, spend the weekdays tightening the reigns. Clean it up Monday-Friday, maybe tighter than you do the rest of the year. Tighten it up so come those holiday parties on the weekends, you can let loose and throw down. But come Monday, re tighten. Living a clean life 5 days a week with full food debauchery 2 days a week, might leave you feeling less crummy come January 2nd when the holidays have come to their end.

The truth is everyone needs to enjoy this time of year. And no one needs to come to the end of the holidays feeling bad about all that enjoyment. Whether you are the type of person to weigh and measure your food or you are the type of person who just read that and was like “WTF does weigh and measure mean?”, be in the moment at that work party, really sit and listen to stories while at family functions, cheers to the relationships formed with friends at various life stages. Because it truly is the season to be merry. 

20 Minutes to work to a heavy complex of:
1 Push press + 2 push jerks

Then every minute on the minute for 7 minutes
2 Push press + 2 push jerks @ 65%

Post results to comments or BTWB

STILL HAVE A BAD FRONT RACK?

Here are some great new mobility tricks to improve your front rack so, when doing multiple shoulder to overhead moves, your shoulders catch the barbell NOT your clavicles!!! Try it out and let us know what you think.

“Bert” 

For time:
50 burpees
400-m run
100 push-ups
400-m run
150 walking lunges
400-m run
200 squats
400-m run
150 walking lunges
400-m run
100 push-ups
400-m run
50 burpees

Post time to BTWB

Merry Christmas.  Today is a long grueling workout that Sprint recently did and since everyone likes a nice long workout before spending time with friends and family, why not honor a fallen HERO as well.  

One class today at 9:00 am.

For time:
Row 1000 Meters
50 Alternating dumbbell snatch
Row 750 Meters
36 Alternating dumbbell snatch
Row 500 Meters
20 Alternating dumbbell snatch
Row 250 Meters

*Pick your own dumbbell weight and try for unbroken rounds

Post times to comments and BTWB

Verve members we have quite a few schedule changes this week due to the holidays:

Monday December 24th-

We cancelled the early morning and late evening classes. This includes the early morning Sprint class and the 6:15pm Sprint class. Sprint only members are encouraged to join one of the WOD classes instead. 

Tuesday December 25th-

We have one class at 9am. 

Wednesday December 26th- 

It will be the same schedule as Monday. No early morning or late evening. No early Sprint or 6:15pm Sprint. Again, we encourage Sprint members to join the WOD class. 

**If there is any confusion or uncertainty about what time we will have classes, please refer to MBO. We promise it is all up to date. 

Thank you.

3 Rounds on a 7 minute clock:
15(10) Calories on assault bike
15 Deadlift, 225#(155#)
15 Burpees over bar
15(10) Calories on assault bike

Post times to comments and BTWB