Chad 1000x
One thousand steps up the mountain, carried on your back.
1,000 weighted box step-ups for time:
20 in box
Ruck / vest: 20/16 kg
This is a long, monotonous grind that tests patience and mental resolve far more than fitness. There is no clever pacing trick here: pick a step cadence you can sustain for the better part of an hour and refuse to stop, because standing rests bleed time fast. Alternate your lead leg regularly to spread the load, keep the ruck snug and high, and settle in for a slow, honest war of attrition.
- · Full hip and knee extension standing tall on top of the box each rep
- · 20 in (51 cm) box; step up, do not jump
- · Rx ruck 20 kg men / 16 kg women; a loaded pack or weight vest is acceptable
- · Intermediate: 14 kg men / 9 kg women ruck on a 20 in box
- · Beginner: 500 step-ups on a 12 in box with no weight
- · Reduce load before reducing box height to keep the stimulus honest
- · Count in blocks of 50 or 100 so 1,000 feels like a series of small wins.
- · Switch your lead leg every 25–50 reps to avoid frying one quad.
- · Keep the ruck high on your back and your torso tall to protect your lower back.
Honours Navy SEAL Senior Chief Chad Wilkinson, who died on October 29, 2018 from injuries accumulated over two decades of service. He built the 1,000 weighted step-ups training to climb Aconcagua; it is now performed each Veterans Day for veteran suicide-prevention awareness.
Chad 1000x leaderboard
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