Member newsletter · Edition 27
1,000 Reps,
For Chad.
Week of 9 – 15 November. A heavy snatch day, a long run-and-grind Tuesday, Teams of 2 on the barbell, rope climbs, heavy deadlifts, and Saturday it's CHAD 1,000x — our hero WOD honouring Navy SEAL Senior Chief Chad Wilkinson, right in the middle of Movember.
01 · Programming
Grip, Grind,
And Chad.
It's a big week on the floor, building all the way to Saturday. Monday we start with 10 sets of power snatch singles, then straight into a variation of the classic "Amanda" — 9-7-5 power snatch and burpee bar muscle-up. Tuesday's a tabata skill piece on strict press and bent over row, followed by a long grind of running, GHDs and toes to bar. Wednesday it's hang power cleans and bar facing burpees, fast and heavy. Thursday we work rope climb descents, then an AMRAP mixing bike, rope climbs and max dumbbell bench press. Friday's three heavy sets of deadlifts into a 15-minute row and wall ball grinder.
And then there's Saturday. CHAD 1,000x is our hero WOD — 1,000 weighted box step-ups, honouring Navy SEAL Senior Chief Chad Wilkinson. It's a long one, built on endurance and consistency rather than speed, and it lands right in the middle of Movember — fitting programming for a month all about men's mental health. There's no Sunday class this week, so grab this week's at-home WOD below — a grip-and-legs carry to finish things off.
Coach's note
CHAD 1,000x is not a sprint — it's a grind. Pick a step-up pace you can hold for the long haul, work in manageable sets of 20-50 rather than chasing the whole 1,000 unbroken, and choose whether you're doing it solo, with a partner, or as a timed AMRAP. Whatever you pick, just keep stepping.
This week
CHAD 1,000x
For Time · 1,000 Box Step-Ups (20") · Saturday
FORMAT · Choose the version that fits you — tackle the full 1,000 reps solo, share the load with a partner, or cap it as a 45:00-50:00 AMRAP for max step-ups. However you take it on, keep a steady, repeatable rhythm from the first rep to the last.
The mission
This Hero WOD honours Navy SEAL Senior Chief Chad Wilkinson, who died by suicide after decades of service and the toll of multiple deployments. It's a workout built on endurance, consistency and mental toughness — and with Movember in full swing, there's no better week to take it on. Find a pace you can hold, and keep stepping.
| RX+ | Intermediate | Beginner |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 Box Step-Ups (20") · Vest/Ruck 20/15kg | 1,000 Box Step-Ups (20") · Vest/Ruck 20/15kg Optional | AMRAP 30:00 · Max Box Step-Ups (Low Box) |
Programming: Mayhem Gym Programming & Coaching Development
02 · Recovery
Grip, Legs,
And Long Efforts.
This week tests your grip from multiple angles — Monday's snatches, Wednesday's hang power cleans, Thursday's rope climbs and bench press — before Saturday's long CHAD grind hits the quads and calves hard. Recovery this week is about keeping grip and legs fresh enough to front up for each session.
Loosen Up The Grip
A few minutes on the forearms with a massage ball or roller after Monday, Wednesday and Thursday will keep your hands fresh for the week's heavy pulling and climbing.
Give The Quads & Calves Attention
A thousand step-ups is a serious ask of the quads and calves. Spend time on them before Saturday, not just after.
Fuel Before CHAD
This is a long one — eat a proper meal a few hours out, and have something small with carbs about 30-60 minutes before you start.
Hydrate For The Long Haul
Between Friday's deadlift/row grinder and Saturday's CHAD, this is a high-volume week. Keep the water bottle topped up every day, not just on the big session days.
This week's protocol
Before Saturday's CHAD, spend a few minutes on the calves and quads, and set a pace you can hold from the first step-up to the last — this one rewards patience, not speed.
03 · Nutrition · Week 5 of 6
Fuel The Shift:
Know Your Numbers.
Continuing our series for women navigating perimenopause and menopause — this week it's quantification. This isn't about obsessing over every gram forever — it's about spending a few days with a rough sense of how much protein, carbs and fat you're actually eating, so you can make intentional adjustments rather than guessing, especially as your needs shift through this life stage.
Start With Protein
Track your protein for a few days and see where you land. Most women need more than they think, especially through perimenopause and menopause.
Portions Over Perfection
You don't need to weigh everything forever. A week or two of rough tracking builds the awareness to eyeball portions accurately afterwards.
Use It To Adjust, Not Restrict
The goal of quantifying isn't cutting back — it's understanding what "enough" protein, carbs and fat actually looks like on your plate.
Try this week
In the day or two leading into Saturday's CHAD, take rough note of what you're eating. Notice whether you're getting enough protein and carbs to fuel 1,000 step-ups.
Beef & Sweet Potato Bowl
Ingredients
- 150g lean beef mince
- 1 medium sweet potato, cubed
- 1 cup greens (spinach or broccoli)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Cumin, paprika and a pinch of chilli
- Lime and a dollop of Greek yoghurt
Method
- Roast the sweet potato cubes with olive oil until tender.
- Brown the beef mince with the cumin, paprika and chilli.
- Steam or sauté the greens until just wilted.
- Build the bowl and finish with yoghurt and a squeeze of lime.
A simple way to see quantification in action — log this one once and you'll have a real reference point for what a balanced plate looks like.
04 · What's on
On The
Calendar
This week
CHAD 1,000x
Lads' Lunch
Coming up
Park Run Takeover
Ladies' Lunch
Mo-vement With Mates
Gym Christmas Party
05 · Home WOD
No Sunday Class —
Farmer Carry Grind.
No Sunday session running at the gym this week, so here's your prescription — a long grip-and-legs carry. Get it done wherever suits you, and don't stress if you don't have dumbbells — any odd object will do.
800m DB Farmer Carry — At Home
For Time
SCALE IT · Pick a load you can carry unbroken for at least 100m to start, then settle into manageable chunks — the air squats are there to keep you honest, not to wreck you. No dumbbells at home? Grab a couple of buckets, a loaded backpack, or any heavy odd object and get moving.
No Sunday class this week — get it done wherever suits you. See you Monday.
