Vanquish Newsletter August 3rd

Steve Jarecki • August 3, 2026

“Test yourself. Trust yourself. Keep going.”

Achilles Week 10: Time to See the Work Pay Off


Week 10 of Achilles is re-test week — and this is where the work starts to show.


Throughout the week, we’ll revisit workouts and movements from Week 1, giving you a chance to see how much you’ve improved over the course of this cycle. That improvement isn’t just about adding weight to the bar or shaving time off the clock. It’s about better pacing, smarter strategy, greater confidence, and knowing how to push yourself when it counts.


From Monday’s Front Squat test to Friday’s DT re-test, every day gives you another opportunity to put your training to the test. You’ll see familiar workouts, familiar movements, and familiar challenges — but you’re not the same athlete who took them on in Week 1.


Trust the work. Trust your preparation. Trust yourself.


Come in with a plan, execute with intention, and let the results speak for themselves. Your goal isn’t simply to go harder — it’s to move better, pace smarter, and see what happens when months of consistent work come together.


Your best pace is the pace you can sustain. Your best effort is the one you can execute with intention.

ο»Ώ

Let’s see what you’ve built.


2026 CrossFit Community Cup

The CrossFit Community Cup is coming to Vanquish! From August 1–31, athletes around the world will take on four workouts designed to test fitness, have some fun, and build community.

We’ll be programming each workout in class so everyone can participate. And the best part? You can repeat each workout as many times as you’d like throughout the competition window.


Community Cup Workout Schedule:

πŸ‹οΈ Workout 1 — August 10
πŸ”₯ Workout 2 — August 14
πŸ’ͺ Workout 3 — Later this month
⚑ Workout 4 — Later this month


Whether you’re chasing a score, testing your fitness, or just looking for a fun new challenge, come see what you’ve got!


πŸ‘‰ Learn more about the Community Cup


🚧 Brookfield Road Construction Update

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We're all feeling the effects of the Brookfield Road construction—especially when we forget to turn off autopilot and don't remember the detour until we're about to turn onto Brookfield Road!


At this time, Brookfield Road is still operating with southbound traffic only in front of the gym. We're closely following updates from the City's official construction page, and we'll be sure to keep everyone informed if anything changes.


Thank you for your patience, flexibility, and for sticking with us through the construction. We appreciate you making the extra effort to get to the gym, and we can't wait to see you in class!


The Basics Matter: Dementia Risk May Be More Modifiable Than We Thought


We came across some encouraging research recently: dementia may be becoming less common in older adults than it was decades ago.

A Duke University research team analyzed four decades of U.S. data and found that dementia rates among Americans ages 85–89 dropped significantly from 1984 to 2024. Similar trends have been observed in Europe and Japan.


Why does that matter? Researchers estimate that around 45% of dementia cases are associated with factors that may be influenced, including high blood pressure and cholesterol, hearing loss, depression, and social isolation.


Genetics still play a role, but they aren’t the whole story.


The takeaway? The basics matter. Regular exercise, maintaining strength, taking care of your cardiovascular health, staying socially connected, and managing your overall health can all contribute to healthier aging.


We can’t control everything about getting older — but we can control a lot more than we sometimes think.


Another reason to keep showing up, getting stronger, and taking care of yourself. πŸ‘Š


STOP TRAINING AROUND PAIN. FIX IT.


That shoulder that won’t quiet down.
Knees that hate squats.
Hips that feel locked no matter how much you stretch.


You don’t have to work around it anymore.


At Innovate Sports Medicine, Lara (your on-site Athletic Trainer + Gym Manager) will pinpoint the real issue, treat it, and give you a clear plan to keep training—without guessing or sitting on the sidelines.


No band-aids. No fluff. Just real answers and real progress.


If it’s been bothering you, it’s time to handle it. πŸ’ͺ


MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH LARA



Show up. Put in the work. Let’s go. πŸ’₯


Rows of black dumbbells on a gym rack, close-up view.
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Person squats with a barbell in a dim gym, wearing black workout clothes and sneakers.
By Steve Jarecki • September 21, 2026
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By Steve Jarecki • September 15, 2026
“You can’t be afraid of failure. You have to be willing to fail in order to succeed.” - Geno Auriemma β€ŠHercules Week 4: Familiarity With a Twist This week might feel a little familiar — and that’s intentional. You’ll see workouts that borrow from past experiences, with a few twists along the way. Repetition builds recognition, and recognition builds confidence under fatigue. Expect muscular endurance, midline work, mixed-modal conditioning, grip challenges, and plenty of opportunities to practice pacing and repeatable effort. Monday — Echo: Speed deadlifts followed by pull-ups and Echo Bike intervals. Tuesday — Jamais Vu: Front and back squat work followed by a descending ladder of kettlebell thrusters and burpees. Wednesday — Doppelganger: Two 12-minute pieces featuring running, rowing, GHD/V-ups, kettlebell swings, sit-ups, and dumbbell snatches. Thursday — Identity Crisis: Push press and push jerk work followed by bench press, double unders, and farmers carries. Friday — 9/11: A 2001m row buy-in followed by nine rounds of eleven reps. A workout built around remembrance and resilience. Saturday — Familiar Stranger: A two-person waterfall workout featuring running, hang power snatches, and back-rack step-ups. Sunday — Double Take: A 30-minute strength EMOM featuring bench press, sandbags, rows, carries, and planks. The Challenge Pick your number. Then hold yourself to it. This week isn’t about going out too hot. It’s about knowing what you can sustain, sticking to the plan, and owning the result. Set the plan. Trust the plan. Own the score. β€ŠπŸš§ Brookfield Road Construction Update Starting September 3, Brookfield Road will be closed to through traffic for approximately 2.5 weeks. Vanquish will remain accessible, but you’ll need to approach the gym from the south during this phase of construction. Please follow posted detour signs and flaggers and allow a few extra minutes for possible delays. Thanks for your patience! β€ŠWhat’s On Our Watchlist? The Dynasty: UConn Huskies . Apple TV’s The Dynasty: UConn Huskies takes a look at one of the most successful programs in women’s college basketball. But what stood out to us wasn’t just the championships. It was the standards. UConn didn’t become UConn because they discovered a secret training method. They built a culture where excellence was expected , and then passed that expectation from one group of athletes to the next. Geno Auriemma’s coaching style is demanding and, at times, confrontational. But the bigger lesson isn’t that everyone needs to coach like Geno. In fact, coaches like UCLA’s Cori Close show that you can have incredibly high standards while leading in a very different way. The important part is not lowering the standard just because the approach changes. Listen to players like Rebecca Lobo, Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, and Paige Bueckers talk about their experiences, and you hear the same theme: they weren’t looking for comfort. They wanted to find out how good they could become. That’s something we can all take from. At Vanquish, we believe training should challenge you, support you, and help you become better than you were yesterday. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s showing up, doing the work, and continuing to raise the standard. Great cultures don’t happen by accident. They’re built one workout, one rep, and one expectation at a time. STOP TRAINING AROUND PAIN. FIX IT. ο»Ώ That shoulder that won’t quiet down. Knees that hate squats. Hips that feel locked no matter how much you stretch. You don’t have to work around it anymore. At Innovate Sports Medicine, Lara (your on-site Athletic Trainer + Gym Manager) will pinpoint the real issue, treat it, and give you a clear plan to keep training—without guessing or sitting on the sidelines. No band-aids. No fluff. Just real answers and real progress. If it’s been bothering you, it’s time to handle it. πŸ’ͺ MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH LARA Show up. Put in the work. Let’s go. πŸ’₯
Person preparing to lift a barbell with large plates in a gym, wearing blue shoes.
By Steve Jarecki • September 8, 2026
Read about our weekly workouts, including a 9/11 tribute. Join us to embrace challenges & build your fitness plan today!
By Steve Jarecki • August 31, 2026
“You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.” - Dolly Parton β€ŠπŸ§  Hercules Week 3: The Mandela Effect Things may look familiar this week… but don’t trust your memory. Week 3 is all about The Mandela Effect —when we collectively remember something that never actually happened. Each workout takes something recognizable and adds a twist, flips the script, or sends you in a different direction. Expect power snatches, toes-to-bar, burpees, wall balls, double-unders, strict handstand push-ups, deadlifts, bench press, back squats, running, and plenty of barbell work. The big focus this week? Pacing and execution. A workout may look familiar, but the demands are different, so don’t let your memory dictate your pace. Coaches will help you spot the difference during the whiteboard brief. Listen for what’s changed, understand the intended stimulus, and attack the workout that’s actually in front of you—not the one you think you remember. 🧠πŸ’ͺ β€ŠπŸš§ Brookfield Road Construction Update Starting September 3 , Brookfield Road will be closed to through traffic for approximately 2.5 weeks. Vanquish will remain accessible , but you’ll need to approach the gym from the south during this phase of construction. Please follow posted detour signs and flaggers and allow a few extra minutes for possible delays. Thanks for your patience! β€ŠπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ Labor Day Schedule We’re keeping things simple this Labor Day! There will be no regularly scheduled classes , but we’ll have one all-levels class at 8:00 AM for anyone looking to get their holiday workout in. Open Gym will remain available 24/7 as usual, so you can train on your own schedule. Enjoy the holiday! πŸ’ͺ β€Š STOP TRAINING AROUND PAIN. FIX IT. That shoulder that won’t quiet down. Knees that hate squats. Hips that feel locked no matter how much you stretch. You don’t have to work around it anymore. At Innovate Sports Medicine, Lara (your on-site Athletic Trainer + Gym Manager) will pinpoint the real issue, treat it, and give you a clear plan to keep training—without guessing or sitting on the sidelines. No band-aids. No fluff. Just real answers and real progress. If it’s been bothering you, it’s time to handle it. πŸ’ͺ MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH LARA ο»Ώ β€Š Show up. Put in the work. Let’s go. πŸ’₯
By Steve Jarecki • August 25, 2026
“Train for the life you want to live.”
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“Hercules didn’t become strong by accident. Neither will you.”
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“There’s no crying in baseball!”