Vanquish Newsletter July 27th

Steve Jarecki • July 27, 2026

"Be stronger than your strongest excuse."



Week 9: Calm Before the Storm 🌩️


We're entering Week 9 of the Achilles cycle, and the theme says it all: Calm Before the Storm.


With just two weeks left in the cycle after this one, this week's programming is all about dialing in your movement, building confidence, and setting yourself up for a strong finish. You'll still work hard, but every workout has a purpose. This isn't the week to empty the tank—it's the week to sharpen your skills and trust the process.


Here's what to expect:

Monday: Snatch progressions followed by a fast-paced conditioning workout.

Tuesday: Bench press strength and a controlled EMOM focused on upper-body endurance.

Wednesday: A lower-body and grip challenge featuring lunges, double unders, wall balls, and heavy farmer carries.

Thursday: Gymnastics skill work with rope climbs before a bodyweight interval workout.

Friday: A lighter strength focus with sumo deadlifts and a smooth barbell cycling workout.

Saturday: A fun three-person partner workout built around teamwork, energy, and community.

Sunday: Split jerks followed by a steady aerobic AMRAP to wrap up the week.


Remember, progress isn't always about going harder—sometimes it's about moving better. Focus on quality movement, trust the programming, and leave each workout feeling like you could have done just a little more.


The storm is coming, and we're going to be ready for it. Let's have a great week!


 β€ŠπŸš§ Brookfield Road Construction Update

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!


 β€Šβ˜• Coffee Might Be Doing More Than Waking You Up

Good news for coffee lovers! A recent scientific review found that coffee is rich in antioxidants and other naturally occurring compounds that may support brain function, heart health, metabolism, and healthy aging. While it's not a miracle drink, the research suggests that moderate coffee consumption (about 2–4 cups per day for most healthy adults) can be part of a healthy lifestyle.

The biggest takeaway? Coffee works best as a complement to the basics—not a replacement. Pair your morning cup with consistent exercise, quality sleep, proper nutrition, and plenty of hydration, and you'll be getting the most out of both your workouts and your daily routine.

Read more about it here


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


Rows of black dumbbells on a gym rack, close-up view.
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“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.
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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’₯
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