Vanquish Newsletter Mar 23, 2026
Steve Jarecki • March 26, 2026
Vanquish Newsletter
“All body types matter. All body types are worthy.”
-Ilona Maher
Week 2: Medusa Cycle π
We’re building on last week’s foundation with a continued focus on strength, skill, and consistency—before finishing the week with some fun, high-energy conditioning.
Early in the week, expect more technical work with our back squat,
hang clean, and split jerk
progressions. You’ll also see continued gymnastics development, including strict pulling strength and core stability work.
As the week goes on, workouts shift toward pressing endurance, aerobic conditioning, and partner training—giving you a great balance of strength and engine work.
What to Expect:
- Lower body strength + power to start the week
- Barbell cycling and Olympic lift progressions midweek
- Gymnastics strength focused on strict pulling and control
- Sprint intervals, longer aerobic pieces, and a partner workout to close it out
Focus Points:
- Move well first, then build intensity
- Stay consistent across longer workouts
- Be intentional with your gymnastics positions and control
- Let’s keep stacking quality work and building momentum into Week 2 πͺ
Quarterfinals Bound π
Huge congratulations to our athletes who have advanced to the Quarterfinals—the next stage of the CrossFit Games season!
Shoutout to Marianne, Christine, Kenton, Jordan, Allison, Jes, Blair, Erik, Mike Mierow, Mike Schmidt, Tom, Kevin, Jeff, and Lara
for earning their spot.
This is the most athletes we’ve ever had move on, and it’s a huge reflection of the hard work, consistency, and commitment inside our community. We’re proud of you and can’t wait to see you represent Vanquish in the next stage! πͺ
Quarterfinals kick off 3/26—keep an eye on the gym whiteboard and our social media to catch when these athletes will be throwing down!
Fix Your Shoulders in Just 10 Minutes πͺ
Dealing with nagging shoulder pain or limited mobility? This is your sign to do something about it. Join us on April 18th at 9am
for our next Innovate Seminar: “Fixing Your Shoulders 10 Minutes at a Time.” You’ll learn the most common causes of shoulder issues—and more importantly, walk away with a simple, effective 10-minute routine to improve mobility, build strength, and start moving pain-free. If your shoulders have been holding you back, this is a must-attend.
π§ Coaching Tip of the Week: Stack your habits.
Progress doesn’t come from one perfect workout—it comes from consistently doing the small things well. Show up, warm up with intention, move with quality, fuel your body, and recover properly.
Individually, these seem small. Stacked together, they’re powerful.
Focus on winning the basics every day, and the results will take care of themselves πͺ
Strong Looks Different π₯
What if the way you see your body is the only thing holding you back from what it can actually do? Olympic bronze medalist Ilona Maher gets real about confidence, self-doubt, and learning to appreciate strength over appearance. Her message is powerful, honest, and something every athlete—at any level—needs to hear. If you’ve ever struggled with body image or questioned your progress, this is a must-read.
Innovate Sports Medicine at Vanquish
Move better. Feel stronger. Stay in the game.
At Innovate Sports Medicine, we go beyond quick fixes.
Every session with Lara—your on-site Athletic Trainer and Gym Manager—includes a full assessment, hands-on treatment, and a personalized plan designed to support your training.
Dealing with a cranky shoulder? Lingering knee pain? Tight hips that won’t loosen up?
We don’t just treat symptoms—we address the root cause and give you a clear path forward.
You don’t have to stop training. You just need the right approach.
If something’s holding you back, let’s fix it—and keep you moving forward πͺ
Read the October 12th newsletter on strength tests, workouts, and health insights. Join us to enhance your fitness journey today!
Focus on deload week workouts to enhance skills & reduce fatigue. Join us for a free intro to start your fitness journey!
Read the latest Vanquish Newsletter on Week 7 of Hercules training. Join us for group & personal training to enhance your fitness journey!
Read our September newsletter on empowering girls in sports & strategic training. Join us for a free intro session today!
“You can’t be afraid of failure. You have to be willing to fail in order to succeed.” - Geno Auriemma βHercules 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. βπ§ 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! βWhat’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. πͺ MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH LARA Show up. Put in the work. Let’s go. π₯
Read about our weekly workouts, including a 9/11 tribute. Join us to embrace challenges & build your fitness plan today!
“You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.” - Dolly Parton βπ§ 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. π§ πͺ βπ§ 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! βπΊπΈ 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! πͺ β 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. πͺ MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH LARA ο»Ώ β Show up. Put in the work. Let’s go. π₯
“Train for the life you want to live.”
“Hercules didn’t become strong by accident. Neither will you.”
“There’s no crying in baseball!”
