Vanquish Newsletter September 28th

Steve Jarecki • September 28, 2026

“Love. Discipline. Sometimes it gets close and not everybody understands it… I think you can accomplish some things and it still can be fun.”

-Pat Murphy



Week 7: it's complicated


Things are about to get a little… complicated.


Week 7 of Hercules is all about interference—pairing movements that challenge different parts of your fitness at the same time. Think barbell + gymnastics, conditioning + midline work, or partner workouts where the clock adds another layer to the challenge.


The goal isn’t just to move fast. It’s to manage your transitions, grip, breathing, and pacing so you can keep moving well when things start to get uncomfortable.


You’ll see some heavier barbell work throughout the week, with most of the big lifts living in the 75–85% range, along with moderate-length conditioning pieces that will keep you thinking while you work.


The Week Ahead:


Monday — Interlocked

We’ll kick things off with a Power Clean, Front Squat, and Split Jerk complex before jumping into five rounds of thrusters, dumbbell snatches, and burpee pull-ups.


Tuesday — Double Helix

Two challenging 15-minute pieces pairing the row with wall walks, then running with toes-to-bar. Two different combinations, one big test of pacing and movement management.

Wednesday — Tangled

Deadlift waves lead into a descending ladder that pairs heavy deadlifts with box jumps before shifting to lighter deadlifts and box jump-overs.


Thursday — Chain Reaction

Push Press volume followed by five sets of dual dumbbell hang clean & jerks and double-unders. Find a rhythm and try to stay there.


Friday — Give & Take

Back Squat waves and a max-rep set set the stage for a 12-minute EMOM featuring lunges, lateral burpees, and strict pull-ups.

Saturday — Intertwined

Grab a partner for a carry-heavy grinder featuring kettlebell runs, dumbbell bench, synchronized sit-ups, and farmer’s carries.


Sunday — Mixed Signals

We’ll close out the week with five sets of bike, wall balls, and rowing. Your legs will have plenty to say by the end.


The takeaway: This week rewards the athletes who know when to push, when to breathe, and when to break a movement before they have to. Don’t just attack the first movement—have a plan for the whole workout.


It’s complicated. But that’s what makes it fun.


Why Your Health’s ROI Doesn’t Last Forever


Net Fulfillment Over Net Worth.


We recently finished Die With Zero by Bill Perkins, and it sparked some interesting conversations about money, time, health, and what it actually means to get the most out of your life.


One of the book’s central ideas is pretty simple:

What good is building wealth if you wait too long to actually enjoy your life?


Perkins argues that we can become so focused on saving, accumulating, and planning for the future that we forget there’s another resource we’re spending every day: time.


And there’s an important connection between that idea and what we do at Vanquish.


Your health and fitness are an investment, but unlike a retirement account, you can’t wait forever to collect the return.


The ability to travel, play with your kids, hike a new trail, pick up a new hobby, compete, or simply move through your day without limitations depends in part on the body you build and maintain along the way.


That means your investment in strength, mobility, cardiovascular fitness, nutrition, and overall health isn’t just about looking or performing better today.

It’s about keeping your options open for tomorrow.


Maybe the return on your gym membership is a PR. Maybe it’s being able to carry your luggage through an airport without thinking twice. Maybe it’s having the energy to keep up with your kids. Maybe it’s saying yes to the trip you’ve always wanted to take.


The point is that health creates opportunities.


So while we’re all working toward different goals at Vanquish, the bigger goal is pretty universal:

Stay strong. Stay capable. Stay ready to say yes to the life you want to live.


Because there’s no point waiting for someday to start living—and there’s no better time to invest in the body that gets you there than today.


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.
By Steve Jarecki • October 12, 2026
Read the October 12th newsletter on strength tests, workouts, and health insights. Join us to enhance your fitness journey today!
By Steve Jarecki • October 5, 2026
Focus on deload week workouts to enhance skills & reduce fatigue. Join us for a free intro to start your fitness journey!
Person squats with a barbell in a dim gym, wearing black workout clothes and sneakers.
By Steve Jarecki • September 21, 2026
Read our September newsletter on empowering girls in sports & strategic training. Join us for a free intro session today!
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.”
By Steve Jarecki • August 17, 2026
“Hercules didn’t become strong by accident. Neither will you.”
By Steve Jarecki • August 10, 2026
“There’s no crying in baseball!”
By Steve Jarecki • August 3, 2026
“Test yourself. Trust yourself. Keep going.”