Vanquish Newsletter September 9, 2025

Steve Jarecki • September 8, 2025

Vanquish Newsletter

"Don't limit your challenges. Challenge your limits."

Week 5 of the Hercules Cycle

Get ready—this week is packed with big lifts, gritty conditioning, and skill progressions. You’ll see heavy squats, bench, and snatch work, high-intensity intervals, partner WODs, and plenty of gymnastics touches. And on Thursday, we come together for the 9/11 Memorial Workout—a chance to push with focus and respect.


Mon – Squat + Pulling Power
Back squats at 80% + EMOM with pull-ups, double unders, and step-ups.
Focus: Build strict strength and stay consistent.


Tue – Weightlifting + Intervals
Clean & Jerks + “Strength and Honor” (run + barbell cycling).
Focus: Push your run, manage the barbell.


Wed – Bench + Sprint Work
Bench press + burpee-bike sprints.
Focus: Sprint hard, finish strong.


Thu – 9/11 Memorial Workout
2001m row + 9 rounds of toes-to-bar, deadlifts, and wall balls.
Focus: Honor the day with grit and composure.


Fri – Snatch + Conditioning
Snatch complexes + “Hop on Pop” (wall walks, snatches, box jumps).
Focus: Smooth barbell cycling, steady rounds.


Sat – Partner Grind
“Runaway Bunny” — runs, DB cleans, and burpee bar work.
Focus: Strategy, communication, teamwork.


Sun – Ladder Burner
“The Very Hungry Barbell” — a spicy closer to the week.
Focus: Pace smart, finish strong.

Did You Know? πŸš€

Your Vanquish membership includes more than just the daily class workout! In addition to our 7-day class programming, you also have access to training tracks designed to meet every goal:


  • Competitor Track (5x/week) – extra work for athletes training for competitions.
  • Olympic Barbell (3x/week) – snatch + clean & jerk strength + technique.
  • Gymnastics + Strength (5x/week) – powerlifting + bodyweight skill progressions.
  • Endurance (3x/week) – aerobic training to build stamina.


We also scale class workouts for Level 1 (beginners), Level 2 (intermediate), Masters 55+, Competitors, and even offer Travel Options when you’re on the road.


βœ… All of these tracks are included and available to you—no add-ons, no extra cost. Ask a coach which ones fit your goals!

Here’s an energizing, client-friendly spotlight for the Vanquish newsletter, now with a direct listening link to the episode:


Member Resource Spotlight: Lower Back Pain, Decoded
This week we’re thrilled to rebroadcast Episode #287 of The Peter Attia Drive—featuring Dr. Stuart McGill, one of the world’s most respected spine biomechanics experts and Chief Scientific Officer at Backfitpro. Whether you're a dedicated athlete or simply committed to moving better, this episode clearly explains what’s really going on when your back hurts—and how to fix it.


Why you won’t want to miss this:


  • Acute vs. chronic back pain—they’re not interchangeable.
  • How your spine adapts to bending, loading, and athletic movement—and sometimes, why it fails
  • What’s really happening with bulging discs—and what that means for your pain.
  • Harnessing the mechanical story behind pain to reduce anxiety and regain control.


Listen here


This episode doesn't just deliver information—it empowers you with insight, tools, and hope. Ready to start building a stronger, more resilient back?

Innovate Sports Medicine
The ability to work through a full range of motion pain-free is critical to maximizing your results in the gym and living a healthy, active lifestyle! Our on-site Athletic Trainer & Gym Manager, Lara, will assess and treat the aches, pains, and injuries keeping you from reaching your full potential, while guiding you through the process every step of the way.


Are you struggling with some aches and pains? 


MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH LARA

Thank you for getting better with us each time you step into the gym. Let’s have a great week!


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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’₯
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