Monthly Newsletter // September 2026
Get the latest on what's happening at Defined.
By
September 4, 2026
Pumpkin spice is back on store shelves, but don’t let that fool you — we’ve still got a bit of summer left! Read on for all the good vibrations coming your way this month at Defined, plus a spotlight on Coach Steven Bond!
📸 Photo Dumps! 👇
🏋️ August 2026
🏃Sunday Conditioning
Cycle #7 is wrapping this week, and we’ll enjoy a deload/bridge week before hitting Cycle #8. Stay tuned for a write-up soon!
With Labor Day Weekend coming up, a reminder that we won’t have any formal classes Monday, September 7. Some of our coaches plan to host a few informal open gym sessions — check PushPress for times if you’d like to come in. Otherwise, enjoy your rest day!
Get to know the coaches who make our Community Strong.
This month we’re catching up with Steven Bond, who joined Defined in 2022 and our coaching staff in 2024. Coach Steven will tell you he had little experience when he first joined our team — but what he may have initially lacked in formal coaching hours, he made up for in smiles, laughs, and overall good vibes.
Get to know more about Coach Steven — and how CrossFit helped him develop friendships, confidence, and real progress on his weight loss journey — in this month’s Coach’s Corner.
WATCH: Coach’s Corner: Meet Coach Steven!
READ: Coach Steven’s Bio
Drumroll please…our next generation of coaches are ready to meet you on the training floor. 🏋️
Please help us extend a warm welcome to Alex Bradley and Emily (Emi) Baltierra as our newest coaches at Defined!
Alex joined our community in 2024 and has spent the better part of the last year shadowing our coaches to get ready for this next step in his journey. He’s also a private bartender, if you’re trying to take your party-hosting skills to the next level.
Emi first joined Defined in 2020 before moving back home to California — returning to Chicago and our community in 2025. She brings coaching and personal training experience from other gyms and serves as our OUT Ambassador — helping us organize the Defined Pride Circuit in June benefitting the The OUT Foundation, an organization dedicated to removing barriers that prevent LGBTQ+ individuals from accessing fitness and wellness spaces.
You can expect to see these awesome athletes leading or co-leading your classes in the coming week — they’ll start out as subs and work their way onto the schedule from there. 🙌
We’ll share more about their personalities as we get to their respective Coach’s Corner spotlights. In the meantime, check out Emi’s recent Athlete Spotlight. 👇
Athlete Spotlight: Meet Emi Baltierra!
Welcome to the team!
It’s an annual tradition and end-of-summer hallmark: the Race to Wrigley 5K is happening Sunday, September 20, and we always look forward to running, jogging, and walking the race as a gym.
Shameless plug from Coach Reid: If you’re planning to train for Hyrox Chicago and/or take part in our Fall Endurance Program, this event is a great entry-point to get a baseline for your 5K time.
Register here and sign up in PushPress so we know who to expect!
Join Coach Noal and Coach Cara for an annual fall kick-off at the Indiana State Park Dunes! The Defined Dunes Hike is happening Sunday, September 27.
Meet at Indiana State Park at noon or Defined at 10:45 a.m. for carpooling options. Sign up in PushPress!
Two levels. One goal: build habits that actually stick.
Last month, we kicked off Level 1: Building Healthy Habits to lay the foundation, and our 21-day Nutrition Challenge is underway. If you're ready to dial in your macros -– Level 2 is coming up.
Sunday, September 20 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. | Price: $35
An advanced workshop for athletes ready to take their nutrition to the next level. Finding the right macro balance for your goals is key to maximizing performance and changing your body composition.
You'll leave with:
BLOG: What are Macros? 3 Easy Ways to Get Started
We’re bringing back Defined Endurance for the fall/winter season, just in time for Hyrox Chicago (happening February 12-15, 2027).
We’ve got two parts to this year’s program, and you can sign up for some or all.
First & Third Sundays of the month (October/November/December)
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
90-minute sessions designed to get your conditioning up, your engine revving, and you race-ready.
Register here:
Defined Members ($45 bundle or / $10/drop-in)
Non-Members ($90 bundle or / $20/drop-in)
Sunday, January 10 through Sunday, February 7
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
90-minute sessions designed to help you keep your conditioning up so you can stay primed through race day.
Register here:
Defined Members ($35 bundle or $10/drop-in)
Non-Members ($70 bundle or $20/drop-in)
All are welcome. We’ll have scaling options to meet you where you’re at and help you reach your specific conditioning goals. Don’t want to run outside in the winter? If you’re not trying to be race-ready, we can substitute running for you!
As we enter the fall/winter season, our Sunday Hyrox-Style Conditioning class will transition back to Sunday DefCon, moving away from Hyrox-focused movements and implementing more dumbbell/kettlebell complexes alongside traditional conditioning training. Same class times: 9 & 10:15 a.m.
Defined Endurance will act as our structured race-prep program designed specifically for athletes planning to compete in Hyrox Chicago. Each 90-minute session focuses on developing the endurance, running capacity, pacing, and race-specific skills needed to perform well across all eight official Hyrox stations and the running portions of the event.
Think of it this way: DefCon helps you get fitter. Defined Endurance helps you get race-ready.
As a small business, word-of-mouth and online reviews make our world go ‘round. You can help us by leaving us a Google Review!
Thanks for supporting our community. ❤️
BRING-A-FRIEND DAY
Tuesday, September 15
All class times.
RACE TO WRIGLEY 5K
Sunday, September 20
8 a.m.
Register here!
Sign up in PushPress
DEFINED DUNES HIKE
Sunday, September 27
Leave Chicago 10:45
Hike starts at Noon at Indiana Dunes State Park
Sign up in PushPress!
NUTRITION CLINIC: LEVEL 2
Sunday, September 20
11:30 a.m. -12:45 p.m.
Follows the free 21-day challenge. $35.
Sign up in PushPress
DEFINED ENDURANCE: FALL HYROX MEET-UPS
First & Third Sundays of the month (October/November/December)
11:30 a.m. -1 p.m.
Register here:
Defined Members ($45 bundle or / $10/drop-in)
Non-Members ($90 bundle or / $20/drop-in)
DEFINED ENDURANCE: WINTER HYROX TRAINING
Sunday, January 10 through Sunday, February 7
11:30 a.m. -1 p.m.
Register here:
Defined Members ($35 bundle or $10/drop-in)
Non-Members ($70 bundle or $20/drop-in)
Physical Therapy w/ Dr. Elvis!
Thanks for making our Community Strong. 💪🏼
Team Defined
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