Introducing DAD WOD: Build a Body Ready for Whatever Comes Next
On Sunday, November 1, we’re launching a new specialty fitness program at Empower: DAD WOD.
Before we go any further, let’s clear something up.
You do not need to be a dad.
DAD WOD is for every skill level, every gender and every body. What brings the group together isn’t age, gender or parental status. It’s the desire to build a stronger, more capable and resilient body.
And to pay a little more attention to how that body moves.
Fitness Is the Tool, Not the Goal
When we talk about fitness, it’s easy to focus on numbers.
How much did you lift? How many reps did you complete? How fast did you finish?
Those things matter. They give us ways to measure progress. But they aren’t really the point.
The goal is physical competence.
We want a body that can move, exert, stabilize and respond effectively. A body that can lift, carry, run, climb, balance and recover. A body that is ready for whatever comes next, both inside and outside the gym.
That becomes increasingly important as we age.
Strength, mobility, coordination and confidence all contribute to healthy aging and a longer health span. Training isn’t just about what you can accomplish in the gym today. It’s about maintaining the physical capacity to keep doing the things you love for decades to come.
That’s what DAD WOD is designed to develop.
Five Stages. One Hour.
Every DAD WOD session follows the same five-part structure:
Warmup → Technical Instruction → Workout → Cooldown → Mindfulness
Each stage sets up the next.
The warmup prepares your body to move. Technical instruction gives you an opportunity to develop and refine movement skills before adding load or intensity. The workout gives you a chance to put those skills into practice while building strength and conditioning.
Then we slow things down.
The cooldown begins the recovery process, while mindfulness brings your attention back to what is happening in your body.
That last piece might not sound like traditional fitness training.
That’s exactly the point.
Mindfulness Is the Multiplier
Good movement requires awareness.
A hip shifts. A shoulder drops. A knee caves inward. Your weight moves onto one side.
Sometimes a coach sees it before you do. But over time, good coaching should help you recognize what your body is doing.
That’s where mindfulness becomes part of the training.
By deliberately paying attention to movement and physical sensations, you can begin developing a better understanding of your own body. Coaching cues become more meaningful. Technique becomes more intuitive. You become an active participant in improving how you move rather than simply following instructions.
The goal is to build that awareness gradually, alongside strength and fitness.
Because the more intensity you add, the more important good movement becomes.
Meet Your Coach: Ace
DAD WOD is coached by Alan “Ace,” a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer who brings a particular interest in the connection between physical and mental wellbeing to the program.
Ace started training at Empower in 2022 and will be the first to tell you that he didn’t grow up thinking of himself as naturally athletic. Through functional fitness, he discovered that strength, skill and physical confidence aren’t qualities you either have or you don’t—they can be developed.
That experience now shapes his coaching. Ace emphasizes strong fundamentals, technical precision and purposeful movement, meeting athletes where they are and helping them develop skills, confidence and greater trust in their bodies.
Alongside coaching at Empower, Ace is completing a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology. His belief that physical and mental health are deeply connected makes him a natural fit for DAD WOD’s combination of movement, coaching and mindfulness.
Build Fitness That Carries Over to Life
DAD WOD isn’t about chasing personal bests every Sunday.
We’ll still lift. We’ll sweat. We’ll challenge ourselves.
But the numbers are the mechanism, not the destination.
We’re training for strength, mobility, resilience, coordination and confidence. We’re developing movement skills that can support us in the gym while also making us more capable outside it.
That might mean performing better in another sport.
It might mean feeling stronger doing physical work.
It might mean continuing to hike, ski, play with your kids, travel, carry your own bags or get up off the floor easily as you get older.
Different people will bring different goals.
The underlying objective is the same:
Build a body ready for whatever comes next.
Join Us for DAD WOD
DAD WOD begins Sunday, November 1 at Empower Every Body Fitness in Vancouver.
Classes run Sundays from 12:00–1:00 PM and are limited to 12 athletes.
Early Bird: $189 + GST/month through October 25
Regular Price: $229 + GST/month
Membership runs monthly and continues until cancelled by the 25th.
You don’t need to be a dad. You don’t need to be an experienced athlete. You just need to be interested in moving better, feeling better and building a more capable body.
Ready to get started? Register for DAD WOD.
