Youth Fitness & Development Programs
Empower Your Young Athlete
Give your child, middle-schooler, or teenager the confidence to tackle whatever the world throws at them through fitness and development.
Our Empower Youth Fitness Programs in Vancouver are designed to develop strong, adaptable, resilient athletes with superior physical literacy. These programs are designed to meet the neurological and physiological needs of the each respective age group. Because these functional fitness movements are scalable, the athletes can safely train at their level.
Whether your child is just starting their fitness journey, is playing sports at a recreational level or is an experienced elite athlete, our programs will help them excel.
In the gym your young athlete will develop self-awareness, discipline, focus and perseverance that will help them overcome obstacles outside the gym. We want to help create a passion for fitness that your child will carry with them throughout their lives.
Group Classes, Small Group Training, and 1:1 Coaching for Youth
Choose from any of the following programs or call for a custom option
For athletes aged 8-12
Junior Varsity
Ages: 8-12
Prerequisites: None
Start date: September 2
The Junior Varsity group learns all the foundational movements of CrossFit. This includes weight lifting, gymnastics and metabolic conditioning. The PVC pipe is an excellent tool for teaching complex movements like clean and jerks without load until the athlete is ready to handle a barbell. If you stop by during class time you might see us playing games like shoulder tap cone grab or tabata hot potato hollow holds. These games help develop the smaller stabilizing muscles as well as make it fun so the kids work hard without realizing it!
Prerequisites: none at this time. All youth athletes welcome. Athletes who have participated in Junior Varsity can graduate to Varsity level when they age up.
For athletes aged 13-17
Varsity
Ages: 13-17
Prerequisites: Prior assessment
Start date: September 2025
Our Varsity program includes all weight lifting movements, gymnastics and metabolic conditioning. All weights are scaled appropriately to the correct stimulus and intensity for the athlete. We work on injury prevention and strong core conditioning in addition to providing a positive, confidence-building environment.
Prerequisites: Coach assessment and approval to ensure you can transition to Varsity classes safely and easily. One-to-one coaching sessions are available if needed to set you up for success in this program.
Register now, and we'll arrange for an assessment at a time convenient for you prior to joining class.
This program is currently full.
For young athletes on an alternative education path
Homeschool PE
Ages: 9-17
Prerequisites: None
Start date: September 10
Homeschool PE is a CrossFit-based program that incorporates cardio, strength training, and gymnastics movements for complete body conditioning. All weights are scaled appropriately to the correct stimulus and intensity for the athlete.
We work on injury prevention and strong core conditioning in addition to providing a positive confidence-building environment. Best of all, we have fun doing it, by incorporating partner workouts and games.
Early bird pricing ends August 25.
For teams between seasons
Team Training
Ages: 9-18
Prerequisites: None
Start date: Let's talk!
Empower offers dryland training for teams that are coming off the ice, out of the pool or are in between seasons. Bring your team in for strength and conditioning sessions and set them up for success when they return to sport.
Talk to us to set up a training program for your team.
For all athletes aged 8-17
Youth Personal Training
Ages: 8-17
Prerequisites: None
Start date: Let's talk!
Our Youth Personal Training program is custom built to support the needs of your athlete. These custom programmed sessions can be built to support youth athletes in specific sports with a focus on strengthening, injury prevention, and injury recovery.
Personal training can be done 1:1 or in small groups (1:2, 1:3, 1:4, etc.) so kids can train with their friends.
Whether the group class time doesn’t fit your schedule, your athlete works better one-on-one, or your elite athlete is looking for more specific training, we are here to help meet those needs.
Our Coaches Talk About How We Empower Youth Athletes
Weekly Empower WOD: August 4-10 2025
The 2015 programming is a good swift kick to the ego. There are a lot fewer workouts that I can complete Rx’d than in the 2025 programming. This week is a case in point. As much as I love the workouts here, I had to set my ego aside and modify a couple of them. You may have to as well. It is exciting to have challenges that stretch us to grow and become better!
Here’s what is in store for you for the week starting August 4th:
Monday August 4th 2025
HeroWOD Bowen
3 Rounds
800m Run
7 Deadlifts @275#
10 Burpee-Pull Ups
7/7 Single Arm KB Thruster L/R @1.5 pood
20 Box Jumps @24"
Use 275lbs or deadlift weight from your recent deadlift 5x5 workout, whichever is less
I loved the variety in Bowen but man was it a big one! There’s little interference between the movements and the result was that my whole body felt totally worked, the fatigue equally distributed to every aching muscle. One of my top 10 all time HeroWODs.
Don’t have pull ups? Select a pull up bar low enough that you can perform a jumping pull up.
Oh, and the kettlebell thruster might have been the hardest movement in the whole workout. Based on how taxing I found these I have since incorporated them into my training more regularly.
Yes there will be a time cap.
Tuesday August 5th 2025
10 Rounds:
5 Front Squat @145/205lbs
5 Parallette Handstand Push Ups
Yes, I used to have a 205lb front squat and parallette handstand push ups. This time around I used 185lbs for the front squats and performed strict deficit handstand push ups using the 45lb plates and I only got through 7/10 rounds. Another tough but fun workout!
Once again, time caps will apply.
Wednesday August 6th 2025 Make Up Day
1) Hero WOD Bowen
2) Front Squat and HSPU couplet
3) Sunday’s CF Open 15.2
4) Coach’s choice
Thursday August 7th 2025
Snatch-Clean-Deadlift Ladder
EMOM
Starting with a 45/35# bar and adding 5/10# every minute
1 Snatch/min
When bar too heavy switch to:
1 clean/min
When bar too heavy switch to:
1 deadlift/min
When you cannot continue WOD is finished
Score = heaviest snatch + heaviest clean + heaviest deadlift
Another super fun WOD but the plate changes are hard. You need to have your loads planned and hustle on the changes.
To my surprise I matched my 2015 snatch and deadlift but came up 20lbs short of my 2015 clean. Not too bad for being a decade older.
Friday August 8th 2025
1.5 Mile Run
After all the barbell work, this workout was a welcome reprieve.
Airbike, Row, Ski Erg and loaded carry options will be available.
Saturday August 9th 2025
Team Version of CF Open WOD 15.3
Come out and join us for some fun team play!
Sunday August 10th 2025 Make Up Day
1) CF Open WOD 15.3
AMRAP 14 Minutes:
7 Ring Muscle-ups
50 Wall balls
100 Double-unders
2) 1.5 Mile Run
3) Snatch-Clean-Deadlift Ladder
4) Coach’s choice
It is a big week chock full of fun and challenging workouts. We look forward to watching you take them on in the gym!
Accomplish Personal Bests
"Empower has provided our son with a safe and supportive environment in which to test himself, accomplish personal bests and celebrate the results among peers."
-Chris H.
Incredibly Supportive Environment
"Empower has become a gym for our family. The coaches are so knowledgeable and can also scale weights/movements to your fitness level. Smaller group classes allow coaches to ensure all movements are performed safely. It is an incredibly supportive environment which makes Empower Youth unique."
-Carmine L.
Empower
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