Heads Up Bytown: Italian Festival Road Closures This Weekend!
It is one of the best weekends of the summer on Preston Street, but it also means our neighborhood is going to look a little different.
The Ottawa Italian Festival Grand Finale Weekend is taking over Little Italy from Friday, June 19th through Sunday, June 21st.
While the patio parties, Italian Car Parade, and live music are incredible, the festival brings major road closures right to our doorstep. Preston Street will be completely closed to vehicle traffic between Carling Avenue and Somerset Street West starting Friday afternoon and running right through the weekend.
🚨 What This Means For Your Workouts
If you are booked into classes this Friday evening or anytime over the weekend, our biggest recommendation is DO NOT DRIVE.
Between the absolute lack of street parking, heavy gridlock on the surrounding side streets, and massive crowds, trying to find a spot for your car will make you late for warm-ups.
Instead, make a game plan to get to Bytown using alternative methods:
- Walk or Jog: Consider it a built-in, low-intensity warm-up.
- Ride Your Bike: It is by far the fastest way to slice through the festival crowds.
- Public Transit / Drop-offs: If you are taking an Uber, taxi, or OC Transpo, have them drop you off a couple of blocks east on Rochester Street so you can easily walk the rest of the way in and avoid getting stuck on Carling.
🗺️ Check the Maps & Schedule Before You Head Out
Don’t get caught off guard by a barricade. You can check out the official maps, live updates, and details directly through the festival organizers:
- Official Festival Updates & Info: Preston Street BIA Italian Festival Update
- Interactive Maps & Schedules: Check out the Ottawa Italian Festival Map & Road Closures to see exactly which intersections are blocked off to cars each day.
Give yourself an extra 10–15 minutes of travel buffer this weekend so you can get through the door stressed-free. See you on the gym floor—and maybe on a patio for some post-workout wood-fired pizza afterward!
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MONDAY
A) Back Squat
Build to a heavy 1RM over 15-18 min.
B) 4 Sets
18/15 Cal Row
15 Wall Balls
12 DB Snatch (50/35)
-Rest 2min b/t sets-
TUESDAY
A) Every 4:00 x 5
50 double-unders / 100 singles
Clean and jerks, changing weight each round:
* Round 1: 12 @ 95/65
* Round 2: 10 @ 105/75
* Round 3: 8 @ 115/80
* Round 4: 6 @ 125/85
* Round 5: 4 @ 135/95
8 lateral burpees over bar
Rest remainder of 4:00
WEDNESDAY
A) Bench Press
Build to a heavy technical 3RM in 15-18 min.
Spot every working set.
B) 2-3 Sets (AHAP)
20m Sled Press
20m Sled Rope Pull
Finisher
10-to-1 Superset:
Rear Delt Raises
Lateral Raises
Front Raises
Light weights. Try to do this without putting the weights down. Minimal rests, if any. Challenge yourselves.
THURSDAY
A) 3 rounds, not for time:
10 Bulgarian split squats/side
12 snatch grip barbell rows
30-sec side plank/side
B) Every 5:00 x 4 rounds
Complete each round:
12/10 cal row
10 sandbag bear-hug squats (AHAP)
40m sandbag bear-hug farmer carry
10 sandbag bear-hug squats (AHAP)
Rest the remainder of each 5:00 window.
FRIDAY
A) Deadlift
Build to a heavy technical 1RM in 15-18 min.
No ugly reps. Stop if the back position changes.
B) 2 Rounds
20/16 calorie row
15 box jumps
15 power cleans (135/95 or RPE 6-7)
15 wall walks
15 power cleans
15 box jumps
20/16 calorie row
Rest 5 minutes between rounds
SATURDAY
A) Soul Crusher – “Quadrivium”
For time:
10 Power snatches (65/95)
10 Alt. Overhead lunges
10 Clusters
10 Overhead squats
20 Box jump overs 24/30
20 HSPU / Pike push-ups
20 Box jump overs
20 C2B / Pull-ups / Jumping
800m run
30 DB Reverse lunges (35/50)
30 Alt. DB Snatches
30 DB Reverse lunges
30 DB hang clean & jerk
40 Air squats
40 Push-ups
40 TTB / Hanging leg raises to 90°
40 Burpees over DB (lateral)
B) Partner WOD – Iron Roots
10 Rounds for time (divide anyhow):
5 Sandbag to shoulder (60/100)
10m Sandbag lunges
20m Sandbag bearhug carry 2x10m
10 Rounds for time:
8/6 cal Echo bike (alt. each round)
4+4 Sync. Single DB Snatches (35/50)
4+4 Sync. Single DB Thrusters
10 Rounds for time (you go, I go):
1 rope climb
3 HSPU
5 Devils press (35/50)
