HOW WE KICKED OFF 2022 IN STYLE!
Hey Team and welcome to January’s newsletter and the 1st of 2022.
So it only seems right to start the year off with lots of positives and with the writing of this month’s newsletter that hasn’t been hard at all.
Lets start with test week….and what a week that was! After 12 weeks of consistent training and solid programming it was so good to see so many of you making some solid gainz. The new block of programming starts next week and we have included full details below so you know what to expect over the next 13 weeks, its going to be a goodie.
The Open starts next month and we would love as many of you to get involved as possible (again more on this below) it really is for everyone, no matter what level or experience, there is something for everyone and if you can do a class you can take part in the Open. Coach James and Coach Ella are heavily involved this year so any questions feel free to reach out to them or any of us.
Talking of competition we have this week released our first home competition of the year – Scale It Up Triple Threat 2022. This is an entry-level competition made up of same sex teams of three hosted at your very own box. We would love to have as many home teams as possible taking part so check it out here on FB or here on the website…again if you can do a class you can do this competition. It’s a lot of fun and a great all round experience. Sunday 24th April, get it in your diaries and get signed up ASAP (spaces are limited).
This is also a great chance to welcome all the new faces to Valesco, its great to have so many new members joining the big old Valesco family and we hope you are settling in well.
Final thing to mention is our first social WALKIES! Whether you have a dog or not, if you enjoy meeting new people, a walk in the countryside and a pub lunch this is the social for you. Drop us an email at hi@valesco.fitness if you would like to come along and of course partners, kids and friends are all welcome.
Right think that’s its form us, so grab a cuppa and settle in for another bumper read.
Lots of love and New Year vibes,
Amy, Ellie and Leila xx
MEMBER SHOUT OUTS
Welcome to the monthly Member Shout out section where we like to celebrate some of the good things we see in the gym day in and day out.
Shout out from Coach Amy – Will Gibbs. ‘I want to shout out Will this month for all the hard work he has and continues to put into his raining. Will has recently met the standards and made the jump onto Comp Training and is also hitting the Barbell classes. Will is always keen to learn and takes coaching points so well and this is showing in improvement week on week.’ Absolutely nailing it, well done mate!
Shout out from Coach Stew – Bec Cole. ‘She is RX’ing all workouts now and she has been working so hard to get to this and has been coming regularly for years.’ Just shows that you can’t beat hard work and consistency! Well-done Bec.
Stew also wanted to shout out Jen Peak ‘who has made some big improvements in here squatting, especially mobility wise.’ Fab work Jen, mobility is key and pleased to see you reaping the benefits.
Shout out from Coach Leila – Torie WD. ‘For all of her hard work, dedication and smashing some massive PB’s in test week.’ Yass Torie a well-deserved shout out, we think you are doing awesome.
Shout out from Coach Ella – Maria Alverez. “She is always there in the 19.30 class and in on Saturdays and just really gets involved, works really hard and jumps into any pair team and gives it a really great go!.” Awesome work Maria, what a shout out!
PODCASTS
Team! Happy New Year!
We are back and joined by bodyweight wizard Sami Bousri. Calisthenics Athlete and Coach, Sami is here to talk about all aspects of the sport, the methodology and the benefits.
This is a really interesting chat and Sami is a super cool guy. I’m sure anyone who has been lucky enough to attend one of his workshops will agree! What would Sami put in Room 101? What is Calisthenics? How do you ‘compete’ in Calisthenics? What’s the goal? Where can I go to see Sami do some cool stuff? Stay tuned!
As always, your feedback and thoughts keep us moving forward so please, get in touch with anything on your mind! See you all soon; have a lovely day!
Find us all here: instagram.com/ellievalesco || instagram.com/jamesadiles || instagram.com/nirvana_movement || instagram.com/valescofitnesscollective
To listen – just click here
THE OPEN 2022
There is just over a month until the 2022 Open kicks off! Who’s excited? We definitely are!
The Open is a fun and inclusive way to workout with (or against!) your training buddies and, like many other gyms, Valesco wants this year to be extra special.
If you’ve experienced any sort of Functional Fitness ‘event’, you’ll know how special competitions and gatherings of our community can be, especially with the Valesco community
With three weeks and one new workout each week, Friday nights at Valesco will be a vibe. February 25th, March 4th and March 11th from 4:30 – get it in your calendars and come and have some fun, test your fitness and enjoy the atmosphere! Whether you are taking part or just want to come and watch others workout, Full Send Fridays will be a whole lot of fun!
See you there
GYM NOTICES
WALKIES!
Sunday March 20th we’re going for a walk and a pub lunch with our pups and we would love you to join us! Whether you have a dog or not you are more than welcome to join us. We will be doing the Chew Valley circular which is a really scenic walk that is just less than 5 miles long. After a good old stomp we will be having a (late) pub lunch at the Pelican – a dog friendly pub with really great food! If you intend to come please let us know, as we will need to book tables at the Pelican in advance.
https://valesco.fitness/valesco-events/walkies/
MEMBERS FACEBOOK GROUP:
ARE YOU ON OUR MEMBERS ONLY FACEBOOK GROUP? It’s an awesome little place to ask questions, find out information or just share funny memes or moments from the gym. If you aren’t a member but would like to be please follow this link and request access.
Members FaceBook Group
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
This coming Sunday we are giving the gym its annual SPRING CLEAN (and tidy) and we’re asking for your help. If any of you can spare an hour or 2 between 1200 & 1500 on Sunday 30th of January we would love you to join us. There will be pizza and beer (or soft drinks) when we’re done to say thanks!
Thank you to all of you who have signed up so far!
PROGRAMMING AND WHAT'S NEXT?
Functional fitness has 10 founding pillars (strength, speed, coo-ordination, balance, accuracy, power, stamina, endurance & flexibility) and to ensure we facilitate opportunities to work on all 10 pillars, we write programmes for the classes – they may feel totally random to you, but trust us, they are not. We plan and write in blocks of 12 working weeks (with deload weeks at weeks 7 and 14) and they each have specific focus’s, goals and intended results for you.
The focus for the next 12 (14 including deload) weeks is as follows:
Monday: Strict Press – There will be a variety of single arm overhead movements included to help improve shoulder stability, work on shoulder health and address any imbalances you have. FOCUS: Increasing shoulder strength & stability, and addressing posture & shoulder mobility
Tuesday: Front Squat – Expect to see some tempo and single leg accessory work built in. FOCUS: Increasing leg and core strength & improving hip mobility
Wednesday: Metcon Mayhem – we would never take this away from you diehard fans! FOCUS: Increasing cardiovascular fitness & getting a good sweat on!
Thursday: Deadlift / Pull – This will be programmed in 2 halves… the first 6 weeks will be sumo deadlift with a glute strength focus, the 2nd half will be back to regular deadlifts with a focus on core strength and stability so think farmers carries and lots of other fun stuff… FOCUS: Building a really solid posterior chain and working those glutes!
Friday: Skills and drills – Pistol squats will be our focus for the first 6 weeks and iof anyone has any specific requests on what we should look at after that, please feel free to let us know! FOCUS: have fun learning a new skill
Weightlifting: This will be programmed in 2 halves… the first 6 weeks will be Power Snatch only, working on power & confidence. Following a mid-cycle deload, the next 6 weeks will then focus on the Squat Snatch & OHS.
Gymnastics (17:30 Thursday & Saturday): Handstand Press Ups will be our focus so if learning the skill or working on core strength (or both) are a goal for you then get signed up to 1 of the 2 gymnastic classes that run each week. Whether you are a total beginner and haven’t been upside down since you were a kid or you can do HSPU but want to improve technique & increase volume, THIS IS FOR YOU! The programming in each class is the same so you only need to come along to 1, leaving you with plenty of time in the week so work on lots of other things, too!
PUP CORNER
Hey Pup Fans,
This month’s newsletter Harley, Finn and Leo would like to ask for your help!
They have heard on the street that there is a collection going on for pups that aren’t quite as spoilt as them at the moment and they want to help.
Whilst waiting for their furever homes to be found these pups are being looked after by The Dog Friends Dog Rescue and with the numbers that have found themselves staying at this hotel they are a bit short of supplies.
If your pups, like ours, have outgrown, coats, jumpers, collars, leads, harnesses, beds and blankets or have a million and one toys and could do with one less then they would be gratefully received.
They would also love any unopened food to make sure their bellies are full whilst waiting to have a place of their own.
If anyone would like to donate please drop any donations outside the office at Valesco and we will make sure it finds it’s way to these in need pups.
Lots of licks from Harley, Finn and Leo xx
COACHES CORNER
This months Coaches Corner is written by Coach Leila and it’s all about Training through Injury
Injuries SUCK!!
We can however take a lot away from our time being injured. The opportunity to change things up, think outside the box. It is also a great time to take things back to basics. To concentrate on perfect form, getting stronger in the process.
I know more than most how annoying injuries can be. Months of great training under your belt, feeling good about yourself, then boom….you get an injury.
I had 4 years of shoulder injuries and chronic pain. Not to mention the multiple other injuries and an operation that stopped my international rugby career in its tracks.
I am here to let you know. Please don’t stop training just because you have an injury. Yes it’s important that you rest the area that is injured and take the time to rehab it properly, however you can still train around whatever injury you may have picked up.
Upper body injuries (shoulders being the most common) – Concentrate on your legs. There are some fantastic cardio workouts out there that don’t require you to use your arms. I added 1.5kg of muscle to each leg after my elbow operation. Concentrate on the leg gains.
Lower body injuries. Time to get an upper body pump on. Seated movements like strict press and single arm dumbbell work are fantastic for building strength.
Don’t forget in classes, nearly all movements can be scaled to fit around injuries. Just be sure to tell a coach or email us in advance so we can help adapt training for you.
Don’t neglect the uninjured limb, arm or leg. There is a phenomenon called cross-education effect. Training the uninjured side can result in strength gains on the injured side. Check out the link below for more info.
https://www.healthhp.com.au/post/training-the-opposite-side-the-magic-of-the-cross-education-effect
You can use an injury to your advantage if you train smart. However the best option is to not get injured in the first place. Be sure to take enough rest and recovery days. These are so important to avoid injury, let your body recover and avoid burnout.
None of us are going to the Games anytime soon so remember that not all workouts need to be at 100% intensity. Listen to your body and how you feel. Moving is the most important goal, dial back on the intensity so every session doesn’t feel like a competition. Professional athletes don’t train like that so neither should you.
Train smart and stay healthy.
Any questions at all about training around injury please ask one of us.
SWEETCORN AND COURGETTE FRITTERS
Sweetcorn and Courgette Fritters
We love a sweetcorn fritter and pop a runny poached egg on top and you have got yourself the start of a very yummy breakfast/brunch/late lunch…whatever really meal.
Super simple to make and great as a main or a side dish these really are an all round winner.
Until Next Time, Big Love Team Valesco xxx
Save The Date
Spring Social – Chew Valley Dog Walk – Sunday 20th March
Scale It Up – Triple Threat – Sunday 24th April – EVENT NOW LAUNCHED ON FB AND WEBSITE
Mental Health Week Events – Monday 9th to Sunday 15th May
Summer Social – Saturday 11th June
Scale It Up – 4 of a Kind – Sunday 3rd July
Valesco is 7 years old. Birthday Party – Saturday 10th September
Scale It Up – Safety in Numbers – Sunday 9th October
Strength in Depth Finals weekend – 26th and 27th November
The Valesco Christmas Party – Saturday 10th December
Who Wore It Best
Check out this month ‘Who Wore It Best’ from Leila and Amy – from head to toe these guys rocked the matchy matchy look – The Wit Twits or a NASTY pair? WE will let you decide on that one.
Have you turned up looking the same as another Valesco member? Then we want to see. Send your snaps to hi@valesco.fitness to be in the next newsletter. We love seeing them!