JUNE’S JAM PACKED NEWSLETTER FOR YOUR VFC

Hey Team and welcome to June’s newsletter.

It was so nice to see so many of you there at our Summer Social in Victoria Park. The sun shone for us and thank goodness for Coach Kat being the Queen of Rounders! What would we have done without her…all the gear no idea us lot! The next social will be our 7^th (can you believe it?) birthday party and we are planning something similar with full details to be released in due course, just please keep Saturday 10^th September free in your diaries.

The first batch of the new stash has arrived and it’s been so lovely to see it modelled by you lot around the gym, just a shame it’s been too warm for the stunning new grey sweatshirts! We are dying to wear ours, although not moaning about this lovely weather of course.

The Neon batch is in final production (after a small printing error) as we speak and we are expecting it any day soon, we will let you know when its arrived, been sorted and is ready for collection.

The next order is going in on Thursday this week so if you missed out on the first batch do not miss out on the second, as we will be pausing orders for a while. Order form and choices are on the Den on the way in and out of the gym.

Last thing to mention this month is our next scaled competition, Four of a Kind at Valesco on Sunday 3^rd July and almost all the team spaces have been snapped up but we do have one or two remaining.

We would love to have as many VFC teams there representing as possible. Maybe you’re keen to compete but don’t know anyone to make a team? We have a few people in that situation so if that’s you just drop us an email hi@valesco.fitness and we can create some VFC dream teams.

We will also be looking for help on the day so if you are free on Sunday 3^rd and want to come and see what it’s all about and help us out it would be much appreciated. We are looking for people to help man the Den (selling tea, coffee and ice cold Nocco’s), bodies to help shift kit about and a runner or two to deliver score sheets to the scorer. If any of these jobs tickle your fancy please make yourself know too Amy. All help as always will be gratefully received and supplied with a free lunch!

Think that might be it for now and we are super excited for another month of training, gainz and sweaty workouts!

Lots of love and warm summer 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 Stew to Giancarlo Vangelli who is a regular 4.30 crew member and an absolute pleasure to have in class. Loves the bike. Has been known to occasionally venture out on a run and then swiftly return to the bike!

Shout out from Coach Amy to Shush Soni. Shush is our longest standing member at Valesco and that deserves a shout out in it’s own right but not only that Shush has made her training a priority for the last 6 years always making it in to the gym despite a ridiculously busy and demanding job. Shush is an absolute pleasure to have in class and I a confident to say Valesco wouldn’t be the same with out her.

Shout Out from Coach Kat to Kate Richardson – for always being so positive and kind towards everyone in the gym and for coming in before the 6am class to do her ADP session! It’s great to see all of her hard work coming together and paying off!

Shout out from Coach Leila to Zoe Bowman – for being super consistent, working on her weaknesses and religiously training, including fitting in her ADP (Athlete Development Programme) work to become the best she can be. Plus it’s always lovely to have her in rowwod and any of our classes to be fair.

And finally all of the coaches wanted to give a massive shout out to Scott Bebbington who leaves us for London this month and will be sorely missed. Scott has been an absolute model member to have at Valesco in the time he has been with us. Ridiculously commitment to training and the gym and we are pretty sure either he doesn’t sleep or he goes to bed at 6pm.

Scott thank you for everything you have done for the gym, including helping out at SIU’s gone by, and please don’t ever be a stranger when you are back in Bristol.

PODCASTS

Team! Guess what? We’re back once again…

This time, Ellie and I (James) discuss a selection of training hacks that we know of and, in most cases, use ourselves. Expect to learn how to avoid losing jewellery, how to avoid missed sign-in charges, what to do if you just can’t get on with protein shakes, how to stop procrastinating while training time and much more.

We had so many hacks for this episode that we are splitting it into two, so sit back and spend the next 20 minutes enjoying part one.

We love hearing your thoughts and if you have hacks of your own, send them over! If we get enough, we may even do a part 3 with the stuff we’ve learnt from you!

We promise, it is well worth a listen and you can do that on Spotify here!

GYM NOTICES

DELOAD WEEK…the week just gone!

Last week we have been taking advantage of a 6 weekly deload week and we wanted to share with you why these weeks are so important.

A deload week is simply a week used to help your body completely heal after a few weeks of intense exercise. Quite simply, deload follows the principle of super-compensation. Super compensation follows 3 logical steps of progress.

Step 1 (Stress The Body): This is when you are applying stress to your body. More specifically, this is when you go to the gym and follow your program and lift heavy ass weight. Yeah Buddy!!!
Step 2 (Recover): Recovery begins the minute you finish your training, go home, eat, and sleep. This step is also why you don’t train the same muscle every day, as it needs time to recover before it can be optimally trained again. Without recovery, you are just beating the proverbial dead horse and not allowing growth.
Step 3 (Supercompensation): Supercompensation occurs when you allow adequate rest. After full recovery, the muscle will have become slightly stronger than it was before you stressed it.

Take this time not only to dial back slightly on intensity and weights. But to also venture outside of the gym. Climb a mountain, cycle, swim or walk. Whatever feels good for you. Get some head space and allow your body to recover.

RUN WOD

The second block of run WOD is BACK baby!! The first session will be on Thursday 30th June at 5.30pm. Please note the change of day from Tuesdays to Thursdays going forward. Bookable on WODify as normal. RUN, FORREST, RUN!!

TIMETABLE CHANGE – PLEASE NOTE

Please make note of the following:

As of July:

-Gymnastics will be moving to Tuesdays at 17.30

-Weightlifting will moving from Tuesday 18.30 to same time (18.30) Wednesday

PLEASE BE KIND TO OUR KIT

Please remember there is a zero tolerance on dropping kit, from ANY height. Unless you have 25kg, 20kg or 15kg plates on the bar and even then only when it’s safe to do so.

Unfortunately we have had a few plate and dumbbell casualties over the last few weeks. Not only is it potentially dangerous to drop weights, it also costs us a lot to replace this kit. We try our best to supply all the kit needed. Please play your part in trying to keep the kit in the good condition it is supplied to you in.

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

EXBAND

HAVE YOU JOINED THE EXBAND GAINZ TRAIN YET?

These are 15 minutes fully coached pre recorded sessions that you can do anywhere at any time so what’s not to love? You even get to see some familiar Valesco faces!!

If you are looking to build endurance in your muscles, prevent injury or generally just look and feel better THIS IS FOR YOU and with only 15 minutes of your day? You’re getting a huge bang for your buck.

With a two-week FREE trial and only £7.99 per month after that it’s a bit of a steal.

EXBAND.fitness to get signed up or https://www.instagram.com/exband.fitness/ to see what all the fuss is about – go on, give us a follow…….please!

PUP CORNER

Leo had a very chilled week last week and he hopes you all managed to enjoy the deload week.

On the importance of deloading. Leo would like to recommend some of his favourite recommendations of things to do outside of the gym. Don’t forget how important it is for the mind to take some time out. Make the most of the sunny days and do something a little different outside of training.

1) Chase sheep – These can be found in many places but one of Leo’s favourite places for sheep encounters is The Sugarloaf mountain. Being from Swansea he loves the hills (said in a strong welsh accent). Try out one of the many beautiful walks on 3 of his favourite welsh mountains. The Sugarloaf, The Skirrid and the Blorenge.

2) Attempting to swim – Although I have long legs I struggle to swim so may require my arm bands. I wish I could swim in one of these lovely wild swimming spots though. Clevedon marine lake, Warleigh weir, Eastwood farm, Saltford and Pensford viaduct. Definitely one for a warm summer’s day.

3) Hanging out with my other 4 legged friends – Take your buddies and try out one of the many festivals in Bristol. Bristol international Balloon Fiesta, Bristol Pride, Valley Fest and Bristol Harbour Festival. All are great days out to enjoy with your friends and family.

Enjoy the sunshine and make the most of the long days.

Big woofs and inappropriate sniffing.

The ginger ninja aka Leo xx

We're having a baby...A NEW GYM!

As some of you may be aware, we have been looking to grow Valesco for a little while and, the day has come where we get to tell you that after much searching we have found the PERFECT site for the SECOND Valesco Fitness Collective in Bristol. The Valesco you know and love will remain unchanged and in the same location. The 2nd site/ sister gym is an expansion of the Valesco brand, not a replacement of the current gym.

The new site isn’t set to open until late September / early October but we are too excited to keep it a secret any longer!

No doubt lots of you will have many questions, and of course, we will be more than happy to talk to you about it but here are a few of the headline points:

Where: St Werburghs

What: The 2nd Valesco site will share the same values, branding, programming and coaches.

Will I be able to use both sites on my membership? No, whilst the gyms will run in the same way the membership base will be separate. However, we are looking at ways that drop’s / occasional use of the other site is favourable to existing members.

Will there be open gym at the new site? Yes, but only outside class times.

The specifics, such as timetable, opening date, launch party (to which you are all invited, obvs) and many other things are yet to be set in stone, but we will keep you updated.

We recognise that for most of you, our opening a 2nd site will have no impact on you day to day. However, we want to take this opportunity to reassure you that absolutely nothing here will be changing. We promise to deliver the same space, coaching, community and presence that we always have.

As with all things of this nature, nothing is absolute until the keys are in our hands so please wish us well over the next couple of months and we hope you can join us in our excitement at the growth of the Valesco family.

For anyone who may be considering a move the St Werburghs site, we will be happy to share further details (such as timetable) just as soon as we have them!

COACHES CORNER

This months Coaches Corner is written by Coach Amy and it’s all about Hydration.

So it’s that time of year when the weather heats up and I roll out my annual nag about how important Hydration is….(including enjoying an ice cold pint in a beer garden when appropriate!)

Did you know that we are 60% water?

So I thought it might be useful to do a little piece on Hydration this month. Some of it sounds pretty simple and it is because without water we die, guess that’s pretty simple too but getting in fluids can be easier and more important than you think.

What is Hydration and why is it important?

Ever felt so thirsty that when you drank some water it was best thing you ever had to drink in your life? You just couldn’t get enough water. Well this was likely due to you being dehydrated, which means that your body is in a state of not having enough water for it to function optimally. Signs that you are dehydrated include muscle cramps, confusion, rapid pulse, thirst and headaches. In order to get your body back into its normal state, you had to go through the process of replacing the missing water known as…..hydration. One way to know that you are no longer dehydrated is that the signs of dehydration will disappear rather quickly.

How do we become hydrated?

Hydration can be accomplished through a few different ways. One way is simply drinking water, see I told you it was simple. Consumable other liquids provide water to help with hydration too. These would include drinks like coffee and tea, fizzy water etc. Even the foods that we eat contain some amount of water. Some foods contain more water than others. Foods such as lettuce, some vegetables, and most fruits are mostly composed of water. So eating is another way to hydrate. Great news all-round!

How much water is enough?

Contrary to popular belief, there isn’t a set amount of water that everybody should drink in a given period of time. The amount that it takes to hydrate one person is different from the amount that it would take to hydrate another person. Factors that determine how much water we should drink include body composition, activity level, and the amount of water lost through sweating and breathing. As a rule of thumb it would be ideal to look to drink at least 2 litres of fluid per day as a baseline and increase this in heat or during and after exercise.

How can you tell if you are dehydrated?

You may be able to tell if you are suffering from dehydrated by looking at your urine. Dark yellow to amber urine means you may have mild to severe dehydration. You can usually tell you have healthy hydration levels if your urine is very light in colour. You may also urinate less than normal when dehydrated.

So if you can’t remember the last time you had a glass of water – get drinking!

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Charred Broccoli Lemon and Walnut Pasta

Make this quick broccoli, lemon and walnut pasta with simple store cupboard ingredients. It’s healthy, low in fat and calories and full of texture and flavour. With just 435 calories per serving and 18g of protein it’s a great dish to add your favourite source of protein to.

Until Next Time, Big Love Team Valesco xxx

Save The Date

Scale It Up – Four of a Kind – Sunday 3^rd July. A few limited team spots remain

Valesco is 7 years old. Birthday Party – Saturday 10^th September

Scale It Up – Safety in Numbers – Sunday 9^th October. Registration is OPEN

Strength in Depth Finals weekend – 26^th and 27^th November

The Valesco Christmas Party – Saturday 10^th December. Venue booked and deposit has been paid

Who Wore It Best

This was 100% too cute not to share. Check out Barb and Margot at this month’s summer social with their matching Keys and Dungarees!! We literally can not cope with this level of cuteness….and that’s just Barb!!

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!