VFC

October at Valesco: Keep the momentum going!

November 2026

VFC

Hey and welcome...

OCTOBER AT VALESCO: KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING!

And just like that, we're heading towards November! The evenings are getting darker, the temperatures are dropping and the temptation to swap the gym for the sofa is getting stronger. But there's still plenty happening at Valesco to keep you moving, motivated and connected with your community.

October has been a brilliant month of training, with an awesome test week giving you the opportunity to see just how far you've progressed over the last block. Whether you've hit a new PB, nailed a movement you've been working on or simply felt stronger and fitter, it's all progress worth celebrating. We also squeezed in a Halloween special WOD, bringing a little spooky fun (and probably a few questionable costumes!) into the gym.

And now it's time to look ahead...

A NEW 10-WEEK PROGRAMMING BLOCK IS COMING!

As we head into November, we're getting ready to kick off another 10-week block of Valesco programming. New goals, new challenges and plenty of opportunities to keep building on the hard work you've already put in. Whether you're chasing strength, improving your fitness or developing new skills, there's something to get stuck into.

Remember, you don't need to be at your best every single session. You just need to keep showing up. Consistency will always beat perfection!

BEATING THE WINTER TRAINING BLUES

Let's be honest, getting out of a warm bed when it's dark and cold outside isn't always easy. But this is exactly the time of year when maintaining your routine can make the biggest difference, not just physically but mentally too.

A few little reminders to help you keep training through the colder months:

Layer up: Wear a few layers when travelling to the gym or warming up. You can always take them off once you're moving.
Warm up properly: Give your body a little extra time to get warm and ready, particularly first thing in the morning. Don't rush straight into heavy lifts or intense workouts.
Keep drinking: Just because you're not sweating quite as much doesn't mean you need less water. Stay hydrated!
Protect your routine: Book your sessions in advance and treat them like any other commitment. Future you will be glad you did.
Find your people: Training with friends and familiar faces makes getting through the door that little bit easier. That's what the Valesco community is all about!

Remember, spring fitness is built in winter. Keep turning up!

THE VALESCO CHRISTMAS PARTY – TICKETS ARE GOING!

A quick reminder that our Christmas party is happening on Friday 4th December at Lane7.

We've already seen plenty of you grab your tickets, and we're now down to just 50% of tickets remaining!

Tickets are £25 per person, with limited spaces available. If you've been meaning to book yours, now is definitely the time. We want to see as many of our Valesco crew there as possible!

Booking and payment are through WODBoard. Don't leave it until the last minute and end up being the one watching everyone else's Christmas party photos!

As always, keep an eye on your WODBoard dashboard and the gym noticeboards for all the latest events, announcements and opportunities to get involved across our three sites.

As we head towards the end of the year, remember that progress isn't about having a perfect month, never missing a session or hitting a PB every time you walk through the door.

It's about the small decisions, the sessions you make time for and the commitment to keep going even when it's cold, dark and the sofa looks particularly inviting.

Keep showing up, keep challenging yourself and keep looking after each other.

Here's to another brilliant month at Valesco!

See you in the gym!

VFC

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.

Coach Amy,

Shout out to Hayley Jones from V3. Not only did she smash 10 unbroken strict pull ups at the end of the block but she shows up consistently, week after week, month after month and as a key part of the 4:45pm crew. It just shows what hard work and consistency can do for you. Keep it up, Hayley.

Coach Dec,

I'd like to shout out Will Ward V2. Will is always great to have in class; he's friendly, supportive of others and always approaches workouts with gusto. The progress that he's made is a good testament to his super positivity, congrats on the SP!

Coach Will,

Shout out to Caitlin Rees from V1, she PB’d her snatch in the last block and has got loads more there. She’s been working hard on her confidence getting under heavier loads and it’s starting to pay off!

Coach Maddie,

Shout out to Kev @ V3!

Always bringing the energy to the evening classes! Kev has been putting in some serious work on his technique, especially his power cleans, and it's really starting to pay off. The progress is clear to see, Kev!

Keep up the great work and that positive energy!

VFC

All things training..

Next Month at a Glance:

November

Saturday 14th: 9:30am, Queens Square 5, 7 & 10km (Followed by Coffee at Spicer and Cole)

DECEMBER

Friday 4th: Christmas party @ Lane 7, tickets available on wodboard now!

Sunday 13th: 9:30am, Queens Square 5 & 7-10km (Followed by Coffee at Spicer and Cole)

Saturday 19th: Christmas WOD

Training Focus

Highlight This Month: New Block- New Focus!

How the block works

Our main lifts run in three phases over 11 weeks, finishing with a test week. Each phase has a different job:

Hypertrophy: Moderate weights, more reps. This builds muscle and toughens up tendons and joints, giving you a bigger, more resilient engine.
Power: Lighter-to-moderate weights moved fast. This teaches your body to produce force quickly, which carries over to jumping, sprinting, Olympic lifting and just about every WOD.
Maximal strength: Heavier weights, fewer reps. A lot of strength is your nervous system learning to recruit more muscle at once, and this phase trains exactly that.

Class Focus: New Class: FLEX Lower Body

An all new class focusing on lower body hypertrophy and accessory work. Starting at:

Brislington: Weds 7:45pm

St Philips: Saturdays 10:30am

VFC

Coaches Corner

You Make This a Community

Ola!

Coach Jo here.

We often talk about the importance of consistency in training. Showing up, putting in the work, and trusting that small efforts, repeated over time, lead to something bigger.

But I think there's another kind of consistency that matters just as much. The consistency of showing up for each other.

It's easy to think of the gym as somewhere we go to work on ourselves. To get stronger, fitter, healthier. And of course, that's part of it. But somewhere between the shared suffering of a workout, the conversations before class, and the encouragement from someone who's already finished, something else happens.

We become part of something.

Community isn't something we have. It's something we do.

A good community doesn't happen by accident. It's built through small, often unnoticed actions.

Learning someone's name. Welcoming the person who looks a little nervous walking into class. Celebrating someone else's progress as enthusiastically as your own. Staying to cheer on the last person finishing, even when your workout is done.

None of these things will improve your 2k row or add kilos to your back squat. But they might be the reason someone comes back tomorrow.

And that's worth more than we sometimes realise.

Belonging is a two way street.

We all want to feel part of something. To be recognised, supported and valued. But belonging isn't just about what a community gives us. It's also about what we're willing to contribute to it.

You don't need to be the loudest person in the room, the fittest athlete, or the one who knows everyone. Sometimes being a good community member is simply making space for others, being kind, and recognising that everyone who walks through the door brings their own story.

The best communities aren't built by a handful of people doing extraordinary things. They're built by lots of people doing ordinary things, consistently.

So next time you come to class, think about this:

What can I do today to make someone else's experience a little better?

Because the real magic isn't just what we achieve individually. It's what we help each other become.

See you in class, team

VFC

Rehab & Performance, Lucie at Flex

An introduction to us at Flex Injury Rehabilitation, The team:

Lucie, I will be doing some regular content on the news letter so I thought I would start off with an introduction to myself and the team:

I’m a former pub manager turned Graduate Sports Rehabilitator with an MSc from Cardiff Met.
I specialise in Equine Performance and Rehab with a PG Cert from Hartpury.
Proud owner & lead therapist at LJP Performance and Rehab/Flex Injury Rehabilitation.
Associate lecturer at UWE and starting to research in endometriosis and sport
Therapist for England Rugby U18's Player Development Group & Somerset Senior Men’s County Team.
Worked with everyone from elite athletes & Paralympian’s to weekend warriors!

I have been based out of Valesco for 10+ years and am based out of V1.

Jess- Graduated from UWE as a BASRaT accredited Graduate Sports Rehabilitator in 2023. She is an experienced Sports Rehabilitator and prior to graduating had her own successful sports massage business. Jess has a range of experience working in private practice, elite sport (Ice Hockey and Rugby) and within the NHS. Jess has been with us for a couple of years and we love her and would not be without her!!!

We offer a range of services:

Injury assessment/ diagnosis
Rehab plans/ return to sport plans
Sports Massage
Medical Acupuncture
Pregnancy massage
Biomechanics assessments
Event planning/ training programme building
Equine therapy (if there are any horse owners here!)
Rider performance clinics

Follow the link here to book your appointment with us!

Wise words from Lucie:

"One of the most frustrating aspects of injury is feeling like you're making progress, only to realise the journey isn't quite over. For many people, the moment the pain settles, they assume the injury has healed and return straight to their normal training. Unfortunately, pain reduction is often just the first stage of recovery, not the finish line.

When an injury occurs, the body goes through a series of healing phases. These phases follow a biological timeline that cannot be rushed, regardless of how motivated we are to get back to training. During rehabilitation, appropriate loading of the injured tissue is essential. This loading stimulates a process called mechanotransduction, where the cells involved in healing communicate and respond to mechanical stress. In simple terms, getting the load right helps guide the healing process and encourages the tissue to become stronger and more resilient.

The goal of rehabilitation isn't simply to become pain-free. The next stage is rebuilding strength, capacity, and resilience so the injury is less likely to return. Stopping rehab too early can leave tissues underprepared for the demands of training, increasing the risk of reinjury.

The good news is that well-structured rehabilitation often delivers benefits beyond recovery. By addressing movement patterns, strength deficits, and control issues that may have contributed to the injury in the first place, many people emerge with improved technique, greater efficiency, and better performance in their lifting than before they were injured.

So, if you're currently working through an injury, trust the process. Pain relief is an important milestone, but true recovery comes from completing your rehabilitation and giving your body the opportunity to become stronger than it was before."