Monthly Archives: August 2012

New Koko Cardio Workouts for the Fall Coming Soon!

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Your favorite NFL teams are on the field. Kids are heading back to school. You know what that means at Koko FitClub? It’s time for new Fall Cardio Programs!

This Fall’s theme is “Take the Koko Challenge.”

Whether you are exercising on the elliptical or treadmill, there are plenty of new interval training cardio challenges this season  including hiking adventures, speed walking, Boot Camp, Tabata and Stadium Stairs workouts inspired by my days of running private clients up and down the stairs at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, MA.

The hiking adventures are a blast this time around. Inspired by your suggestions, some were even recorded on location, including  Bear Creek Trail, a hike I took while visiting Koko FitClubs near Keller, Texas. A Koko owner from Arizona recently hiked the famous Bright Angel Trail in the Grand Canyon so we’ve included that, too. These are fun and challenging across both moderate and high intensity.

There are some great workouts to try, but I believe the true cardio challenge for Koko FitClub members this season will be the Traditional Tabata (moderate-intensity) and the Double Tabata. (Do I even have to mention that its high-intensity?) If you can handle that fitness challenge, then I want you to try Boot Camp and Wind Sprint sessions on the elliptical. That’ll get your heart rate up!

The new Fall Cardio programs will be available in clubs next Wednesday, August 29th. Enjoy and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on taking the Koko Challenge!

Michael Wood, CSCS
Chief Fitness Officer
Koko FitClub

Koko FitClub Franchising

The Power of Mindset to Reaching Your Fitness Goals

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At a gut-check level, isn’t it true that when you decide to do something – like exercising or eating better – the level of commitment you have at the outset pretty much determines that goal’s failure or success?

To set the stage, my husband/fellow Koko FitClub co-founder, Mike Lannon, believes that  with the right mindset, you can accomplish anything. He applies it to running this business, to working alongside our Koko owners and most importantly, the approach we take to give our members the best shot possible at successfully reaching their health and fitness goals.

Imagine how excited he was to come across this research to back up what he knew in his gut to be 100% true.

Making a long term commitment to health and fitness improves success

The research showed that simply making up your mind at the outset that you are committed for the long term versus the short term determined the level of success. Wow. Progress wasn’t correlated to any other measurable trait or aptitude.Simply this mindset.

Think about what this means for YOU and your goals to get healthier!

Koko FitClub is designed to make exercise time-efficient to fit into your life, to be simple so you to show up and get it done, and to be fun so you’re motivated along the way. Health is not a sprint, it’s a lifestyle choice. Adopt the mindset that you will exercise and make healthier choices from here on out. Koko FitClub is here to help.

Be patient, be consistent, decide that you’ll stick with it for the long haul. You will be successful!


o)< STAY STRONG

Mary Obana
President and Co-Founder
Koko FitClub

Koko FitClub Franchising

Strengthening the Mind / Body Fitness Connection at Koko

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Exercise the mind body connection at Koko FitClubEvery time I workout on the Smartrainer, my goal is 1000 points. Something about that goal is extremely motivating for me. I’m not the only one…but there are also equally dedicated Koko Nuts who aren’t as “focused” on earning 1000 points every time. That’s ok, because Koko points are just one part of a much bigger motivational environment. We want to do everything we can, through Smartraining technology, supportive FitCoaches and the serene training studios they inhabit, to engage your mind as well as your body. And how we accomplish that is going to be a bit different for every one of you.

Typical fitness scenes include armies of people lined up on treadmills, all zoned out to the television screens in front of them. On the weight floor, folks go through the motions at a such speed you know they just can’t wait to be finished. The whole purpose seems to be to distract from the unpleasantness at hand or get it over with ASAP because it’s boring. Working out like this helps you achieve your fitness goals no more than living like this helps you achieve your life goals. It’s very simple: engaging your mind in whatever you are doing translates to better results. In exercise, thinking about your form and the muscles you engage with each movement allows you to work them more efficiently and effectively.

Mindful exercise is essential for success.

Here are a few of the ways Koko encourages mindful exercise:

The Pace Bar- even I can’t explain exactly why, but the Koko pace bar is absolutely mesmerising and we all try very hard to follow it. No more racing through reps. No more daydreaming. Following the pace bar results in optimal time under tension for your muscles, making the most out of every rep.

Koko Points- They are little rewards at the end of each Smartraining session or ways we compete with ourselves and others to stay motivated. Bottom line is, the more engaged you are in your workout, the more points you’ll earn. Maybe even 1000!

Smartraining Form Tips- Available for every exercise, every workout, with a reminder about how important the right form is to your results.

Michael Wood, CSCS- The awesome Boston baritone of our Chief Fitness Officer has coached Koko Nation through hundreds of thousands of hours of Koko Cardio workouts, and we can’t help but pay attention! (Even our Louisiana contingent has grown fond of his “Yankee” accent, haven’t you?) Shoulders back? Arms pumping? Abs in? Always positive, Michael keeps us thinking and encouraged.

No TVs- No need for the distraction. We are too busy following the pace bar and listening to Michael.

Variety- Every workout is different so you never go on fitness autopilot, repeating the same exercises over an over without a second thought.

FitCoaches- They make sure you feel welcome, supported, and well oriented. Most importantly, they are your BIGGEST cheerleaders!

Spa-like Atmosphere- There really is nothing worse that trying to exercise in a giant warehouse full of equipment, noise and REALLY LOUD MUSIC. And let’s not even talk about the smell. Koko FitClubs are intimate, attractive, quiet an clean. Perfect for mindfully reflecting on you and your workout.

All this is designed to help YOU get and STAY STRONG! Is it working?

Mary Obana
President and Co-Founder
Koko FitClub

Koko FitClub Franchising

Strength Training Improves Flexibility

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Koko FitClub keeps you strong AND Flexible

Results of a study conducted at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks fly in the face of many things we thought we knew about stretching, strength training and flexibility. Most of us grew up believing that stretching is THE way to improve flexibility. Something we need to do prior to exercise or other active pursuits to prevent injury and improve performance. In fact, a lot of the old “truths” about stretching have been disproven in recent years. For example, we now know that static, “old school”, style stretching will actually diminish athletic performance. Dynamic warm-ups, like those you are guided through before you begin your Smartraining sessions, are the way to go.

These new findings on flexibility, though, are truly revelatory. They suggest that resistance training, with attention paid to using a full range of motion- as you know a critical element of a Smartraining workout- is as good, if not better at improving and maintaining flexibility than static stretching! Your Koko Smartraining workouts are not only making you stronger, they are also improving your flexibility. Just another reason to Koko. Here’s  the article:

http://bit.ly/aTm5YW

Michael Wood, CSCS
Chief Fitness Officer
Koko FitClub

Koko FitClub Franchising