Tag Archives: Interval Traning

Does your workout take advantage of the best learning about exercise?

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Best learning about exercise built into Koko FitClub workoutsI’m an exercise physiologist by training with a keen interest in keeping up with the very best research. I use it to design your Smartraining workouts! There’s solid science behind the Koko FitClub workouts planned for you each and every visit – so you don’t have to think about it. That’s why you’re here, right?

So, while I generally keep this stuff “behind the curtain,” I spotted a couple studies recently that not only reinforce the Koko Smartraining methodology BUT they have awesome motivational value. (You know my ultimate goal – successfully convince you to keep up with your workout prescription of 3 strength and 4 cardio a week!)

The first study, from the Journal of Obesity1 looked at the effect of high intensity cardiovascular exercise on male body composition. These men did interval training workouts that looked like this: 8 seconds of hard work followed by 12 seconds of light work. This workout was done for 20 minutes, three times a week for 12 weeks. The men in the study showed excellent improvements in aerobic capacity (15% increase,) a reduction in visceral fat (17% decrease) and significant increases in lean muscle level.

Once again, proof that it’s not the quantity of  exercise you do when you’re at Koko FitClub, but the quality of exercise that matters.  And, there’s no reason you won’t see the same type of results by just sticking to your Koko Smartraining exercise prescription.

The second study appeared Archives of Internal Medicine2 using research from the renowned Cooper Clinic and the University of Texas’ Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. The research involved men and women who were tested for fitness at age 50 and then again surveyed about general health a decade later.

What did they learn? “Physical fitness at midlife made healthy aging — long considered a contradiction in terms –a distinct possibility.” The fittest 1/5th in their 50′s had far fewer chronic conditions in their 60′s, ( by more than half,) than the folks in the lowest fitness category.

What does that mean for you? When your Q-score and lean muscle level goes up, or your eBMI goes down, the immediate payout is that you look and feel better right now. Turns out, you are also banking that fitness so you look and feel great for years to come. It’s an investment in healthy aging so you can enjoy your entire life!

All this by meeting your Smartraining exercise prescription of 3 strength and 4 cardio a week. Could it be any easier to take advantage of the best learning about exercise? No way. Now go hit the club!

Michael Wood, CSCS
Chief Fitness Officer
Koko FitClub

Koko FitClub Franchising

1Journal of Obesity link – http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jobes/2012/480467/

2 Archives of Internal Medicine link – http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1352789

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

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

How Much Exercise Do I Need to Reach My Fitness Goals?

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How much exercise is too much?This is a hot fitness topic of late thanks to a recent study that suggests too much endurance exercise- from training for events such as marathons and triathlons – can actually have a negative effect on your heart.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization and Surgeon General, 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise is what you need each week to stay healthy. They also recommend two strength training sessions.

Knowing that you need to exercise for your health, but given the recent news that it may be possible to exercise at a level that is unhealthy, you might be wondering “what types of exercise should I do and how much should I be doing it?”

This is the kind of competing health and fitness information that can become so confusing, it ends up sending people to their couch in defeat. This is why we created Koko. Getting fit and healthy doesn’t have to be confusing.

It ultimately depends on your fitness goals, but if you’re doing 2-3 strength and 3-4 cardio Smartraining sessions each week, you’re in the ballpark of what these health agencies recommend. If it’s a bit more? Fine. Just remember, your exercise routine should become part of your lifestyle, and something you maintain for a lifetime.

If you are training excessively – especially if it is excessive distance and endurance work – then you need to consider the possible risk to your heart. If you are not training to an extreme that risks your heart, but you are “over-the top” with the amount of exercise you are doing, consider that with any extreme you are undermining your long term success. The extreme road is impossible to travel forever.

With the obvious caveat that what you do outside the club – from the quality and amount of food you put into your body to how much you move in a day – is of critical importance, if you’re looking to build muscle, lose weight or prevent weight gain, the amount and type of exercise prescribed by Koko fits the bill. It is also designed to be a fitness routine you can stick with long term. As Koko Co-Founder, Mary Obana, likes to say, “Koko for Life!”

If you’d like to read more about the study I mentioned here, visit:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/06/moderation-as-the-sweet-spot-for-exercise/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21330616

http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2011/12/05/eurheartj.ehr397.abstract

Michael Wood, CSCS
Chief Fitness Officer
Koko FitClub

Koko FitClub Franchising

A Healthy Fitness Habit for Life

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Health, Happiness, Longevity

At Koko, we know fitness must fit into your life. 80% of adults will never spend an hour and a half a day working out at the gym, no matter how great the health benefits. You have other priorities more demanding of your time, energy and intellect. We figured out early on in the development of Koko Smartraining that unless we remove the roadblocks to fitness – which, besides time, includes confusion (“what the heck should I do?”,) boredom and the health club “scene” – the majority of adults will never make exercise a habit for the long haul.

But, our health, happiness and longevity depends on it. So, Koko FitClub exists to be fitness you can live with forever. Created to be roadblock-free so exercise finally becomes a great habit for the long haul.

Koko for Life! That’s the goal.

How does Koko FitClub remove the roadblocks to regular exercise?

Time: It’s precious and it feels like we never have enough. So, Koko designed the Koko Smartrainer, an incredibly effective strength training workout that takes 30 minutes. And, Koko Cardio gives you the aerobic benefits of a typical 30 minute cardio work out in just 15, using high intensity interval training. If you have time for both, you can be in and out of Koko FitClub in under an hour having completed a serious workout.

Confusion: Even for those of us who are pretty adept at finding our way around a gym, confusion about the best use of our exercise time can stop us in our tracks. No one wants to wander around aimlessly wondering what to do next. (Didn’t we just determine we don’t have time for that?) A personal trainer can solve this problem, but the good ones are expensive. (Since we have to keep on this exercise thing forever,  the consistent expense of a trainer is a real issue.) Each Koko Smartraining program is designed by Koko Chief Fitness Officer Michael Wood, CSCS,  a world-class personal trainer and exercise physiologist. Koko Smartraining Technology customizes the programs to your specific needs and ability. Koko Cardio programs are guided by Wood, who ensures that you work out at an intensity level that will provide maximum aerobic benefit.

Boredom: No one wants to feel like a hamster on the treadmill. Nor can we stomach the same strength routine over and over. *YAWN* It’s boring, and worse, its ineffective. Koko programs are interactive and engaging and – go figure – different every time! You are also rewarded with positive feedback that updates you on your progress. It is hard to be bored when there is so much to keep you motivated!

The Gym Scene: It’s just overwhelming for most of us. The over-socializing. The sweat marks on the machines. Tons of exercise equipment you can’t decipher that, frankly, looks like medieval torture devices. The smell of… ok, let’s not go there! There is so much NOT to like about gyms, it’s a wonder people use them at all. In contrast, Koko FitClub has been described (by an especially eloquent member) as a “fitness oasis.” A welcoming, clean, spa-like space that smells good. Everyone is fully focused on their workouts, not each other, and you have your own (non-sweaty) machine to use for the entire workout.

The simple truth is, the exercise regimen you can make a habit of for the long haul is the most effective exercise regimen for you. By figuring out the things that prevent you from making fitness a habit and removing them from the picture, Koko FitClub will help you be successful at getting fit and healthy. We are happy you have made Koko a lifestyle choice. Here’s to your health, happiness and longevity.

Koko for Life!

Mary Obana
President and Co-Founder
Koko FitClub

Koko FitClub Franchising