Tag Archives: pace

On Point for the Best Workout Possible

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Friends, I love earning Koko Points every time I exercise! They are instant feedback on how closely I followed my custom Smartraining workout. A pat on the back for a job well done. I know I’m not alone in this, but you may not know what’s actually at work behind the point system. (It’s really pretty amazing when you get down to it.) So, I’d like to broaden your understanding of why we award you Koko points every time you exercise and how they are calculated. I also want to encourage their use for positive motivation.

Remember: In the end it’s not about the points, it’s about getting the best workout possible.

Koko Points are calculated based on how well you keep to your prescribed Smartraining workout during a session. You must:

  • Stay on pace for each exercise (indicated by earning a 100% pace score)
  • Complete all sets and reps prescribed by the Smartrainer
  • Use the prescribed weights for each rep/set

Surprised? It’s a common misconception in Koko Nation that a 1000 point workout is earned simply by getting  a 100% pace score on every exercise.

The most important role of Koko points is to motivate and encourage the good strength training habits that make for the most effective workouts possible. How it motivates and encourages is different for each person, just like Koko workouts are different for each person.  We know that for some, Koko points light the fire of an already competitive nature and possibly an obsession with colored lanyards. (Just fine if you remember- It’s not about the points!) For others, my husband and Koko Co-founder Mike Lannon is a perfect example, the number is simply good feedback that lets him know how he’s doing each session and he doesn’t ever worry about a few points here and there. Different strokes for different folks.

I leave you with this final thought: Koko points are for good not evil. They are feedback meant to educate and encourage good exercise form. Never let them become a de-motivator and never, ever feel discouraged by a workout that doesn’t earn quadruple digits. That would be missing the point!

Mary Obana
President & Co-Founder
Koko FitClub

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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

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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

Simple Smartraining Tips for Fitness Success

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Fitness. Figured out.

1. Complete three strength and four Koko Cardio sessions per week.

When your monthly Koko progress report arrives in your inbox next Tuesday morning, check to see if you have a minimum of 12 strength and 16 cardio sessions for the month of April. If you do, you are getting the CDC/WHO/Surgeon General recommended 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise to decrease your risk of developing several nasty, chronic diseases.

2. Get active and have fun outside of Koko FitClub.

Why get in shape if you don’t enjoy that improved fitness? You’d be amazed how quickly riding bikes with your kids, walking the dog or digging in your garden logs a ton of extra “active” time to your week. This weekend I plan to be working in my yard for a few hours and going for a two hour hike on Sunday. All of a sudden my 150 minutes of Smartraining turns into seven hours of activity! Seven hours of activity a week is a magic number that not only off-sets a sedentary day job, but also cuts my risk of dying prematurely by 40% compared to folks who exercise only thirty minutes a week.

3. The Smartraining “Three Rep Rule.”

If a weight feels too light or too heavy during your next Koko strength workout, (not a strength test,) you can perform three fewer or three additional reps than what the Smartrainer suggests for you and it will trigger an automatic weight adjustment for the next set. If the weight is too heavy, three fewer reps will trigger a lighter suggested weight next set. If it’s too light, three extra reps will trigger a higher weight next set.

4. Mix up your cardio routine.

No matter how much you LOVE the “Mt. Diablo” treadmill hike, don’t do it every time. Think variety and progression with your cardio. If you are comfortably working at the same intensity level every session, try the next level up and see how you do. (You can always make adjustments if it feels too difficult.) Do you have a favorite piece of equipment?  Forsake it every other session. You will get much more benefit by alternating between treadmill and elliptical. Bottom line, it’s best to mix it up – different intensities, different programs and different equipment.

5. Improve your pace score to improve your Q-Score.

Has improvement in your Koko Q-Score stalled even though you are working out consistently? Remember – Q-Score is a pace adjusted strength to weight ratio. Next strength test, really focus on getting the best pace score you can on the last, heaviest set for each of the four exercises in your strength test. Can’t get a decent pace score on that last set? Do fewer reps, recognizing that it is ok to stop as soon as your pace score starts to slip.

6. Reduce the amount of added sugar in your diet.

Over the next two to three weeks, work on cutting down your consumption of added sugar and you will lose body fat around your abdominal area. Your total added sugar intake should stay under 25 grams/day for women and 38 grams/day for men.  Of course, foods have natural sugar, that’s not what I’m asking you to avoid. Read food labels to watch for “added sugar.” It can come in the form of high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, brown rice syrup, etc. If you are consistent with your Koko workouts and follow this added sugar rule, you’ll really notice the change in your waistline. (I have over the last three weeks!)

These simple changes can have a big impact if you keep at them consistently. Let me know how it goes!

Michael Wood, CSCS
Chief Fitness Officer
Koko FitClub

Koko FitClub Franchising

 

Hiking the Blue Hills: One Reason Why I Koko

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Koko HikerI’m so happy to see another winter in the record books. To celebrate, this past weekend I took an great, one hour hike in the Blue Hills Reservation just outside of Boston. You know what? Thanks to my regular Koko Smartraining workouts, I didn’t feel like I hibernated all winter. This is why I Koko!

We already know that significant strength gains can be achieved by consistently doing our Koko on a regular basis. (Ideally, three strength and three to four cardio sessions each week.) What’s easy to forget, especially through colder months when we might be stuck inside, is that Koko also helps keep us strong for other activities we love do.

My hike in the Blue Hills is a case in point. (Yes! It is the very same spot I named a spring Koko Cardio session after.) I took it easy because it’s the first hike I have done since the fall on this particular trail. Last year, when I was in peak shape from being outside and active in the warmer weather, I could do the first part of the uphill hike in about 30 minutes. So, when I did it this past weekend, I figured I would be five to ten minutes slower. Turns out, I was right on my peak thirty minute pace.

This told the exercise physiologist in me that all winter long my Koko Smartraining sessions kept my body in great shape. Now that spring is here, I can enjoy the warm weather activities I love- like hiking or getting whooped in a pick-up basketball game in the driveway by my daughter Julia- without missing a beat.

This is why I Koko. How about you?

Michael Wood, CSCS
Chief Fitness Officer
Koko FitClub