Tag Archives: Resistance Training

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

Strength Training Lowers Blood Pressure

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Strength Training Lowers Blood Pressure
This past fall a study on the effects of consistent strength training was published in the well respected, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, and I’ll bet it didn’t make it to your local paper, even though it’s something America desperately needs to hear. Get this: Resistance training, like you’re doing three times a week on the Koko Smartrainer,  resulted in as much as a 20% decrease in a person’s blood pressure! Those results are as good if not better than what is seen through use of blood pressure lowering medications- without the side effects.
Cardiovascular exercise, like your Koko Cardio workouts, have long been recommended by the American Heart Association to decrease cardiovascular risk, but the results of this latest research on strength training is probably a revelation to most people. When you climb on the Koko Smartrainer to do your strength workout at Koko FitClub, you get the added benefit of my full-body, circuit training program design which is designed to get your heart pumping by keeping your body in motion. You get the cardiovascular benefits of both resistance training and cardio!
I hear amazing, real-world stories from you everyday that support these findings, and that by consistently getting to Koko FitClub, at least three days a week, you are seeing transformative changes in your health. (And that is truly the secret to Koko’s magic, my friends- it is so EASY to make it a habit.) So, I’m going to wrap this post up with one particularly inspiring story from a man I had the pleasure of meeting last week during my visit to Koko FitClub Belle Meade, Tennessee. His name is Don Birdwell.
93 lbs lost since last Thanksgiving.
Last November [2009], I finally got sick of being overweight and I got busy. A member of the Y, I started by stepping up my cardio with their elliptical struggling to get in 30 minutes most days. By January, I had lost about 40 pounds. I knew, though, that I was losing muscle mass as well as fat. A hydrostatic body composition test, (considered by most fitness experts and my Doctor, as the most accurate test that is readily available,) confirmed that I had indeed lost 42 pounds but that almost 40% of that was lean body mass (muscle). That explained why, even though I was only eating about 1200 calories per day, my weight loss had stopped. With less muscle, my metabolism had plummeted.
Then in February [2010], I joined Koko FitClub. I revised my goals away from just my weight and focused on percentage of body fat. Since Feb 19, 2010 with my regular and focused Koko workouts, I have lost another 51 pounds. More importantly to me, with the resistance training and less cardio, I have now reached 13% body fat. That is rated “excellent” for a 58 year old male. My goal is to reach 11% by October 27th [2010] my 59th birthday. While I have long since gotten below my original goal of 211 pounds, I love wearing 33 ” slacks (rather than 50″.) My 3X shirts have long since gone to Goodwill and I enjoy wearing Large shirts instead.
My doctor is also amazed. My resting heart rate averages about 53, my blood pressure averages 88/60 without medication. No more Lipitor for my cholesterol. which is now under 120 total. My triglycerides have dropped from over 300 to 58.
I was working hard at the Y. At Koko, I am still working hard but much much more effectively. I am a fan for life. By the way, I was paying more for the YMCA plus $70 per hour for a personal trainer. Please feel free to let anyone contact me if they want more information from a satisfied customer. I love your program! –Don Birdwell
Don Birdwell and Michael Wood, CSCS, Chief Fitness Officer, Koko FitClub

Koko FitClub helped Don Birdwell transform his health and fitness

This past fall, a study on the effects of consistent strength training was published in the well respected, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, and I’ll bet it didn’t make it to your local paper, even though it’s something America desperately needs to hear. Get this: Resistance training, like you’re doing three times a week on the Koko Smartrainer,  resulted in as much as a 20% decrease in study participant’s blood pressure! Those results are as good- if not better- than what is seen through use of blood pressure lowering medications- without the side effects.

Cardiovascular exercise, like your Koko Cardio workouts, have long been recommended by the American Heart Association to decrease cardiovascular risk, but the results of this latest research on strength training is probably a revelation to most people. AND, think about this: When you climb on the Koko Smartrainer to do your strength workout at Koko FitClub, you are getting the benefit of resistance training and the added benefit of the full-body, circuit training program design- which is built to get your heart pumping by keeping your body in motion. In other words, you get the cardiovascular benefits of both resistance training and cardio in one workout!

I hear amazing, real-world stories from you everyday that support these findings, and that by consistently getting to Koko FitClub, at least three days a week, you are seeing transformative changes in your health. (And that is truly the secret to Koko’s magic, my friends- it is so EASY to make it a habit.) So, I’m going to wrap this post up with one particularly inspiring story from a man I had the pleasure of meeting last week during my visit to Koko FitClub Belle Meade, Tennessee. His name is Don Birdwell.

93 lbs lost since last Thanksgiving.

Last November [2009], I finally got sick of being overweight and I got busy.  A member of the Y, I started by stepping up my cardio with their elliptical, struggling to get in 30 minutes most days. By January, I had lost about 40 pounds. I knew, though, that I was losing muscle mass as well as fat. A hydrostatic body composition test, (considered by most fitness experts and my Doctor, as the most accurate test that is readily available,) confirmed that I had indeed lost 42 pounds but that almost 40% of that was lean body mass (muscle). That explained why, even though I was only eating about 1200 calories per day, my weight loss had stopped. With less muscle, my metabolism had plummeted.

Then in February [2010], I joined Koko FitClub. I revised my goals away from just my weight and focused on percentage of body fat. Since Feb 19, 2010 with my regular and focused Koko workouts, I have lost another 51 pounds. More importantly to me, with the resistance training and less cardio, I have now reached 13% body fat. That is rated “excellent” for a 58 year old male. My goal is to reach 11% by October 27th [2010] my 59th birthday. While I have long since gotten below my original goal of 211 pounds, I love wearing 33 ” slacks (rather than 50″.) My 3X shirts have long since gone to Goodwill and I enjoy wearing Large shirts instead.

My doctor is also amazed. My resting heart rate averages about 53, my blood pressure averages 88/60 without medication. No more Lipitor for my cholesterol. which is now under 120 total. My triglycerides have dropped from over 300 to 58.

I was working hard at the Y. At Koko, I am still working hard but much much more effectively. I am a fan for life. By the way, I was paying more for the YMCA plus $70 per hour for a personal trainer. Please feel free to let anyone contact me if they want more information from a satisfied customer. I love your program! –Don Birdwell

Thanks, Don, and all of you in Koko Nation who have reached out to us, for sharing your stories. Keep ‘em coming!

In good health,

Michael Wood, CSCS
Chief Fitness Officer
Koko FitClub

Fitness Myths BUSTED: “No Pain, No Gain…”

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This week we are hosting Koko FitClub owners from all over the country. It’s a good excuse to dust off an early post from our very own Chief Fitness Officer, Michael Wood, CSCS, that you probably missed. Enjoy!

 

No Pain“No pain, no gain.” Seems like we have had this fitness mantra drilled into our heads since we were kids. While it is true that you can’t expect results without pushing hard, “pain” is never something you want to feel during exercise. Pain is a signal of injury. Pain is BAD!
 
To get the most benefit from strength training, you should push yourself to what I call “momentary muscular failure.” The feeling you can’t possibly perform another rep. The goal should be to push as hard as you can but not to the point of pain.
 
Even with this advice, for those of us who aren’t used to strength training, determining how hard to push yourself is still a challenge. Women, especially, often underestimate the amount of weight they can lift.1 When our bodies aren’t used to tolerating the work, they actually have to be trained on a cellular level to push beyond the initial fatigue levels.
 
This is the beautiful thing about strength training on a Koko Smartrainer: You never have to gauge how much weight is “enough.”  The Smartrainer performs strength tests and determines what you can safely lift. Then, it constantly progresses you so your body builds strength and never hits a plateau.
 
So remember, avoid pain at all cost! It isn’t necessary and it isn’t good for you. Using the Koko Smartrainer, you are working hard, working smart and getting strong. No pain required! 
 
1Brian C. Focht, “Perceived Exertion and Training Load During Self-Selected and Imposed-Intensity Resistance Exercise in Untrained Women,” The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2007, 21(1):183–187a.