Tag Archives: Time Under Tension

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

Triple Progressive System: The Secret to Getting STRONG with Koko

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Stick to your Koko FitClub strength training prescription – 3 workouts a week on the Koko Smartrainer – and you get great results.

(On average a 33% strength gain after 24 weeks of strength training and a 41% strength gain after a year.)

You know it works,  but ever wonder how? A big reason is because the Koko Smartrainer’s patented technology uses the Triple Progressive System.

Say what?

pro·gres·sion/prəˈgreSHən/

Noun:

  1. A movement or development toward a destination or a more advanced state, esp. gradually or in stages.
  2. A succession; a series.

Progression is extremely important when it comes to exercise program design in the following areas:

  1. Exercise Progression – Advancing from basic to complex exercises with same exercise group. For example, going from a Squat to a Squat to Upright Row to a Squat to Upright Row with Heel Raise.
  2. Pace Progression – Slowing down the pace of each exercise within each exercise session and over the course of a 24 session program. This, in turn,  increases the “time under tension,” progressing from 30 to 45 to 60 seconds.
  3. % RM Progression – Progressively increasing the resistance or the load throughout a program – typically from 55% RM up to 80% RM. (RM is “repetition maximum” – the most weight you can lift for a defined number of exercise movements.)

…Now you understand “Triple!”

It’s hard to do on your own, but Koko precisely works progression in all three areas into each and every session and throughout all 100 Smartraining programs without you having to do a thing!

Koko’s Triple Progressive System =  a simpler, safer, more effective workout and great RESULTS!!

Pretty cool, isn’t it?

In Good Health,

Michael Wood, CSCS
Chief Fitness Officer
Koko FitClub

Is your strength increasing with Koko Smartraining workouts, but your Q score staying the same?

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Koko FitClub Q ScoreThose of you in Koko Nation are very familiar with the Koko Q Score. A measurement of strength relative to weight, it allows you to compare your strength to everyone one else who uses Koko. A question I often hear is, “Why, if I have achieved consistent strength increases, have I not seen my Q score go up?” This happened to me recently- my Q score did not seem to want to budge.

First let me explain how we calculate the Q score, because it isn’t all about strength. It is a strength to weight ratio, independent of age and gender. (Age and gender are the ways we group and compare Q scores.) But, what most of you may not know, is that the ratio calculation is adjusted for pace. The pace score you get during your strength test affects your Q score. This is a variable that may very well be causing your Q score to stay where it is.

A simple example: If two individuals who weigh the same lift the same amount of weight for the same number of repetitions during their strength test, but one of them maintains an average pace score of 98% while the other only 75%, the first person will achieve the higher Q score. Why?

The Smartrainer equates staying on pace with lifting a weight you can manage with good form and without momentum. You have developed enough strength and enough stability in your joints and core to handle it. If you aren’t staying on pace you are either dogging it, (I know you’d never do that during your strength test!) or you are lifting more than you should and likely using poor form and momentum to help you complete each rep.

Here is a helpful rule of thumb: During a strength test, if you cannot keep the pace bar in the blue box for 2-3 reps, then it is a good indication you have maxed out on the weight you should lift. To push yourself on to a higher weight with a poor pace score doesn’t help your Q score. (It is also a good way to injure yourself.)

So, if your Q Score seems “stuck” here are the three things to look at:

  1. Is your weight accurate in your member profile? (Let the front desk know if your weight changes, it makes a difference.)
  2. Is the total volume of weight you lift during each subsequent strength test increasing? (Volume is, for each exercise, the amount of weight x the number of sets/repetitions: a single repetition of a chest press at 50 lbs is not the same volume as three reps at 50 lbs. If you aren’t sure, you can look at your strength test sessions in detail at mykokofitness.com. Go to program history and click on  the program number. Once inside you can click on “results” for the strength sessions within that program to view the weight, sets and reps for each exercise.)
  3. Are you maintaining a good pace score during your strength tests? (This makes a difference for all the reasons I stated above.)

During my latest strength test I worked very hard to stay on pace- even when I was really being challenged by the weight- and you know what? My Q score finally got a boost!

Michael Wood, CSCS
Chief Fitness Officer
Koko FitClub