One on One With Koko FitClub

At Koko FitClub in Shrewsbury, husband and wife team Bo and Jorene Gustafsson promise a workout experience like you won't find anywhere else in the area. Every workout is custom, personalized to fit your fitness needs and wants. You get guidance all along the way, but it doesn't come from a trainer, well, not in the traditional sense that is.

Here you wear your personal trainer on a lanyard around your neck.

It's called a Koko Key. It's a USB drive that plans your workouts, tracks your progress, plans your schedule and even combines with Koko's web portal to drop you a line in your email when you've gone too many days without showing up for a session. You plug your key into the display of whatever machine you're using and it guides you through the workout, providing tips and even critiquing your performance afterwards.

It's all part of a workout system dubbed "Smartraining System," an automated exercise regimen designed to get results, whether they be weight loss, strength training, toning for beach season, or even rehabilitation from an injury.

"We're changing lives with every 30 minute workout," Jorene said.

The Shrewsbury Koko FitClub, located in the on Broad Street, is one of 70 similar gyms scattered throughout the country and Canada. By the end of the year, Bo said, there will be as many as 120 Koko FitClubs. The layout is simple, with cardio equipment hugging one side of the space and all-in-one machines - with levers and pulleys jutting out like limbs - lining the other. 

Though the Shrewsbury location has been open since December, the Gustafsson's are hoping to introduce Koko to the community with a grand opening celebration this Saturday.

"At Koko, every workout is new and engaging," Bo said in a release. "Members stay motivated by pounds lost and strength gained, knowing for certain that they are always getting the best workout for them, without ever having to plan it out for themselves."

After every workout you plug your Koko Key into a kiosk that backs up your data and adds it to a preexisting database. Here, and through the company's website, you can find out everything you've done, where you stand on your fitness goals, and what to look forward to during your next workout.

The automated concept is key to the process, Bo said, and for a number of reasons. The intimidation of walking into a gym and not having a clue what you're doing. That's gone. The worry about the high cost of hiring a personal trainer. That's gone too.

Everything you need to arrive at a better you is hanging right around your neck.
The workout plans are so custom, that Koko is even capable of accommodating members who want to work out but are facing specific health concerns, like back pain and even breast cancer recovery.

Unlike most circuit training programs, there's no one size fits all program at Koko, Bo said.

"It's assessed to you personally and it differs for each person," he said. "You wouldn't be able to do something like this in a group with circuit training."

Koko FitClub's grand opening is scheduled for this Saturday, March 24, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature refreshments, giveaways, special guests and grand prizes. The first 50 guests to arrive at the Grand Opening will receive a free Koko FitClub gym bag and water bottle. To join Koko FitClub or schedule a consultation and complimentary Koko Smartraining session, visit the Shrewsbury location at 1079 Broad Street in the Staples Shopping Center, call 732-380-0015, or find out more on the web at shrewsbury.kokofitclub.com.