Koko FitClub of Belle Meade

I love this gym so much that I made sure to buy my house nearby. I love that it’s open late (until 11pm) every day of the week and open 365 days a year (even on holidays). The computer-​based personalized training gives me direction in my weight training and I know I’ve made huge progress! Been a member at least 2.5 years and made a 110% strength increase since joining. They have fun challenges each month that keep me motivated. And it’s in a good location, right across the parking lot from Publix. Members are both male and female, younger and older. Everyone is welcomed and there are no snooty attitudes there (unlike some other gyms I previously tried in Nashville).

When left to design and manage my own exercise regimen, I tend to obsess over every little detail until I drive myself insane and burn out. So I thought I would start seeing a personal trainer, until I had a reality check when I saw how much a single session with a personal trainer would cost. When I stumbled upon reviews of Koko FitClub, it seemed like a good compromise between individualized training and affordability. I’ve been a member for almost two months now, and so far I love it.
At Koko, the computer on the machine is your personal trainer. When you join, you pick a fitness plan and your personalized workouts are loaded onto your «Koko key» (a USB thumb drive). Every time you start a workout, you plug your Koko key into the computer and it tells you exactly what to do, from how to set up the machine to how to do the exercise with proper form. This is great because it means I can stumble in at 5 AM (pre-​caffeine!), take orders from the machine, and get a great workout in 30 minutes without thinking/​obsessing. And because the workout is different every day, I never get bored. (There’s also a food plan included with every Koko membership, but I haven’t really checked it out yet.)
There are only three types of machines at Koko: the «Smartrainers,» treadmills, and elliptical trainers. The Smartrainer is where you do all of your strength work; with its myriad attachments and pulleys, it can be configured many ways to target different muscle groups. In spite of its versatility, it is very easy to use thanks to the clear instructions on the computer screen. (This is coming from someone who HATES boring exercise videos and can’t figure out the vague illustrations in exercise books.)
The gym is very small, but I go at non-​peak hours so I never have to wait for a machine. When I have stopped by during peak hours (5 PM-​ish on weekdays), the maximum wait has only been 10 or so minutes.
For me, the only downside to Koko is the lack of facilities (pool, racquetball court, showers, etc.) that I got used to having at the Y. Also, there are no classes. However, the inexpensive «personal training» I get at Koko makes up for it. I also love how I can track my progress and preview my upcoming sessions on the Koko website.
I’ll post an update once I’ve been a member long enough to comment on results/​effectiveness. I’m hooked, though!

This is the perfect gym (for me). I never have to come up with my new weight routines, or worry about working the right muscles and which groups on what day etc. It’s all thought out and planned for you. You pick a strength plan, they upload it to your thumb drive and you plug that into your machine, and bam! Your workout is ready. You just show up and it tells you what to do. There’s a cardio menu to choose from (elliptical and treadmill), 3 different levels. It tells you when to change the speed/​incline/​resistance, you follow the prompts. It gives you interesting tid bits and health research findings. You can also do your own cardio, you don’t have to choose one from the menu. I love it here. No kids! It’s not loud. Everyone minds their own business. It’s very small, but don’t let that discourage you. I’ve been a member for over 2 years and I still love it.

Koko fit club is great. I just moved to Nashville from DC, where I had been doing personal training which I loved. When I got to DC, though, I didn’t want to join a gym AND pay for personal training, since there’s a really wonderful gym where I work that’s free but doesn’t offer personal training. For less than the cost of a single session of personal training, at Koko, you get a month’s worth of personalized computer algorithm-​based training at Koko. It doesn’t adjust if you’re recovering from an injury or make other personalizations that only a human personal trainer could do (you are able to adjust if you are extra energetic or exhausted by changing the weights, though), but it works great for me. With Koko, you don’t have to worry about finding a trainer with great skills and a good personality fit; the great skills are built into the machines… the folks out at Koko corporate (who make the training and cardio programs) definitely know what they’re doing. You go whenever you want (b/​w 5am and 11pm), there’s almost never a line, and even if there is a line, you never have to wait for long (or you can just do some cardio while you wait, it’s good for you). Everyone minds their own business almost all the time, and the place is always clean, cool, and well-​lit. I’ve also been pretty impressed with their music, somehow it spans rock, pop, and just a little country, 70s-​present day, without ever being annoying. It’s also quiet enough to turn your own headphone volume up if you’d rather listen to your own music. As for the reviewer complaining about the owner, I’ve never seen anyone here but the two people who work here, and they are both the loveliest, friendliest people.
I’ve had great results. Strength up 26% in 2 months, lost weight, and cardio recovery improved, too.
And for all you data-​nerds out there, you have access to a website that has all the exercises you’ve ever done, the weights, reps, and how well you did. It’s a data bonanza, so you can track exactly how you’ve improved over time, by exercise, by workout, by overall fitness, whatever you want. There’s a points-​based rewards system (simple but motivating anyway) and leader boards for the folks who like to know where they stand compared to other folks. Easy to ignore if you don’t care about that sort of thing, though.

KOKO is a great concept! My first year I lost over 100 lbs but more importantly I now am
1. 12% body fat
2. Off blood pressure medicine
3 Off cholesterol medication
4 Never have to wait
5 Find the Owners and employees a joy to see everyday
If you want free coffee and to visit rather than workout join the Y. That will give new meaning to «waiting.» the Y is a wonderful place to lean on the weights!
Give KOKO a try! But, don’t bother if you are looking for a no effort miracle workout routine. You get the results you earn.
The facilities are spotless and the members are great!
Don Birdwell

Oh my goodness. It is a fitness miracle. I’m still pretty new, so I can’t yet speak to results, but so far I absolutely love it here (Love a gym? Hence the miracle).
The smart-​trainer machines are super easy to use, and since it is a sort of computerized personal trainer, you can follow your progress on the screen and it will let you know if you are doing it wrong. They also offer elliptical machines and treadmills with a long list of «coached» sessions (each 15 min).
I really dig the website. You can see how you did your last workout, see your totals and if you do Weight Watchers, you can see what the equivalent activity points.

I hate gyms. I quit the last one I belonged to about 4 years ago because for some reason, it made me angry. Not the people there, or the employees, or the trainers, just the gym itself. I’m weird, I know. I decided to just get my exercise outside. Well this is all fine and good when it’s not a) icy and 25 degrees out and b) oppressively hot at 105 degrees. Which is pretty much Nashville’s winter and summer, respectively.
You can see where this is going – I didn’t really work out for about 3+ years, with the exception of a ½ marathon training in there somewhere.
I kept driving by Koko, not knowing what it was (honestly thought it was either a pet store or some sort of suburban strip club) until one day I saw a sign in the window advertising «personal training for $ 60 a month». Sold. Made an appointment online for a free trial session, and I signed up that day!
The short of it is, it’s similar to a Wii fitness workout. When you sign up, the «trainer» will take all of your measurements, decide what goals you have (weight loss, toning, specific sports training, etc.) and enter it all into the computer. They give you a USB key fob thing that you then take to their weight machine, which has a computer screen on it. You plug in, and your virtual trainer walks you through different workouts daily. No two are the same which is good, because I bore easily! The computer trainer tells you everything from what to put the seat settings on to how much weight, how many reps, and you keep on pace by following a bar on the screen (this is how it’s similar to a Wii workout to me). Workouts are only 30 minutes.
For elliptical and treadmill, you plug in to an MP3 player and a guy tells you how to set incline and resistance, constantly changing it for a great workout in only 15 minutes!
So in one hour’s time, I can easily burn 500 calories. Score. I’ve only been a member for 2 months, and already have gained 50% strength. Now realize that I originally had the upper body strength of a tiny defenseless kitten, so take that gain for what it’s worth but still. I’m impressed. The pounds are starting to come off too!
Finally, I’ve found a «gym» that I don’t hate. I have already gotten a few friends to join too! Like the Pied Piper, I am…