If you've ever met Archie and Ling Ling King, of the King family that owns those chain of motels, the first thing you'll notice is how amazing they look. They look - easily - 20 years younger than they are and are probably the fittest people in the universe.
So when I found out that Ling Ling was offering her trainer to a friend of mine, I pestered my friend to pass on the information to me. Finally, I went through my old e-mails and contacted Archie myself. He was gracious and kind as always and put me in touch with Nestor Hernandez who turned out to be the manager and head trainer of Core Kinesis, the first Kinesis gym put up by the King family in one of their hotels. (It's at Legend Hotel Villas on Pioneer Street in Mandaluyong).
Despite the hefty fees, I signed up right away.
I could be wrong about this but I am under the impression that Technogym created the workout, Kinesis, designing machines specifically for it. These machines are four sleek, ultra-modern wall panels, artfully encasing cables, pulleys and weight stacks so that they don't look intimidating to its users.
(Internet file photo.)
The machines allow for an endless variety and freedom of movement. The workouts emphasize push, pull, lift and twist moves, combining traditional strength exercises with functional movements. For instance, one of the lift and twist exercises mimics lifting a box and putting it away on a high shelf. Another exercise combines lunges with flys. You can control the resistance through the weight stacks and your distance from the machine. (The farther you are, the more resistance there is.) Kinesis challenges one's strength, flexibility and balance.
Warm-up is usually 15 minutes of brisk walking on a treadmill, followed by a few standard stretches. Then it's down to business. Total workout time could be anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. The session ends with the student being stretched by the trainer. You gotta love that.
When I was at Core Kinesis, they were in the process of putting up their Makati branch (at King's Court, Pasong Tamo) so I eventually lost Nestor as a trainer as he got busier and busier putting the new gym together. Gelo Yabut would occasionally sub for him until they finally put Jeff Mendoza in charge of my workouts. While I liked Gelo, I thought that, with Jeff, I had plateaued and started getting bored with the workouts. Then December rolled around and, because I have a huge aversion to Christmas traffic, I arranged to have all my sessions at six in the morning. That's when they assigned Aaron Ang to me. Aaron was a newbie trainer like Jeff but he was more attentive and seemed to be challenged by me. He liked it that I insisted on increasing my weights and would sometimes add more weight than I had asked for just to see if I could manage it. He also started giving me more complex exercises that the more advanced students were doing.
Gelo Yabut at Core Kinesis at Legend Hotel Villas. (Internet file photo.)
But, in the end, much as I enjoyed working out at Core Kinesis, it was just too expensive for me to sustain. I also found myself bulking up from lifting heavy weights with low reps, which I didn't like. (Most of the time, they only had me doing ten reps.) And, now, after getting used to the frenetic pace of CrossFit, I'm not sure that I can go back to the much more laid back Kinesis. (Although I am still coveting the Kinesis One, the four-in-one home gym that I hope to have installed in Siargao one day.)
Still, if money isn't an issue, I totally recommend Kinesis. It's a great workout for all fitness levels. Beginners will appreciate the state-of-the-art (and, most importantly, safe) machinery, the slow, steady pace, the low reps and the one-on-one instruction, while the advanced practitioners will be challenged by the complex movements. (Try working those pulleys while balancing on a wobble board or lying on a fitness ball!) Even with those ten reps, I guarantee you'll work up a sweat and you'll be aching all over the next day!
Plus at Core Kinesis, you can dictate when you want to workout. It could be at the crack of dawn or the witching hour. They'll adjust to your schedule. Now that's service!
Core Kinesis seems to be popular with TV personalities and the fashion industry (models, make-up artists, fashion magazine editors, etc.).
(Internet file photo.)
While I am not a fitness trainer, I do have some advice for those wanting to try out Kinesis or are starting a weight-lifting program:
1. Lift slowly and release the weight slowly (- releasing slowly is called "controlling the negative"). Don't rely on momentum. Make your movements slow, precise and purposeful.
2. Keep your water breaks under a minute. Engage in "active rest". Don't sit down. You want to keep your heart rate up.
3. If you want to bulk up, lift your maximum weight with as few reps as possible. Normally, you shouldn't be able to do more than three. But if you want to tone up, lift a heavy enough weight that you can do several sets of at least 20 reps.
4. Work out consistently! Push yourself beyond the pain. Even if your legs feel like wood, you'll be surprised at what you can do when the adrenaline kicks in. Maybe start out with three sessions per week but work your way up to five as soon as you can
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Kinesis Checklist:
- Comfortable workout clothes
- Shoes, optional
- Small towel