Jon-Erik Kawamoto
Certified Kinesiologist, Strength & Conditioning Specialist, Managing Director, Founder
Personal Training / Strength and Conditioning Coaching
We know you don’t want to spend all day in the gym. But, you don’t have to quit your day job to realize the many benefits of strength training. Our experienced personal trainers provide programs for busy people who are looking for an efficient workout routine to fit into their jam-packed schedules.
New Clients
New clients must undergo a 1-on-1 initial assessment prior to starting training.
Existing Clients
Our coaches will design you a customized workout based on what you have access to.
Personal training, in a group environment. Group sizes can range from 1 to 4 clients per group.
Receive 1-on-1 coaching, review technique, learn new exercises and be pushed to new bests.
Use it or Lose it
Inactive adults experience a 3% to 8% loss of muscle mass every 10 years, accompanied by an increase in fat accumulation and a decrease in resting metabolic rate.
Not only do these losses impact the way we look and how we feel but, they also impact our level of functional independence as we get older.
Strength Training is Medicine
By incorporating 2 to 3 sessions of strength training per week into your life, you’ll see benefits such as:
- increased muscle mass
- increased metabolism
- increased fat loss
- improved physical performance
- improved cardiovascular health
- improved insulin sensitivity
- increased bone density
- improved movement control
- improved cognition
- higher self-esteem
- faster walking speed (older adults)
- increased functional independence (older adults)
Are you getting your prescribed dose?
Only 2 in 10 adults meet the daily recommended levels of physical activity each day. (Public Health Agency of Canada).
Adults aged 18-64 should accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week in addition to muscle and bone strengthening activities (i.e., strength training!) using major muscle groups, at least 2 days per week. (CSEP Guidelines, 2019).
Since, it’s unlikely that those of us with desk jobs will be quitting those jobs any time soon, we need to become more comfortable incorporating strength training into our lives in order to stay healthy.
We Can Help
Whether you’re an elite athlete or have minimal gym experience, age 35 or 65, we can help you get comfortable, safe and efficient in the gym.
Our staff are credible, highly experienced Strength and Conditioning Specialists backed by the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). We’re also Certified Kinesiologists with the Newfoundland and Labrador Kinesiology Association (NLKA) and the Canadian Kinesiology Alliance (CKA).
We’re passionate about strength training for our own health and we’ve been featured in publications such as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, and Oxygen Magazine providing expert advice on strength training.
What You’ll Learn
By learning compound movements that use all your major muscle groups such as squats, deadlifts, pull downs, and rows, you’ll get stronger, healthier, and more resilient to what life throws at you.
Thomas King
Certified Kinesiologist, Strength & Conditioning Specialist
Craig Hickey
Certified Kinesiologist
I’ve always been a gym rat, but was getting tired of the same ol’ routine. My better half was attending JKC and encouraged me to try it out. My favourite part of JKC is that is isn’t a gym – it’s a community. Jon and Thomas are awesome, and I love that every time I go I know who’s working out with me and we can socialize while working on our health. Everyone is supportive, encouraging and genuinely looks out for one another. It’s an upbeat and positive experience and I can honestly say that I look forward to each and every workout.
I had signed up for other gyms in the past and never went or rarely went. Something always got in the way or I was just too tired and lacked motivation to go. This way I’ve made a commitment to Jon or Thomas and I try very hard to keep my sessions once I’ve booked in. JKC is different from other gyms that I’ve tried in the past because no one is there to be “seen”. We are all there to get a good workout in and go on with our lives. And it’s a small gym so you get to know everyone and it’s like a big family. When I joined JKC, I couldn’t do a chin up with an elastic band, but I’ve slowly worked up to 10 free hanging chin ups. That was big because I hate chin ups.
I had spent a fair bit of time in gyms in my teens and twenties but I turned away from the gym to focus on activities that I enjoyed more. What keeps me at JKC is that I do really enjoy it. I always feel that I’ve accomplished something when I leave at the end of my workout. The environment is really positive and focused on challenging yourself whatever your level of comfort and fitness. I’ve also seen results that I’m really happy with; having someone who really knows what they’re talking about to guide your workouts makes them way more effective and focused than just “going to the gym”.
Shortly after I started at JKC, I sustained a fairly major injury that took me off my feet for several months. When I started to get back to activity, it was very difficult. Jon and Thomas worked hard to tailor my workouts to my goals and what I could do. With their help, I’ve been steadily building back strength and function.
I saw an article in Men’s Journal that quoted Jon in about 2018 while traveling and was impressed that someone in St. John’s made that international magazine. Jon spoke about an exercise called the Farmer’s Walk and I started working that into my routine at the YMCA. I tore that article out of the magazine and kept it, meaning to make contact, but got busy. Then I had lunch with an old friend Bruce Dyke. I hadn’t seen Bruce for a while and I remarked that he looked super healthy and fit. He told me about his, and his son Cas’, experience at JKC and then I remembered the Men’s Journal article! No coincidences!
The experience is unique on many levels – great people, camaraderie, passion, purpose, and dedication. Jon and Thomas are attentive, precise and understanding. Their teaching has unlocked a new perspective for me with what our bodies are capable of. I still appreciate the YMCA, wonderful place, but I can’t imagine working out without Jon and Thomas now.
I have never previously seen the passion and level of care that Jon and Thomas bring to everyone who works out at JKC. Their knowledge, insight and skills are extraordinary, and they work with everyone individually to ensure the best possible results. The attention to detail and to every person’s specific requirements and goals, and the incredible, constant encouragement they provide, is, in my opinion, what truly distinguishes JKC from any other program in which I’ve participated. I am extremely pleased with the progress I’ve achieved thus far, and it’s largely attributable to Jon and Thomas and the approach they take to training and working with people.
