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
I’ve been weight training on and off for years but never really had a specific goal or target in mind so routinely stalled out, plateaued or stopped training all together. Before I joined JKC I was definitely in a fitness slump and needed something to motivate me and get me back on track. I did a bit of digging online, looking at various personal training options and gyms around town but JKC seemed like the best option by far. I’ve tried big box gyms and other personal trainers in the past but none of them have had the perfect combination of goal specific fitness programming, welcoming and supportive environment, and the knowledge and passion to back it all up that you’ll find at JKC. Jon and Thomas are great to work with, they know how to motivate you if you’re having an off day and are well versed in all the different ways to make your muscles burn! I also have noticed some major improvements in my deadlifts since I started with JKC and was really happy with the result.
From my initial consult with Julia, she was professional and knowledgeable as both a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and athlete. She was interested in my nutrition and fitness goals and the development of a plan that would set me up for success.
Julia designed weekly meal plans that were complete with recipes and shopping lists. The food choices were nutritious, easy to prepare, and ensured that I felt well nourished and energized throughout my training and non-training days. Not only do I feel leaner and more fit, but I have more energy and I feel much more in tune with my body and food choices. Julia really helped me put everything in place so I can continue this process going forward- I cannot thank her enough!
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’ve always struggled with both my weight and anxiety throughout my life. As a writer you live a pretty sedentary lifestyle filled with both realistic and unrealistic deadlines, so I needed something to get me off my butt and to get me moving. JK has been a godsend during this past year and a half in particular. The pandemic has been tough, but workouts with both Thomas and Jon have really helped reduce the stress and strain of a global pandemic, and added an anchor of normalcy back into my life — which has been worth its weight in gold.
JKC has created an incredibly inclusive environment that’s filled with all kinds of supportive folks from all kinds of different backgrounds. For folks like myself, being surrounded by people with such athletic ability can be intimidating in most gyms. It can actually be a deterrent, and it sometimes has been for me. But, at JKC it’s far from that — it’s inspirational. Everyone supports one another. Which is something that’s not easily found in this day and age, inside of a gym or out. Not to sound like a total cheeseball here, but it really feels like a family.
I chose JKC originally to help prevent rowing injuries. I’m a rower and we won the St. John’s Regatta in 2019 but I rowed through a rib stress fracture and missed significant time in the boat during the racing season. Training at JKC consistently since the pandemic helped me stay injury free this year and made me the strongest I’ve ever felt, which helped me help my team win the 2021 St. John’s Regatta! Jon adds variety and mixes the exercises up well so that the workout goes by quickly and strength is gained. The gym is very personable and I like the eclectic mix of people that are there. JKC is much more intimate and personal than other gyms.
