*This testimonial is written by CKO Franklin, New Jersey owner Darlene Pallay.

My weight loss journey started after the birth of my third child in 2009 at 41 years old. I had three children from 2006-2009 and gained quite a bit of weight. My goal was to lose 50 pounds. I never could have anticipated that the weight loss journey I set out to achieve could actually change my life in so many ways. I had driven by the CKO Franklin location for approximately 2 years before I actually decided to give it a try. I needed something new, something intense and completely different to keep me motivated. I found it hard to believe at first that you could burn up to 1,200 calories in one hour, so I tried a class – and after barely keeping up in that class, I realized this was the intensity and diversity I needed so I joined the same day. After about three months of steady weight loss and confidence building, my mother was diagnosed with cancer that was later proven to be due to her obesity after menopause. I was very concerned and upset that this too could happen to me if I did not get to a healthy weight. I decided to speak to the head instructor and tell her I wanted to push myself even further and she helped me challenge myself even more.

I later saw a flyer in the gym about owning your own franchise and decided that this was what I wanted to do! I lost the 50 pounds, gained muscle and confidence, trained to become an instructor and later bought the CKO Franklin location with my husband. It has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life! Not only do I get to incorporate health and fitness into every day of my life, I also get to reach out to people with similar stories and help them get to where they want to be! I find it so fulfilling to give back to these people and help them achieve the best health they can. I have so many success stories in our little gym and it makes me proud to be part of such a wonderful and proven method. We have grown our membership, opened a second location in Augusta, NJ in 2011, and moved our originally small location in Franklin to a beautiful new space of 8,700 square feet in 2013, continuing our growth. My husband is now an instructor as well and we live a healthy, happy lifestyle. CKO Kickboxing is not just a workout, it is a way of life!

-Darlene Pallay, owner CKO Franklin
*After picture by Sara McManus Photography

There are no quick fixes to losing weight, and Janice (a member at CKO Great Kills) can certainly attest to that. Over Janice's two years at CKO Kickboxing, she has not only learned the importance of exercise, but how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

Here is Janice, in her own words:
Two years ago this month I set out to change my life. To change my way of eating, exercising and learning to just live a healthy lifestyle. I was always a little "chubby", and even more so after the birth of my three boys. It was time for a change. I walked into CKO Kickboxing's Great Kills Location not knowing what to expect. When Nick Orlando (the owner of Great Kills) went over the punches and kicks before class, I was immediately intrigued. My first class was all it took to get hooked! I weighed my heaviest when I first walked into CKO Kickboxing. 187 pounds and a size 14. This month is my two year anniversary, and I'm proud to say that I'm down to 140 pounds and a size 6! I've gone up and down that scale ladder, and I've learned all about maintaining my weight (which is harder than actually losing the initial weight) and at one point I was down to 133 pounds. So overall, 54 pounds down and still going strong. CKO Kickboxing has changed my life and I can only go up from here!

Stephanie is a true testament that just because you become pregnant, it does not mean you should stop your pre-pregnancy activity. Not only did Stephanie work out her entire pregnancy, her recovery time decreased, and she is dropping the pregnancy pounds quicky! We here at CKO Kickboxing, truly admire Stephanie for her dedication and willingness to share her story with all of you!

In Stephanie's own words:
I joined CKO Kickboxing's Franklin Location in July 2011 after my sister-in-law convinced me to go to a trial class. I instantly fell in love. I've always been into running and working out at the gym, but CKO Kickboxing was so different and refreshing! It cured my winter blues of running on a treadmill (snore) or using the elliptical for cardio. I was hooked and went at least 3 times a week. I noticed my cardio stamina increasing which resulted in longer runs with more endurance. I've always been a fast runner but never ran for distance. My sister and I ran a half marathon in April 2012 and finished in under 2 hours. I know CKO prepared me for the half marathon as I didn't start training for it until March with some longer runs.

In July 2012 I got pregnant. I was so happy. But I told myself that I needed to keep working out as long as I felt good and resist the "eating for two" mentality. I scoured the internet for articles on working out while pregnant. I read numerous blogs. I told my OB about CKO Kickboxing and he said "go for it" and "listen to my body".

First trimester morning sickness hit me hard. It was summer and the heat was brutal. I went to class and ran when I felt up for it. If I made it twice a week to class, I was victorious. Then second trimester came and I woke up a new woman! I was back! I amped up my running and going to class. I ran a 5k in October and felt great. Non-CKO peeps thought I was crazy. But I received so much support from the trainers and members! I continued with CKO Kickboxing until the end of my 8th month when sleep deprivation got the best of me. I began maternity leave in mid-February and thought I should try the low impact class. Darlene from CKO Franklin joked that I better not deliver in class. I took a few classes with her before delivering my daughter on March 2nd via an unplanned c-section.

I got the green light to go back to my workouts two weeks post c-section with ab restrictions. Knowing myself and realizing that I would probably push more than I should, I gave myself another week to recover and returned to CKO Kickboxing three weeks after delivering. The first few weeks back were rough and I felt weak. By the sixth week post partum, I was permitted to start core work. Every week has gotten easier and my core is getting stronger and I'm enjoying being back. I've learned that pregnancy is not the time to stop working out. It's a time to find new goals and work within your limits. You will need the stamina and stenghth to carry that pregnancy to the end. I was fortunate to have a healthy pregnancy that allowed me to continue to be active. I believe that going to CKO Kickboxing made my pregnancy such a pleasure and warded off those extra preggo pounds, complaints and kept my spirits up! Thanks to all the love and support I've received. CKO Kickboxing is the best!

*This testimonial is written by CKO North Brunswick, New Jersey member Barbara Brennan. She is a true testament to what CKO Kickboxing can do for you both physically and mentally!

Its funny, a few words from my daughter started me down this path. “Mom, I wanna check out kickboxing classes”. She is only 15 so I knew I would have to join along with her. I went online and signed us up. I will never forget that first day. I was so nervous that I almost turned around and drove home after seeing the building. I thought, “I’m 46 years old, overweight and so out of shape that I get winded from walking to the car”... but I forced myself to go in. That’s when I met Nick and Linda and immediately fell in love with the warm friendly atmosphere of their gym. Not gonna lie, that first class almost “killed” me but the whole time I was struggling, Nick kept saying “Go at your own pace, do what you can do today, and I promise you will be able to do more next time”.

This philosophy is what makes CKO work for me and I am sure many others. On Day One I couldn’t do a pushup and laughed at the idea of doing a burpee or any of the other challenging moves. Now I can do almost anything thrown out there. I might not be able to do it all, but I am getting stronger every day. This is an amazing accomplishment for me... the person who was never an athlete and always hated any form of exercise.

I’m feeling excited about the 40 pound weight loss, but am more excited about feeling stronger, leaner, sculpting some muscle and losing the remaining 30 pounds. The crazy thing about the CKO program is that you can always improve and always “do more” in every class. Never boring and always a blast!

*This blog entry has been re-posted with permission from Spiral Macaroni
If you are a friend of mine on Facebook, you’ve probably read the word “kickboxing” from one of my posts over the past couple weeks. That’s because I have an addiction.

I’m completely and utterly obsessed. It’s gotten so bad that it’s to the point to where today I didn’t make it back from the fabric sale in time and I missed the 5:30 class. I was a nervous wreck. I would have gone to the 7:00…but luckily my priorities still are intact and family still comes first. I am a wife and mother before anything else and I need to be there at the table for dinner and to give kisses goodnight on a regular basis. So kickboxing had to wait until tomorrow. So I’m doing a therapeutic exercise and blogging about it…..

But seriously, y’all…this kickboxing stuff is legit. No- this is not your typical class at the gym where you punch the air. This involves real heavy, 100lb bags for resistance where you are sweating, burning, sometimes bleeding, and feeling every muscle working. Every frustration you have is left on that bag, the trainers push you hard but also treat you like family, and you leave feeling energized.

I’m trimming down, loosing that winter hibernation fat, sleeping better, eating better, and I feel strong, cut, and solid. We were members at the YMCA (I walked my butt in there on Monday and canceled) but honestly every time I went in there I felt like I had no clue what to do. I was bored, unmotivated, and was begging inside to be pushed by someone…anyone. I wanted a relationship with people and was tired of just being a number.

Michael told me about CKO Kickboxing because he saw it driving by on shift many times at work.  I told him I  wanted something to get “chizzled-up” but I wanted it be “tough.”  Crossfit was not an option. Thanks to college sports, two shoulder surgeries, and extensive nerve damage….I really honestly just despise heavy weight lifting. I prefer to use my own body weight as resistance and am a sucker for anything that involves plyometrics and interval training! I need to get cardio and lean muscle strength training all at the same time. Ain’t nobody got time for running…..then lifting….then running again…no. Not happening with this busy mama.

I need it to burn. I need it to hurt. I need to sweat profusely (like my head is drenched type of sweating). Then I’m good. Then I’m done. I don’t need to sit at a gym and talk to friends in between sets or “check the score” on the TV while I wait for the next guy to get off my leg press machine.

If you’re looking for something to rev up your workout, check out CKO Kickboxing in Greenville! They offer a free week trial and once you’re there I promise you WILL BE ADDICTED. It’s more than just throwing kicks and punches at a heavy bag. The trainers incorporate extensive core work, legs, butt, and upper body. It is a total body workout that I would recommend to anyone. Young, old, star athlete, or a fresh contestant on the biggest loser. It’s for everyone!

I got Michael to go with me and he loves it too. Bennett has a blast when he goes to CKO Kids and I enjoy being part of the family there.

No matter what your fitness level, age, or gender you can benefit from kickboxing! The trainers here in Greenville always give you a ridiculous workout that you can follow at your own pace. I leave drenched and chompin’ at the bit for the next day’s workout!

Check out their website and Facebook page! I’d love to see you there! Make sure to tell them I sent you if you head that way!  Have a great weekend everyone! And as always, thanks for dropping in!

"In my 14 years of franchising, I’ve never seen a concept grow from within, as I have with CKO Kickboxing. I should rephrase that, I’ve never seen a concept grow through its members," says Rich Rosso, Director of Business Development.