WESTLAKE, Ohio — Cleveland Browns star tight end David Njoku is well known for his shirtless pregame workouts in whatever the weather is, his muscles on display for thousands of fans every game day, which is the image evoked by the name Njoku for many.
"When you think of David Njoku as a football player for the Cleveland Browns, he's the epitome of fitness and strength," said former Cleveland Fusion player Marie Miller.
That's what Miller thought when she heard of Njoku Strong, a new health and wellness facility in Westlake. She wasn't alone. Many curious customers who checked out the new spot entered it with the same question.
"We did ask them if we're going to get the same results that we see with David when he's warming up for football," said Njoku Strong member and Fit by Five Preschool owners James and Kate Maiorana.
The health and fitness club—not a gym—doesn't come with a magic recipe to look like an NFL player. It does, however, offer a unique technology to aid in members' fitness goals.
It's a sleek, black suit, designed by another Njoku—David's brother Dr. Innocent Njoku—that provides electrical muscle stimulation, or EMS, throughout the body of the person wearing it.
Innocent Njoku graduated from Cornell University and was a practicing neurosurgeon. Innocent always aimed to improve the health of those in need, but decided to step away from surgery and into the entrepreneurial side. Partnering with a medical device company based in Europe, Innocent helped create and design the EMS suit.
"Instead of the idea of going to a brick and mortar gym, our members here are able to wear their 'gym,'" Innocent said. "Njoku Strong utilizes what's called electrical muscle stimulation as a way to enhance and amplify the fitness experience. So instead of spending two to three hours in the gym, our members are able to have a phenomenal experience in about 20-30 minutes."
For the Maioranas, that was something that really intrigued them to try out the fitness center.
"Jim operates Fit by Five, I have a full-time job, we have four kids, so we joined as members in an effort to get a great workout in 20 minutes," Kate said. "Didn't know what to expect from the suit at first but it was awesome."
The Njoku Strong EMS suits not only provide an intense workout for people on the go, but they also allow people with other constraints the opportunity for a technologically-driven training session.
"The suits also able to provide the ability for people with osteoarthritis or joint pain to be able to stay functional and active and mobile because we don't necessarily need a lot of heavy weights, we don't need big gimmicky machinery. Everything that our members need is really found in the ability to use the suit and the technology."
Each suit wraps around the legs, core and arms of the individual wearing it. A few velcro straps and buckles secure it. Then, the EMS pack is attached to each suit, a mobile device that powers the gear and sends the electrical impulses through the wearer's body.
From there, it's about letting the technology do the heavy lifting.
During one of the 20-minute workout sessions, customers who tried the suit for the first time immediately felt the difference. Shocked faces and a few giggles erupted as the suit powered on. A light ride on a stationary bike might feel more like riding up an incline. A lighter set of dumbbells might feel a bit heavier.
"Just doing the bicep curls, I usually do 15 pounds for my reps. I went down to 10 pounds and it still felt super, super intense, if not more intense," said Bay High School junior Curran Wank.
Wank played soccer during her freshman and sophomore year. She tore her ACL multiple times and now plays golf and focuses even more on working out. She's tried plenty of routines and equipment, but nothing like the Njoku Strong suit.
"The intensity. You can really feel it targeting your muscles," she said. "I've done a lot of different experiences with workouts and stuff and not anything like this before so it was nice, it was unique."
The name "Njoku" might have people coming in to check out the health and wellness center, but the unique technology offered keeps many coming back for more.
Innocent Njoku won't promise you'll look like his brother David after a session.
"Unless you're comfortable walking around without a shirt because that's apparently what my brother typically does," Innocent laughed. "It's a process, it's a journey and that's one of the things we really emphasize here at the club. There is no such thing as an easy quick fix but we like to walk hand in hand in partnership with our members to help them achieve their goals."
But he does offer a space unlike most in Northeast Ohio. From the EMS suit to the ice plunge tub and a number of regenerative therapy sessions offered at the club, Njoku Strong is dedicated to advancing the state of health and fitness in the place the Njoku brothers call home. The health and wellness club is a collaborative effort between Innocent and David.
"David is a great guy, a beacon to this community and I'm very proud of him and I'm very proud of what we've created collectively," Innocent said.
That collective effort is open now, located at 1491 Columbia Rd. in Westlake. And there's an open invitation to anyone interested in jumping in the suit and trying out the unique fitness experience.
"Your first time here is complementary," Innocent said. "Anybody who has that passion, that curiosity, that fire in them definitely needs to stop by and we'll be more than happy to welcome them into the club."
To learn more, click here.
