Strong Curves?

skymningen

I have seen Strong Curves frequently pop up as a recommendation for women who want to "tone".
Had a look at it out of curiosity, but as far as I can see without buying the book it is mostly about working your glutes.
I thought you need a reasonable full body program and that women should just lift the same way men do (as they would anyway gain muscle slower).
What is the point of doing a glutes-focus program at all? Isn't that the same like thinking I would slim my waist by doing one of the many abs workouts I can find online?

Adc7225

I have the book and have read most of it. I found that it focuses on core and glutes (sort of) but the idea is that it is for women and aims to build strong core, glutes and legs for some women the upper body is not that hard to strengthen up - lack of better words. When I was working with it I found that it did make an overall difference in my body strength as a whole. I basically lost interest because it was a book, something I didn't want to deal with . . . not because I didn't think it worked.

sardelsa

Strong Curves is a full body program, with emphasis on the glutes - so all parts of the body are worked with compound movements several times a week, with glute development being a priority.

Women can definitely lift the same way as men, however the program is more aesthetic and goal dependent. While the basics are the same, there is more emphasis on certain areas as well as higher frequency and rep ranges (women can recover faster than men and the program is designed with that in mind). If someone's goals are not in line with the Strong Curves program, then I would not recommend it for that individual.

While you cannot spot reduce fat, by working certain muscles more frequently and progressively, you can definitely strengthen them, activate them and help them remain while you lose fat in a deficit and in some cases (especially in beginners and more overweight individuals) the potential to build muscle. At maintenance (recomp) or surplus the muscle will have more chance to grow obviously follow this program or something similar.

I did SC for my first bulk to build up my glutes and legs to even out my appearance. I also continued it while I cut or leaned out to help reduce muscle loss in those areas by progressive overload.. ie.. if you use it, you are less likely to lose it.

Honestly my results with the program (and similar ones like Get Glutes) have been absolutely phenomenal. However, there are many other great programs out there that would probably work well too.

lorrpb

I agree, I didn't see the point of all the focus on the glutes and appearance. I'm way past that in my life. Take a look at New Rules of Lifting (several books in the series) or Stronglifts 5x5.

jennybearlv

It is lower body and specifically glute focused, so if you don't want strong looking legs and a huge bubble butt it is probably not for you. The book has four different programs: beginner, advanced, and body weight, which are all full body, and a lower body only program. Maybe the latter is the one you were looking at.

I've always had a big butt and am a little vain about it, so I love Strong Curves, but it may not meet your goals. That's okay because there are plenty of other great programs out there.

sijomial

skymningen wrote: »

What is the point of doing a glutes-focus program at all? Isn't that the same like thinking I would slim my waist by doing one of the many abs workouts I can find online?

The point of a glute focused program is to focus on the glutes!

Slimming your waist is (predominately) fat loss and that can't be focused.
However, if your priority is wanting strong abs then pick an abs focused program...

It's why people really need to be clear about their goals. The infamous "I want to tone" is a great example of someone (not picking on you BTW) who really needs to step back and think about their goals.

canadianlbs

skymningen wrote: »

What is the point of doing a glutes-focus program at all?

i'm ideologically allergic to bret cont[r?]eras and everything him. i'll just get that fact out of the way right away.

to answer the specific part of your question from a non-aesthetic pov though: i lift in the 'like a man' style you're thinking about (basically, i found stronglifts 5x5 and then starting strength and have been on wendler for a bit more than a year; i 'just' lift). and in my own context, there is definitely a place for being glute-centric. it's because if you can't find or activate your glutes, or if they're not firing well or not strong, then - at least if you're me - while you're doing your 'just lifting' you are going to get hurt. you need them, and they're not all that easy to get to join in with most things.

i don't actually doubt that b.c. probably does an extremely good job at the actual mechanics of giving your nervous system access to your own glutes. it's just that i can't stand him and won't even consider him because i can't get past the overwhelmingly aesthetic 'skin' his whole thing is wrapped in. i'll pass his name to women who are coming more from that pov but for myself i prefer to keep hunting for other sources that don't pre-assume what my motives and main focus are.

skymningen

sijomial wrote: »

It's why people really need to be clear about their goals. The infamous "I want to tone" is a great example of someone (not picking on you BTW) who really needs to step back and think about their goals.

That is exactly what I was questioning. If it is so focused, why keep people suggesting it to others who are as general and unsure about their goals as "I want to tone" goes. In that case, it would much better to get them to a general program where they maybe even can learn something about muscles and "toning" and figure out their priorities.
But instead, I feel like if some woman is inexperienced and jumped onto the "toning" train instead of helping her she gets told to just build her glutes basically.

sijomial

skymningen wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

It's why people really need to be clear about their goals. The infamous "I want to tone" is a great example of someone (not picking on you BTW) who really needs to step back and think about their goals.

That is exactly what I was questioning. If it is so focused, why keep people suggesting it to others who are as general and unsure about their goals as "I want to tone" goes. In that case, it would much better to get them to a general program where they maybe even can learn something about muscles and "toning" and figure out their priorities.
But instead, I feel like if some woman is inexperienced and jumped onto the "toning" train instead of helping her she gets told to just build her glutes basically.

Because "I want to tone" is completely vague and open to many different interpretations from losing fat, to gaining muscle to losing flabby skin to just a wish to attain a certain, but unexplained, look.
Slender? Athletic? Muscular?
If the OP can't articulate that then that's their failure, not the failure of people trying their best to help with limited information.
A bit like saying "I want to be a runner". Does that mean sprinter? 5k? Complete a marathon? Race a marathon?

So people recommend what has worked for them, has a good reputation, suitable progression for a beginner and which will have been aligned to their goals but possibly not the goals of the OP. Big bums are in fashion so many women will pick a program to attain the look they desire.

she gets told to just build her glutes basically.

Nope - not that's not true in the slightest. Have you actually looked at the program?

livingleanlivingclean

skymningen wrote: »

I have seen Strong Curves frequently pop up as a recommendation for women who want to "tone".
Had a look at it out of curiosity, but as far as I can see without buying the book it is mostly about working your glutes.
I thought you need a reasonable full body program and that women should just lift the same way men do (as they would anyway gain muscle slower).
What is the point of doing a glutes-focus program at all? Isn't that the same like thinking I would slim my waist by doing one of the many abs workouts I can find online?

Lifting programs are recommended to women who want to lose fat/weight, so they can maintain their muscle in the process. (toning to me has nothing to do with building muscle, but more to lose fat to look more defined)

The program covers the whole body, and I think has sufficient focus on the upper body for most women. I'm doing it specifically to focus on my glutes, as I feel I do enough "lifting like a man" but think glutes are an area I lack in. If I wanted to focus on developing shoulders for example, I'd also pick a program more focused on those.

(I wouldn't do more abs to slim my waist... I think that creates the opposite effect)

fbchick51

skymningen wrote: »

If it is so focused, why keep people suggesting it to others who are as general and unsure about their goals as "I want to tone" goes. In that case, it would much better to get them to a general program where they maybe even can learn something about muscles and "toning" and figure out their priorities.
But instead, I feel like if some woman is inexperienced and jumped onto the "toning" train instead of helping her she gets told to just build her glutes basically.

I started strong curves about 2 weeks ago. Truth be told, I think it labels itself as a glute focused program as a selling point rather then actually being "THAT" focused on glutes. Other then the Glute bridges being included on each day, there really isn't that much that differentiates it from most typical full body workouts. Squats, RDLs, Lunges, and steps ups are a stable of all total body workouts. While not a beginner, I picked the program because it was a short, but concise, full body routine. Each day has a solid 2 upper body compound lifts, 2 lower body compound lifts and rounds out with a couple core exercises. I can do each days routine in 30 mins and each week, I hit every major muscle group in my body. I did ditch the abduction workouts (lying clam, x walk) mostly because my swimming and aerobics do a better job working those areas any way. In my opinion (as someone who has lifted for over 30 years and competed very successfully), I think it's a GREAT total body workout for a beginner who doesn't want to spend too much time in the weight room.

Really, what it leaves out are the more isometric exercises. While those are all well and good, they really aren't a necessity for someone whose in the lose weight, tone muscle category. They are more for the build specific target strength/build muscle size category.

sardelsa

skymningen wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

It's why people really need to be clear about their goals. The infamous "I want to tone" is a great example of someone (not picking on you BTW) who really needs to step back and think about their goals.

That is exactly what I was questioning. If it is so focused, why keep people suggesting it to others who are as general and unsure about their goals as "I want to tone" goes. In that case, it would much better to get them to a general program where they maybe even can learn something about muscles and "toning" and figure out their priorities.
But instead, I feel like if some woman is inexperienced and jumped onto the "toning" train instead of helping her she gets told to just build her glutes basically.

It is a great beginner program to learn about lifting too. I see it generally recommended to women who are beginners who want to get into lifting, their main goal is to "tone up" or lose bodyfat, since these are aesthetic goals the program is great for that. If their goal was to build strength primarily, I probably would recommend something else (not to say you won't build strength doing SC but it isn't a strength based program).

By running the program it's not like women are going to have these huge glutes by the end of it especially in a deficit. Like I said I even bulked doing the program, it helped my booty become more shapely and well proportioned, but it is definitely not huge relative to my frame at all.

Also doing the program can help activate the glutes which I think is so important (as unfortunately the largest muscle can also be the laziest).. I have found I am so much better at everything now that my glutes are awake - yoga, plyometrics, running, it has helped improved my posture too.