Curves

crazy1blonde

Has anyone went to Curves? I have been wondering what its like and what age groups generally go there?

ZachyABaby

wtf i thought this was about CURVES

:-p

ZachyABaby

i went but they wouldn't let me in.

dreamc08

I went to one a few years ago. Most of the women who attended were older women (elderly, to be blunt). It seemed like more of a social environment for them than it was a fitness center. I never felt like I got a worthy workout, because you only do each station for 30 seconds. They had various strength traning machines (leg press, stair stepper, etc) with a platform in between for you to walk/dance/whatever in place. It's all resistance based, so the machines had to be done quickly to build up resistance, but by the time you've built up some resistance, it was time to move on.

There was also a big push to buy all the products they sold (fancy water bottles, vitamins, clothing, etc) and I didn't care for that.

edit: the good thing was that they weighed and measured you every month and gave printouts showing your progress

mdutch1

I started Curves in December, 2008. While at Curves I lost 25 pounds and over 40 inches. I really enjoyed going there, exercising and getting measured and weighed to see the progress I was making. My experience has been everyone is very friendly. Sometimes it becomes too much of a social time and you are not working out as hard as you should. Right before the Curves I went to closed I started their Smart program. I really liked it because it would keep you honest when working out. Since each Curves in independently owned, it is hard to say what a Curves is like in your area.


It is generally an older crowd that goes to Curves in Florida. This may vary by area.

My husband and I now do the P90X program. This is a better workout than Curves but if you have never worked out before, Curves is a great starting point.

beastmode_kitty

I had a membership there for a year, and wasn't too particularily fond of it. I'm in my twenties and the majority of the people that were going there were of the more older mature type, and made me feel uncomfortable.

It's too much of a routine for my liking. I enjoy going to the gym a lot more because if there is a day I don't want to work out my arms, then I don't have to.

To be honest, I wouldn't really waste my time going there. Join a local gym instead and work with MFP at the same time. It's been working for me so far!

dreamc08

many offer free trials, so if you're really considering it, stop in and ask if you could go for a couple weeks to decid if it's for you before commiting

Phoenyxtears

I agree with preciouskitten. I'm in north Texas and it was all elderly and they push their products on you. I canceled my membership 3 days after I got it.

It's a nice idea, but they don't cater well to a 50 and under crowd. I got more of a workout walking home (10 minutes depending on traffic) from school than 2 hours there.

anna_b1

Over a year ago, I tried Curves as a way of easing my way back in to exercise. The crowd was older (50+), but what really put me off is I didn't particularly like the manager there who wanted to chat while we were exercising. Then, every so often, she would try to correct us as we were exercising, but to me she was more annoying than anything else. She only corrected me when I made it patently clear I wasn't going to talk to her.

In the end, I quit going and got my money back (I quit after less than a month). Two weeks later, that particular centre shut down. Turns out I wasn't the only one who found that centre less than beneficial.

I hear they've added Zumba stations/workouts to their cycle. That sounds like it would make it more fun anyway.

MacMadame

I went to one for a while. It was very social which was okay with me but the women at mine were all SAHM who married and had kids young and many of them were evangelical Christians as well. So, basically, I had nothing in common with them. But at least it shows that not all Curves appeal to older ladies. :laugh:

I agree that it's hard to get a good workout after a while too. With the machines at the gym, you can add on more weight, but it's harder to get more resistance on the Curves machines. You can top out pretty quickly.

I think Curves is great for someone who is starting as a total couch potato and is somewhat intimidated by the gym. You can go there for 3-6 months and get comfortable with the whole process, gain some fitness, and then move on once you have the confidence to do so.

missfittin_missy

The one I used had a lot of 30ish people at the hours I went.. I lost 13 inches the first month, and now they have incorporated Zumba into their program. I was never approached about buying any of their products but I am from a very small town so the one we have is pretty small. It was a good way for me to get in a quick workout and since Im not overly fond of working out it worked for me.... bonus it was all females.... Im not a man hater but I just felt more comfortable with the enviornment. Either way try the free week and see how it works with your lifestyle!

SMarie10

I too tried curves a few years back - I really did like the workout - and was successful at losing weight / inches - what I didn't like and what ended my membership was the hours of operation. They closed by 7 p.m during the week, noon on Sat and were closed on Sunday. I'm now at the Gold's Gym - meet with a personal trainer, and love it. Plus the hours cater to working stiffs like me.

LurayneMarie

Im currently a Curves member and have been for the last 2 years. Ive lost over 40lbs with them.

At my curves there are alot of younger people there who would be early to mid twenties.

I only go at 6pm everyday because there is an instructor-lead workout at that time which means the instructor is there to push you as hard as you can go and gives you a variety of different cardio exercises to do inbetween the machine workouts. I workout alot harder with the instructor than I do on my own and I love it.

Each station is only about 30 secs but its your job to push yourself as hard as you can for those 30 seconds whether its on a machine or on a board (where you do cardio exercises to keep your heart rate up) You can still build up a sweat in those 30 secs if you are pushing hard enough. You can start on any station you like in the circuit and you do the circuit twice to make up a 30minute workout.

Each machine works a different part of the body so you are getting a full work out each time. The thing I like about the circuit is that Im pushing myself as hard as possible for a full 30 minutes. In a regular gym I would do something for 10mins and then stop for some water maybe have a walk around and decide what I want to do next. I never kept my heart rate up and it just wasn't really working for me. With curves I work out the entire body and I get a good decent 30minute workout. I also like the fact that its a female gym and there aren't any body-builder dudes walking around looking at me sweating my *kitten* off! I never liked that!

The staff are really friendly, there are motivational posters everywhere in the gym and tips on weight loss etc. No body ever tried to sell me any products. And they weigh/measure you monthly and give you progress reports etc.

They also do extra classes in my gym i.e. abs and toning classes which are free and are provided by the gym instructor on most evenings at a certain time. And they also run weightloss challenges for all the members to get everyone motivated.

Zumba is now incorporated into the workout at certain times during the week

Its also the cheapest gym in my area.

I love going to curves and it's helped me lose weight and keep it off. But you have to make the most of the circuit too, you need to push yourself to your limits and you'll see the results.

Its a very comfortable environment for me

Best of luck in making your decision! :flowerforyou:

rschmmidt

I think it probably depends on the Curves franchise in your area. Get a free guest pass from a buddy, or a trial membership, and go see what they offer. Depending on the ownership, each Curves is slightly different.
I joined about a year ago for a year. It was an older crowd with a very social agenda. I didn't like the format - staying at a station for 30 seconds, then moving at the bell. It was boring for me (and I didn't like the ghastly disco-like music). I did not feel it was anywhere near a good workout, the machines seemed way too easy and I coud not find a way to increase the resistance enough for me to "feel the burn". But it might be right for your needs and tastes, everyone is different.
The nice thing is that Curves is a female gym and there is no intimidation from body-builder types. It was very user-friendly. I never felt pressure to buy anything. I think it's a good "starter-gym".
Good luck!

Debbisue52

I agree with getting a free trial and see how you like it. I went for 2 years and I really liked it and lost weight and inches and felt toned. I never had products pushed on me and there were women of all ages. I say give it a try!

marydude

I really enjoy my Curves! I've been a member for nearly seven years - and just got to 800 workouts - and that's missing a year of workouts while I was deployed to Iraq with the Army Reserve. I had great success with the program and love the efficient fitness - 30 minutes three or four times a week. I do use the Curves Smart and like it - my workouts are challenging! The circuit works all the muscle groups and 30 second intervals can be aerobic. I use a heart rate monitor and routinely burn between 260 and 325 calories each workout. My current weight is about 70 pounds less than seven years ago - when I joined my % body fat was over 48% - at my leanest - I was at 34% body fat and 100 pounds lighter and I lost the weight while going through menopause. I joined when I quit smoking and it was a fantastic way to start exercising. Curves really worked for me and I'd recommend you check out your local Curves for yourself. We have a range of ages at my Curves, I'm in my 50's, and the ages varies with the time of day - when I get there at 6pm - its mostly professional women getting a workout in after work - but its a work out that is good for all ages. Also hours of operation will vary but mine is open until 8pm - must begin circuit by 7:30 to be done by closing time. You really should check it out .