fitness centers, tried Curves or Go Figure?

judymari

I am pretty rural but have these two places within reasonable driving distance. Since my new job will pay for part of membership, I wonder if anyone has tried these places and has opinions or advice? I heard that Curves has a time limit on machines, which doesn't appeal to me as much. Are there smart questions to ask of them?

thanks.

BrenNew

I am pretty rural but have these two places within reasonable driving distance. Since my new job will pay for part of membership, I wonder if anyone has tried these places and has opinions or advice? I heard that Curves has a time limit on machines, which doesn't appeal to me as much. Are there smart questions to ask of them?

thanks.

I never heard of "Go Figure", but I used to belong to a Curves. I loved it so much I even worked for them for awhile. Only for about a year though, cuz the mother/daughter team that owned it weren't the most pleasant people to work for! :noway:
Anyway though, it was fun, and fairly easy too. You would go on a machine till a sound in their music system told you to go to the next station, which was stationary and you'd just jog till it was time to move again. If I remember right, since it's been like 6 years now, you went around 2 or 3 times, depending on how many stations there were. I didn't really lose anything there, but, to be fair, I discovered shortly after I left there that I had a thyroid condition.
I myself am just too darned cheap these days to even bother going anywhere and spending my hard earned money! :laugh:
For my exercise, I walk almost every day, (weather permitting!) I also dance to a fast oldies CD that my husband made up of all my favorite old songs. (Like "Love Shack", Wild, Wild West", "Mony, Mony", "Footloose", and "Gloria")
It's free, (unlike a gym!) fun, and I can even watch tv at the same time, so I never get bored! :happy:
I also have Wii Fit, and jog to that, which is a lot of fun, and easy too!
I recommend logging ALL your foods BEFORE you have them, rather than later, as it tends to lead to better food choices. (not to mention you'll know if you've got enough numbers left to have a night time snack, like I ALWAYS try to do!) Some people also like to weigh and measure some things, such as meats, rather than just estimating and possibly being WAY off! :noway:
Don't go making the mistake that if you have LOTS of numbers left at the end of the day that you'll lose even faster, because that DOESN'T happen. Feel free to read any info about the site in the "help" section at the top of the home page. And also, under "all topics", then "general", and check out the first few threads. They'll really help you understand how MFP works.
Before coming here, I had tried just about EVERYTHING out there, including hypnosis, TWICE, and nothing really worked until MFP!
Also, drink LOTS of water, it REALLY DOES help! :drinker:

vrdz3215

I used to go to Curves and I did not like it, but my mom loved it. At Curves you do the same work out over and over, there is no variety. It is a circuit workout, there is not necessarily a time limit on the machines, but a music track tells you when to switch stations...it sounds confusing but if you go in there you will understand what I am talking about. There are no treadmill or cardio equipment, just that one specific circuit workout. I never felt like I got a good workout there, but some people actually rave about it and love it. I have never heard of Go Figure so I can't help you there. If you want variety, Curves is not the place for you (unless they have changed in the past couple of years).
My advice, go to both places, talk to the representatives, look around, may be even try out a guest pass if they offer that service, then make your decision.
Hope this helps!

aag1030

Just to add on to what everyone else has said - I'm currently a member of Curves and do like it because it's simple. All the machines are operarted by hydraulics so there are no actual weights to mess with. However hard you push yourself, that's how much resistance you'll get. You go around times with a recovery board inbetween each machine. I like the boards because that's the cardio part - you can jog in place or kick or do whatever as long as you're moving. You stay at each station 30 seconds and the music will prompt you to change. I'm usually in and out of there within 45 mins - which I really like.

That being said, I am considering changing clubs for 1 reason - there is no real cardio machines and that's what I feel like my workout is missing - cardio.

All in all, Curves is a great club! I hope this helps you out!! Best of luck to you!!!!

34at35

My wife lost 30 lbs by going to Curves and still goes regularly because she enjoys it, the workout, the owner and her staff, and even their weight management program. She really lkes the hydraulic resistance vs. having to work on weight machines. She says she can even get her heart rate up. She always gets a guest pass to use when we're traveling but has found that some locations seem to let their hydraulic machines get too weak, which doesn't give much of a workout. So be sure to check them out and also talk to some other members. She also likes their contests, food drives, and other "non-workout" related things. She has made a number of new friends with the other women who go there.

Mina133842

I enjoyed Curves when I went. They do different things for you - as in I'd try different machines, and they help you to learn how to do each machine, if I was left to my own devices at a gym, I'd have no clue what to do. At Curves, you do 1-3 circuits (times around) and even if you don't like a machine, you're only on it for 30 seconds, so not hard at all, I can deal with it for 30 seconds, right?! every other day, you are supposed to go in a different direction, and they should switch out or get new machines every now and then to mix it up. My only beef is our local Curves hours don't match with my new work hours, so I'm not able to go. I made many friends there, and really enjoyed it. My downside was there is no pool, and my doctor said that's what I should be doing as well to help my knees and hips out (arthritis). My sister still goes to Curves. I can tell you in the first 1-2 months I was going, and actively working out - 3 circuits, at LEAST 3 times a week, I lost 4 inches from my waist, and inches literally everywhere else. most of them have a free guest pass to try it for a week - give both places a whirl, and decide from there. Good luck!