Curves?

Has anyone done Curves before? With good results? I am debating on trying it and owuld love some input

Replies

  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    A friend of mine did it and she loved it and looked fantastic.
  • sunshinesquared
    sunshinesquared Posts: 2,733 Member
    I did it about 8 - 10 years ago and thought it was a complete waste....just my opinion, though! :-)
  • Tried it, but was not for me.
  • MyJourney1960
    MyJourney1960 Posts: 1,133 Member
    i know people who do it and love it but it depends what your goal is (if you want me opinion - *I* don't think it does much for them).. If you want to really lose weight/strengthen, I don't think it's the answer. If you want to tone and stretch - then it is ok. See if you can go for a one-time visit and try it out
  • Thedij
    Thedij Posts: 29 Member
    I've tried it for about 3 months at a time on several occasions while managing my eating and had positive results each time. It certainly helped firm me up. Unfortunately, the only window I had to go was at 5:30 AM and it's REALLY hard to drag yourself out of a nice warm bed when it's -40 outside in Saskatchewan in the winter. I wish they had a method where you could buy a pass for 10 visits, instead of charging you every month for a minimum one year contract. I refused to pay the membership sign-up fee after paying it once the first time & they were okay with it. I'm debating about returning again, but not sure I want to be in it for another full year. I liked that it was all women & you didn't have to worry about appearances. I always did the cool down exercises & consequently never was stiff & sore. The machines also help prevent injuries, as opposed to free weights.
  • darrensgurl
    darrensgurl Posts: 3 Member
    I am starting tomorrow and I am hopeful that I see results. Please let me know if anyone saw results.
  • hmc4
    hmc4 Posts: 27
    My sister-in-law, who was quite sedentary, did Curves and liked it. I tried it - but having set foot in a real gym before - I thought it was a complete waste. The room was dominated by little old ladies and jazz/pop style music... Just not for me. Give me a real gym and my own ipod! ;)
  • skiboat1us
    skiboat1us Posts: 16 Member
    I have been doing curves for 4 weeks now. I enjoy it and inches are coming off. I tried it when I was younger and didn't like it. You have to remember that you control the workout though. If you go slow and don't get your heartrate up then it isn't going to do anything for you. (like most workouts :smile: ) I think a lot of it depends on your age too.
  • Lovelyladydawn
    Lovelyladydawn Posts: 41 Member
    Yes, it works.. :)
  • Weebs628
    Weebs628 Posts: 574 Member
    I tried it years ago. It wasn't challenging enough for me personally.
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
    If you've never really worked out before, it can be a good introduction to exercise. My cousin, who hates doing any kind of physical activity, lost over 100 pounds using Curves as the exercise portion of her lifestyle change.

    Can't hurt to try it and see if you like it.
  • warriorprincessdi
    warriorprincessdi Posts: 617 Member
    I went to Curves for a year... It was my introduction to fitness. I have never worked out before or had a fitness routine aside from occasional walking. I went every second day and walked on the days in between... but by the end of the year I found I was incredibly bored with the same circuit over and over; and I had lost my enthusiasm for it.
    Don't get me wrong, it was a great way to get myself into working out, a friendly way to jump into the world of fitness... But after that year I was more than ready to cancel my membership and get into a 'real gym'. By all means. give it a go. It is a good way to start off and build a base fitness level. If you like it, stick with it. If not, after the year you are required to sign up for you will be ready to move on to something else :)
  • xampx
    xampx Posts: 323 Member
    I also thought it was a waste of time and money. I didn't feel like I had done anything at all when I left.
  • mich1902
    mich1902 Posts: 182
    I did it until mines closed down which was unfortunate. I started at 11st 11 pounds and got down to 9st. Lost lots of inches and bodyfat. What I liked about it was It was for half an hour and I knew what I was going in to do. I had never been in a gym as i felt intimidated so this suited me. Also the fact i knew I was going to be weighed and measured montly kept me from going off course. I did go 5 times a week though and made sure I worked as hard as i could. You could add half an hour cardio in a few times a week if you don;t feel its enough on its own.
  • TamaraB70
    TamaraB70 Posts: 13 Member
    I did it and it worked for me initially. My favourite part about it was that it was all women and they weren't all perfect, but real women - like me - bumpy and hopeful :) I lost about 20 pounds on it but part of my success was probably due to the fact that it was a 1/2 hour walk there and another 1/2 walk back - so in addition to the workout, I got in a good 1 hour long walk at a quick pace. I found after about 6 months that it wasn't enough. I couldn't push myself hard enough and became very bored with it. I found myself yearning to join a gym so I could get more cardio and get more serious.
  • Kushy8
    Kushy8 Posts: 103 Member
    I've been a member two separate times. Both times, I chose Curves because I live in a very small town and it was HERE. It helped me build energy and I lost some inches. If you're going from sedentary to working out, it is great! If you're already a member of a gym or doing that caliber of workout, you might do better to stick with that.
  • suemichele
    suemichele Posts: 49 Member
    I go to Curves and do like it. It makes me accountable to go and exercise. I have met some wonderful women there and they can be a great support group! Joining mfp has also helped me.
  • emergencytennis
    emergencytennis Posts: 864 Member
    Since your nick is lacrosse I am assuming you are outside Australia.

    I looked at Curves when I arrived back in Australia after an absence and when I was recovering from an Achilles injury.

    I compared it to a gym membership with classes, and to a personal trainer.

    I decided that Curves was for women who just wanted to lose a few kilos and didn't know how to do it. They weren't going to make you strong, fast or healthy, they were just going to help you burn a few more calories. All the women in the salon were older than I was, 43yo+.

    I think that if you are on this site already you know what you have to do. You don't need to make the Curves dudes richer.
  • postrockandcats
    postrockandcats Posts: 1,145 Member
    It wasn't for me; I found the circuit dull and limiting. But, I've seen lots of women succeed with Curves and a lot of women enjoy it! :)
  • Patriots96
    Patriots96 Posts: 96 Member
    I joined Curves at the end of February of this year. I have lost about 20 lbs so far and love it. It gives me time for me and I get to hang out with some cool women too. We all motivate each other. I am not good about exercising "freestyle" so this is perfect for me as it is part of my routine. I go there on my way home from work 3 days a week. I also walk one night a week, up and down my street. I feel like I am getting stronger and I have muscles where I never had any before. Like some other folks said, you get what you put into it. If you don't push yourself in the workouts, you won't get much. The machines are made to provide resistance, so the more you push, the more they push back. Our curves also does challenges on a regular basis to keep us all motivated. Things like # of steps walked, pounds lost, stuff like that. I think it is a good thing to try, especially if you need something structured, which I do. Any questions, feel free to ask me!
  • Patriots96
    Patriots96 Posts: 96 Member
    Agree completely! (see my reply to this post)
  • Tbuttrfly79
    Tbuttrfly79 Posts: 4 Member
    It is a good starting point I suppose but it gets to easy and boring very quickly
  • celtbell3
    celtbell3 Posts: 738 Member
    If you work at it - you have results but it gets boring and can become a social thing with a lot of women barely moving (except their mouths/gossip)
  • tizmi
    tizmi Posts: 19 Member
    I've been going to Curves since late March and I've lost almost 20lb doing that and watching my calories, plus walking now that I have my FiBit.

    The one I go to uses the Smart system, which uses a barcode-tag to tell the machine how fast you should be working and keeps you working harder as time goes on. I don't know if the 'up to 500 calorie' claims are accurate, but I seem to be doing OK and have lost a good few inches in just a couple of months.

    It can be expensive though (the exact price varies from gym to gym), and I can see how the circuit can get boring after a while - perhaps use it as a kick-start into exercise which is what I'm doing. I don't want to go for too long - it's a franchise, so while much of the money may stay with the owner of the site, I have read bad things about the founder of the Curves gyms and I don't want them to get more of my money than necessary.

    On the other hand, I like having someone but me keeping an eye on how I'm doing with the measurement days once a month/every 12 visits. The one I go to has ladies of various sizes and ages, and the music is generally the stuff you find on exercise music CDs so it's not too bad. Keeps you going anyway!

    I think there is a lot of variation in the atmosphere between Curves gyms, depending on who is running it - some will be better than others. Maybe see if you can have a trial visit?
  • Ohnoes
    Ohnoes Posts: 98 Member
    i did it a couple of years ago, lost about 5-10 pounds quickly and then got pregnant and quit. but it was working. you can get a good workout if you do the circuit enough times and work hard enough. and they really do make you feel comfortable and accepted. but, the music at mine SUCKED and you need to be able to hear the beep to change machines so no headphones. there was one girl with headphones who would just watch for people to start to change stations but i was never able master her method and i was stuck listening to boogie woogie bugle boy and "charlie brown, what a clown!" as a strict black sabbath/led zepplin exerciser, this was unacceptable to me. also the chatty old ladies. so many chatty old ladies. blah blah blah. i would not chose it again for myself, but i most definitely consider Curves a good thing, especially if you are new to gyms and need some structure and direction for your workouts, or if you are uncomfortable and self conscious at the gym. the people were all SO nice.
  • I love Curves. It's great because you're in and out so fast and are never in pain. I'm on the CurvesSmart and work my hardest, get drenched in sweat, and lose about 350 calories on average per workout... but I'm really getting strong, which is why I like it. If I'm having a tired day, I lose less, but I still walk there and back and it gives me energy. I've lost 11 inches and my body fat is down a few percent. My weight hasn't budged much, but I know I've got a lot more muscle now. The music is pretty good/modern where I go... but they put on 50's music when there's older ladies there lol. I try not to talk because then I slow down, and I want my 30 minutes worth! They instructors where I go are very knowledgeable and are always going to workshops and for more training on health and fitness. I like that I can go in my old tshirt and Walmart yoga pants... I dont need $120 Lululemon yoga pants to fit in LOL :):flowerforyou: