Curves......YAY or NEIGH?

I went to Curves several years ago and had great success with it. I liked it. The only reason I stopped going was the price! It was nearly $40 a month where I lived and it just wasn't affordable when places like Planet Fitness were open for $10 a month. I liked that I didn't have to think about what to do. The machines were all there and laid out for you.

The only downside was it was a lot of older women and sometimes they'd get chatty and not get off the machine in time (you only get 30 seconds on each) so that got kind of annoying, but if it were cheaper, i'd probably still go.

Can't tell you much about the effectiveness. There isn't a Curves around me now, but I used to go to one. The hours they were open and the hours I worked just didn't jive very well and I couldn't continue going. That being said...I absolutely loved it. I thought it was a fun and relaxed environment. You get in there, you do your circuit around the equipment, then you're done. They let you know when it's time to switch to the next machine and are very helpful if you need it.

Someone once told me they didn't get much out of it and didn't even break a sweat. I say, you get out of it what you put into it. I went there and I hit it. I got a good workout. The lady I was talking to went there and chit chatted the whole time and didn't really "work" like she could have.

I would love to go to one again.

I agree with Julie.. because a lot of the clientele are older women (60+) they do it more as a social hour.. but I worked out hard when I was there. I was always sweaty and tired when I left. It just depeneds what you put in!

(I do not plan on becoming a weight lifting power house, I just want to sculpt my body so it isn't flabby....)

Why not? You aren't going to get bulky by accident, just strong. No one looks like a female body-builder without it being a goal.

Just from my experience of hearing what curves is, and having one next door to the gym so I could see their equipment.

You're not going to "sculpt" your body there. Some sort of progressive resistance program is pretty much required for that, and the machines at curves don't really have any sort of progressive resistance to them..... It's all hydraulics... I believe.

Edit: If you go for a 2 week trial, be prepared for the sales barrage every day.

(I do not plan on becoming a weight lifting power house, I just want to sculpt my body so it isn't flabby....)

Why not? You aren't going to get bulky by accident, just strong. No one looks like a female body-builder without it being a goal.

Just from my experience of hearing what curves is, and having one next door to the gym so I could see their equipment.

You're not going to "sculpt" your body there. Some sort of progressive resistance program is pretty much required for that, and the machines at curves don't really have any sort of progressive resistance to them..... It's all hydraulics... I believe.

Edit: If you go for a 2 week trial, be prepared for the sales barrage every day.

This.

x2

(I do not plan on becoming a weight lifting power house, I just want to sculpt my body so it isn't flabby....)

Why not? You aren't going to get bulky by accident, just strong. No one looks like a female body-builder without it being a goal.

LOL. "Ermaghad I went to the gym and accidentally got bulky" said no one EVER who actually did get "bulky".

Unless you are messing with steroids or putting in the dedication/hours to getting that way, it's not ever going to happen.

(I do not plan on becoming a weight lifting power house, I just want to sculpt my body so it isn't flabby....)

Why not? You aren't going to get bulky by accident, just strong. No one looks like a female body-builder without it being a goal.

Just from my experience of hearing what curves is, and having one next door to the gym so I could see their equipment.

You're not going to "sculpt" your body there. Some sort of progressive resistance program is pretty much required for that, and the machines at curves don't really have any sort of progressive resistance to them..... It's all hydraulics... I believe.

Edit: If you go for a 2 week trial, be prepared for the sales barrage every day.

This! I was a member for 3 years. It's really for someone with limits on exercise. I may not say that right, but it's for someone who just needs to move. Yes, lot's of older ladies there. I went when I was close to 400 and it got me moving. It doesnt have weights that you can change, it's just hydraulics. I left after losing 60 pounds there, and moved on to a regular gym for more of a work out.

There is always a catch. You should have a plan for what you will do when the freebie is over.

I have a FREE two week trial at Curves so I thought why not!! Curious if anyone is familiar with Curves and if it is effective in their fitness routine.

I first joined Curves in 2005 and loved it. I was an avid anti-exerciser prior to that and this was the first and only structured exercise program that I actually stuck with. The "sculpting" isn't what you'd see from a heavy lifting routine, but I lost weight and was the most healthy, toned and strong that I'd been in my adult life and it was EASY. ;-) Was so impressed by the progress I made and the progress I saw around me that I went to work for my local Curves as a circuit trainer. Once you learn the machines, the circuit is a no-brainer and it only takes 3 days a week and a little over 30 minutes each time to see results pretty quick (you can go more, but honestly...3 days a week is all it takes if you work hard while you're there). There can be a bit of a "social" factor with the ladies at the clubs...but that's actually what the founders of the chain were trying to incorporate into their business. A safe, non-intimidating, supportive environment for women to get healthy. I found myself looking forward to the regular gals that would be there working out the same time I was.

Then I took a new job (sedentary) and moved. Rejoined local Curves clubs and had two of them close down on me. Haven't been able to find a location that meshes w/ my work hours that isn't far out of my way to attend. And ended up losing the fitness progress that I had made. :-(

I would be a member again in a heartbeat if I could find the right club. it was exactly what I wanted in a fitness routine...I wasn't living in the gym, it didn't feel like exercise to me, and I actually showed up, worked hard, and put it away when I was done so I could focus on other parts of my life. Win win for me. :-)

If you put in the effort, you can see results from a variety of different programs. That being said, I think Curves throws some obstacles in your way. You are somewhat confined to the circuit, from what I have seen it's not an atmosphere that really challenges you, and the equipment is kind of third rate, which means it's not really going to work with you. There is a relatively new Curves in the strip mall behind my house and I walk past it probably 3-4 times per week. To be honest, it is one of the saddest places I have ever seen.

By all means try it,but I would not go in with high expectations.

I went to Curves for a few months when I was younger. I definitely lost some weight, but like others have said, you just don't get the same results/benefits as you would at an actual gym. Plus you do the same thing every single day. For some people thats great, but for others (like me) its just downright annoying.

After the free trial why not try looking for a gym that has a women's room? At least one gym I've joined in the past had a section just for women with all the basics you'd find in the rest of the gym. It's helpful if you're just starting out and not completely comfortable going to the gym yet.