Curves
The popular women's fitness program has a one-two punch, now with an online component.
BACKGROUND
Women today live hectic schedules, balancing family, work and often not able to schedule time to workout. Thanks to Curves, a nationwide women's gym, you no longer have to worry about squeezing in enough time to hit the gym. Curves offers a 30-minute workout that you only have to do three times a week. The Curves program was created specifically for women to fit busy schedules and alleviate some of the uncertainty and hesitation that comes from being a part of a co-ed gym. Each Curves offers trained professionals on staff to teach you the right way to use the equipment. Based upon your weight and height, a single Curves workout can burn up to 500 calories.
CONCLUSION
For women who want to exercise but lack the time to clock hours at the gym to stay in shape, Curves offers a convenient way to get fit. Its all-female gyms are also appealing to those who are uncomfortable working out around men.The gym also features a weight management program that can help you lose weight and improve your nutrition. You also get an online component at an additional cost, which gives you more support and motivation to succeed.
PRO
- Curves offers fitness in a manageable amount of time
- Includes an online diet and fitness plan
- Female-only gym
- Trainers available for instruction and motivation
CON
- Curves locations are franchised and may not provide the same quality experience at each one
- Female-only gym
DIET and NUTRITION
Curves offers three nutrition plans that are available to you as a member. The Curves Complete is an online nutrition program that includes weight-loss solution with meal plans, tools to track success and an online support group. The Six-Week Solution is a nutrition program with small, intimate classes where you'll learn to lose weight and keep it off for good. And a line of Curves books offer healthy-living ideas and information from Curves women who have lost weight and kept it off. Curves also has their own line of vitamins, supplements and nutrition shakes to help you meet your health and weight loss needs.
EXERCISE
Known as the Curves Circuit, this 30-minute program includes five parts; warm up, aerobics, strength training, cool down and stretching exercises. You can jump in the circuit at any point and simply perform the exercises until you have completed the full workout.
You alternate between strength training machines and cardiovascular exercises. Between each machine is a recovery board where you walk, jog or run in place for maintain your heart rate so that you're burning calories throughout the entire workout. The machines focus on strengthening the major muscle groups in your upper and lower body.
A Curves trainer will walk you through the entire circuit so that you know how to use the machines effectively, safely and properly.
Common Misspellings
Curve, Curves deit program, curves for women, curves.com
Related Diets: Curves Complete, The Curves Diet Book, 24 Hour Fitness, Curves Smart, Elements for Women, LA Weight Loss, Lucille Roberts
Wikipedia
Curves International, also known as Curves for Women, Curves Fitness, or just Curves, is an international fitness franchise co-founded by Gary and Diane Heavin in 1995. Curves currently has 10,000 locations worldwide and an estimated 4 million plus members (as of October 2006). It is a privately held company by its co-founders, with corporate offices located in Waco, Texas. Curves fitness and weight loss facilities are designed specifically for and focused on women, although in some states, men are allowed to join.
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I've been working out at Curves four years this month. I joined at the age of 57, disgusted with my weight and lack of fitness. my first 8 months I lost 20 lbs and 21 inches without doing anything but going 3 x a week. I actually wanted to go! staff at the 1st Curves I joined were pretty well trained and were required to be out on the floor with the clients. the Curves I'm with now is different, not well staffed but I am determined to keep my muscles and my bones. at 61, I am still very active and have lost another 17 lbs this spring. All Curves are independently owned. I feel healthier now than I did 15 years ago. You can make it work for you or not. Won't recommend it for a young girl who isn't really overweight. There are so many who are and don't want to work out in front of guys. I have never stuck with anything before curves.
i have a question...im 20 years old, and im very thin, actually a few punds underweight, so i'm not interested in losing weight, i just want to get reaaallly toned up..as in have great abs and sculpted legs and arms...i just want to really get in shape..will joining curves do that? or do i need a regular gym with weights and all?..wen i went to visit, i noticed most women there were older and more interested in losing weight... please help me on this! thanx :)
You don't sign a contract but you can sign an agreement for 1 year in order to take advantage of a $10 a month savings but in the event you must cancel your membership you're not charged more than $50 for the rest of your agreement period which other clubs cannot claim as they continue to charge the monthly fee throughout the duration of the contractual agreement. The Curves trainers do not receive extensive training but the equipment is not difficult to learn and the rest just comes over time (working there every day helps). The trainers are there to remind you of proper form and motivation as well as a friendly woman to talk to. So what if you're socializing while you're working out. Most of the gyms I've ever gone to were nothing but meet and greets anyway. The employees at Curves are the same women who join Curves thereby helping the motivation factor in addition to keeping Curves a comfortable place for women to work out. Curves provides a total body work out complete with cardio and strength training via hydraulics followed by stretching which is all done in 30 minutes. Nobody needs to spend more than 30 minutes exercising a day. Most women can only afford to fit 30 minutes for exercise in their daily routines. Many insurance companies cover a Curves membership as well and you can more than likely find a Curves near your home or place of work. This is not rocket science - you're getting the safest work out and everyone knows that exercise is good for you and where else can "real" women feel comfortable than at Curves? When I've gone to other gyms, I wasn't helped at all much less concerned with my heart rate throughout my work out plus I spent more time than was necessary working on machines I knew little about. Talk about a waste of time.
I signed a 1 year contract, gave it 6 months.You have to do more than what they offer to get in shape. It's more of a social club than serious weight loss even some of the trainers are fat. I was forced to stay a member when I decided to quit. They said I had to pay double to quit so now I stayed a member and never go.I feel I was scamed.
LOVE IT--also do additional cardio on my own--My Aetna insurance makes it really affordable--some other insurances cover it too so be sure to check it out.
I was thinking about joining but since I ready all the comments, and you have to sign a 2 year contract, I have changed my mind.
I am still new at Curves, going on my third week. I am already seeing results, however in addition to my Curves workout I walk/jog on the days I do not go to Curves. Also, you really need to change your eating habits, as the old rule of calories in/calories out still applies no matter how many hours you work out. I agree with the comments about Curves having that social club environment and I’d like to add that at the particular Curves I go to, there is a group of women who act like its 1980 again, and we are back in high school gym class with their jock-girl attitudes. I say that if you encounter any jock-girls or social butterflies, just ignore them. I had one woman actually follow me around the circuit trying to strike up conversation about my personal life but I just answered with her with “uh-huh” a couple of times and she stopped. I am all for camaraderie but it has to be in the right time and place, and weight training is not one of them. I believe that this is one time where individuality overrules team spirit, and I feel that my workout will not and should not be compared to others. I like going to Curves and will continue to go but my goal there is not to make “friends” as I already have plenty of them. My goals at Curves are to improve my health by losing weight and improving my health.
I have wanted to join curves for a couple of years now,but like many women we usually say i will join next week,or the week after that,i finally joined,i have been there for about a month and a half now. I feel so good about myself and i have so much energy. I lost 6.25 lbs and 8.75 inches in one month,words can't explain how i felt when they told me how much i lost. Well ladies i just have one thing to say....Join it's so addicting,and so much fun,and even better it only takes just 30 minutes of your day,and you will feel so energized for the rest of the day.
I want to join but does anyone know if they have daycare? I have an 8 month old that I need babysitting for. Some of the other gyms offer that.
i love curves in less than i month i went from 125 pounds to 118.2 pounds just with 3 30 minute workouts a week i recommend it to anyone... i feel better and sleep better i just love it!!!!
i recently joined, and i'm pretty happy with it. i like that the workout is a no-brainer. i just have to go around the circuit two or three times, and i'm done. and since i'm doing the same thing every time, it's easier to see my progress -- it gets harder to keep my heart rate up and i can do more reps. having other people there doing the same thing helps me work harder, too. you fall into a rhythm. as far as people who seem not t o be doing much, don't judge. i'm someone who might seem to be slacking, but i'm not. i'm *really* out of shape, and what might look like an easy workout to you is keeping my heart rate at 80-85% of max. that's another thing i like; the curves i go to has people at all fitness levels and no one seems to pay much attention to who's working how hard. to me, curves is a safefriendly place to do something good for myself. (and according to my heart rate watch, i'm burning around 330 calories in each half hour. even more important, i'm building aerobic capacity).
Do they allow children there and do they have a place for children to play.
I was a member of Curves until we purchased our own exercise equipment (which we DO use). It was a good experience, and to answer a couple of questions: pretty much everything in a Curves depends on the franchise owners. Our Curves taliored their hours to the traffic flow in our area. They open up at 5:30 and stay open until 7 at night. They are open a half day on Saturday and are closed on Sunday- usually. Also, I used to go around the circuit at least three times, to really feel like I had worked out. So, again, it depends on the franchise you go to. There are so many now that it shouldn't be a problem for those who live in urban or suburban areas. I live in a rural area and my only other choice was a co-ed gym where only the young and tight were pandered to. The rest of us were ignored and the machines were NOT user friendly, meaning they were too big for most women and were generally in bad repair. Now we have our own treadmill and weights, so I work out at home.
I joined Curves and stayed a member for a year (because of the contract) then I terminated my membership. I loved the overall concept but the hours suck. They dont open till 7 (I'm on my way to work by then) they are closed on Sundays, they close early on Wednesdays and on Saturdays the hours are very limited. This made it hard to get my money's worth. I quit and joined Snap Fitness - I love it and it's open 24 hours a day - every day! and NO contracts - its month to month...
I have a question on weather as a curves member you can complete the circuit more than twice if you are wanting a longer workout and want to challenge yourself more. I was told 2 different things form 2 different tec`s and I`m confused.
I love this place. I went in to this thinking it was going to be so easy, and realized if you go in there and really work the machines, you can get a great workout. I've only been a member a few weeks, but I can't wait to go the next day. I go five days a week, and I feel so good when I leave. I only have 15 pounds to lose, but will be a member forever, cause it's so fun. It is what you make it. If you go in with a negative attitute, you get what you expect. Don't let the "debbie downers" or "negative nancys" bring you down!!! Try it, you'll love it.
I am a trainer at Curves, and I must say that it is the best part time job that I have ever had. I read a comment about the trainers not really being trained except for viewing a couple of videos. That is incorrect. It usually takes 1-2 months, if not longer. We are trained on the 6-week management plan, which is the only plan that has helped my mother and I to lose weight. We are trained on all of the muscles used and the proper ways to use the machines. These are only a few things that we are trained on. I have taken excercise classes before with people who have are certified personal trainers and I knew just as much if not more about fitness, health, and weight loss. I have been a member at other gyms and I have never received as much assistance and support as we give to our members. Not only that but the 39$ monthly fee is about the same , if not cheaper, than other gyms. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but if someone is thinking about joining Curves, see for yourself. Don't get sucked into all of the negative comments by others.
I started Curves 9 months ago….I love it. I lost inches and weight. The trainers are there encourage you to work at your peak workout level. I am overweight the best thing about Curves is that everyone there is just like YOU! You don’t have to feel guilty because you are overweight, watching some young tanned thin female working out hard and looking great while you are trying to do your best. Curves has Curves Bucks that you earn for working out, for weighing in, stretching, they even help exercise your BRAIN with games. It’s a family you get to see who is loosing weight and inches each month. It motivates you work just as hard. The 6 week solution is fantastic! I think that everyone that joins Curves should enroll in the 6 week solution it helps you to build a better eating habit. You enjoy real foods. You will be surprised at how much food you eat and still loose weight! Curves is working on getting the “Smart Machines that will help maximize your workout by burning more calories per workout. Curves will help you if you are willing to do it for YOU! You do things for everyone but we always forget about taking care of our selves. Now is the time to take care of YOU. No one thing can break your eating and weight habit except for YOU. Then and only then will you be successful and enjoy looking at the person on the other side of the full length mirror. And you know that as Fat Girls we don’t like the full length mirror! But it will soon become your best friend because you will enjoy seeing the changes in your body. My favorite machine is the ARM machine because I can actually see my muscles flex as I work them out. Love the Squat Machine because it work my thighs! I work out 3-4 times a week. When I don’t go I fell bad like I’m missing something. Don’t let the unsuccessful comments keep you from making you look fabulous! You deserve it…your worth it!
Curves is an awsome establishment. You get out of it what you're willing to put in. I find most of the negative comments to be quite amusing mostly outrageous....also strange that they're all named "Anonymous". While Curves may not be for every woman out there it certainly has been a positive for many. So I say to those who can't seem to say enough bad about it, please, please take your business elsewhere whereas you're guaranteed lower prices, no binding contracts, and pounds just melting away.
For grannisandi: I've been doing Curves for about a year. I'm 4' 11". I find the machines pretty comfortable. For the machines that you need to be taller to reach, they do have cushions to use. This seems to solve the problem for us shorter gals.
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