Curves isn't for everyone. If you want to build muscle and get that lean muscular look then Curves is definitely not for you. Curves promotes toning and not muscle building.
Curves is in a circuit, you have machines that target your upper body as well as your lower body, you receive a full body workout in the 30 minutes you are there. In between each machine is a "recovery board" this is where you are going to get a cardio workout. Women either run, jump, march, do something to keep moving in between the machines.
All the machines are on hydraulics and yes the faster you move them the better the resistence you are going to get. You shouldn't hurt yourself either going faster. Depending on the club you change stations every 30 or 35 seconds (depends how many machines they have). That may seem like a short time on machines, but if you are giving your all on the machines, you can't wait for the que tape to tell you to move.
Your heart rate is checked every 7 or 7 1/2 minutes. It is important for the staff to keep tabs on your heart rate. If your heart is racing, this is not good and you need to slow down. A healthy heart is a slow beating heart. I think we are programed that the faster your heart rate is the better your workout. If you have a fast heart rate you are building muscle instead of toning.
All Curves locations have different hours, they are not all the same. Where I am ours are open from either 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. with no closures during the day.
Your 30 minute workout at Curves is equivalent to 1 1/2 hours in a regular gym.
Remember Curves isn't for everyone, everyone needs to find what is good for them.
I go to a regular gym, but have been listening to the commercials about curves and it looks interesting. It seems to work. My gym has a standard set of machines that they tell all members to use during 8-12 reps. per machine. It takes about 1/2 hour to complete.
IF you are changing machies every 1/2 min. it would seem to me that you just get on and it's time to move. And what about wiping down the machines after use. I sweat very easily and I wipe down the equpment before & after I use it. So depending on who is in front of you, you could be getting onto a sweaty machine. Yuk, that does not appeal to me.
Curves is a great program and yes it is not for everyone. I am so happy to have found it. I go 3 days a week on my lunch hour. Because I can do that I love it. If the program was longer than 30 mins I would not get it in. I feel great. When I get home I have exercised and my family benefits from that as much or more than I do.
I am going tonite for my 2nd time...I am in really bad shape, so after just one time around I feel like I am about to pass out...I have to get my bopdy used to getting off my behind! I did a 2 mile bike ride this morning...In this hot weather in CA...it can take alot out of you...
I can't wait until next month and see how much i have lost!
I got weighed and measured today and I lost 14 lbs and 9.5 inches in my first month. I love it. I'm still going strong. This kind of loss just motivates me more.
Steph
Curves has been ok for me, when I am able to go. The time restrictions are really hard for me. They do not have any babysitting and if I want to go I have to find a sitter and the hours are short. But it is not a bad program. I have been going on and off since January. I have not been measure or weighed since I started. Because I have not been consistant. I also just started Weight Watchers. Something has to help.
I work from 8am to 5pm and when I do get lunch it's only 1/2 hour so I can't go to a Curves facility. I noticed in the Diet Bookstore, there's a book called Curves. Has anyone used just the book and gotten results?
From what I've seen of the book, it's pretty much a 'history' of how Curves got started, it's success, etc. I also think they spell our the Curves diet plan.
It would be impossible to do the exercises at home unless you had a gym set up.
The Curves in our area is now open from 6:30 am until 7:30 pm ...you might check at the one close to you to see if the hours have changed for summer. I love it!
Hi ladies! I was looking for ideas on exercise and read your thread on Curves. I looked around and ended up joining a Curves like place called 1/2 hour Fitness. They are new to my area and not as busy and they were way nicer than the lady I talked to at Curves. Anyway, the workout is the same and I love it. I am really looking forward to losing weight again. I lost 65 lbs two years ago with Weight Watchers and NO excercise. Then it stopped. I couldn't lose anymore. I went for two years thinking that I could somehow weasel out of exercising and have finally come to realize that getting fit is the only way I will ever lose the rest of this chub. So now I am doing a lower carb Weight Watchers/Somersize combination of way of eating (just trying to find what works best for me) and now finally getting some exercise. So I just wanted to thank you ladies for motivating me to try Curves(or something like). I love the workout and feel great!
