Feedback on Curves Gym.... Love It? Hate It? Why?

i don't belong so can't give personal experience. i dislike them because they give money to and vocally support anti-choice organizations. i have issues with them 'empowering' women with their gym, but wanting to disempower women's sovereign rights over their own bodies.
but i like the idea of the circuit training.
khairete
S.

Unless you have someone to talk to, it is REALLY boring. It is best suited for older ladies, overweight people, or those that need structure. I was the last one, I liked the structure. But then I discovered Zumba and moved on. Way more fun.

My husband's ex-wife worked there, and says that they encourage you to lie and manipulate the customers into thinking they lost weight. There is a whole manual dedicated to language that should be used to manipulate customers into thinking they are making progress, even when they aren't. I find that, in itself, disgusting.

I loved it and I lost 20 pounds in three or four months, but I did it before I had kids. Basically, Curves is a wonderful gym for women who feel self-conscious, who are pretty out-of-shape, or who are so busy that they can really only do 30 minutes of work-out at a time a couple of times a week. That was completely me, so if they had a daycare, I would go back in a heartbeat. It has been a real struggle for me to get back into shape after my last baby, and I miss the convenience and the easy-to-use machines, and the progress I was making weekly. I belong to a "real" gym now, and it is such a hassle, comparatively, plus I don't get the one-on-one attention I got at Curves (I could, but I'd have to pay extra for it).

However, I think someone who is really into working out or serious about exercise would get bored quickly. Even I got bored after I had lost the weight I wanted to lose, and was still going around in that circle time after time. Also, at least at my local Curves, there was no childcare. These are things to consider.

Good luck.

I would NEVER spend my money there. The founder donates a huge amount of money to anti-choice organizations. Just an FYI.

I haven't been a member in 8 or 9 years also (since my early 20s) so may be different as well, but I felt like it wasn't for me, I agree with Stephani, and also with Everley. Might work for the older crowd, or more out of shape. I could see myself liking it more if I were 50/60ish & wanted to exercise some & visit with friends, etc. But I didn't feel like doing it for 30 minutes at my age & fitness level really did anything for me, even when I did it at a fast pace. But who knows, I like doing videos at home, so I don't have another gym to compare it to ;-)

I haven't gone to that gym in probably 8 or 9 years so it may be different now. I did not like it when I went. It was just a small room with about 15 machines or so and mats in between each one. You would do a machine for a little bit and then do cardio on the mat next to it. You would continue this until you had done each machine twice. It just wasn't for me. I never felt like I was getting much of a workout. I feel like a bootcamp is much better because you get a different workout each time you go which is more effective than the same routine each time.

I have a few friends who have joined over the past couple of years and the feedback has been generally positive. It sounded to me like Curves is great for women who are pretty out of shape and need a way to get back to exercising. The workout is fairly standard and allows for chit-chat with other ladies, so you aren't going to be getting the same level of calorie burn or cardio workout that you would at a more strenuous place... but if you're significantly out of shape and need to take that first step, Curves is a good choice.

Hate it. I went in, you basically go in a circle and use each machine. If someone is ahead of you and slower you have to stand and wait. You can't take time and do it longer or shorter.

I also had severe pain after using the machines one time during a free trial visit. The exercises were not a good fit for my disk injuries. There was also no one on one help avail due to them working with one or two of the regulars.

I got much better results from a regular place like Mademoiselle. I went to the one is OKC. It's for women only and is like a regular men's gym where you can go do free weights, tables, they offer different classes like Zumba or aerobics, it is much more suitable to me since I like a variety.

It does take a bit more time but I just have to finish off with a dip in the pool. Or the hot tub.

Here is a link to the one I used to be a member of when I lived on that side of town. It might give you some ideas of what to look for in a gym program to make sure it is the right one for you.

http://www.mademoiselleokc.com/

Our local YMCA has almost every thing they offer in this place too. They have the pool exercise classes, Zumba, classes for older people, high impact and low impact, all kinds. If you don't have other options it's worth calling the Y to see what they have to offer you too.

Hated it, but it still might work for you! I think curves is good for certain types of women. Women who are very overweight and need to ease into exercise, women with joint problems, older women, women who need LIGHT exercise. There was a whole lot of women gabbing and laughing whole, and not a whole lot of losing your breath. For me, It just didn't work. I am thin and not in bad shape. I needed tone and cardio. I felt completely unchallenged. If you are looking for light exercise, it could be perfect for you. If you are looking to be serious about exercising, dropping a large amount of weight, and being challenged...I wouldn't waste your money.

I joined for a semester in college. It has its purpose. It's a good way to ease into exercise, talk to people, and to have a variety of different exercises. I ended up quitting because I found it boring, I am not a socializer, and I got more out of a $10 workout DVD than I did from their gym. Also, back then you could only go to your "home" gym. You could get a visitor pass once and that was it. It would have a lot more appeal if you could go to any Curves gym, but I know they are franchised.

I tried it about eight years ago for their trial period, I already had a real gym membership. I thought the tiny rooms were pretty cheap and the training was unchallenging. It was geared towards women who have never exercised or were 80 years old.