I think it would serve fine as a starting place, really. Just don't get locked into the whole ideal they push. It's certainly not the optimal approach.

my gym has a little section just for teens, co-eds,men,and women, maybe one of the big gyms in your area may have that too.

If you ask about a trial at curves they may let you try a workout or two before you buy a membership.

It's always better to see for yourself,no?

I would only recommend Curves if you fit this personality type:

1) You (truly) aren't self-motivated.
2) You feel a huge need to be included (doing the same things as everyone else lowers your anxiety.)
3) You will ultimately be happy with a medium increase in fitness.
4) You can't be bothered to think about workout plans, new methods, etc.

If this is you (and it might be) then Curves is a great place. It certainly is better than nothing at all. You can go with a friend, work side by side from machine to machine, talk, and be out in 30 minutes. But it is limited in its efficacy, especially over a long period of time.

Michael

I have been doing circuit training at a Curves-type place (mine's not a franchise and has 9 machines--Curves has 8) since late January. I found it to be very beneficial in the beginning. I lost 40lbs fairly easily, and I liked the format b/c I don't know much about weight training and this was easy for me to do--I mean easy in that I could do it properly without feeling like an idiot. I'm hopelessly uncoordinated, and cannot do aerobics without getting down on myself for not being able to do all the intricate steps..lol. So this was good for my self esteem. But that's cardio and not strength training. Curves is good b/c it's an efficient workout, and it's great for all fitness levels. The thing is that if you're not very active atm, Curves would be good for you. The thing is to work the machines as hard as you can, and go easy on the boards.

I love the fact that there aren't any men there either--I, too feel self-conscious about it. At my gym there are women of all sizes and ages--and I think it's great. I would have felt far too self-conscious to go to a regular gym--especially w/out the help of a trainer b/c I'd have no idea what I was doing. Before joining my gym I hated exercise. Now I love it.

I'm all for 'em

Wait, someone is talking about a gym?

Haha, I much prefer the curves you are talking about.

hehe PigtoBig... if your a Curves fan i got them all.

Thanks for the info guys... its been helpful. I tried to phone them up today to see wht there prices are etc but the number i found on a website doesn't seem to be working anymore... so unless Curves is no longer there i dunno. lol

Has anyone tried curves and found it good?

I'm goign for an induction on monday, I think it looks good but there doesn't seem to be treadmills or anythign which seems strange, but I really like the idea of ahving set weight goals and things I think it'll be motivating.

Has anyone lost weight with Curves?

I personally have not because of finances, however I have 3 very close friends all who LOVE it and have lost very considerable weight doing it. They have a lot of fun, they look forward to going, they feel supported there and they have stuck with it better than other gyms they have tried. They don't go together or know each other either. So they go solo and still get that much out of it.

I have an aunt who owns 3 Curves franchises. The thing to be aware of is that they are franchises. Which means that the quality will much depend on the owner. If you are in a place that has several, shop around. See who has the best facilities and service. You may be willing to drive an extra 5 miles for a piece of equipment or a better staff. I am not allowed in Curves so that is all the advice I can give you.

I used to go to curves, and it is a great starting point. One thing to be aware of though is that it can get boring fairly quickly. And after 3 months ( I did loose 40 lbs there but I was also watching my food intake like a hawk) I got to the point where it wasn't doing anything for me anymore, the exercises became way too easy and I stopped making progress. I now go to a regular gym and am seeing good results again.

If you decide to go for it try to get a shorter membership than 1 year, it was a pain in the butt to cancel my membership (I had to get a doctor's note to do it).

If you are new to exercising I would say to try it on a short contract, but if you are already in fairly decent shape I think you wouldn't get too much out of it.

I've joined so hoepfully it'll work for me. I've not got a lot of weight to lose but i've only joined it monthly so i'll just hve to cancel my membership and direct debitwhenever I want really.

Tell us how it goes, xnatsx!

-N-