Anyone else (womenfolk only) go to Curves (to work out)?

[blondeatlast]

I started in October and I really enjoy it. No dressing up, come as you are, and women from every walk of life. I go for my health, not looking to lose really (doesn't hurt, though).

Just curious. This post was inspired by another thread (Size 10 thread).

Edit: subject line--you guys are such kidders!

[supernova]

1. No, but if it works

have at it.

What's better about it than a regular gym? Just curious.

[Nikia]

6. I believe that it is woman only

Some women are uncomfortable working out in front of men. Others just rather be in the compnay of other women wanting to have better fitness. I believe that I saw an article a few months back though that a gender discrimination suit had been filed against them.

[blondeatlast]

10. It's EASY, but you still get a workout.

Also, there is no "show" there. Sweats are the order of the day, not Lycra, and the women seem to actually enjoy it. Very chummy. When I usually go, there is an 80 year old there, and a thirtyish mom and her teen daughter, as well as numerous others. Definitely a different atmosphere than a regular gym.

Most have crappy hours, though; the one I go to does.

[hlthe2b]

23. So, what are their hours?

Someone else mentioned being closed on Sundays... That would seem problemmatic unless they are open very early and very late throughout the week and Saturday...

[intheozone]

12. They don't allow mirrors in the place

mirrors don't bother me that much some women don't like seeing themselves working out. So no mirror in Curves, I have to agree that it does make it more comfortable for everyone. Plus, it is so not the 'meat market' atmosphere.

[GOPisEvil]

2. I try, but I always get stopped at the front door!

:evilgrin:

Maybe I should try the...never mind...

[blondeatlast]

4. Well, okay--they definitely discriminate!

[supernova]

16. You could try this look

[GOPisEvil]

26. Er, no...thanks...

I'll stay with my current gym. :-)

[Nikia]

3. I've thought about it

There is one on my way home from work, which could be a convient time to work out. I hadn't because that is when I hung out with my best friend. Now that he works elsewhere, I am unoccupied. I am searching for a new job and want to be able to move if I need to without worrying about being signed up for a year.

[FARAFIELD]

8. YES

I go there everyday to deliver the mail. I'm Male but the women always seem nice and relaxed in there.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

5. I don't work out there BUT

I occasionally help out with computer support for their Dallas TX facilities...

Does that count? :-)

[blondeatlast]

13. Well, no, but I'm curious; do the employees seem happy?

I think it matters a lot. My husband is a contracted SysAd, and I'm always curious as to how he likes the places he goes to. He can be very enlightening in that regard!

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

14. Yes, they're all very entheusiastic!

As one of the few males to be invited inside the portal, I can say honestly that those working at Curves are all excited about what they do. Too bad I can't join!

[goddess40]

25. I used to go, and I really enjoyed it but..

I developed shoulder pain. The OT told me it was a common injury of people that work out in gyms. They have you build up the outer shoulder muscles but not the inner.
Make sure you do some excersies with your elbow close to your body, someone at curves should be able to help you.

[intheozone]

7. I have been going since last June.

Before that I was just working out at home on not to regular a basis. I was really unhappy about my weight (not too heavy but clothes were no longer fitting right) so I joined Curves as soon as one opened in my area. I do like it. I have only lost 4 pounds which kinda disappoints me but have lost over 9 inches all over so I am getting back into my regular size. That has made it worth it for me.

[GOPisEvil]

9. Don't get hung up on weight.

The new muscle you are building weighs more than the fat it replaced. :-)

[blondeatlast]

11. You are also probably developing muscle, which accounts for

the lower weight loss.

[DBoon]

15. My wife started going

She like it due to the convenience and the fact that the workout is just a half hour. Ours is right in the neighborhood, none of the parking and other hassles of a big gym. Good for a workout, for women with more important things to do than spend an evening hanging out at a gym.

She did note that the owners appear to be Christian and make no bones about it. The local operator said that's why they will not open on Sunday.

[blondeatlast]

17. They are a franchise; I've talked to the owners of the one near me

and they sort of dodged the Sunday question, but I got the idea that they would like to open on Sunday.

Interesting.

[Missy Vixen]

18. I go to Curves!

(or, as I call it, "the Curves".)

I like it. It's quick, the people are friendly, there's no mirrors. I also like the motivational things they give out to keep you coming back.

Curves rocks.

Julie

[matcom]

19. Mrs Matcom Does

and SWEARS by it! she absolutely LOVES it

[ulysses]

43. same with Ms Uly.

She's been going since September.

[Ramsey]

20. I go to a coed gym

But it is cool, nobody really dresses up. It's pretty hard core type gym, lots of lifters, but also lots of variety (Pilates, yoga, aerobics, spinning , rowing, etc..). They have a pool and personal trainers and lots of machines. I really love it

I life twice a week and do cardio twice a week, when I'm a good girl. Ack, I should be going there right now!!

[Bertha Venation]

21. I am supposed to be working out

on the elliptical machine I bought last year. It's a zero-impact workout, very important for the arthritis-ridden. But am I working out regularly?

No.

BAL, what motivates you? What makes you go when you just can't bear the thought of dragging yourself to workout?

[blondeatlast]

22. Seeing 80 year old women moving to "Disco Inferno" is quite inspirational!

What helps is that it's very close, very friendly and small scale, and I can just throw on some comfy decent clothes and just go.

What makes me go: sheer, unadulterated willpower! I shrug it off sometimes, but unlike other gyms, I don't let that set me back from going. Sometimes I actually really want to go; because I usually feel better afterwards than I did when I went in. It helps relieve some tension, for one thing.

Plus, it's not competitive at all, everyone is in it for themselves, but they cheer everyone else on, too. It seems like a simple idea; but it's really genius.

[Lostmessage]

24. Where are they located at?

We have a gym in my building but I am kind of reluctant to go to it because I never see women in it.

[blondeatlast]

33. They are a franchise, all over the US.

http://www.curvesinternational.com/

They are opening at a mile a minute, check out the site.

[K8-EEE]

27. My 12 Year Old Daughter Went Last Summer

She loved it! It's a good workout -- we quit when school started again though cuz the hours were difficult with all her schoolwork too. She will prob do month-to-month next summer. I think it's expensive!

I'm an outdoor exerciser myself...hiking and swimming. I get bored with gym stuff but I go to the Y gym once in a while. I really should start doing free weights, especially arm work.

[nini]

28. I have a question about Curves.

I understand it's a 30 minute rotating workout..

Can you stay after that 30 minutes and ride a bike for aerobic workouts? Or are you limited to the 30 minutes ?


thanks

[blondeatlast]

34. No bikes,

but as long as no one is waiting for a particular machine, you can use it as long as you want. I do some spot training, occasionally I do another circuit if I'm tense.

[nini]

41. thanks for the reply

.

[bubblesby2002]

29. As a matter of fact

I'm joining up tomorrow. All the women in my office belong and I can't wait.

[Pithlet]

30. Wow. I was coming here to ask about Curves

and here I find your thread. Thanks! :) I'm thinking about joining to get rid of this baby weight.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

31. I go to Healthworks: an all-women gym in Cambridge

it's GREAT. Clean, great classes like Pilates, Core Board, all different kinds of yoga. I have been spending a lot of time there lately.

http://www.healthworksfitness.com/

My aunt belongs to Curves and LOVES it! I was thinking of looking into a franchise, as most of the gyms around the Boston area are prohibitively expensive. Does anyone have a friend or acquaintance who has started a Curves franchise?

[Kat45]

32. I applied for a job at Curves a couple of weeks ago,

but apparently I didn't get it. It seemed like it would be a fun place to work. My cousin goes to one and she loves it; she's lost some pounds and inches, and she no longer gets exhausted when she's shoveling snow.

I don't know if this is true or not, but a friend told me that the reason for the strange hours (not open Sunday; not being open past 6 or 7 pm) is that it was started by a conservative person who believed women should be home to prepare dinner for their husbands before they got home from work. As I said, I don't know if that is true or not, I'm just telling you what I was told.

[blondeatlast]

35. Heh--most of the women at the one I go to are divorced or single!

I think as more women join up the franchise owners may rebel, if that's the case. I know the owners of mine aren't happy about the hours, they recently started opening at 6 AM.

I've wondered about this, but I think it's self defeating for them, because nearly all adult women work and so amny have kids that if they don't loosen up the hours, they will doom themselves to failure.

[Hubert Flottz]

36. My daughter has owned and operated one for two years!

My wife goes all the time and she has to PAY!

[hlthe2b]

37. I gather they are all independent... but what are the approximate

charges and hours? I think many of us would like to have a general idea before calling one for information. (My experience with other health clubs is that their reps make car salesmen look meak)

[Hubert Flottz]

38. My wife pays by the year $130.00!

My daughter laid out 25k to open the place, but has spent more since then! She gets all kids of repeat biz, plus she sells more memberships because her coustomers tell other people! She spends zero on promo and still adds new members every month! My wife says It's the easiest workout ever and she has been to several of the other places!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

39. $130 per YEAR?

No wonder they're getting new members.

Hmmm, there's one within walking distance (by my definition, which is less than anything less than half an hour) of my apartment.

What kind of workouts do they do? Circuit training? Dance aerobics?

[Kathy in Cambridge]

47. That's so cheap!

I thought I was getting a bargain at $65/month (new members are $78)...gyms are so expensive no wonder Curves is doing well!

[VelmaD]

40. My best friend tried it for a while..

and she got upset by the whole having to weigh in every week thing. I don't know if they do that at every Curves but they did at the one near her house.

I personally don't go there. I tend to like a more hard-core environment when I go to a gym. I'm currently using the equipment at my apartment complex in addition to jogging.

[blondeatlast]

46. Monthly weigh-ins at mine, and you can always opt out.

Weekly wouldn't tell anyone much, I wouldn't think.

No, it isn't for really hard core types, but if you have never exercised before (I'm guilty) it's easy to do and pretty much free of pressure. My cholesterol is down, and that's a tough fight for me--plus I have a heart defect, and I can do this.

[geniph]

42. The franchise is owned by fundies

and most of the local ones play "Christian" music loudly during the workouts. Not my cup of tea. Plus I'm made uncomfortable by the circular staring-at-one-another aspect of it.

[indigo32]

44. wow

at the one I've attended they played bad music quite loudly... but not Christian. We only had to weigh in once a month. The hours are problematic though.

[blondeatlast]

48. Never heard Christian music at mine--just pumped up covers of

disco, rock, and RnB. The covers are actually quite good--and I mean Little Red Corvette is played at mine; not the least bit Christian.

Maybe each franchise is different in that respect.

[Melsky]

45. I don't

I like some of the ideas they have, like women only and no mirrors. But I can't see myself going to a franchise run by fundies and having restricted hours like that.

[stanwyck]

49. Great concept, however

the hours don't suit me. I need a gym which opens early and closes late since I have very erratic work hours. I visited a Curves and my impression is that it's a great place for women who are at the beginning of a weight training program. It's a very non-threatening atmosphere. Well-maintained facility with competent staff. The gym where I go, co-ed, has so much equipment and so many people, it gets a bit frenzied and chaotic. Basketball courts, racquetball courts, aerobics classes. And very loud music. All the time.