Ladies Workout Express Threw Me A Curve Ball.
Written: Feb 24 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Machines are designed for women; quick workout.
Cons: No trained staff; no amenities; could get boring; coupon is a come on.
The Bottom Line: I would recommend Ladies Workout Express for the beginner who will be careful since there are no trained staff.
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| jo.com's Full Review: Ladies Workout Express |
The ad caught my attention. It said in big bold letters "One week free membership" at Ladies Workout Express. I never pass up a chance to take a look at a gym.
What is Ladies Workout Express:
At first, second and third glance it is much like Curves. It is a subsidiary of The Lady of America Franchise Corporation. Each franchise looks the same but offers different amenities. I am reviewing the Falmouth, Massachusetts location. You’ll find it in the Falmouth Mall at 137 Teaticket Highway. This is not a traditional inside mall. It is more of an upscale very pretty strip mall. The gym’s door can be reached from the outside with a large parking lot for the mall.
My initial experience- cost and coupons:
I walked into a very pretty room which I came to learn was decorated in the colors of Lady of America. The machines were pink and purple. The rug was a bright pink. Two walls were mirrored. As I walked in I noted a water/juice cooler. To the right and on the counter were t-shirts, sweatshirts and their own brand of supplements for sale.
A pleasant woman who had been sitting in the back came over to me. This was during the week in the morning. Several women were working on the machines but it was far from crowded. I showed this very nice woman my coupon and explained that I had been trying on mother of the bride gowns next door and would like to take advantage of a free week. I really thought there would be no catch. I’ve had week free trials many times before. In fact this isn’t a free week. (This coupon can be found at their website www.ladiesworkoutexpress.com.) The coupon is worth $100 which is deducted from your annual fee. I was told that my initial fee would be $99.00. If I signed up for 12 months I would pay $49.95 a month but if I signed up for 36 months I’d pay $29.95. This wasn’t all that clear to me. I didn’t pursue it because I was wondering how much I would push what I saw as misleading advertisement. I was told that my rate would be fixed so I would never get an increase. There is a $10 processing fee and a $5.00 fee for an identification card.
My initial thoughts and amenities:
It wasn’t crowded so she let me work the circuit. As I was about to leave she told me that if I filled out a registration form I could have a two-day pass. I took her up on the offer.
I wasn’t impressed with her knowledge of the equipment in the facility. She was not the owner. When she showed me stability balls she really couldn’t think of the word for them. I didn’t help her out because I really wanted to find out her knowledge. Eventually she figured out something to say and told me that they are used for sit ups and showed me some type of leg lift. Leg lifts can be done on the stability ball but someone would have to show you. There is no one there to show you anything.
Please remember all franchises are different but from what I read on the website the workout itself is exactly the same. What is also the same is that there are no personal trainers, certified or not. Some locations it seems have staff who know the machines well. Some seem to have nutritionists. Some have child care. Some have classes such as Yoga and stability ball classes. This location has no child care, no showers, no classes and no frills. I was told that at one time they did offer classes during the hours the facility was closed. The classes were done in the middle of the room since they only have one room and two bathrooms. There is no place to change other than the bathroom. There is a tanning machine. I was told that the staff is CPR trained. They do body fat measurements and have a blood pressure monitor as well as a home-type scale.
More about the equipment:
The second time I went in I was shown the equipment in more detail but really just briefly. They are simple to use machines that use hydraulic resistance. That means that it is a “push and pull” workout. The faster I push and pull the harder I workout and the more calories I burn. The machines have three levels of resistance – easy, moderate and challenging. On the moderate setting I can still push and pull fast to work harder. On the challenging setting I didn’t have to push and pull so hard to feel the same muscles working. Each week they change the music and cues from one level of intensity to another to keep from hitting plateaus. However each machine has ten levels within the three categories. This is actually a clever way to work the circuit.
This location recently got two Life Fitness treadmills and two Life Fitness elliptical machines. There is a 1/2 hour maximum on the time they can be used and I was encouraged to sign up before I started working out because people like to use them. I found this to be true. However none of the three times I was there did I have to wait for a machine – called a station – and I was told there is never a wait. In theory there could be.
The equipment in the circuit is all made for Ladies Workout Express and is gorgeous. I’ve never seen such pretty machines. The gym is fairly new so everything was in top notch condition. The entire room was spotless as if no one had been in there. I found two mats and a small area in which I could put one to stretch and do abdominal work. There is also a set of dumbbells from 1 to 8 pounds.
The workout:
After I was shown the equipment I was taken over to the counter and listened to a tape telling me how great it is to exercise; how it cures everything from arthritis to osteoporosis and was given a cheer leading type motivational speech. This was happening while loud music and the voice of a man cuing the customers were being heard.
If you read that there are 24 stations that is also a bit misleading in my mind anyway. There are 12 machines, 6 trampoline-type pieced of equipment and 6 steps (as in step aerobics). The owner stuck in a balance board but that isn’t part of the workout.
Since everyone is going in the same direction it didn’t matter where I sat. I took a machine – the first one I remember taking was a leg extension machine. All the machines are in my opinion as safe as any machine can be. What I really liked is that they are designed for women. However since there is no one watching and no one trained who showed me the machines I have concerns.
The women's style and size machines are a plus. That is one of my peeves about other facilities. Traditional gym equipment is made for men. I am 5 feet 4 inches or so tall. I have to reach too high or not quite fit on a machine.
I sat on the leg extension machine. The machines are called sprint machines. A tape plays all day with music and instructions. Sitting on the leg extension machine I worked until cued to go to what they call a recovery station. I went to whatever recovery station was to the right of my machine. It would either be a step of the trampoline platform. It really is less a trampoline than a platform with a bit of give. The purpose it to bring your heart rate down and get ready for the next station. When cued I went on the next machine until the tape was done.
The machines or stations include an abductor/adductor station (outside and inside of the thighs); a shoulder press station; a leg extension station; a biceps/triceps station; (One machine they say works both muscles due to the push and pull movement) a squat station, an ab machine, a back station and a leg press station.
The hours:
The hours will vary by location. The location I went to was open from 7:00a.m. to 1:00p.m. and 3:00p.m. to 7:30p.m. Monday and Wednesday. On Tuesday and Thursday the hours are 7:00a.m. to 12:00p.m. and 3:00p.m. to 7:30p.m. On Friday the hours are 7:00a.m. to 1:00p.m. and 3:00p.m. to 7:00p.m and Saturday from 8:00a.m. to 12:00p.m. They are not open on Sunday.
Jo's final thoughts:
Like Curves there is a market for Ladies Workout Express. It will draw women who only want to work out with women; women who only have 30 minutes to spend and we know that 30 minutes is better than nothing; and it is a good program for women new to exercising. This is a way to get used to equipment without the intimidation of body builders or dumbbells you don’t know how to use. However you will not be taught how to use dumbbells since there is no one there qualified.
I do feel strongly that an experienced gym rat will not get much out of this program. What was so surprising to me was that I was told that I should come 5 days a week. Curves recommends three times a week which is what I would recommend when doing a circuit. A circuit works the entire body. We know that each muscle needs at least a day of rest in between working it again so I had a problem with this statement but didn’t challenge it.
Also like Curves I am concerned with the lack of expertise on the part of the staff. Looking through the website, owners are not expected to be trained professionals. I looked up the owners and they aren’t. They left very different jobs to buy this franchise.
Since this review is based on my experience as a long-term exerciser I don’t feel that it is one I would benefit from. However it may work for the target population. The fact that the heaviest dumbbell is 8 pounds says a lot.
The music is loud so it is entertaining and for those who need motivation and help with discipline Ladies Workout Express solves that because you are told exactly what to do and when to do it. I thought going to Curves three times a week would get boring I can’t imagine doing this circuit five days a week so if you end up here I would question the staff about that recommendation.
I rated Curves 3 stars not based on my experience but as a personal trainer looking for a good program for my clients looking to join a gym. As I said I think Ladies Workout Express has a niche but like Curves I see the same flaws. I see
~ the possibility of having to wait.
~ no amenities.
~ spending a lot of money for no amenities.
~ the possibility of boredom.
~ some wanting more after 6 months to a year but you've signed up for 3 years!
~ lack of staff training.
I hope this has helped you make a decision but please feel free to leave a comment and I will try to answer it.
Other fitness center reviews in which you might be interested:
How to Choose a Health Club • L.A. Fitness • World Gym • Curves for Women • PowerHouse Gym • New York Sports Club
All my fitness equipment reviews can be found on my profile page.
Recommended:
Yes
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