Curves for Women - Poor Ventilation Means SMELLY WORKOUTS!
Written: Sep 17 '08 (Updated Sep 17 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Low-impact workout, women only, 30 minutes and you're done.
Cons: Expensive, no showers, no pool, smelled bad, poor ventilation
The Bottom Line: I can't recommend Curves because I feel it is expensive, cheaply thrown together, and the particular Curves I joined was poorly ventilated.
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| hempem's Full Review: Curves For Women |
I see from some of the other reviews here that Curves for Women is pretty popular and well-liked. And I admit, the concept of a place where women can work out without a bunch of men leering at them was long overdue . . . here in Portland, Oregon we had a club for women only but it was terribly expensive and eventually went out of business. However, it had all the amenities of a full workout facility - weight machines, NON-hydraulic machines, full showers, jacuzzi, steam room, etc. And for the price, it was worth it. Curves, however, is not. In my humble opinion, of course.
Curves is a franchise, I believe, which means that each facility will follow a general pattern but have variations. This review covers the Curves I was a member of on my quest to find a place that I felt comfortable with would return to do that which I dread . . . sweat. When I visited for the first time I was invited to work out, and since I happened to be wearing my running shoes, shorts, and a T-shirt, I took them up on the offer. I liked being with all women, and after working out for 30 minutes I decided to join, being impulsive, and shelled out the $300.00 dollar fee which was followed by a monthly fee of $45.00.
Generally speaking, this Curves was a 30' by 30' room with a circle of hydraulic workout machines and yoga-type mats spaced between each one for "cardio" which I soon realized meant jogging in place like an idiot. I am very self-conscious - about 10 pesky pounds to lose but still I do not enjoy doing jumping jacks or weird aerobic moves to keep my heart rate up in a workout circle where all eyes point to the center and you can see each other! During the workout, loud music with a clear beat plays, and every 30 seconds or so (at least that's what it feels like) a voice tells you to move to the next "station" which can be a machine or "cardio" mat. No treadmills or step machines or elliptical machines at this particular Curves - I'm not certain if other Curves have added them in. Nope, just jogging in place or doing Jane Fonda like moves, and many uninhibited ladies were doing just that, complete with leg warmers and leotards.
Now hydraulic machines are great for the joints. They are not so great for truly building muscle and getting defined, because they operate on as much resistance as you give them, and if you don't have much weight to lose, you aren't met with enough resistance to make a huge difference. That is my untrained, uneducated assessment of why I didn't notice the results I was looking for. However, if a person were significantly overweight, this kind of workout would be wonderful and effective.
In the Curves I was a member of, the ventilation was poor. After all, this Curves occupied a space in a strip mall (which is apparently common) and wasn't designed as a gymnasium . . . I got the feeling that the Curves owners just laid down some thin red carpeting, brought the machines in, set them up in a circle, got a boom box with the loud music and opened up shop. Kinda tacky. And it smelled tacky, too. I am a musician, from a family of composers and concert pianists. The music played for workouts is like techno meets tacky, and it began to drive me crazy after one week. So be warned, because I think the same music is probably played at all Curves and recorded somewhere at a Curves "headquarters" then shipped to Franchise owners as part of what they receive with their initial investment into the business.
There are no showers. Did I mention that? No showers, no sauna, no pool, no jacuzzi, no way to rinse off - just a locker. I'm wondering if this particular Curves was just extremely awful, and I look forward to hearing from readers that have a different, more positive experience in the Comments section - because if all Curves are created equal, they will not be in business long, I predict. Or at least we will be seeing fewer franchises. I already have noticed fewer and fewer in the Portland, Oregon area at least.
Another issue I noticed at certain times was that with only once workout circle of machines, people would be waiting in line to enter! It made me feel pressured to only go around the circuit once so that others could participate, and when it was my turn to stand in line, it was annoying.
The price, as previously mentioned, is expensive for what you get. $45.00 a month was supposedly a "deal" and yet for $19.00 a month I found out later I could work out at a full Bally Fitness (which wasn't TOO much better but at least they had a HUGE hot tub, a pool, and a locker room with showers!) What REALLY burned me up was that I had to choose 3 days a week ONLY to work out! Who the heck were they kidding? Health reasons were cited, and I completely respect that for someone with a lot of weight to lose that should not be hitting the gym daily all at once - heck, for anyone it isn't a good idea to start working out every day and get so tired and sore you are tempted to quit completely. But $45.00 for working out only 3 days a week? For me, it just wasn't right.
Now after being so negative, I must confess to being conflicted about whether or not to recommend Curves. I believe that Curves is targeted to a certain demographic of women . . .those with over 25 pounds to lose who would simply be horrified to workout in a co-ed environment or with skinny little women who have attitude problems and skimpy work-out wear. Or women who, due to joint problems, really do need a low impact workout, and hydraulic machines are perfect for being less stressful on the joints. The third demographic that I believe Curves REALLY has emphasized is being a fast workout. "The 30 Minute Workout!" was a slogan I saw a lot. But I'm barely mentioning this as a perk of Curves because yes, you complete one "circuit" or as I call it "circle-o-machines" in 30 minutes, but it simply isn't enough if you are trying to burn stubborn fat like those last 10 pounds. However, for those with more weight to lose, 30 minutes is sufficient and adds up.
Bottom line for me is that I can't recommend the Curves I joined to anyone with less than 25 pounds to lose and a budget. For women with more than 25 pounds to lose and plenty of money to spend, I can see the benefit of having someplace to work out for 30 minutes, three times a week that is low-impact and doesn't require spandex. But don't kid yourself, I saw plenty of spandex. It just wasn't pretty.
Thanks for reading,
Melissa
"hempem"
Recommended:
No
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