Curves, Cuts & other 30min circuit gyms - your views?

Smirky

Any one got any experience of the new trend in fast training - Curves for women / Cuts for Men, 30 minute circuit training gyms where you do your half hour a few times a week?

Good & bad reviews appreciated!

base2

The ad is offensive. It says that curves is for 'Real' women.
So a girl that is fit and looks after herself is not considered a 'real' person?

I've heard reports that its ****. Marketing over substance.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

aido_2006

reckon the classes are good... i used to do circuit training in army which was extremely tough but ur fitness improves very very quickly, circuit training and running are a good combo to peak the fitness!!

Mr E

They're good if you're out of shape. You'll lose weight and get fitter, guaranteed.

The problem is that eventually you will plateau. You'll reach a point where you won't benefit. There is no way to increase the difficulty when your body can take it.

If you are average weight, average build, I suggest joining a regular gym.

Smirky

Anyone out there a member who can tell us what it is like?

mad m

My wife actually joined today and is going back thursday for her first session,she went today and was measured.Actually she is going on a two week trial courtesy of Goldblend coffee,there was a two week free trial offer voucher on it.

Its €100 to join and €39 each month.Maybe lookout for Goldblend with voucher and give it the two week trial yourself before you hand over the €100 joining fee....

Goodluck.

Guv

They are not bad. They are a franchise and to get one all you need is the €24-30k and for this they ship to your nearest port the equipment and then you go for a 5 day course, come back, have a curves expert stay with you for the launch and then you are on your own.

Only issue I would have is the training period. The system is good and if it allows people to get benefit in a short space of time then that is a good thing. The gym is only better if one makes proper use of it and most do not imo.

We are going to see a lot more of these places mushrooming up in every small town.

PJG

any training and or exercises is better than nothing at all. If one of these classes can start someone on the road to getting fit and better health, then great. Its really designed for people starting out or with very little time.

i am a lady

I joined Curves just before Xmas (figured there was no point waiting until after Xmas when the world and his wife would be queuing up to join gyms). So far so good...I put on about 5lbs over Xmas but after a week back at Curves I had lost 3lbs. I think the 3 times a week is easy to commit to at the moment but wonder if I will get lazy (which is what has me overweight and unfit in the first place)...but we'll see. I think for low to medium fitness levels it's a good starting point, it's easy to do and I like the fact that I can see the end in sight (e.g. only 8 more machines and I'm done...). It may be a gimmick but hey, if it creates an environment that women are comfortable with and if the program gives results, don't knock it!

ErinGoBrath

base2 wrote:

The ad is offensive. It says that curves is for 'Real' women.
So a girl that is fit and looks after herself is not considered a 'real' person?

I wouldn't deem it as offensive.

I think they make the 'Real' comparison against underweight super models you see plastered all over advertisment campaigns.

Smirky

One of Curves key selling points seems to be the "Ladies only" idea. How important is this? How would people feel about a Circuit Training Gym (ie get in do your 30 minute circuit & get out fast) that was for men & women but with 2 seperate training areas where never the twain shall meet?

LegacyUser

I know of someone who is a member of curves, and reckons it is brilliant.
You can see the difference!!

Marketing and politics aside .. it depends on what you are after, everyone to their own. I'd prefer the gym to the curves scenario. Curves seems a little expensive, considering what you get.

Dragan

You can just do that in a normal gym.

The problem is that this is hardly intense circuit training, it just very basis stuff that most people here would find really easy. BUT it is of grea tuse to those doing it as they not be in the shape that we are, hence the attraction of a gym that will not be full of musclesheads looking at them like they are blocking up the place.

All in all, if you want decent circuits, join a full gym and do something like body attack, or body pump. Boxcercise and spinning are all great options. If you want a challenge it's all there.

LegacyUser

Dragan wrote:

BUT it is of grea tuse to those doing it as they not be in the shape that we are, hence the attraction of a gym that will not be full of musclesheads looking at them like they are blocking up the place.

A very good point!!

Siogfinsceal

Im not keen on curves. The founder, an american is a big anti-abortionist and uses some of his proofit to fund groups. Im pro-choice so I wouldnt support the company

mad m

My wife joined on a two week trial and she likes it a lot so far.If it brings a smile to peoples faces and makes them feel that fraction good about themselfs and gets the heart racing then its worth it.

Clubber Lang

I've actually joined CUTS last friday. I play Gaelic football to a good standard and to change things around this year it was agreed to use CUTS which had just opened up beside us in the last six months, for the first 4weeks of pre season training. Some of the lads on the team had been using it over the winter and had found it very good but to be honest i was a bit unsure about it. But after the first session i have to say i was happy with the training. All it really is, is circuit training with mostly machines but because there were so many of us they set up a good few extra exercises. Everyone that used it found some part of it tough, i felt i got great benefit out of the ab exercises myself and felt a little soreness in my lower abs i aven't felt while working out myself in a long time. We had two instructors there i'm not sure if thats always the case it probably isnt i'd say it was because we'd such a large group but i found that this was a good thing as we do have a few slackers on the team. In general the workout is only 3 circuits but from chatting to the lads who have gone over the winter if your fit enough you can do more. I kept myself in decent shape over the winter but i still found the circuit decent enough, I'll let you know in four weeks what i felt i got out of it personally and from a football point of view if the team as a whole achieved enough to warrant doing it every year.

Smirky

Great to here something about Cuts & I think everyone agrees that any excercise is better than no excercise!

What I'm trying to work out is what is the benefit of a Curves / Cuts Vs a regular Gym? And what is important to the average punter, as opposed to the fitnmess fanatic.

Is it the guarantee to be in & out in 30 minutes - ie quick but effective workout?
Is it the fact that there are no scry weights to be dealing with or having to remember the settings on machines?
Is it the fact that it it is either women's / men's only?

These circuit gyms are certainly multiplying & seem to be here to stay.

S

mad m

Smirky wrote:

Is it the guarantee to be in & out in 30 minutes - ie quick but effective workout?
Is it the fact that there are no scry weights to be dealing with or having to remember the settings on machines?
Is it the fact that it it is either women's / men's only?

These circuit gyms are certainly multiplying & seem to be here to stay.

S

Well my wife has said that you could be in and out in 30 minutes if you wanted,she went around the lot of the machines twice but could of went around a third time.From what I have heard from her there is no scary machines and you dont have to remember settings.I think its a fact that its just women,not mixed.Cuts for men,curves for women.