Curves Gym

is anyone a member of curves gym? or has anyone been a member? just wondering what you thought of it? one has opened up near me and as im in the country, there really isnt much else on offer other than the council run leisure centre, which i have been going to for body sculpt and pilates.

i like the group classes i've been going to, because i just feel i work harder and get more out of it than if i were to go to the gym by myself. however seeing the concept of curves, i think it could be quite similar to a class, as its like a circuit type environment.

my main concern is that curves might
a) become boring (doing the same work out every time you go)
b) results might plateau (i believe you need to mix up your exercise every now and then so your body doesn't get used to the same old thing)

can anyone comment? also i HATE the idea of being locked into a 12 month membership.... id prefer to pay for a month and see how i go, and then maybe pay for 3 months. has anyone found they can be flexible with their membership or is it just the 12 months and thats that?

thanks for your advice :)

Emma,

I totally get where you are coming from!!

Classes are good as you sometimes push harder and don't slack off as you might want to do when on your own.

Curves is like a class as you will do it with other people, although I am not sure if there is always an instructor there to make you work harder.

I do think that it could be boring and that your body would get used to the same exercises and then plateau.

I teach classes and no matter how strong thighs (or any other body part) get doing a particualar thigh exercise, as soon as I do a different one, my thighs moan at me.....which is why in gyms when they give you a program, they want to change it every couple of weeks. Mix it up - keep the body interested!!

So curves is not something I would join - especially not for a whole year.

I don't like the concept but think there is space for all kinds of workouts. If someone never exercises and they think curves is a good idea and it suits them, excellent....it is a whole lot better than them sitting on their bums doing nothing!!

yeah i sort of agree... i think they have a $59 a month option with no lock in contract, so i might give it a go for say two months or something just to try out, then move on to something else like classes or bike riding or whatever..... if they have a steep joining fee though, then i will need to forget it, as i dont want to spend a lot of cash on something so short term.
hmmmmmm it frustrates me as if i were in the city there would be so many options!!

I looooooved Crurves when i was a member...unfortunatley i also fell preg when id only just joined so want able to see results...but i felt better inside for going.

It was never boring..the staff always made every work out different and fun!

kimbaz can u remember was there a big joining fee?

I was a member of Curves. There is no way out of the 12 months unless you pay a cancellation fee. It was and still is $49 per month. Contours is $59. I found the 30 minute circuit training very good. Curves uses hydraulics so you push against your own weight. Contours uses pin weights. They both have cardio station in between equipment. It's not really a class as such. You just hop on a station and work around the circuit a few times 30 seconds at each station. I thought it was great. My only problems with it were that I didn't always make it 3 times a week (mostly twice a week - no fault but my own) and I didn't like their limited opening hours or how the instructor person would usually stand in the middle gossiping instead of showing people how to make the most of the equipment.

When i joined there was a special on and was no joingin fee for the month

Yeah - there are ways to get out of the joining fee. Just tell em you'll join Contours unless they can offer you no joining fee.

Anyone else out there who is a member of Curves?

I am looking at joining as I am finally getting off my backside and doing something :confetti:
At the minute they are advertising 30% off and the first 30 days free, so I am thinking it could be a good option for me plus it's only 10 mins down the road.

My local curves wont let children in - even if she sits in the corner and reads for 30 mins. So much for being "for women" if you cant even bring your little one.

oh there is a promo on at the moment, you buy a certain box of uncle tobies muesli bars and get two weeks free trial at a curves gym... worth a shot, try before u buy... its on til march.

i tried to get out of the joining fee with no luck, so am not joining but will give the free two weeks a go, then just keep going to my bodysculpt and pilates classes.

Thanks for that Emma, will go and hunt them down and give it a go!

I was going to go in and have a look at one, but when I rang up to work out a time, the last thing the girl said to me was "I expect you to make a decision at the viewing" - WTF talk about hard sell, so I rang up the next day and cancelled - you push me with hard sell then I walk away - I don't care how great your product is - yes even with cars I've done this - with a Hummer no less.

Boooring ... Go for a walk it's cheaper. Having said that if you can join for a short while to get yourself started on an excercise program then it may be worthwhile.

I did look at Curves and was quite tempted. The lack of childcare was the main reason I did not join. I explained that to them and they just fobbed it off as something easy enough to work around as the sessions are only for 30 min. Well with virtually no support network it would have been impossible to use their facilities. For me a female gym should have some form of childcare available for a small fee.

:doh: Wish I had found this thred earlier i have just joined curves with a friend and well the owner who wa the one who showed us around was very nice and did not put the hard sell on was happy to let us sleep on it however my damn friend wanted to sign up there and then and there was a promotion on that ment you half the joining fee which ment we oaid $50 each and $59 for the month apparently I was told that it is a 12 month contract but that if i give them 21 days written notice i can get out of it but will have to pay $10 I guess thats not to bad if i change my mind..

Hate the hours though they close from 12-230pm adn then reopen until 7pm and yep no childcare can't even bring kids in even if they will just sit there so thats really dissapointing..My friend and I will just do a tag team she will do her 30mins while i look after the kids at the park and then i will go...

I hope i have not wasted money yet again...

I personally love Curves and I love the fact that there are no kids.. As you dont want kids running around near the equipment etc.. Or other peoples kids carrying on near you.

Most Curves are open from 6;30 in the morning so lots go then while hubby is home to mind the kids before going to work.. and then in the evening till 7pm.. so peopel also go when hubby home from work.
I want 30 min to myself and love going in and its only adults

I joined Contours about 6 months ago and I've loved it. Like any gym you do have to motivate yourself but the staff are good too. I don't mind that it doesnt' have childcare - it made me make a deal with my DH. If I go early, he'll look after our son. If I start slacking off then the deal is over. It is a bit of tough love on behalf of DH! :)

I considered joining a gym but let the idea go because like other members have said: walking is more interesting and cheaper and I don't have the support network to arrange childcare... plus i like to actually exercise with my kids.

I walk 3km every school day x 2 so that's 6km per day (it's 1.5 km one way) ... my 5yo flies ahead on his scooter... I push a pram... it's hilly and I get my heart pumping up to 180bpm. I figure I'm not only saving a fortune in gym fees i am also saving on petrol and wear and tear on the car! This will stay as my main source of exercise for a few years to come. When I don't need to do the school run I may consider joining a gym for the discipline of it.

I am actually very confused to how people think that asking for childcare (a separate room for kids) equate to children running about the equipment? I have never been to a gym where this was allowed, so why is it when it comes to Curves that people jump to the conclusion that is what mothers are expecting when they ask about some sort of child minding facilites.

Just asking as I have come across this in real life and on other forums when I was looking into Curves.

Are you a person who gets bored easily?? Do you need motivation and variety? If so DO NOT JOIN CURVES!!
I joined curves and was a real sucker as I paid $99 joining fee. But the 30 min workouts appealed to the lazy side of me.
After about 3 months I was really over it. It was so tedious and the hours of my local one were just ridiculous. 6.30am - 11.00am then 1.00pm -7.00pm. Then they went and changed the afternoon hours 3.00pm -7.00pm.
Not very practical when you have 4 children :doh: and I tried to argue this when I went to cancel my membership but to no avail. I had to pay $50 cancellation fee and another months fees.
I have since joined my local gym at $17 per week (curves was $15) which has a creche :p, includes the full use of all facilities, all aerobic classes, heated pool next door, aqua classes and assessment done every 6 weeks. It was only $1 to join and I got 3 free personal training sessions. Plus I am only locked to a 6 month contract.
Seriously look around as I really believe yo will find alot better value for your buck out there.

I looked at curves as they had a promotion going and I don't get bored easily so was really looking forward to the "woman and mother focused gym" as the person I was talking to on the phone told me - until I asked about childcare and was told no children. The woman went on about how my husband should be able to give me 30 min 3 times a week to myself blah blah blah but hubby works shift work and so no he isn't able to give me 30 min plus the time to drive there and back 3 times a week - I was really disappointed.

That also really annoys me that people assume that arranging childcare should be a breeze :( it's so NOT!!! From my experience it's usually childless people who say that kind of thing... implying that you need to try harder pfft!

TBH Bath - the phone call ended up with me in tears as the woman just kept insisting that I MUST have someone who can watch them for 30 min to which I ended up blubbering about my son having autism and no I can't just leave him with whoever and we don't have family here and I'm sorry but my firends who would probably offer have their own kids and their own families to care for.

Saram I felt the same way when I first dealt with Curves back in Melbourne. The new manager of the one day here actually seemed quite upset that they were unable to provide childcare.