Hey everyone,

I joined a "gym" today that just opened a few blocks from my apartment. It's called VivaFit and they specialize in 2 things. One is Pilate's and the other is a 30 min program that is done on hydraulic machines.

There is a circle of machines and you start the circle and spend 30 seconds on each machine, the entire round should last 30 min. They say that if you do it a min of 3 times a week your guaranteed weight loss. It's geared for women and is a women's only institute. The girl there told me that they have something similar in the US called Curves?

Has any one heard of this? Has any one tired it? How were the results?? Any thing any one has to add would be great! Thanks!

Hi:

I own an independant version of Curves......the 30 minute circuit concept and the equipment is the same.

I have 18 stations...9 pcs of hydraulic equipment, 5 joggers, and 4 steppers.

The success of this concept is like anything else in life....it depends on you.....the harder you work at it, the better benefits you will receive. The beauty of this type of workout is that it is geared to any shape, size, age, or fitness level. The more you put into it, the better the results.

Each piece of equipment works at least 2 muscles groups in the body. The faster your reps, the more intense the workout. The more aerobic you get on the joggers and steppers....the better the fat burning zone.

Some hints....keep your heart rate up between 80 - 85% if you want to burn fat...over 85% will start to burn muscle. When on the joggers and steppers get your arms moving to keep your heart rate up.

When on the equipment.....focus on what you are doing. I have found that too many of members who are not benefiting from their workout do not pay enough attention to what they are doing in the circuit.....they would rather socialize....too much chatter can also distract other members and set them up for accident or injury.

Also....stretch before and after your workout...this help get the body ready and to cool down, eliminating some risk for injury and soreness.

If there is anything else I can help you with just let me know.

Carol

I did curves for the first year after my surgery. For me it was a matter of getting into a program close to home to see if I would do it. I did. I liked curves very much and the price was right. It got me into the routine of getting up and getting over there before work and I went 3 days a week. I did notice the pounds really come off. Now I joined another gym because I want to do more weight lifting and such but if I ever get to my goal weight I will be rejoining the curves by my house for maintenence. I think curves is a great place to start and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

They say that if you do it a min of 3 times a week your guaranteed weight loss.

Congratulations on your commitment to a healthier lifestyle by signing up!

Curves is very successful here in the US and I'm sure you'll do great!

However, the quoted text really bothers me and it upsets me that a fitness facility would guarantee weight loss by attending 3x or more a week. Losing weight requires that you use more calories than you take in. If you do 3 workouts a week for an average of 400 calories, that's only a total of 1200 calories. And we all know far too well how easy it is to consume 1200 calories... and that would just keep you at maintenance.

You know your body better than anyone else so listen to it and go for it! Just don't buy into somebody else's BS because it's what you want to hear... You're going to do awesome because of YOU, not because THEY guarantee it.

Welp, I have gone twice this week now and I plan on going 2 more times. Wednesday is my day off during the week. I loved it! Every one was really friendly and I go in the morning so it's mostly older women. They were playing..Guess Heather's nationality!! Some thought I was German or Russian or Swiss! I was like...hello...fat...blonde....American!! Fat blondes are the stero type in Europe for Americans. And they think all we eat is hamburgers and hotdogs and wash it down with coke!

Any way, the trainer was really nice and I have never sweat so much my entire life in such a short amount of time, and I never slept so good as I did after the first day. I really like it and I plan on sticking to it 4 times a week.

Woody's - thanks for the tips those came in handy, and they were saying the same stuff there. I actually walk a few blocks to get there so that is kinda like my warm up, and then they have some cool down stretches that we do when we finish the rotations. They have us going around 3 times. Then of course I walk back.

Awesome, Heather!!!! Curves is very popular here... and for a very good reason!!!

GOOD LUCK!

Curves works for some. For me it never did much, and that went beyond how much I put into it. I would get on the machines (resistance-based) and absolutely pump for all I was worth, and never really got great resistance. Fast, slow, hard, easy, it never mattered. A girl going to school to be a personal trainer worked at mine and tried to make it better in the beginning, then just said, "These just aren't challenging you" and she actually recommended I think about going to a free weight or weight-based equipment gym, where I could get higher resistance. If they could have adjusted the resistance it may have helped, but from what I was told their equip. is manufactured with a resistance limit designed for a specific demographic, and I just wasn't lucky enough to fit that demographic. Plus I was too tall for several of the pieces and they hurt to use, and in some cases my height kept me from being able to use them properly.

Plus I always felt stupid standing in a circle doing something with nothing to look at other than the person in front of me, and it REALLY bothered me when the person to my left would get off their machine and leave a streak of crotch sweat or butt sweat on the seat and by the time I wiped it off and sat down & got started it was time to move on to the next thing... and "ignoring it", sitting in it, and letting their butt sweat soak into my pants was never really an option to me.

The other way it really wasn't for me was the little "pep rally" stuff they do, like at mine when you weighed in, if you'd lost, they'd want you to ring this big bell and announce your loss. When I'd lost 20 lbs they gave me a free bottle of Water (woo!) and told me to "spin the bottle" (put it in the middle of the workout circle) and whomever it landed on got a gym bag full of workout clothes. Umm... I lost the weight and got a free water, she came here with a friend and got a new workout wardrobe??? LOL All the little activities/competitions just aren't my style. I found them to be very gimmicky... and an *entire* wall was dedicated to people wanting to sell their Avon or Pamepered Chef... like that's what I drove all the way there to look at... Most people probably thrive in the atmosphere and find it extremely helpful... just not me.

So look into it, see what it's like, ask for a few free trips to test it out. Make sure the machines can challenge you.

That was a bit of a downer for me......:phanvan

Not trying to be a downer, just wanted to share my honest experience/results. Isn't that what you asked us for? :confused:

Curves was a total waste of time and money. In addition, the founder is a leading anti-abortion advocate. Gives much money to his cause. If I had known that I would have never joined.

I didn't join a Curves, I joined something similar to it here in Portugal. What I wanted was information on the actual exercise itself.

I have attended curves for awhile but really did not start losing weight until I started walking 4 days a week. I still go to curves for machines to work the various muscle groups 3 times a week, but to be honest I don't know if it makes a difference but at least it is a form of activity.