By Kyle Battis CSCS, L/ATC, NSCA-CPT Professional Fitness Coaching

Many people have asked me what my thoughts were on Curves fitness program. After researching program, interviewing current and past members, and speaking with other fitness professionals around country I have compiled following analysis.

WHAT IS “CURVES”?

Curves is a franchised exercise program designed exclusively for women. The Curves program has spread across nation like wildfire due to claims such as: “No experience necessary, only 30 minutes for a full-body workout, no class times, no appointments to keep, you can’t be late for your workout because circuit is always on!” In fact, Curves franchise is listed by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of top franchises to own. The question is why has it grown so popular?

The answer can be found in target audience of Curves program. Curves caters to a very large group of women seeking positive physical change in a supportive environment. Most commercial gyms and fitness centers do not come close to offering a friendly and supportive environment for beginning exercisers be it female or male. You have to give credit where credit is due. The originator of this franchise recognized that there was a huge market for a gym such as Curves and surely has tapped into a goldmine.

GREAT CONCEPT, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE ACTUAL PROGRAM?

Curves is definitely great from a marketing and business perspective but what about actual exercise program that is followed? One of Curves members that I interviewed offered following synopsis:

“They have about 10 different units. Leg extensions/leg curls, squats, leg press, glut press, biceps curls/triceps extensions, lat pull downs/overhead press, chest press/seated row, a dip/shrug machine, and a seated abdominal machine. They repeat some of machines and you go around circuit 1 and 1/2 times. In between each machine there is 3’ x 3’ platform that you perform some continuous exercise such as running in place or stationary jumping. The goal is to stay in fat burning target heart rate zone for 30 minutes.”

Curves is a 30-minute exercise circuit comprised of hydraulic resistance machines and bodyweight exercises. The nature of hydraulic machines used in Curves program forces user to perform concentric (muscle shortening) contractions of opposing muscle groups. No eccentric (muscle lengthening) muscle action occurs when using these machines so very little muscle soreness is developed. The problem with lack of eccentric muscle actions is that it does not put a lot of stress on muscle and a muscle not stressed is a muscle that will not change.

In fact, as Strength Coach Christian Thibeadeau points out in his book Theory and Application of Modern Strength and Power Methods,

“It was found that omitting eccentric stress in training program severely compromised potential strength gains (Dudley et al. 1991). “ Curves members are encouraged to check their heart rates every 8 minutes to ensure that they are in their target heart rate zones. In summary, Curves routine is a circuit-training program that focuses on muscular endurance and aerobic exercise.

A GOOD START BUT………..

It is important to point out that every exercise program has benefits and inherent weaknesses. I commend originator of Curves program for benefit that it introduces women who would not otherwise be exercising to a regular exercise routine. There are, however, many limitations to exercise routine utilized by Curves.

Some of those limitations are lack of an individualized exercise routine (cookie-cutter approach), absence of a comprehensive fitness assessment, reliance on limited-value hydraulic exercise equipment, lack of progressive overload (for both resistance training routine and cardiovascular conditioning), lack of exercise variety which can lead to overuse injuries, lack of program design that is based on current research to deliver optimal results, lack of instruction on how exercisers should progress after reaching a plateau with program, and finally a lack of qualified supervision by an exercise specialist which poses many problems in itself. The lack of qualified supervision can lead to problems such as not knowing when to refer out to appropriate medical professional if problems arise, recognizing when an individual is over-training, or modifying an exercise routine to suit individual’s current needs and training level.

In order to understand basics of Pilates and why it can work for you, you first need to understand where Pilates came from. Pilates was originally formed in Germany by a man of same name, Joseph Pilates.

Joseph Pilates had many health afflictions as a child. The boy wanted to overcome hardships he faced. He hoped exercise would not only boost his morale, but also his body’s defense against his illnesses.

The year was 1880 when Joseph Pilates was born. During his youthful years, he tried a number of things to try to strengthen his body. After several failed attempts to create perfect program for his frail form he came up with series of movements we now know as Pilates. However, it wasn’t until 1920’s that movements Joseph Pilates created were truly perfected.

One of things that make Pilates so great is that movements and exercises you do seek to give you strength and flexibility, but not to build any serious amount of bulk to your frame. Pilates is not about building muscle, it is about working with your body and not against it. You need to be able to take what you have been given and make that work for you before attempting anything else and that is philosophy that Pilates was founded on.