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Analysis of the Curves Fitness Program
Analysis of the Curves Fitness Program
By Kyle Battis CSCS, L/ATC, NSCA-CPT Professional Fitness
Coaching
Many people have asked me what my thoughts were on the Curves
fitness program. After researching the program, interviewing
current and past members, and speaking with other fitness
professionals around the country I have compiled the following
analysis.
WHAT IS CURVES?
Curves is a franchised exercise program designed exclusively for
women. The Curves program has spread across the 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 cant be late for your workout because
the circuit is always on! In fact, the Curves franchise is
listed by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top franchises to
own. The question is why has it grown so popular?
The answer can be found in the target audience of the 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 the actual exercise program that is
followed? One of the Curves members that I interviewed offered
the 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 the machines and you go around the 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 the fat burning
target heart rate zone for 30 minutes.
Curves is a 30-minute exercise circuit comprised of hydraulic
Leading Your Web Designer To SEOMany SEO projects involve taking a site that has already been built and changing or adding optimization elements to help the site rank well in ..... resistance machines and bodyweight exercises. The nature of the
hydraulic machines used in the Curves program forces the user to
perform concentric (muscle shortening) contractions of the
opposing muscle groups. No eccentric (muscle lengthening) muscle
action occurs when using these machines so very little muscle
soreness is developed. The problem with the lack of the
eccentric muscle actions is that it does not put a lot of stress
on the 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 the 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, the 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 the originator of
the Curves program for the benefit that it introduces women who
would not otherwise be exercising to a regular exercise routine.
There are, however, many limitations to the 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
God And The Hacker My computer was recently hacked and infected with a virus. This virus caused ..... 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 the 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
the appropriate medical professional if problems arise,
recognizing when an individual is over-training, or modifying an
exercise routine to suit the individuals current needs and
training level.
Simply put, the Curves fitness program utilizes outdated
exercise programming that predisposes the exerciser to an
abundance of overuse injuries (bursitis, tendonitis, medial and
lateral epicondylitis, etc.) and does not deliver optimal
results in the safest manner possible. I work full-time at a
Physical Therapy clinic and we have seen countless cases of
women developing overuse injuries from the Curves program. It
should be a big red flag but some people just are not making the
connection that the nature of the program is what causes the
problems. I hate to say it and I hope that you are not offended,
but the Curves program is fairly limited.
Any competent fitness professional could design an
individualized exercise program combining progressive resistance
training, anaerobic intervals (when appropriate), aerobic
exercise (for recovery purposes), flexibility training, and
restoration/recovery methods that would deliver results that are
far superior to the results delivered by following the Curves
fitness program. An individualized exercise program that suits
your specific exercise and health history, caters to your
specific fitness goals (athletic or aesthetic), focuses on
metabolism-boosting resistance training methods, and focuses on
progressively overloading the system in an intelligent manner
with a variety of different loading parameters and exercises
will far surpass any one-size fits all exercise program as
found in all Curves centers.
Any current Curves members would be wise to pay attention to
nagging pains that are developing (any joint pain or soft-tissue
pain that does not diminish in 48 hours). They should also pay
attention to any plateaus that are reached in their weight loss
or fitness results.
The human body is an amazing adapting machine and eventually the
body will adapt to the stresses (exercise is a stress after all)
that you are asking it to perform. If your body has adapted to a
specific exercise routine and you continue to subject your body
to that routine, you not only run the risk of developing overuse
injuries but your fat-loss results will come to a screeching
halt and you will see no further improvements by following that
same program. Here-in lies the major weakness of the Curves
program, it does not change!
There is a concept in exercise physiology known as Progressive
Overload. Basically, it means that over time, you have to
gradually and intelligently lift more weight, perform more
repetitions, or change something about your workouts in a
progressive manner in order to see results. Once your body has
adapted to a given form of stress, it basically says, Yeah. We
have done this before quite a bit. This stress is nothing new
and we dont have to do anything differently and we dont have
to change.
If you want to see your body change (i.e. lose fat, get lean)
My, What Big Is You Have!I made the mistake of listeningreally listeningto myself wishing the other day, and I thought (paraphrasing Red Riding Hood's comment to ..... then you must expose your body to varying and progressive
stress. I cant stress this concept enough and any program that
does not obey this law is doomed to fail! It has been said that
the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over
again and expecting a different result.
Understand that Curves is a great program for an absolute
beginner but it is a vehicle that can only bring you so far!
WHAT DO I DO IF I AM A CURRENT CURVES MEMBER?
Curves has tapped into a huge market of women exercisers that
find comfort in being surrounded by other people that are in the
same situation as they are. In that regard, Curves is important
because it gets more people active and involved with a
structured exercise routine. The program that is followed is
hardly ideal and is deficient in many aspects. I doubt that the
franchise will alter the parameters of the exercise routine any
time soon so the current Curves member might take some of the
following advice into consideration.
1.Watch out for overuse injuries that might develop and seek the
appropriate medical assistance if problems do arise.
2.Pay attention to your body and keep tabs upon your progress.
It is always a good idea to check your body fat percentage, body
weight, strength levels, girth measurements, energy levels, and
track your progress. When your body has adapted to the routine
provided by Curves, recognize when it is time to move on.
Remember that it is a vehicle that will only take you so fat.
Once you have adapted to the program you will simply be spinning
your wheels!
3.It has been said that insanity is doing the same thing over
and over and expecting a different result. Curves is simply a
gateway program. After its full value has been maximized, a
member would be wise to seek the advice of a qualified fitness
professional to determine an individualized plan of action that
would lead to further results.
4.If this plan of action does not sound appealing, then the
budding exerciser should begin a journey into the science and
practice of shaping their body with the tools of progressive
resistance training, cardiovascular exercise, and supportive
nutritional practices. The resources are out there such as
e-mail list serves like Supertraining, fitness books, fellow
gym members (although not always the most accurate of sources),
and fitness magazines.
5.The key is to find progress and escape the restrictions of the
simplistic circuit training routine found in Curves. It can be
an enjoyable process if approached in the appropriate manner.
Have fun, keep progressing, and enjoy the adventure to
discovering your best body!
I would be happy to assist you in any way that I can! Sincerely,
Kyle Battis CSCS, L/ATC, NSCA-CPT Professional Fitness Coaching
http://www.profitnesscoaching.com http://www.fatlosskeys.com
Concord, NH 03301 (603)-867-4934
About the author:
Kyle specializes in physique-transformation programs, athletic
performance enhancement, and injury rehabilitation. Go to
http://www.ProFitnessCoaching.com to sign up for the
Professional Fitness Coaching Newsletter and recieve a great
bonus for signing up!
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