The objective is to move as fast as possible through full range of motion on each machine, during which time your heart rate increases and your muscles begin to fatigue from the gradually increasing resistance. The intensity of the workout should be on the machines. Every 30 seconds, you change stations to allow you to recover and work out different muscle groups. The effectiveness of the Curves workout equipment has been studied and validated by Richard Kreider, Ph. Among the findings were that 14 weeks on the Curves fitness plan improved aerobic capacity by 5 percent and muscle strength by 19 percent.
Bone density, metabolism, blood pressure, arthritis, blood glucose, mental health scores and other quality of life indicators also improved.
The basic workout is the same for most people. Exercise machines are placed in a circular format. Most machines have a recovery board in between, where the person can do any type of aerobic step or simply rest between machines. Music in the background also includes direction to switch machines after a minute has passed.
The workout goes through the circle or circuit twice, providing a minute exercise program. This means if a person is using the recovery boards to do any type of aerobic step in between machines, she can keep her heart rate at higher "aerobic" level, which is maintained throughout the workout since there is little downtime.
A workout loses effectiveness once the body adapts to a certain level of exercise, according to Venuto. A better workout routine would involve a wide variety of free weights, weight stack machines and other equipment. Another problem with Curves workouts involves the potential for overuse injuries, according to certified strength and conditioning specialist Kyle Battis. Using the same equipment over and over in the same routine with little variation can lead to bursitis and tendinitis.
Curves does not provide an individualized exercise routine, and all minute circuits are the same. No instructors are available to provide a comprehensive fitness evaluation for new members or instruction on achieving further results, as noted by Battis. Additionally, Curves centers do not have an exercise specialist supervising the activity. Curves centers do not provide amenities other than changing rooms and bathrooms.
They do not have showers, as noted by Women's Fitness Secrets. Bryant recommends supplementing Curves workouts with three or four minute cardio sessions each week, whether brisk walking, jogging, or using a cardiovascular machine such as an elliptical trainer or stair climber, to get sufficient results.
Instead of utilizing a traditional weight stack for resistance, the Curves machines have a series of pistons that create resistance by pumping fluid. The stronger you are -- and the more effort you exert -- the more resistance the machine automatically offers up to a point , so you don't have to make adjustments to the machine. These hydraulic machines also differ from traditional weight machines in that they work different muscle groups during the lifting and the lowering phases.
For instance, if you are doing a biceps curl on a hydraulic machine, you will feel resistance in your biceps when you bend, or curl, your arm, but when you return to the starting position by straightening your arm, you will feel resistance in your triceps. In each full repetition on a hydraulic machine, you target two different muscle groups, which is very time-efficient.
You're also likely to experience less muscle soreness than when using a machine with weight plates, since it is the lowering phase, or the "eccentric" contraction, that causes most muscle soreness. However, Bryant says, there's a downside.
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