I just started Curves this past week and have gone twice so far and I love it! This is coming from someone who always HATED exercise and was so intimidated by other exercise places and programs I wouldn't even consider them.

CURVES ROCKS!

Ok, enough talk...time for action. I sighed up today. I will go tomorrow (Tuesday) for measurment and my first session. The Curves I'll be attending is pretty new. Membership is still low enough that there is no crowds or waiting. Looks like they have 8 machines...and I'm told they will get 4 more as membership increases. I'm sure they will be up and running at the max before I know it. In the mean time...these 8 machines will be just fine.

Breecita...When I went in today to sign up, the instructor allowed me to try out that "pushy" machine. LOL! She told me to do it just as you discribed....I certainly do qualify as having long legs. LOL!

I'll check back and post how my first work out went.

WOO! You go girl!

I'm proud you decided to take the plunge! Make sure you tell us how your first workout went... but I'm sure you'll love it, just like we do!

Today was my 1st month's measureing day and here are the wonderful results:

Total inches lost - 4
Total lbs lost - 1.5 (per their scale, .5 on mine)
Total body fat % down: 2.1%
Total body fat pounds lost: 3.86 (wow)

And this despite eating pretty awful last 4 weeks (many, many cheats) and not enough water on a daily basis.

CURVES works along with a good LC plan!

WOOO! Congrats!

I can't wait for my measuring time... I buttoned up a pair of paints this morning that wouldn't fit right over my hips three weeks ago... this is good, right? *g*

I think I'll start buying a pair of pants the size smaller, and instead of obsessivly weighing, I can keep trying to wear them.

Hey Yvonne, Congrats on the inches lost!!!! WTG!!

Went for my first workout today. It went great. I was very pleased to be able to use all the machines without stressing painful tendons and joints.

I decided to weigh in without my shoes on, since shoes can very greatly in weight. They took measurments, but I'm not as confident in how the measurments were taken. I'm afraid they may have difficultly remembering exactly where the tape measure was placed for re-measurment. I think I will back things up by taking my own measurements as I can be sure to measure the same each month.

I felt good after the workout. I wasn't TO tired, yet I could tell I had a good workout. So far, my arthritis pain has not increased..so that's a positive. I love the 30 seconds per station idea. It prevents me from overworking on any single area. I found the machine that worked me the hardest was the "squat" machine. I was told to go down very quickly (2 seconds) and then start to push up, as it is the pushing up motion that is the most important on that machine. That one always increased my heart rate.

I will go back tomorrow as long as my joints are ok in the morning. Looking forward to it. It's actually FUN!!!! Whoaaaa....did I say that???? LOL!

I never liked th "The Gym". Curves is women only and where I go there aren't abunch of Barbie Dolls in their designer work out clothes hanging around. Just a buch of ordinary mosly middle age women. We do have you and the way older than me.
I also have never felt so good since I started. I go Mon Wed & Fri's. It is a 35Min work out 30 secs on approx 22 workout area. Half of them are step boards where you can march/jog in place. Nothing was so hard or so long on it that I couldn't stand it.
I live in Claremont NH and it costs $29 per month. I go early in the morning. It gives me a jump start for the day. On the days I don't go I see how much more tired I am at the end of the day.
I just finished the lst month on the 18th. I lost 3lbs and 3 3/4 inches over my body. So I am pumped. I say Yeah for Curves

I've been going to Curves for about two months now and love it.

But....I can't get my heart rate to correspond with the chart they have on the wall.

I should be around 23 or so, and I'm always about 28 or 29. The instructor said yesterday that indicates that I'm burning muscle and not fat.

Any thoughts???

Sue

You might try slowing down a little on the platforms. If you work to hard on the platforms it will bring your heart rate up much higher. If you jog on the platforms...try slowing the pace down.

Target heart rate is determined by finding your "Maximum heart rate". However... the only way to find your real "Maximum heart rate" is to have a treadmill test. Soooooo.... the target rate is estimated using the following formula

226 (estimated maximum heart rate for women)
subtract your age
mutiply by 70 percent
then divide by 6 to find your 10 sec target heart rate.

Using me for an example.....
226 (estimated starting max. heart rate for a woman)
- 51 (my age)
=175 (max. heart rate for a woman MY age)
then 175 x 70 percent = 122.5
then 122.5 divided by 6 = 20.4 (target rate is 20 beats per 10 sec.)


70 percent of your maximum heart rate is the fat burning zone.

Hope this helps you some.

Wow!

Meadow... looks like you are on board!! even knowing all the details about the heart rate and such! you go girl!!

and Brecita... glad you are continuing to go....

JadC and Yvonne thanks for the updates!!

My appointment is for next week...

and I AM READY!!!

TAke CARE,
M-

I love curves mine is new and has 14 machines. can't wait for first weigh in. ladies the most important thing is to have water and protein no more than 20 min after workout.

Wow...14 machines? My Curves opened in January. They started with 8 machines. They will be adding 4 more as membership increases. Right now the workout lasts 24 minutes. When the four new machines are added, a workout will be 36 minutes. If you have 14 machines, than your workout is 42 minutes long. That's a full 12 minutes over the advertised 30 minute workout. Wonder how they get their numbers? Wonder what the extra two machines are that your Curves has. It seems (in my area anyhow) that when first open, they start with 8 machines, with the option to add up to 4 more machines as membership increases. I'll have to ask the owner how that works...unless anyone reading this has that information for us.

They told us that when we get all the machines, we only go around the circle twice... or something like that. *g*

What is the latest "attire" needed when going to Curves or any gym.....I've really been out of exercising for awhile!

Will regular shorts and loose fitting shirt do?

Also does anyone know if Curves membership is for all locations?
Like can I go to another Curves when I travel?

Thanks for all the great support here - this thread has really encouraged me to try Curves.

You can wear whatever! Shorts are certainly fine although I have yet to subject anyone to the sight of my cottage cheese legs! I wear a tshirt and knit pants or sweats. I go w/3 much thinner people and they sometimes wear shorts or pants. I've seen people wear dressy clothes even.

As for the travel, I haven't checked on this personally but I have heard that they can give you some sort of card or something for this purpose. Someone else can probably tell you more.

Give it a try! I bet you'll be hooked as well!

I weighed in and measured last week. This past month I lost 12 lbs and 5 inches.