Thank you Curves® International for sponsoring this post. Ready to get #CurvesStrong?
Curves® invited me to the pre-party for their 25th anniversary! How did they celebrate? With a Curves gym workout of course!
Friends will go with you to see a movie or grab a bite to eat. Good friends will go workout with you. I texted my friend Jenni last week and asked if she wanted to come workout at Curves with me. And she said yes. See, that’s a good friend.
Jenni and I both workout regularly, but neither of us had ever been to a Curves® gym before. And Jenni does an intense workout program so I knew that she would be able to handle whatever they threw at us.
Now, I fully admit that I had a stereotype in my head of what I thought the workout would be like. You might have an image in your head of what a Curves workout looks like. Let’s just say that I was wrong, and you might be too.
Since we were all new to Curves we started the party with introductions to the machines. Everything is set up in a circle and the workout is a 30-minute total body circuit workout.
The foundation of the circuit is a series of hydraulic strength-training machines. The workout alternates your time between these machines and intervals of cardio moves, and bodyweight exercises. Every workout ends with stretching and recovery.
The machines were pretty straight forward and if you got confused a coach stepped in to correct form or give encouragement. The machines varied in the muscle groups that they worked. Some focused on your arms, some worked your legs, and a few worked your core.
The circuit is done in 30 second increments and you complete the circuit twice to get to your 30 minute workout. There are verbal cues inserted into the music that is constantly playing so you know when it’s time to move between pieces of equipment.
Because the machines are all hydraulic you really control the level of intensity for your workout. The harder and faster you push or pull on the machine the more resistance it provides. And participating Curves locations feature CurvesSmart, which is a digital coaching system built into the machines. You get customized instance feedback, suggestions for increasing intensity, plus progress reports detailing muscles worked, calories burned and more.
Curves is all about empowering women. The theme for our pre-anniversary party included no makeup and no mirrors. Curves want women to not only feel great, but be building a healthier future through strong bodies, strong balance, and a strong community.
You can fit in your 30 minute Curves workout whenever is convenient for you. The circuit workout means you can start at 9am or 9:17am. You never have to worry about being early or late for a specific class time. Jump in when you get there and finish 30 minutes later. You’ll also get a nutrition guide to help keep you reaching your goals.
While you can control the intensity of your workouts with the effort you put in, I didn’t find any one machine to be overwhelming. But I was certainly winded by the end of those 30 minutes and ready to stretch! Depending on your goals, a 30 minute circuit workout isn’t going to be the perfect fit for everyone. And because of the location size (typically 1,200 to 2,500 square feet) childcare isn’t offered.
Is Curves for you? Try it out for yourself and see!
This post was sponsored by Curves International but the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
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