BURN THE FAT WITH CURVES FOR WOMEN?
From Tom
Venuto and "Burn
the Fat"
Dear Tom,
I was wondering if you had any views on
"Curves" and their system of 30 minutes of cardio and hydraulic weight
machines, having read your ebook Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle, I just
wanted to know if their workouts are enough or if I should add on more
weight training.
Veronique
I've never done the Curves workout (they
don't let
guys in there - especially us muscle heads, LOL! and it wouldn't be my
type of place anyway), so I can't speak from experience. I can only
report on what I've heard from Curves advertising and from other
people. I'll pass on what I know as best as I can, but my knowledge of
Curves is 2nd hand info, so if any readers with first hand experience
at Curves think I have missed anything, they are welcome to email me
and say so.
Here's the basic concept behind Curves.
"Curves for women" are small, franchised fitness clubs with hydraulic
resistance machines that are set up in a circuit where you move from
machine to machine on a timed interval. There are usually 8-12 pieces
of equipment in the circuit that work specific body parts. There are
also stations such as mini trampolines and steps in between the
machines. The circuit moves you from station to station and is guided
by music and taped instruction and sometimes personal instructors. The
pace is fairly quick to keep your heart rate up and make it a cardio
workout and strength training workout at the same time. The whole
circuit is designed to be completed in just 30 minutes.
In the social circles I travel in
(serious bodybuilding),"Curves for Women" is little more than the brunt
of jokes. I do have some constructive criticisms, but in defense of
Curves, let me say that first, all exercise is good exercise
(especially structured exercise in a club which includes resistance
training), and second, that Curves is a great start for many women who
have never belonged to health clubs before.
With all due respect and acknowledgement
to people who train effectively at home for privacy and convenience,
home workouts just dont cut it for me - too many distractions, not
enough equipment and zero atmosphere. I love the energy in gyms and
health clubs, you can't match the selection of equipment in a good gym,
and I think almost everyone would benefit from joining a club...
eventually.
The trouble is, many beginners,
especially women, and especially especially overweight women, are
intimidated by the commercial "gym" atmosphere. Over the 16 years Ive
been involved in the health club industry both as a trainer and
manager, I can't tell you how many times I've heard people (women and
men) say, "I have to get in shape before I join a gym." It sounds
funny, ironic, and completely backwards, but I'm sure a lot of people
can relate.
Where Curves has definitely succeeded -
supremely well, judging by the fact that they set a record for becoming
one of the fastest growing franchise businesses in the world - is by
creating an environment where women can feel comfortable working out,
even if they are overweight, rank beginners or totally intimidated by
the whole "gym thing."
Now let me offer some constructive
criticisms:
First let's look at the circuit training
concept in general. The goal is to perform a series of 8-12 exercises
in a row virtually nonstop in an attempt to combine weight training and
cardio into one brief workout. While this type of exercise may be time
efficient and it is sufficient stimulus for a beginner, the attempt at
combining weights with cardio tends to compromise the effects you could
achieve by doing conventional strength training and cardio
independently. A more effective method of weight training which is also
time efficient, is to set up workouts consisting mainly of supersets
(pairs of exercises).
Second, compared to the larger
commercial health clubs, Curves hours of operation tend to vary and may
be more restrictive (something to think about if convenience and time
saving are the reason you're considering a 30 minute workout in the
first place). The clubs are very small and Overcrowding is definitely
possible, although I have been told that for this reason, Curves limits
its membership (I don't know whether that is true and if so, whether it
is enforced).
Third, lets look at the equipment used
in Curves. What most exercise scientists will tell you about hydraulic
machines (which are used in the curves circuit) is that because there
is no eccentric resistance (the resistance on the muscle when you lower
the weight), hydraulic machines are an inferior form of strength
training.
Full range exercise through the
concentric (lifting) and eccentric (lowering) movements is important
for maximum strength and muscular development. The eccentric component
of the exercise is actually even more important than the concentric, as
eccentric emphasis has been shown to improve strength and muscle gains.
Hydraulic machines are better than no
exercise, and it's a start, but as time goes on and you become more and
more fit, I recommend you seek out more advanced workouts to match your
rising level of fitness. Fans of Curves have told me that "you CAN make
it harder- just push harder and the hydraulic machines give more
resistance." True, but that can also be a drawback, because you can
just as easily NOT push harder. When you have 100 pounds on a barbell,
you MUST lift 100 pounds and lower 100 pounds. With hydraulics, the
resistance matches your effort, but how do you quantify that? How do
you keep records of your exact workload and chart your improvement from
one workout to the next?
Fourth, consider your body's ability to
adapt to the stress of working out and the need for the "muscle
confusion" principle. It's a strength training axiom that "all workouts
work, but none work for long." This means that when you do a new
workout for the first time - any workout - it's a "shock" to your body
and your body's response is to get stronger and more muscular. But your
body will quickly adapt to that workout, and eventually, repeating the
same workout over and over again will cease to be effective. In order
to make continued progress, you must use the progressive overload
principle and muscle confusion principle.
Having a wide variety of free weights,
cable-pulley and weight stack machines allows you the requisite variety
you need to continue making progress (while avoiding boredom at the
same time). Did you know that there are literally thousands of
exercises you can do with dumbbells alone? How many times could you
repeat the same workout circuit and continue getting results? (hint:
not long. Personally, I change my routines every month). If you repeat
the same workout
circuit month after month, eventually your body adapts and progress
plateaus.
Fifth, another drawback of machines in
general, even the ones with weight stacks which have an eccentric
component, is that they're non functional - which means that they do
not train the muscles in a way that you would use them in real life. If
the only resistance exercise you do for your legs are the hydraulic leg
extension and leg curl machines, and you never move up to more
challenging and effective exercises such as lunges, squats, step ups
and so on, you are seriously limiting
your results.
By contrast, doing free weight exercises
and even body weight resistance exercises, can train the muscles in a
functional manner, improve strength to a greater degree than machines
and even contribute to fat loss in a greater way because it increases
lean mass more effectively and involves multiple joints rather than a
program such as curves which is primarily based on machine isolation
exercises.
I recently read a review of Curves
(written by someone who is not a fitness expert), which said that the
equipment is easy to use and because the equipment is hydraulic and
designed to be pushed, then pulled, that this seems like a safer way to
workout. Well, the "easy to use" part may be true, but seeking the path
of least resistance is typical human nature, typical in corporate
advertising and is usually a road that leads straight to mediocrity.
The most effective workouts are NEVER the easiest. Yes, squats with
barbells or dumbbells require technique, strict attention to form and
are much more difficult. That's why they're so effective.
As for machine safety, that is not
entirely true. Hydraulic machines may be safer in
one regard because you won't drop a dumbbell on your head or you wont
get injured due to using poor form on a complex form-intense exercise,
but it doesnt mean you are injury proofing your body for the long haul.
Relying 100% on machines is actually a good way to allow your
stabilizing muscles to get weaker because the machine is doing the
stabilizing for you. Therefore, you may actually be at greater risk of
injury in the long run, both inside and outside the gym.
With a real short list of pros and a
long list of cons, it may sound like I'm beating up on Curves like the
rest of my bodybuilder friends, but again let me say that Curves has
it's place in the scheme of things. Because it is simple and
structured, it can be a great start for some women and an excellent
introduction to the world of health club workouts.
Curves have brought women into health
clubs who otherwise would have never even considered joining a gym.
That is good. For someone who was previously sedentary or who had never
lifted weights before, Curves is a step in the right direction.
However, the very same benefits that make Curves appeal to women and
beginners are the features that can actually limit Curves effectiveness
over the long haul and make it inappropriate for the advanced trainee.
As you make more and more progress and
get more and more experience with exercise, ask yourself whether
hydraulic machine circuit training is still the most appropriate
workout for you and search for ways to optimize your training (such as
adding free weights and changing routines on a regular basis).
Most important of all, pay attention to
your results because that answers the question, "Is this the ideal
workout for me?" Judge all your workouts based on actual progress. If
you're getting great results from the Curves workout, then you can
ignore any critics
and just laugh your way to the beach in a bikini. Always keep doing
more of what's working...
but if it's not working anymore, then it's time for a change or an
upgrade.
NOTE: If you're doing the curves workout
and you want to increase your results
dramatically, The Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle nutrition program for
fat loss
can be used in conjunction with the Curves workout. No workout program
is effective without the proper nutritional support.
You can get more information - click here
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