Analysis of the “Curves” Fitness Program by Kyle Battis CSCS, L/ATC, NSCA-CPT

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 don’t have to do anything differently and we don’t have to change.”

If you want to see your body change (i.e. lose fat, get lean) then you must expose your body to varying and progressive stress. I can’t 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

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BIO:

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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