[REVIEW] My First Circuit Training Experience At Curves, Bukit Damansara

Admittedly, I’m not the fittest person, but I’ve had lengthy endeavours in pilates, personal training and several kinds of martial arts. Now with my unpredictable work schedule, I’ve resorted to investing in several home workout tools like dumbbells, an exercise ball, a chinup bar and a foam roller to squeeze in a workout at home whenever time permits.

You could say that I’m moderately enthusiastic about fitness, but the one thing I’ve never dabbled into is circuit training. I’m also aware that the Curves fitness franchise specialises in circuit training workouts for women, and taking into account its vast extension of outlets scattered across the Klang Valley and buzz surrounding it, I just had to feed my curiosity.

Born in 1992, Curves is the world’s largest fitness franchise for women in over 90 countries and it offers a fitness and weight management solution via the Curves workout – a 30-minute circuit inter lapsed with hydraulic resistance machines and pads that you go around for 30 seconds at each stop, working every major muscle with strength training, cardio and stretching.

As I stepped foot into Curves, the first thing I noticed was the automated voice prompting the ladies to move stations within the circuit every 30 seconds. Some may find this irritating, but the voice pushes you to keep going, leaving no room for procrastination. If you don’t keep moving to the next station, someone else will eventually have to wait on you to leave.

All the machines used within the circuit are powered by hydraulics, and this means that your strength will be matched with an ideal resistance meant for you.The harder you push or lift, the larger the amount of resistance will follow. While this may not work for those who’re well built with muscles, women who’re after a light and fun exercise would love them.

A full 30 minutes would require going around the circuit about twice, and while the circuit looks quick and simple, it gets tougher as your heartbeat rises and as you’re switching between stations swiftly. After every workout, all the women would head to the cooling area where a multi-purpose structure is erect, allowing for multiple kinds of stretches to avoid injuries.

Another notable highlight is the CurvesSmart system that’s incorporated into the workout. Applicable to several machines, you can slot in a membership tag and it will remind you to push harder according to your fitness levels. At the end of every workout, you can then use your membership tag to analyse detailed progress reports of your workout, the number of calories burned, and also the areas you have to pay more attention to.

With every exercise or workout, you’ll only see results if you’re consistent at it. The Curves workout helps you burn up to 500 calories with each 30-minute session, and slowly but surely, you’ll experience weight loss, increased metabolism and better strength levels.

A huge selling point for Curves is that is it strictly for women only, and I appreciate this greatly. Ladies, ever felt intimidated and uncomfortable at the gym because there are men around? You’re not alone. At Curves, you can go all out comfortably in the presence of other women and you’ll never have to feel embarrassed or restricted again.

Pros – Only 30 minutes is required for a full workout and it’s wonderful for women who’re pressed for time, the CurvesSmart system makes the workout rewarding as you’ll be able to review your progress and number of calories you’ve burnt, it’s a women-only fitness centre and it is an extremely comfortable setting to work out in, especially for Muslim women, very friendly fitness coaches.

Cons – The music and automated voice can be rather irritating, a lot of repetition is involved and you’ll be doing the same thing with every visit, there’s no real focus on specific areas on the body as you’re doing a ton of exercises within 30 minutes, the exercise routines cannot be personalised for each individual.