Strength Training
Strength training is not required, but if you want all that Curves can give you, you probably will want to strength train. The health benefits are tremendous and it is a great tool if you want to lose weight. If you have been strength training for a while and use heavier weights, our machines can simulate that. If you have never strength trained, this is a very doable workout. The range of effective weight is very wide.
Most people don’t just jump into the circuit the first day and start strength training. For your first workout, the trainer will take you around, show you and let you try each of the machines. Then you will go around a second time following the prompt lady. Changing stations every 30 seconds. After several workouts, once you feel comfortable with your form on a machine, you are ready to give it a go.
You get true strength training by exhausting the muscles you are working on each machine. You will be spending just 30 seconds at a time on each machine. You will need to push the machine hard and fast, as if you were “sprinting”. The faster you move the hydraulics, the more resistance you create and the more effective weight you push or pull. The object is to move the machine fast enough to exhaust the muscle that that machine works, to reach that point where you can no longer push that muscle. You only have 30 seconds to reach that point. Remember the faster you go the more effective weight you push and pull.
If you have pushed the machine very hard and find you can no longer push through even one more rep but your 30 seconds are not up, it’s ok. You have done what you are supposed to do on the machine. You’ve exhausted the muscle. Get off the machine, you are done with it for that round of the circuit. You get to go to recovery early. As you build muscle and get stronger over time, you can continue to strength train in the same circuit. You just strive to increase the number of rep you do on each machine. In fact, you will always be working to increase the number of reps done on each machine as you continue to strength train.
It is very important to remember that, when you strength train, you use the machines to get your heart rate up. You recover on the recovery stations. You must move on the recovery stations but it should be an easy movement. You work very heard to get your heart rate up on the hydraulic machines, but once you hit recovery you actually want to briefly bring your heart rate down a little. That going up and down with your heart rate is very good for you.