Curves

• Cleanliness
• Trainers and Nutrition
• Locations

Cleanliness

Curves' exercise equipment is in prime condition. We did not find any reviews regarding the cleanliness of the company's exercise equipment but overall member's experience with the machines have been overwhelmingly positive.

Trainers and Nutrition

Locations

• Price and contracts
• Upfront fees
• Hidden fees
• Equipment
• Other available amenities

Price and Contracts

There are consistent complaints about the way Curves markets their membership costs. Curves' fee is advertised to be as low as $3.25 per workout. The company markets the total cost of their gym to total only $12.95, but when you read the small print, you see that the $12.95 is charged per week, coming to approximately $45 to $50 a month, depending on the length of time you sign up for. At this rate, Curves' membership locks you into a six-month contract. The longer the commitment you make, the lower the price. When Curves' prices are compared to other competitors in the fitness industry, its membership fees are lower than the average gym.

Upfront Fees

When signing up to be a Curves member, you have to remember to read the fine print. Many of these members have reported that the Curves membership is advertised as a three-month contract when in actuality it turns out to be a six-month commitment. Curve's enrollment fee is approximately $75. Currently, Curves is offering 50 percent off the $75 enrollment fee if you sign up now. The fine print contradicts this by saying Curves' Enrollment fee varies by location and requires joining Curves the same day of your first visit by signing up for at least a 12-month recurring billing contract. When comparing enrollment fees with other fitness center chains, we found Curves' enrollment fee to be less expensive than some of the most popular gyms in the country. For example, the YMCA's enrollment fee is $100. Another thing lacking with Curves memberships is that they do not have memberships for family members. This may be due to it being an exclusive female gym.

Hidden Fees

If you cancel your contract early, Curves charges members a $50 early termination fee. This is not something members find out until they want to end, freeze or postpone their Curves membership. Some fitness gyms offer prorated fees for members canceling in the middle of the month, which is a better option than what Curves offers. A few gyms we reviewed had more hidden fees than Curves as well.

Equipment

Larger gyms may offer more equipment and weights, as Curves does not offer free weights, ellipticals, or treadmills. In some locations, Curves customers know each other and spend more time talking than using the equipment. Since Curves' equipment is built in a circuit setting that members use one machine and move to the next one after a signal from the Curves staff member that the time with that machine is up, some customers spend too much time on one machine. Friendly chatting is acceptable, but Curves management should remind members that it's courteous to move on, when the signal is given, and allow others to use the equipment. If some of these things were to change, it is likely that more people would be interested in joining a Curves club.

Classes

Curves is designed for women who are either just starting a fitness plan and don't know where to begin, or are starting to exercise and get your heart rate up again after a long break. Curves is not a gym designed for women looking to get in top bikini shape or preparing for a marathon. It is low impact cardio, and circuit weight training, designed for women who are overweight, have never participated in fitness before, or women that feel uncomfortable in a traditional gym setting. Curves' workouts are all 30 minutes max. The gym offers cardio, upper and lower body weight training, and some Zumba variations mixed into cardio routines for variety. Curves' cardio machines are built with hydraulic resistance, so the difficulty of the weight training is based on the effort you put into it. It is designed this way to save the time and effort of changing weights. There are many complaints that their 30-minute exercises are ineffective and don't offer any real results. The workouts are always the same and don't offer any progression or variety as your body becomes accustomed to the workout, and eventually plateaus. There are many complaints that the 30-minute exercises are ineffective and don't offer any real results. One thing Curves members complain about is the gym's limited hours, which for some is inconvenient and don't work for busy women with a hectic schedule. Curve hours are basically open from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., then from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday to Friday. Then the gym is only open two hours on Saturdays and closed on Sundays. This is rare for a gym to have such limited hours, making Curves inferior to competitors in that area.

Other Available Amenities

When it comes to other amenities like pools, water massage beds, saunas, tennis courts, etc. Curves does not have them available. Curves facilities are designed to appeal to women of all sizes and shapes, and help them feel comfortable while exercising. Curves gyms do not have any mirrors on their walls, this is intentional. They believe it helps women who may be embarrassed about their size or physical abilities who don't want to watch themselves workout. When compared to other fitness center companies, we found most offer additional amenities like pools, saunas and locker rooms (or even massage sessions) with their memberships, making Curves inferior in this area.