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ShannonG
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Joined: 20 Mar 2003
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 Posted: 02/16/04 - 16:54 Post subject: what is WITH all these circuit training gyms?
First it was Curves, and now there are a half dozen copycats opening on seemingly every corner in town. I wouldn't even notice (not a gym person) if it wasn't for the outrageous claims some of them made. I read of a men-only circuit that claimed to burn 900+ calories an hour!
My sister did the Curves thing, and saw no difference. I just don't think these places work. My mom goes to one and loves it, but she is 60 years old and think it makes her feel young and hip more than having any real heath benefit (she is very fit anyway, eats well and walks twice a day).
Does anyone go to one of these places? Do you think they're effective?
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omega lambda
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Posted: 02/16/04 - 18:12 Post subject:
I've not been to one, but I've heard about them. They are the latest "gimmick" in that it is really just a gym, for women, but they've designed it so that it is a quick work-out. I say gimmick in quotes because I don't think it is really a gimmick, but it presents a workout in a different way so that it is more palatable to women who don't have a lot of time. From what I understand, you get weight training and cardio in one 30-minute session. There is some number of weight machines/stations and you enter the circuit and rotate around. When you've completed all the stations, you're done.
I won't go into a long diatribe, but all by itself, it is just exercise. If women are using it as a magic bullet to lose weight, it will be veeerrrry slow without dieting as well. As a workout, it may not be very challenging, and it may also be difficult to increase weight/resistance as time goes on. I don't really know then, if it is good for weight training and building up, or just for toning.
But in my opinion, anything that gets people up off the sofa and exercising safely is a good thing.
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elkid
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Posted: 02/16/04 - 18:57 Post subject:
| omega lambda wrote: | | But in my opinion, anything that gets people up off the sofa and exercising safely is a good thing. |
True dat. A cow-orker is going to a Curves-like facility. From what she describes, it's a lot of old school calesthenics (think Jack LaLanne). Resistance training via bands, stability training via balls and boards. Sounds like a good starting point to get yourself into a routine, but long term I think you'd get bored pretty quickly.
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MechEngDropout
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Posted: 02/16/04 - 19:13 Post subject:
| elkid wrote: | | (think Jack LaLanne) |
Umm... juicer?
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AlaninTX
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Joined: 14 May 2002
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Location: Austin, Texas
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Posted: 02/16/04 - 22:05 Post subject:
Do they teach you to swim pulling a tugboat attatched to a rope you hold in your teeth? I think that would be a workout.
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christa0120
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Joined: 27 Sep 2003
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Location: Phoenix, Arizona, USA
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Posted: 02/17/04 - 08:44 Post subject:
| MechEngDropout wrote: | | elkid wrote: | | (think Jack LaLanne) |
Umm... juicer? |
showing your young age engineer  ...or is that showing my old age 
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MastrBrewr
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
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Posted: 02/17/04 - 11:04 Post subject:
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airehead
Oompa Loofah
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Location: Between here and eternity...
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Posted: 02/17/04 - 15:30 Post subject:
| elkid wrote: | | omega lambda wrote: | | But in my opinion, anything that gets people up off the sofa and exercising safely is a good thing. |
True dat. A cow-orker is going to a Curves-like facility. From what she describes, it's a lot of old school calesthenics (think Jack LaLanne). Resistance training via bands, stability training via balls and boards. Sounds like a good starting point to get yourself into a routine, but long term I think you'd get bored pretty quickly. |
From what I've seen I think their biggest selling point is that it is just women and like-minded women at that. So, you feel like you're not in it alone.
Hopefully this type of workout will energize these women to push harder go beyond and try new types of physical activity.
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