Curves burns calories

By Pat Lakey
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Ladies, this one’s for you.

If you don’t want to worry about your makeup or how your hair looks as you work up a healthy sweat with a workout that is sure to bust the pounds and pick up your spirits, then come to Curves in Placerville.

The glass doors at 81 Fair Lane, Suite J, in the County Fair Shopping Center swing open to a bustling bevy of women intent on bettering themselves — and they all have smiles on their faces as they “change stations now,” in accordance with a recorded instructor’s voice.

But the real-live voice that is encouraging the ladies to “work harder, harder — you can do it!” is that of Curves manager Ky Bessom, whose bright smile punctuates her shouted commands to her “troops.”

Bessom, 32, obviously has a flair for getting the gals to give it their all as they manage to get a complete cardio and strength training workout into just 30 minutes.

“You can get it all in 30 minutes,” Bessom assured. “This is the most scientifically researched program around, and it’s been proven that all muscle groups can be fully loaded (worked) in seconds, then given time to recover before moving on to the next exercise. It’s highly effective.”

Because “time is of the essence” to so many busy women, Bessom said, Curves offers the maximum payoff for time spent in the comfortable setting.

“You can burn up to 500 calories in 30 minutes,” Bessom said, as some of the women in a recent late-morning class congratulated a member for having hit her initial weight loss goal of 50 pounds. “We have 13 pieces of equipment, and it’s all hydraulic, meaning it’s low impact, like water aerobics. So it’s safe for all.”

Bessom added that members at the Fair Lane location (in the same shopping center with Big Lots, off Placerville Drive) range in age from 18 to 90.

“We just reintroduced our CurvesSmart weight loss program, with online meal planning,” the manager added, pausing briefly to shout, “Keep it up! Come on, you can do it,” as the ladies once again stepped off their exercise machines and moved on to the next challenge.

Fifty-year-old Chris Illich of Placerville said she loves the Curves program of healthy eating, and she credits the workouts at Curves with helping with her weight loss of 17 pounds. But check out the great guns on this lady, and you’ll want to sign up for whatever makes her arms look like those of a 25-year-old.

“I’ve been coming here for four years, and what I like about it is that I can just come in and follow the exercise circuit around twice, and get a full body workout,” said Illich, who said she is quite happy with the way her sculpted arms look as a result. She said part of what makes the routine at Curves preferable to other gyms is that the gear is ready to go when you walk in the door.

“At other gyms, you have to set the machines, set the weights and set up the equipment —here, it’s just do the circuit twice and you’re good to go.”

Curves members meet once a week for an individual session with one of four coaches on staff, and a coach is available to lend support during group workouts. The coaching at Curves has proved life-changing for member Dian Tadlock, 66, of Somerset. She’s the woman who received the applause during a recent session Curves, as her workout buddies recognized her achievement of losing 50 pounds in a year.

“It’s the coaches,” Tadlock said simply. “They’re very encouraging and they help you stay focused. Also, when it’s all women, there’s no emphasis on your size. Whether you’re heavy and need to lose weight or just need to firm up, Curves works.”

Member Sharon O’Neill of Diamond Springs agreed that the all-women concept at Curves is a definite plus for her.

“It’s the sisterhood — all the wonderful ladies here encourage each other during our workouts,” said O’Neill, 66, who has been a loyal member for more than a year. “I’ve found that the stretching exercises have been very beneficial, along with the strength training. I need the more organized atmosphere offered at Curves to keep me motivated.”

Manager Bessom said it doesn’t matter what level of fitness is enjoyed by those who join Curves, because you are bound to fit in.

“Exercising in a gym setting can be intimidating to anyone, but we find at Curves that women become comfortable quickly here. You just wear whatever you’re comfortable in, and get going.”

Bessom said an innovation called CurvesSmart is an advanced computer system in which a member puts a key-card into each machine as she makes the circuit, and a light will turn green when the client is using the equipment correctly. If not, it turns orange and makes you work a bit harder, she explained, with each member’s particular needs and goals readily available by computer. Coaches then are better able to work on problem areas and give the best, uniquely individualized advice, based on the computer readings, she said.

Curves, owned by Jeff and Belen Brake, is open from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday. It is closed Sundays. Call Curves at 530-303-2525.