Curves

End your despair, desperation, and sense of hopelessnes when it comes to finally getting and staying healthy and strong! Curves El Cerrito is an awsome community of women who will rally to support your journey in any way YOU may need. Come see for yourself! Get a free week refer a friend or loved one.

Ladies, I find Curves in El cerritos is a great place for us to exercise, large facility, great equipment, the staff helps me to stay excited about my exercise plan as they keep me on my toes. The atmosphere is mellow and the work out keeps looking good. Yeah Curves!!!

BEWARE! Listen to the reviews ladies. Workout-​great, hours-​ok, cancelling your membership or getting a refund (even due to their mistake)-virtually impossible! I will NEVER go to this location again as long as it’s owned by the current owner.

I have learned that leaving your honest review and your experience with this business will only get you reported to an attorney. I was contacted from the owner and she is sending my bad review of her and her business to her lawyer. What good is Unilocal if one cannot share their personal experience if the business owner takes your review to an attorney? Should we just keep silent and review Unilocal instead? Why even voice your experiences and feelings if that business wants to take your comments, experiences and how you feel to a LAWYER!!!

I received my refund from this location along with 2 free visits! Thank you! I knew I couldn’t commit, I should have never signed the documents. Oh well lessened learned, read before signing any document

This location is a nice size, clean and the staff is extremely supportive and positive.
The other reviews said there was too much water cooler talking going on. Personally, I agree. But, I respect that some clients are needing more encouragement and wanting more social interaction than others. The staff greet every member and congratulate her for taking time to improve her health. This is a good thing.
Yet, they have been respectful of my individual preference for quiet time while working out after a long day. You just have to make your wishes known and they will do their best to meet your needs and help you live a healthier life.
Great job, gals!

It took me over 8 months to get a refund for the extra months they charged me. I gave notice in March that i would be ending my membership that ran until May. They charged me in June, July and August even though I sent written notice TWICE that I had to end my membership. They finally stopped charging my credit card but did not refund me for the extra months until January. The owner didn’t return my calls for many months and when she finally did she said she had been so busy. I think she just wanted to wear me down and hope I would go away. Go to Planet Fitness instead. Month to month. They have a better circuit training area and many more types of equipment too. No intimidation there either.

There was this Beautiful woman walking in to this place… It encouraged me to want to get in shape ;) If milk does the body good, I can only imagine she owns a Cow.

Large facility with many resources, including very talkative members and employees. I prefer to be left alone during work outs, but that’s just me.
As long as you’re 40+, don’t stick out, and love water cooler talk, you’ll love it here.
I’ve been a member of Curves for several years at many facilities, this is the largest and cleanest I’ve seen so far. I’d say something about «I love coming here, it’s my favorite bla bla bla» but I don’t really have a choice, other Curves locations keep closing down, this is my last option.

This curves has moved to San Pablo Ave in October 2010. I like the new owner and the work out space much better. The new owner seems to take a personal interest in you. She has lost over 100 lbs through the curves program and has plans to help motivate members. I am looking forward to this new change. I am rating 4 for the new change and the plans of new and exciting programs in the next several months.

I’m not sure how to rate this Curves because I’ve been a member for over 6 years and I go around 4 times a week… It’s an easy, no brainer place to work out —- easy to figure out the machines and you only have to do them for 30 seconds at your own resistance, so that’s good. I like the people i work out with and have made great friends. I am probably one of the loud annoying ones who think they own the place! (see other review by Lydia H.) but I don’t care. I come to have an easy but effective workout and have a good time. I must admit, I don’t look much different than I did when I started but I haven’t gone downhill either. And it’s the first workout régime I’ve been able to make a habit, so that’s a good thing.

I haven’t been here in a while, but when i did go to El Cerrito Curves, there were annoying loud ladies who talked about boring things really loudly and thought they owned the place.
«i like to order my salad dressing on the side, blah blah blah».
Plus the owner (Kimber) was way into pyramid schemes and tried to make you go in on them which was a huge minus.
One thing I will say is that Curves got me to start working out on a regular basis, and now I just go to my work gym. So props to Curves for getting me on a routine.

This Curves may be good. But I won’t be participating.
Yesterday, for the second time I made an appointment for a tour and orientation and today, for the second time they failed to honor it. I guess they’re not interested in my business. Maybe another location would be less flakey, but for this one, if they’re not with-​it enough to honor new client appointments, I can’t trust them with other things (like keeping track of payments, etc.).
The inside looks no more depressing than any other Curves I’ve looked into. The music is kind of loud and of poor quality and selection.

I’ve been afraid to even go near Curves, ’cause I know they’d turn me away. What, just because I’m a guy? Geez, I’m going to start my own place just for men. I think I’ll call it ‘Bulges’.

Here is what I need to work out consistently:
1. personal shopper to get me cute gym clothes
2. personal dresser to put them on me
3. personal trainer to motivate me (and roll up to my place in a fatty truck so I do not have to go anywhere)
I am not Paris Hilton, so I go to Curves.
This Curves is in a great location. The shopping center has food, dry cleaning, over-​priced hairspray, fancy knife blocks, and just about everything else you could need in suburbia. It makes it easy to be there since, chances are, I am going to be there anyway. Parking is easy. I usually can get a spot within 100 feet of the front door. Sometimes, the farmers’ market and Trader Joe’s cause a bit of a jam, but there is always parking, and if you are going to the gym anyway, why not park a little farther away and walk a bit.
The staff is pretty good. Tammi is so motivating and cheery. She makes gym outfits look chic and greets you by name when you walk in the door. If you miss a session, she calls you on in, but does not make you feel guilty. I look forward to chatting with her whenever I go. Most of the time, the staff will leave you alone, which is nice when you just want to clock in your 30 minutes and go. They do not correct people’s forms often enough, though, so make sure you check out the web and the video running in the gym to learn the form.
There are ladies of all ages (mostly middle and above) who frequent this spot. They are very sociable (and the ones who are not are easy to ignore). Women there are of all sorts of body shapes, so I do not feel intimidated al all when I go.
The place could use a bit of updating in terms of look. The toilet is not designed for such heavy use, but they keep the restroom clean and cozy.

I just «graduated» from Curves and am moving on to a bit more serious of a workout at Fit Lite in Berkeley. But Curves has been good for me for the past 3 years. There are upsides and downsides, depending upon your level of fitness, health, age, and willingness to engage in «girl talk».
If you want a light and breezy workout and don’t need alot of individual guidance, this Curves is perfect. You can schmooze with others or not, and the time goes by quite quickly. If you don’t like to schmooze, best to go between 1 – 3 PM when it’s fairly empty.
The downside of this particular Curves is that, like the previous comment pointed out, don’t expect anyone to interact with you from the staff. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you’ll likely end up doing it incorrectly, cause you’re pretty much on your own after you join. Fortunately, there are usually plenty of other women nearby you can watch and who are friendly and eager to help. So just ask!
What didn’t work for me at this Curves is that they rarely adjust/​tighten the machines, so the workout wasn’t enough for me. What I love about it is that it’s great for women of all ages who are not hard core gym rats. You’ll never need to be embarrassed about your extra rolls or lack of fitness. There’ll be others just like you and you can encourage each other.
I think Curves is great for people who aren’t into a heavy-​duty workout. If you want something more hard core, look elsewhere.

I really hate to work out. Its primary detraction is that it’s ridiculously boring.
However, it has to be done, and if you have to do it, ladies, it might as well be at Curves.
I know a lot of people fret about how Curves is owned by crazy fundie Christians, and that is true to a certain extent, but Curves is a franchise, and each one is individually owned, although the crazy Christians own the parent corporation. So rest assured that your individual Curves probably isn’t owned by a Krazy Kristian™ and your $ 39 a month is going towards a small business owner making ends meet, and not Ted Haggard’s meth and lube fund.
OK, now that that’s out of the way…
Curves is a very un-​intimidating place to work out, and is generally populated by older women. One thing I’ve figured out working out at Curves is that older women know A LOT OF SHIT. Just getting the opportunity to eavesdrop on, chat with, and hang out with older women has been a real education. The workout is a circuit, and you do get a great workout for normal people purposes if you do it regularly.
This particular Curves is very hands-​off. The staff stay behind the desk almost 100% of the time and ignore the women working out, which is very unusual for Curves. If you like being on your own, then by all means, the El Cerrito Plaza Curves is the one for you. I wouldn’t recommend this Curves to anyone who doesn’t feel completely comfortable in a circuit and on those machines, because the amount of help and guidance you will get from the staff is almost precisely zero. I see women using machines incorrectly and cruising close to an injury every single time I work out, and no one does a damn thing about it. Every so often another woman working out there will try to help, but no one wants to be the douche correcting people.
Other Curves I have been to can boast super-​helpful, knowledgable, and above all, welcoming and encouraging staff, and I have had great experiences at Curves both here and in Arizona, but this Curves is decidedly different than what appears to be the standard. The San Lorenzo Curves, for example, has an owner an a staff that get really involved in your progress and your workout, and tailor stuff to your individual needs– it’s like having a personal trainer at no extra cost. I’ve seen similar awesomeness at other Curves. The El Cerrito Plaza Curves lacks this aspect entirely.
So if you know exactly what you’re doing, are a real self-​starter, and like being left to your own devices when you work out, then by all means this Curves is a great place for you. I work out here, so I’m obviously not entirely hating, but I do miss the SLZ Curves. It’s the only goddam thing I miss about SLZ. Otherwise I couldn’t get back to Albany fast enough.
One last thing: El Cerrito Plaza Curves has HELLA parking. Yay parking!