A gym for women: is it worth it?
Over the past decade, gyms for women have become a common sight in Estonia too. The idea is simple: a 30-minute circuit training session, hydraulic machines, a comfortable environment and no awkwardness in the weights section. For beginners, that sounds ideal. But does this kind of system lead to results for those who have already been going to the gym for years?
A gym for women — where did the trend come from?
According to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, the number of clubs designed for women only has grown by nearly 50% since 1998. By 2003, they already made up 25% of the health club market. Most of them offer 30-minute circuit training where, instead of free weights or weight stacks, hydraulic machines are used — you push and pull a lever, and the faster you move, the greater the resistance.
Many first-time exercisers join these clubs. Stephanie Smith, who goes to a Curves club in Massachusetts, says it plainly: “I just feel more comfortable in a gym with only women. The atmosphere is more supportive than at other gyms where I’ve trained. It’s quick, it’s convenient — I go, I do it and I’m done.” The same reason brings many Estonian women to their first workout, whether it’s a big chain or a smaller studio near home.
How hydraulic machines actually work
Every resistance exercise consists of two phases: concentric (the muscle shortens, for example the lever rises) and eccentric (the muscle lengthens, the lever returns down in a controlled way). The eccentric phase is precisely where very small tears appear in the muscle fibers — microdamage, from which new muscle tissue later grows and which is responsible for maximal muscle development.
Hydraulic machines remove the eccentric phase almost completely. You pull and push, but the lever doesn’t resist on the way back. “The main drawback of hydraulic machines is that they activate muscles only in the concentric phase,” explains Thomas Altena, assistant professor at Southwest Missouri State University. “The exercises cause changes in strength and endurance, but not in muscle proportions — especially compared with free weights or machines where the eccentric phase is emphasized.”
Another distinctive feature is that one set works opposing muscle groups at the same time. You push with your leg (quadriceps) and pull (hamstrings). You push for the triceps, you pull for the biceps. Classic strength training splits these into separate sets, which gives each muscle group a more targeted training load.
Why a gym for women hits a plateau
The human body adapts to a given training load remarkably fast. If your training program doesn’t change for several weeks in a row — same machines, same rep count, same rest time — your muscles acclimate and progress slows. This is directly tied to the overload principle.
“Some progress can be expected from every workout, especially in the early period,” acknowledges Stephen D. Ball, assistant professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia. “But using the same machines for the same body part every day won’t get you to peak shape. If you don’t add new exercises, or change the rep count, weight, rest times or contraction types, you reach the limit of your abilities very quickly.”
Frankly, after the first couple of months the weight-loss effect usually disappears too. A beginner gets noticeable changes in the first 8–12 weeks from almost any consistent program. After that, the body only moves forward if some variable forces it to strain again.
When is a gym for women worth it?
The answer isn’t black and white. For a beginner who hasn’t exercised before, a women’s gym is often the best possible start: the barrier to entry is low, the atmosphere is supportive, and 30 minutes a couple of times a week is infinitely better than zero. Stephen D. Ball puts it bluntly: “I’m in favor of anything that gets people active.”
For a more advanced trainee, hydraulic circuit training can suit one specific case — the low-intensity phase of periodization. If you otherwise train hard with free weights and need a recovery period of a couple of weeks, it doesn’t have to be complete rest. A short stint on hydraulic machines keeps your body moving without putting extra load on the central nervous system and connective tissue. You step back into the next heavy training block better recovered.
But if the only thing you do all year is the same 30-minute circuit, your results will inevitably flatten out at some point. Look around your area — the Curves chain isn’t the only option made for women only. With any luck, you’ll find an environment that is comfortable but also has free weights and a wider choice of ways to train.
Frequently asked questions
Can you build muscle mass with hydraulic circuit training?
Moderately, yes, in the beginning. Later on, no — the lack of an eccentric phase and an unchanging program set a ceiling on muscle hypertrophy.
Are hydraulic machines worse than free weights?
Not worse, but different. They train strength and endurance, but not muscle proportions to the same extent as free weights or classic cable machines.
Who is a gym for women best suited to?
Beginners who need a comfortable environment to build a training habit, and advanced trainees during a short recovery phase between heavier training periods.
Source: WHO – physical activity.
Source: WHO – physical activity.
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