Anytime Fitness Vs. Planet fitness.

I have been going to Anytime fitness for about half a year now and they are opening up a planted fitness here in my town and it is a lot cheaper!

(Going to shorten the gyms names from here out. PF=Planet Fitness and AF=Anytime Fitness)

A friend and I signed up for AF in January and it is a really nice place to work out. They have spinning bikes with screens that coach you as you ride! They also have a decent amount of equipment there for as many people as I see during a normal day. They also used to have a Zumba class that I just found out is being canceled because they are going to make the aerobics room into a lifting room to try and get more body builders to come.

So on top of getting rid of Zumba and taking out the aerobics room, that I did use every once in a while, they aren't really doing much for their current members to compete with PF. I have seen signs encouraging people to sign up for $1 and get the whole summer for free but that still is not doing anything to keep my membership.

PF doesn't have a contract and you pay month to month, so I have been told, you don't go for a month you don't pay for that month. They have a lot more equipment then AF and it is cheaper in the long run.

But I have never been inside, i have just seen pictures. They aren't actually open until the end of the month.

Depending on the termination fee at AF I may just cancel and switch. The whole reason I posted this here is that I wanted some input for people who go to these gyms. if anyone knows the AF cancelation fee that would help.

Replies

  • mfanyafujo
    mfanyafujo Posts: 232 Member
    I've not been to Anytime fitness, but I go to the local Planet Fitness about 4 times a week. Every PF is different, so make sure you get a tour before you switch. Some have really lousy free weight sections, and others are decent. Mine is just fine as long as I avoid peak hours. It's definitely cheap (I think a $40 sign up fee), and it's easy to leave the gym as well. My only complaint is that my gym doesn't have classes or any frills, it's just free weights, machines, and cardio equipment. But for $10, that's still pretty good.
  • freyaheart
    freyaheart Posts: 220 Member
    I've not been to Anytime fitness, but I go to the local Planet Fitness about 4 times a week. Every PF is different, so make sure you get a tour before you switch. Some have really lousy free weight sections, and others are decent. Mine is just fine as long as I avoid peak hours. It's definitely cheap (I think a $40 sign up fee), and it's easy to leave the gym as well. My only complaint is that my gym doesn't have classes or any frills, it's just free weights, machines, and cardio equipment. But for $10, that's still pretty good.

    Af doesn't have any classes either now.
  • ConleighS
    ConleighS Posts: 1,058 Member
    I belong to PF in Anaheim, CA. I signed up for $1. Pay $10/mo and $49/yr. Was never told anything about not paying if you don't go...will have to check into that.

    They have a 30 Min Express workout area (like Curves), downside a lot of times people don't follow the rules. They have a lot of treadmills, bikes (not spinning type), elliptical and the other machine that looks like you are skiing....and lots of weight machines.

    They have trainers available too that you can sign up for (included in membership). Work thing I can say is that I don't like the fact that they have candy on the front counter all the time, have free Pizza and bagels once a month.

    I have thought about going to anytime. Can you tell me what the prices are like?


    PS... my PF doesn't have classes either....
  • freyaheart
    freyaheart Posts: 220 Member
    I belong to PF in Anaheim, CA. I signed up for $1. Pay $10/mo and $49/yr. Was never told anything about not paying if you don't go...will have to check into that.

    They have a 30 Min Express workout area (like Curves), downside a lot of times people don't follow the rules. They have a lot of treadmills, bikes (not spinning type), elliptical and the other machine that looks like you are skiing....and lots of weight machines.

    They have trainers available too that you can sign up for (included in membership). Work thing I can say is that I don't like the fact that they have candy on the front counter all the time, have free Pizza and bagels once a month.

    I have thought about going to anytime. Can you tell me what the prices are like?


    PS... my PF doesn't have classes either....

    it's $40 a month for anytime
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,407 Member
    Wow...$10 bucks a month...$40 bucks a year. In my area it is more like $200 a year..$80 a month.
  • JBsCrazyGirl
    JBsCrazyGirl Posts: 337
    I currently go to Anytime Fitness and my little local gym alone is packed FULL of cardio equipment, weights equiptment, an aerobic room, pretty much anything you could think of plus a bunch of private bathrooms, and a massage room.

    I thought about switching to snapfitness just because it is a lot closer to my home but they don't offer nearly *kitten* much. I guess each individual gym offers something different. Even gyms in the same franchise. Definately check the gym out before you switch. It may or may not be all it's cracked up to be.
  • ashleykawalek
    ashleykawalek Posts: 20 Member
    I go to anytime and my gym doesn't have any of that stuff you decribed. I guess it is just basic. We don't even have someone that can do you measurement and train you like you are suppose to get when you sign up. But i go there because of my schedule it is just easier. SO I am pretty jealous of your AF!
  • likeabanner
    likeabanner Posts: 88 Member
    There's an AF near me but it was very disappointing. Very little cardio equipment and tons of weight training... so it was suboptimal for me because I am more interested in cardio.

    PF always has deals... always. All gyms within 50 miles of me have a promo where it's either $1 enrollment fee or $0. The basic membership to only use that gym is $10 a month. The black card is $20 a month and it includes membership at all PF's all over the country, tanning at your home gym, massage chairs at your home gym, discounted stuff like drinks, and you can bring a guest for free every time you go. For me, my 16 year old sister comes with me for free. But she can't tan there or do anything other than work out. I also can't go to another PF and take her... only my home gym.

    I paid $0 enrollment and $20 a month just so I had the perks of tanning too. My gym is 24 hours M-F, and then Saturday and Sunday it's 7am-7pm. But then they reopen at midnight Sunday night/Monday morning. Very convenient for my crazy work hours.

    PF does NOT do any classes like Zumba or spinning. They don't generally do any theater rooms either. I've been to probably a dozen or so and none had these fancies. Retro Fitness I know is a chain, and they began classes (Zumba included).

    You can go online to PF's web site and pull up your local gym opening. Before mine opened, I was able to look at pictures and diagrams, as well as enrollment specials. I even enrolled online to save time.

    I also forgot to add! They have charged me even when I was inactive for over 30 days. Unless you medically freeze your account or cancel it, you pay for every single month. Oh, and there is a $39 a year fee that they charge every June 1st.
  • bigfatfatty14
    bigfatfatty14 Posts: 1 Member
    not true about not paying if you dont go they've been taking out 20 a month for 4 months now i went once. i have 0 time need to cancel
  • Kadoober
    Kadoober Posts: 289 Member
    I recently got a PF membership. I love it. My fiance and I went, and were both going to get a basic membership, for $10 a month, but they were running a special on the 'black' membership, with no sign up fee ($36). The black membership is $20 a month, you get the training classes, free tanning, access to the massage chairs, and you can bring a guest at EVERY visit, to any PF in the country. So we just got the black membership, saved the total $72 on sign up fees, and he is my 'guest'.

    The location is incredibly clean, quiet, and the staff is nice. They have a ton of treadmills, ellipticals, cross trainers, recumbent bikes and upright bikes. A good selection of nautilus weight machines, and what looks like a good amount of free weights. We're loving it there so far!
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    I have been going to Anytime fitness for about half a year now and they are opening up a planted fitness here in my town and it is a lot cheaper!

    (Going to shorten the gyms names from here out. PF=Planet Fitness and AF=Anytime Fitness)

    A friend and I signed up for AF in January and it is a really nice place to work out. They have spinning bikes with screens that coach you as you ride! They also have a decent amount of equipment there for as many people as I see during a normal day. They also used to have a Zumba class that I just found out is being canceled because they are going to make the aerobics room into a lifting room to try and get more body builders to come.

    So on top of getting rid of Zumba and taking out the aerobics room, that I did use every once in a while, they aren't really doing much for their current members to compete with PF. I have seen signs encouraging people to sign up for $1 and get the whole summer for free but that still is not doing anything to keep my membership.

    PF doesn't have a contract and you pay month to month, so I have been told, you don't go for a month you don't pay for that month. They have a lot more equipment then AF and it is cheaper in the long run.

    But I have never been inside, i have just seen pictures. They aren't actually open until the end of the month.

    Depending on the termination fee at AF I may just cancel and switch. The whole reason I posted this here is that I wanted some input for people who go to these gyms. if anyone knows the AF cancelation fee that would help.

    From what you explained here, you kind of sold me on your AF...