Planet Fitness

Berkgal33

I stopped going to Planet Fitness when I couldn't work out with my trainer (who worked there) anymore. They were afraid I would make other people uncomfortable pushing myself. TRUE story.

spartan_d

To understand the Planet Fitness philosophy, it helps to look at their website. They say that they "create an environment where you can relax, go at your own pace and just do your own thing without ever having to worry about being judged."

Of course, going at your own pace is fine. Not wanting to be judged is fine as well. The problem is that they promote the notion of a "relaxing" workout. There is a time and place for relaxation, but that's no way to get fit -- especially since much of their clientele probably spends way too much time avoiding strenuous activity.

Ditto with the "just do your own thing" approach. That's not inherently a bad thing, mind you. I don't do yoga or pilates, and people shouldn't be forced to do it. The message they send, however, is that people should avoid being pushed outside of their comfort zones -- that they should avoid doing things that might intimidate them or challenge their confidence. Again, that's a poor recipe for self-improvement.

BTW, I daresay that this is the rationale behind their large "relaxation zones" filled with tanning beds and massage chairs. Let's face it; tanning is unhealthy and does nothing to promote physical fitness. As for the massage chairs, while they can help with relaxation, their actual physical fitness benefits are marginal at best. They certainly are no substitute for sports massage or deep tissue massage, which can actually help with athletic performance.

PF knows that the average American doesn't really want to work out. That's why they prohibit "intimidating" exercises and demonize the "lunks" who do push hard. Heck, PF goes beyond that. They actually try to convince people that relaxing workouts are the way to go, and that's doing their clients a serious disservice.