planet fitness or golds gym

pecogirl65

Thinking of joining a gym. Trying to decide between PF / Gold's.

PF has a good price and is open 24 hrs. I work crazy shifts, so that is attractive to me. With the low price, I can probably afford to add my son and we can work out together. I like all the machines they have and they also have the 30 minute workout (I used to belong to curves).

Gold's on the other hand, has classes all times of the day. I enjoy exercise classes that will push me (as opposed to working out on my own). They are open til 10pm during the week and 7pm during the weekend. Not sure on their price for me and my family to include.

Any thoughts? What should I ask when I go visit?

(From the Harrisburg, PA area)

whierd

Are there any other options?

DavPul

honestly, there is no way we can answer this for you. we may be familiar with both franchises, but the actual gyms vary so much that nothing we say will have any validity. both gyms will likely give a you a free 3-7 day trial. here's my handy guide for deciding on your local gym

figure out what time of day you'll be working out.
visit the gym during that time
check for general cleanliness, especially locker rooms/showers, if you'll be changing there
check to see if it's too crowded for your taste.
if you're going to take classes, find out the sign up policy. sometimes you can do it online, sometimes you have to get there 45 mins early to get a spot.
check to see if it's convenient to get to from your work or home or wherever you'll be coming from. parking matters
flip a coin
sign up and start working out.

Dauntlessness

I have been at planet fitness for around 2.75 years now and I worked out at home a few months before that. There are up sides and down sides to the facility I go to.

Good ones:
:drinker: They are cheap
:flowerforyou: They are a judgment free zone
:happy: They are open more hours
:glasses: They have the 30 minute work out
I know the managers and staff on a personal level. They seem to be really nice people and have invited me to hang out off hours.
:bigsmile: If you get the black card you get free tanning, a free friend pass every day and half off drinks
:yawn: You get free "trainers". The thing is they are just normal people that take a class and they don't have a lot of experience BUT they do teach you ho to use the machines. They also help you establish a routine. Its great for a beginner.

Bad ones:
:sick: There are limited machines. I am getting really bored with them. I wish they had the ropes, a pool, the ladder machine and a few other things I see on the biggest loser...haha
:huh: You have a lot of beginners joining PF and because of that they don't know proper gym etiquette. Like don't talk in front of the water fountain, put away your weights, wipe down your machines, don't stand there and wait for someone to get off a machine...etc etc. Just simple considerate things....
:noway: These seem like positive aspects but they are really not. They have free pizza night, free bagel day and tootsie rolls all the time. It sucks when you are trying to work out and all your smelling is food you shouldn't eat.
I don't know about other gyms but there is no towel service and the staff is lazy. They are often late in getting paper towels in the machines and don't do that great of a job cleaning. I have seen the same tootsie wrapper on the floor for 3 days in a row before. Granted, it was hiding under a machine but they were not being thorough.
:indifferent: My gym has had an issue with wifi. If your going to advertise free wifi, spend the money for better speeds so more than 2 people can get one at one time...sigh

I have thought about going to golds gym a lot lately, mostly because they have a pool where i live but the price and lunks scare me...I am getting bored with the same machines at PF but is Golds really worth the extra money and possible judgement?

IMO if you first starting out, Planet Fitness is the way to go. Once you get bored consider other alternatives.

meeper123

Would never use planet fittness like ever plus i like those smaller less mainstream gyms better far cheaper and often better

KristiRTT

I am a member of planet fitness, only because its $10 a month! Sure I would live to take some classes, but around here to join a gym like that is $50+ a month!! It's not worth the few times a month I would take advantage of it! I have a few at home DVDs for class like workouts, and I run a lot outdoors, so it works for me. And I know different franchises are not created equal, but my pf is always clean and the staff is very nice!

StaceySaysRelax

I don't know if this is true for all planet fitnesses, but the one near me does not offer group classes whereas Golds offers tons of classes. For that reason, I prefer Golds.

carrietehbear

honestly, there is no way we can answer this for you. we may be familiar with both franchises, but the actual gyms vary so much that nothing we say will have any validity. both gyms will likely give a you a free 3-7 day trial. here's my handy guide for deciding on your local gym

figure out what time of day you'll be working out.
visit the gym during that time
check for general cleanliness, especially locker rooms/showers, if you'll be changing there
check to see if it's too crowded for your taste.
if you're going to take classes, find out the sign up policy. sometimes you can do it online, sometimes you have to get there 45 mins early to get a spot.
check to see if it's convenient to get to from your work or home or wherever you'll be coming from. parking matters
flip a coin
sign up and start working out.

This! I personally know I wouldn't like PF because I rarely use machines and I like a lot of free weights. (Plus, I don't want to go to a gym that has pizza parties once a month.)

EDollah

Be sure to check Yelp reviews for your specific locations. These gyms can provide a totally different experience across franchisees. For example, the Golds near me has gotten horrible reviews based on people's experiences trying to cancel their membership. This is the sort of thing you wouldn't get from just visiting the gym.

Sycoholic

To Dauntless, I think PF has you programmed to think you'll have to deal with lunks and judgment if you go to a different gym, such as Gold's. I've been with several different gyms throughout the years and have never felt judged nor have I judged anyone else. Now, something they're doing may seem funny, and you just can't help but wonder to yourself what it is they're doing, but I'm not judging them. Most people I see are working out with an ipod anyway, so if there's some dude grunting while doing something are you really bothered by that? I would see if the gym has a trial period and go use the gym instead of PF at the times you would normally go. Who knows, maybe you'll like it better.

And I don't know how a place can justify callilng itself "Planet Fitness" when they serve pizza, bagels, and tootsie rolls to their members.

DavPul

I have thought about going to golds gym a lot lately, mostly because they have a pool where i live but the price and lunks scare me...I am getting bored with the same machines at PF but is Golds really worth the extra money and possible judgement?

The judgement: It's all in your head

Joreanasaurous

I have thought about going to golds gym a lot lately, mostly because they have a pool where i live but the price and lunks scare me...I am getting bored with the same machines at PF but is Golds really worth the extra money and possible judgement?

The judgement: It's all in your head

This. I'm sure there is the occational jerk who is going to be judgey, but those are everywhere. Overall people are too busy working to care what someone else is doing. The most I've ever been judged is a smile and a high five after a particularly brutal workout.

Go to whatever one you think you will go to. Get a pass to both and see what ou like and don't like. How clean they are, how busy when you would be going, friendly staff... Whatever is important to you.

PikaKnight

To Dauntless, I think PF has you programmed to think you'll have to deal with lunks and judgment if you go to a different gym, such as Gold's. I've been with several different gyms throughout the years and have never felt judged nor have I judged anyone else. Now, something they're doing may seem funny, and you just can't help but wonder to yourself what it is they're doing, but I'm not judging them. Most people I see are working out with an ipod anyway, so if there's some dude grunting while doing something are you really bothered by that? I would see if the gym has a trial period and go use the gym instead of PF at the times you would normally go. Who knows, maybe you'll like it better.

And I don't know how a place can justify callilng itself "Planet Fitness" when they serve pizza, bagels, and tootsie rolls to their members.

I have to wonder...if they are truly judgment free than why have a 'lunk" alarm? Sounds pretty judgey to me. I've heard stories of people getting turned away because they "look" too musclular/fit....that IS being judgmental.

also, it depends on your goals too. Many stories on MFP and all around complain about PF's weight training restrictions (though I've heard a couple people say their PF isn't as strict).

garciabnm

I've been a pf member for about a year. It all comes down to what ou want from a gym. If you want the classes, then id say no to pf. If you want good cardio workouts and light weight training, then i'd say yes. As far as pizza parties and bagels and all that, just dont eat it. Its not like they force it down your mouth, or serve it to you as you're bench pressing. Maybe you know someone that has the black card with pf and cab take you along as a guest for a few days just to see if you like it or not.Either way, the most important thing is just finding a place you are comfortable with.

DavPul

if PF would serve me pizza while I'm benching I would sign up RIGHT NOW.

STAHP the pizza shaming!!!

dailytammy

your son can go with you free everyday. I take my son with me everyday its one guess per day

PikaKnight

if PF would serve me pizza while I'm benching I would sign up RIGHT NOW.

STAHP the pizza shaming!!!

That would be so awesome. How about ice cream during leg presses? Full service right here.

suv_hater

Gold's is going to cost significantly more. They will probably have an initiation, setup, activation, or enrollment fee. I looked up Harrisburg Gold's and their hours are different from what you stated (5-12:30AM M-Th). Looks like they have almost 10 classes a day during the week. Several months down the line you will probably find yourself bored at PF and wish you could take classes. I'd suggest taking advantage of the 1-day pass at Gold's to see if you like the atmosphere. On the other hand, PF is month to month and you could try them for a month or three for a drop in the bucket. Don't settle for less when it comes to fitness though. You want to have as many tools at your disposal to carry out your goals. If it's classes you prefer then go to Gold's and don't look back.

billsica

For the sake of argument, can someone define a lunk?
I've been lifting for a few months, but I give it my all and make a little noise when I lift. I don't look jacked, but I'm guessing I'd be thrown out of pf

lostgrl85

Your best bet is to try both and see which one you prefer. I'm a member of Gold's gym and I love mine, but I went out of town once and used the Gold's there and it didn't even compare to the gym I use every day. I never did classes before joining, but now that's all I do. Their classes are great, and there are so many that there isn't a huge issue with getting bored. I can't comment on PF though because I've never been to one.

bowbeforethoraxis

We don't have a Planet Fitness here, so I've never looked into it before, but I am a member of Gold's gym. I only pay $24 a month (and I signed up last week, so it isn't because I got a membership years ago and the price stayed the same), but there was the initial fee and I'm on a year contract. The initial fee varies a lot due to specials. Right now at mine (not sure if it's a national special) you could pay for an entire year at once, and it was around 400 including the application fee and everything. I love Gold's because of the classes (they charge extra for hot yoga, but all other classes are included in the membership), the pool (other gyms in my area either don't have pools, or charge an extra $10-20/month to use the pool), and how clean everything is. I've been super afraid of judgement, but haven't ever felt like I was being judged, even in the classes where I really struggle, the classes are offered all the time (ours averages about 15 classes per day), and the instructors are always nice, helpful, and great about showing modifications without ever making you feel singled out or anything.

One main reason I looked at Gold's was because a couple of my friends are members, and making plans to meet up there and work out or take a class together has been a huge motivation for me. I'm also way more likely to actually go to a class than I am to go to work out on my own. Also, the Gold's gym here is less than 2 miles away from my house. I read somewhere that if your gym is less than 2 miles away from your house you're 50% more likely to go. I have no idea if that's true or not, but it does make it easier for me to wake up for a 5:15 class, then come home and sleep for 45 more minutes before I have to get ready for work.