Planet Fitness or YMCA

kennyb02

So I am a teenager who is now reaching my goal weight. Looking for an affordable yet has good things gym. I want to now start lifting which of these gyms would offer better stuff for that?

newmeadow

Uh oh here we go

mph323

newmeadow wrote: »

Uh oh here we go

Beat me to it

OP, check out both places (get a tour, or even a guest pass) and see which gym is the best fit for you

NorthCascades

If you want to start lifting, check out StrongLifts 5x5. Better you follow a balanced program than to just wing it. This one is free and has minimal equipment needs, any gym should be fine.

AnnPT77

Either could be fine. It depends on what you, personally, want to do. Planet Fitness is generally cheaper. They tend to have cardio machines and dumb-bells, but don't necessarily have all the bench/rack type stuff that would be needed for many serious weight-training/strength-training programs. Some Ys have a pool. Planet Fitness doesn't seem to have those, typically. Both are likely to have classes, at least some of which are free (included in the membership). They're likely to have slightly different classes, so what classes you want to take may make a difference.

Think about what you want to do, see what both places offer, figure out which is the best fit for you personally.

I love my Y: I like the social atmosphere of the particular location (very diverse); one of the things I want available is a pool; I like that they have community programs beyond fitness; the price point is higher than PF but works fine in my budget. But that's just me.

Tacklewasher

NorthCascades wrote: »

If you want to start lifting, check out StrongLifts 5x5. Better you follow a balanced program than to just wing it. This one is free and has minimal equipment needs, any gym should be fine.

You would have trouble doing SL at PF. They won't have the squat racks you would need for SL.

Read the lifting thread https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

Decide if you want to do a dumbbell routine or a barbell routine. You will have issues doing a barbell routine at PF.

But PF is cheaper than the Y. There ins't a PF where I live but the Y is priced about the same as Anytime Fitness.

I was going to the Y and liked having access to the pool, but then swimming didn't stick for me so I tried to do SL, but was competing with a few others for the rack every morning. I switched to Anytime as it's a more convenient location for me and have not been there once where there wasn't a rack available.

Short answer is if you can come up with a plan that fits what PF has for equipment, it's a cheap place to go.

shor0814

Teenager, male, lifting = No brainer. Highly doubtful that PF will fit the bill unless the Y is unlike any Y I have seen or heard of. You can check them both out but if you are even remotely serious about lifting than you can probably rule out PF.

fishgutzy

The Y is the true no judgement zone.
Plus they have pools.

lemurcat2

Depends on what you want/depends on the specifics.

What do you want?

GottaBurnEmAll

I don't know what's affordable to you.

In my area, the Y isn't affordable on a budget, In fact, a fully equipped gym connected to a local health center that also had a pool and a track was cheaper than our local Y.

Saying that, PF has limited equipment, but it can do.

The answer to your question depends on which is the most pressing issue for you right now: progress or budget?

Theoldguy1

GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »

I don't know what's affordable to you.

In my area, the Y isn't affordable on a budget, In fact, a fully equipped gym connected to a local health center that also had a pool and a track was cheaper than our local Y.

Saying that, PF has limited equipment, but it can do.

The answer to your question depends on which is the most pressing issue for you right now: progress or budget?

Experiences may vary, but the Y in our community does discount based on financial need, all the way down to free. If money truly is an issue, worth checking on.

GottaBurnEmAll

Theoldguy1 wrote: »

GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »

I don't know what's affordable to you.

In my area, the Y isn't affordable on a budget, In fact, a fully equipped gym connected to a local health center that also had a pool and a track was cheaper than our local Y.

Saying that, PF has limited equipment, but it can do.

The answer to your question depends on which is the most pressing issue for you right now: progress or budget?

Experiences may vary, but the Y in our community does discount based on financial need, all the way down to free. If money truly is an issue, worth checking on.

Good idea. It never occurred to me, though now that you mention it, I have heard other people say that before about their local Y's. Ours doesn't do this.

lemurcat2

Ours does discount based on need, but I'm not sure how that works. I just checked membership costs, and standard family isn't cheap at all, although it's nice that it does serve the whole family and have kid's programs and so on. I did swimming lessons at the Y as a kid, and a day camp, so have positive memories.

krystanf

Planet fitness! Tanning!

debrakgoogins

Another thought about affording YMCA... If you have Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance, chances are you also have a benefit called Blue365. One of the benefits of Blue365 is being able to pay one price for access to multiple participating gyms. There are some YMCAs that participate. Blue365 also offers discounts on multiple wellness options, wearables, and gear. I just learned about this benefit recently.

kshama2001

lemurcat2 wrote: »

Ours does discount based on need, but I'm not sure how that works. I just checked membership costs, and standard family isn't cheap at all, although it's nice that it does serve the whole family and have kid's programs and so on. I did swimming lessons at the Y as a kid, and a day camp, so have positive memories.

You apply for a scholarship. I did this for a year or so when I was underemployed. That was in Florida. The Ys in MA do this as well. I think that is one of the reasons why their prices are higher - so they can help out others who would otherwise not be able to afford it, although PF is certainly cutting into that niche.

I think Ys are especially great for families - the ones I've attended have all sorts of programs for kids.

@kennyb02 have you compared prices? Around here PF is $10/month and the Y $48, unless one qualifies for a scholarship.

Since I can't use chlorine-treated pools and am no longer eligible for a scholarship, I would make PF work. (My Y in FL had saline-cleaned pools but the ones up here in MA use chlorine.)

Tankiscool

As few have already said they offer discounts typically at the Y. But being a teen, what about maybe applying at the Y for a job? Get free membership than as well as most Ys come with lots of other things fo compared to just a regular gym.

Carlos_421

PF is cheaper but has limited equipment (lots of cardio and some dumbbells but no squat racks or barbells).
The Y is more pricey than PF but has tons more to offer, both in terms of workout equipment and other amenities.

SomeMorr

I have been a member at both.

YMCA: My YMCA has a pool which is the biggest factor for me. They also have fitness classes that I can try out at my pleasure. Depending on the size of your YMCA you may not have access to as many machines or weight racks as you would like. A single adult membership in my area is $40/month. They usually do offer student or income based rates. The people are also usually very cordial and you can build community connections if you choose to talk to people while you are there.

Planet Fitness: PF is cheap, some have pools, 24 hour availability in some areas, and my rate was $10 a month. They have tons of machines and after next month will be mostly dead. When I was lifting at PF I never had to wait for a rack. They do not have standard weight racks, but Smith machines.. I didn't mind this but other people do. There are no classes (in my area) and the staff might be nice, but I never interacted with them. There's also the issue of candy literally being at the check in desk. I know people say "just don't eat it", and I never have.. but the appearance of treating yourself to candy while walking in the door of a gym is a little ridiculous to me.

I believe both PF and YMCA usually have no contracts so you can try one for a few months to see if it fits your lifestyle.

ritzvin

kennyb02 wrote: »

So I am a teenager who is now reaching my goal weight. Looking for an affordable yet has good things gym. I want to now start lifting which of these gyms would offer better stuff for that?

Figure out what you want to do and when, tour the 2 of them (ETA: at that time and day) and find out who has the equipment you want with less of a queu.

ETA2: And figure out which is more convenient - is one closer to home/work/school, is one on the way between them, etc.

urloved33

SomeMorr wrote: »

I have been a member at both.

YMCA: My YMCA has a pool which is the biggest factor for me. They also have fitness classes that I can try out at my pleasure. Depending on the size of your YMCA you may not have access to as many machines or weight racks as you would like. A single adult membership in my area is $40/month. They usually do offer student or income based rates. The people are also usually very cordial and you can build community connections if you choose to talk to people while you are there.

Planet Fitness: PF is cheap, some have pools, 24 hour availability in some areas, and my rate was $10 a month. They have tons of machines and after next month will be mostly dead. When I was lifting at PF I never had to wait for a rack. They do not have standard weight racks, but Smith machines.. I didn't mind this but other people do. There are no classes (in my area) and the staff might be nice, but I never interacted with them. There's also the issue of candy literally being at the check in desk. I know people say "just don't eat it", and I never have.. but the appearance of treating yourself to candy while walking in the door of a gym is a little ridiculous to me.

I believe both PF and YMCA usually have no contracts so you can try one for a few months to see if it fits your lifestyle.

i love the candy and the monthly pizza and monthly bagels/cream cheese coffee offered. mmmmm

ritzvin

Also, what amenities might be important to you... the locker rooms at my local Y were awful -- you were constantly tripping over children (they had a school age childcare program) running around like animals and dripping puddles of pool water everywhere - the floor and benches were always wet and smelled like chlorine. Depending on your local Y (mine was an urban area - the newer suburban locations do seem cleaner), the corporate gyms may be cleaner, and will likely be child-less.

PWRLFTR1

If you just want cheap and a basic workout then PF, but if you are serious about lifting, then YMCA.

kshama2001

ritzvin wrote: »

Also, what amenities might be important to you... the locker rooms at my local Y were awful -- you were constantly tripping over children (they had a school age childcare program) running around like animals and dripping puddles of pool water everywhere - the floor and benches were always wet and smelled like chlorine. Depending on your local Y (mine was an urban area - the newer suburban locations do seem cleaner), the corporate gyms may be cleaner, and will likely be child-less.

Thanks for bringing this up. Children underfoot during school vacations was an issue for me as well. My two Ys were in suburban areas.

Ys seem really child-friendly, so I think this is likely to be a feature rather than a bug.

clicketykeys

I'm a student, so I get a discounted rate at the Y, but even so, the "high end" PF rate allows me to bring one guest with me any time I want, while at the Y, I can bring a guest three times per year. And it's still almost double what I was paying at PF. However, the Y has Zumba classes 4x/week that fit my schedule (I think there are another 3 that are during my work hours) and those are included with membership. PF does not offer those.

The PF nearest me has classes with the trainer - I really liked the 30-minute "360 strength" class as it had a range of activities. Also, Frooties are awesome. I would grab a handful on the way out every time. One was for me; the rest went into my "rewards" cup at school for students who did something good. Everyone wins!

FL_Hiker

I worked at the YMCA for a while as a lifeguard, it tended to mostly be older folks who came to workout. I’m not sure a teenager would be happiest there. My brother who was a weight lifter at the time said the Y’s selection of weights were very limited. However, the Y has a very positive atmosphere and they treat their employees very well! Pretty much everyone working there is willing to help you out and encourage you to be the best you can be. You also would have access to a pool, they have personal trainers, and many different classes you could take. They also offer challenges and races.

hesn92

Depends what you want to do. If you want to use barbells then you should use YMCA. but PF is much cheaper. Like others have said you may be able to get a reduced rate based on need. I joined PF because it's cheap and I don't care about using barbells right now. I'll cancel it when my year is up.