Planet Fitness removing squat racks? Aroo?

DeadliftAddict

This place is a joke. Pizza nights and no squats or deadlifts allowed.

harvo

I've said this before, I think it's an absolutely a brilliant business model and they know exactly what they are doing. They are not after people who want a gym experience. They are after people that will pay $10 a month and never show up. It doesn't matter to them. They are not after most people here. It's not really a gym, you guys. It's so obvious. It's a membership to a "gym". So, someone can tell their friends, "I joined a gym", and then never go. The $10/month is so small that no one cancels. And, they have lots of people continuing to pay monthly fees that never show up. It's absolutely brilliant. They don't want you and me there because we use the *kitten* out of the place and put wear and tear on the equipment. You and I are not part of their business model.

It's is brilliant. I wish I thought of it first.

Same point I tried to make....business model as they are a business and can still help some...

And this is all perfectly fine. But they can do it without calling us 'lunks' (still can't quite believe I can consider myself part of a group identified as 'lunks'). While at the same time claiming to be judgement free. I don't care whether it's good or bad business. I'm peeved by the hypocrisy.

The whole lunk thing is nothing but creative marketing. At my PF there have been weights dropped, some light grunting, guys hanging upside down from the pull up bar doing inverted dips and no one has been asked to leave. I am also not aware of anyone being asked to leave due to clothing and man have I seen things....

I digress...bottom line it is a cleer way to market to those afraid of the old Gold's Gym atmosphere. I am friends with guys that would look like lunk's and they go there on the regular.

jonnythan

As someone with a history of a pair of nasty back injuries and knee injuries, squatting and dead lifting isn't on my agenda. It just isn't

There are a lot of people like me that will never use free weights. Older, injured, recuperating. JUST WANTING CARDIO. Or isolation machines so no risk of injury because you can do it right. Less risk of blowing out your back...

Now, I go to a gym that isn't PF and has every bell and whistle possible- and use a personal trainer 3 times a week so I don't blow out my knee again- but I can afford it and even when I was not working and putting someone through school- I made the money a priority. Literally. For everyone, that's not an option. Think of the people on fixed incomes that even 10 bucks is a lot of money. Hey, AT LEAST THEY'RE PUTTING MONEY INTO THEIR HEALTH.

I disagree with them calling people "lunks." But for 10 bucks a month to have an elliptical to work out on in the cold weather or when my knee was bothering me? Yeah, that's worth it.

And, as someone coming down from an astronomical weight- had I not been experienced with weights before my journey spiked in that direction? I would have found it LESS INTIMIDATING to go that route. And isn't it great that I could have? I mean, any movement- at one point in my life I couldn't get out of a wheelchair- AND THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE LIKE THIS- is good, so getting on a treadmill or elliptical is exercise.

Don't judge what business model is good for someone else. You want weights, dont' go there. You want to get started doing some cardio, some free weights? Go there.

The problem isn't that PF is no good for anyone. It's clearly good for you and that's fine.

The problem is that PF actively demonizes the most effective forms of training and convinces people they shouldn't be lifting weights, when most of them really should.

harvo

As someone with a history of a pair of nasty back injuries and knee injuries, squatting and dead lifting isn't on my agenda. It just isn't

There are a lot of people like me that will never use free weights. Older, injured, recuperating. JUST WANTING CARDIO. Or isolation machines so no risk of injury because you can do it right. Less risk of blowing out your back...

Now, I go to a gym that isn't PF and has every bell and whistle possible- and use a personal trainer 3 times a week so I don't blow out my knee again- but I can afford it and even when I was not working and putting someone through school- I made the money a priority. Literally. For everyone, that's not an option. Think of the people on fixed incomes that even 10 bucks is a lot of money. Hey, AT LEAST THEY'RE PUTTING MONEY INTO THEIR HEALTH.

I disagree with them calling people "lunks." But for 10 bucks a month to have an elliptical to work out on in the cold weather or when my knee was bothering me? Yeah, that's worth it.

And, as someone coming down from an astronomical weight- had I not been experienced with weights before my journey spiked in that direction? I would have found it LESS INTIMIDATING to go that route. And isn't it great that I could have? I mean, any movement- at one point in my life I couldn't get out of a wheelchair- AND THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE LIKE THIS- is good, so getting on a treadmill or elliptical is exercise.

Don't judge what business model is good for someone else. You want weights, dont' go there. You want to get started doing some cardio, some free weights? Go there.

The problem isn't that PF is no good for anyone. It's clearly good for you and that's fine.

The problem is that PF actively demonizes the most effective forms of training and convinces people they shouldn't be lifting weights, when most of them really should.

And that is a great OPINION for you...If you see what they are doing wrong open LIFTER PARADISE and make the millions they are but I find it shameful that you want everyone to buy into your OPINION while ignoring theirs.

Huffdogg

The problem isn't that PF is no good for anyone. It's clearly good for you and that's fine.

The problem is that PF actively demonizes the most effective forms of training and convinces people they shouldn't be lifting weights, when most of them really should.

And that is a great OPINION for you...If you see what they are doing wrong open LIFTER PARADISE and make the millions they are but I find it shameful that you want everyone to buy into your OPINION while ignoring theirs.

It's actually not opinion. The fact that everyone concerned with actual physical health ought to be doing resistance training AND the fact that squats and deadlifts are two of the most efficient resistance exercises are not in dispute.

just_Jennie1

The whole lunk thing is nothing but creative marketing. At my PF there have been weights dropped, some light grunting, guys hanging upside down from the pull up bar doing inverted dips and no one has been asked to leave. I am also not aware of anyone being asked to leave due to clothing and man have I seen things....

I digress...bottom line it is a cleer way to market to those afraid of the old Gold's Gym atmosphere. I am friends with guys that would look like lunk's and they go there on the regular.

Same with my PF. There are plenty of really ripped, buff guys who work out there at any given time and no one has asked them to leave. They also rarely pull the lunk alarm. The couple of times it's gone off was because there was a guy being really obnoxious and talking (read: yelling) across the gym to someone constantly. There was another time they pulled it but they knew the guy and they were doing it to mess him up because the staff was cracking up at him and he was laughing too.

And again, as far as what equipment they do and don't have depends on who owns that particular facility.

Whatever. There are going to be those who abhor Planet Fitness and those whose needs it suits.

I haven't had any issues with mine. I like it, it works for me. I'm far from being fat and flabby and (gasp!) have muscles from working out there. I push it as hard as I can, lift as heavy as I can (for me) and get an awesome workout. It doesn't matter what gym a person goes to if they're NOT putting in the effort and they're consuming more calories than they should then they're NOT going to lose weight and they're NOT going to see results period. You could go to Golds Gym, 24 Hour Fitness or what have you but if you're NOT making any sort of effort than you're not going to see results.

It's not the gyms fault it's your fault.

jimmmer

"Non-judgement zone" that markets itself by the most Judgy-McJudgerson statements.

This place sounds crappy.

Wouldn't touch it with yours.....

goalss4nika

I enjoyed my PF, but I needed more so I joined Gold's. It worked for me while I was there. Different strokes for different folks

NewCaddy

we're at the level that they are offering.

That doesn't really mean anything, honestly. There's no "level" you need to be at to do squats and deadlifts. I'm not sure what weight training you're doing at PF, but they clearly fail to offer the most effective tools out there for people in your situation.

There are levels. And the first one is "beginner". At least that's how it was for me. I didn't stay at the beginner level. I've progressed beyond that and I plan to progress beyond the level I am now to more advanced things. And working my way up slowing and adding different activities as I go is how I build discipline. It would mean nothing for me to start at a more advanced level, get frustrated with myself, and then quit. Which I have done in the past. But, when I started off slowly at a beginner's level, I gained confidence, strength, and discipline. And, when I outgrew the beginner's level activities, it made me want to push myself to more. That's all I'm saying. Joining PF helped me do that. I NEEDED that to get myself where I am to day and to help motivate me to more in the future. I will probably outgrow PF soon. And when I do, I'll move on to something else. And that's fine too. As a matter of fact, that was always my goal. The fact that I can say that I am outgrowing PF is a HUGE accomplishment for me when two years ago, a twenty minute walk was painful for me.

Are these Planet Fitness "levels"? These don't make any sense.

The absolute first thing I would teach an absolute, know-nothing newbie is how to squat. Period, end of story. It's the single most effective and efficient exercise you can do for fat loss, strength, and muscle development.

I'm happy for your progress and all, but you're really selling yourself short by convincing yourself (or letting other people convince you) that you're not ready for "real" exercise or something.

Are you purposely misunderstanding me? Seriously, I'm not sure. Of course there are levels; there are levels of activity, levels of skill, levels of abilities, levels confidence. When I first decided that I wanted to get healthy, I couldn't do more than 7 minutes on an elliptical. I couldn't do free weights because I didn't know the form. I also hadn't done squats, lunges, planks, etc. But I slowly learned. I learned what exercises, like squats, lunges, planks, etc, were good for me and how to do them. And I started doing them regularly. And I would add on new exercises slowly. Over the course of a month or two, I gained stamina and strength. I could do cardio longer and could do more reps of strength training activities. And I gained more confidence in my ability to do even more. Also, my desire to learn bigger and better things increased. I was no longer a beginner in working out. I had advanced. That is what I mean by levels.

For the record:

I CAN do squats. I DO squats. Often. I don't particularly like them, but they ARE a part of my workout routine.

I HAVE used free weights. I had a friend teach me how because I didn't know the right form in the beginning. She taught me at PF

I HAVE used weight machines. In the beginning, I used them exclusively until a friend told me that free weights were better because you got a more complete core workout instead of just targeting certain muscle groups with the weight machines. She taught me at PF.

I HAVE and DO incorporate different kinds of strength training in with my cardio. I've done yoga, pilates, tai chi, free weights, etc. But I didn't always. In the beginning, I couldn't. I had to build up to this.

There are definitely levels to fitness. The problem with PF is that they are going to take away that growth opportunity by taking away squats and deadlifts. I joined the Y (lots of everything) and when I started, I spent time on the elliptical, treadmill and bikes. I would look over to my right and see the weight machines. Eventually, I got trained on them and now free weights were in my sightline. Finally took the step into Powerlifts 5X5 (trained on them) and love it. I have a lot of weight to lose and still do cardio but the point is...if you can't see that next level...you're not going to try to achieve it.

harvo

The problem isn't that PF is no good for anyone. It's clearly good for you and that's fine.

The problem is that PF actively demonizes the most effective forms of training and convinces people they shouldn't be lifting weights, when most of them really should.

And that is a great OPINION for you...If you see what they are doing wrong open LIFTER PARADISE and make the millions they are but I find it shameful that you want everyone to buy into your OPINION while ignoring theirs.

It's actually not opinion. The fact that everyone concerned with actual physical health ought to be doing resistance training AND the fact that squats and deadlifts are two of the most efficient resistance exercises are not in dispute.

and everyone should be Vegan, and take suppliments and worry about having to have 3 more hernia surgeries which caused me to gain 50 pounds that I am fighting like hell to lose.....come on NOTHING is for EVERYONE

GlutenFreeWench

Actually, I'm not ignoring your opinion. I said PF has its place.

Calling it planet fatness, etc etc- and honestly- I personally AGREE with the idea of pizza elsewhere. Let me explain- if it comes in my house, I eat the whole thing (or i used to). I go out and eat it? I eat one slice. Having it in my face is temptation.

For some people- it's not a problem.

I disagree with their philosphy (I personally have never gone there, I'd never heard of it before this year, actually, I go to Lifetime Fitness- I need a 24 hour place because of my crazy shifts). The calling people "lunks" annoys me. At several points in my life I qualified as one. I was a firefighter/paramedic for 10 years (among other things in my checkered past)

There are a lot of people out there who have been in the boat I was in, or just want some cardio on their lunch break, etc. Again, I WOULD LOVE FOR MY FATHER TO JUST GO WALK ON THE TREADMILL 3 TIMES A WEEK FOR GODS SAKE. Man can't lift, but he could walk.

It's a great supplement to a cheap lifting membership, (gold's here and the PF membership price actually is cheaper than a solo membership at my gym o.o)- etc...or, if you JUST want what they offer.

Don't hate because I've found a place for it in the multiple gym atmospheres.

jonnythan

The problem isn't that PF is no good for anyone. It's clearly good for you and that's fine.
problem is that PF actively demonizes the most effective forms of training and convinces people they shouldn't be lifting weights, when most of them really should.

And that is a great OPINION for you...If you see what they are doing wrong open LIFTER PARADISE and make the millions they are but I find it shameful that you want everyone to buy into your OPINION while ignoring theirs.

It's actually not opinion. The fact that everyone concerned with actual physical health ought to be doing resistance training AND the fact that squats and deadlifts are two of the most efficient resistance exercises are not in dispute.

and everyone should be Vegan, and take suppliments and worry about having to have 3 more hernia surgeries which caused me to gain 50 pounds that I am fighting like hell to lose.....come on NOTHING is for EVERYONE

No one said that anything is for everyone. It's a fact, though, that PF demonizes the most effective form of training for fat loss.

It's sad that your surgeries preclude you from engaging in lifting, but that doesn't mean it's OK to treat lifters like a bunch of meatheads and tell everyone that lifting makes you a jerk.

DiamondDust75

Hmmmm.....Last time I checked this is a free country and if you are unhappy with how Planet Fitness is doing things, then find another gym. I'm from a very small state that has been ranked #1 in obesity, but we still have a gym every couple of miles. I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to find a gym where you can squat or deadlift as loudly as you please without any grief from anyone. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and what works for you may not work for others. You don't have to lift to tone, I'm proof of that, but it does make the process work faster. Everyone has to do what works best for them and just because lifting is your choice of exercise, doesn't mean that everyone else has the same choice. This is a free country.

randrews0407

I have a membership at Planet Fitness and another membership at a "lunk" gym - they are both $10/mo. One is better for cardio, the other is better for strength training. The open 24/7 thing at Planet Fitness is what prompted my joining - I hate that my other gym closes at like 4pm on the weekend.

At the Planet Fitness there are 3 Smith Machines, dumbbells (granted not many) and no barbells ... not that it would even matter, none of the members touch them. I'd have free reign of that area if I wanted it. It'll be crowded and EVERYONE will be on treadmills (walking) and on the elipticals. I was there last night sprinting with incline drenched in sweat, everyone else was dry and walking at a lesiurely pace ... thank goodness I didn't get lunk alarmed and thrown out :laugh:

bcf7683

"Ricky" sounds like a normal gym go-er to me. I must go to an intimidating gym.....

jimmmer

"Ricky" sounds like a normal gym go-er to me. I must go to an intimidating gym.....

I want to know why specifically a gallon? Is Ricky committing some kind of faux pas by being really thirsty? Educate an ignorant Englishman, please?

WhiteRabbit1313

They REALLY do offer pizza, bagels, and Tootsie Rolls at PF?

While I have nothing against those foods, I often can't incorporate them into my calorie budget. :ohwell:

On the other hand, the gimmicky business model alone is enough for me to avoid the place, but I can see how it's smart to focus on that target audience, because it's PERCEIVED to be underserved by that particular audience. Sounds profitable to me.

Huffdogg

The problem isn't that PF is no good for anyone. It's clearly good for you and that's fine.

The problem is that PF actively demonizes the most effective forms of training and convinces people they shouldn't be lifting weights, when most of them really should.

And that is a great OPINION for you...If you see what they are doing wrong open LIFTER PARADISE and make the millions they are but I find it shameful that you want everyone to buy into your OPINION while ignoring theirs.

It's actually not opinion. The fact that everyone concerned with actual physical health ought to be doing resistance training AND the fact that squats and deadlifts are two of the most efficient resistance exercises are not in dispute.

and everyone should be Vegan, and take suppliments and worry about having to have 3 more hernia surgeries which caused me to gain 50 pounds that I am fighting like hell to lose.....come on NOTHING is for EVERYONE

Now those ARE opinions. Very good. I trust you can now see the difference between things that have been proven by science and things that have not.

RGv2

I have a membership at Planet Fitness and another membership at a "lunk" gym - they are both $10/mo. One is better for cardio, the other is better for strength training. The open 24/7 thing at Planet Fitness is what prompted my joining - I hate that my other gym closes at like 4pm on the weekend.

At the Planet Fitness there are 3 Smith Machines, dumbbells (granted not many) and no barbells ... not that it would even matter, none of the members touch them. I'd have free reign of that area if I wanted it. It'll be crowded and EVERYONE will be on treadmills (walking) and on the elipticals. I was there last night sprinting with incline drenched in sweat, everyone else was dry and walking at a lesiurely pace ... thank goodness I didn't get lunk alarmed and thrown out :laugh:

Could that have actually happened there?