Planet Fitness

Lofteren

I'm trying to just keep my head down and get my workouts done.

There lies the issue. YOU pay them to train there. You shouldn't have to keep your head down. They owe YOU a gym where you can exercise the way that you see fit. They are in YOUR debt yet you are walking on eggshells so that you don't offend them? That's just as ridiculous and presumptuous as the US government!

You set off a lunk alarm at a PF somewhere just by typing this. *nods* true story

Lol, if I set off the lunk alarm at PF it would take the entire staff and the rest of the members to remove me from the building.

grum84

So I belong to a planet fitness in Ann Arbor, and it is mostly very attractive college students who wear minimal clothing (helps to motivate my workouts). I have never seen anyone get kicked out for inappropriate clothing. Maybe b/c this area is so liberal, maybe b/c it is mostly college students working there as well...I don't know. Either way, they are pretty lax around here compared to some gyms I have heard of I guess. Currently they are the best option for the price for me.

I have never taken parts in the pizza or bagels as I am at the gym on off hours, but I don't understand the hate toward them. If you indulge in pizza and/or bagels once a month, so what. Seems like a nice reward for a month of working out. Probably better than me ordering a pizza, as I would eat the whole thing.

I have set the alarm off once, as I had not set a weight down very well on the bench and the 55 pound dumbbell rolled off and hit the floor loudly. Eh, so be it. Pretty sure the weight made more noise than the alarm. It isn't like you get punished for setting it off, they just try to embarrass you into following their rules.

Hadabetter

I go to PF and heard it go off once, it was for a group of people hanging out talking very loud in front of all the machines being distracting but other than that, there has been no issues at mine, its a year old and kept very clean, I avoid going on pizza nights which I think are once a week as the smell makes me sick while working out not hungry. They do offer bagels occasionally as well which are temping as I love a NY bagel with cream cheese but I just leave them alone. I haven't found any time of the day bad other than right after working hours there is a wait for cardio machines.

I have nothing to add really.
I'm just stalking this woman.

idlehands79

I'm so sorry to hear that everyone is having such a horrible experience with Planet Fitness. I have been going for about three weeks now and couldn't be happier. Maybe it's all about the staff and customer service. I get greeted every night with a huge smile and they even acknowledge that I'm there every night lol as far as the pizza and bagel Mondays and Tuesdays I just look past them and remember why I'm there. Hahaha

^ This.

Also, about the showers, on cold days it takes over 5 minutes for the water to heat up >.<

FlyThisKite

I like it..but i check in..cardio...hit the lockers..shower and get a massage then leave.I dont talk or interact. .and i ignore the candy.i have not seen the pizza but im not there nights.

sarafischbach9

At my Planet Fitness, the lunk alarm does go off on an occasional basis. No one does anything about it; everyone including the workers snicker. I'm sure if the manager was there then there might be an issue.

Also, I see a wide variety of fitness levels. I see ripped men and women, overweight people just starting out, and lots of average people with average fitness. I see good runners and athletes as well.

Yes, there are bagels and pizzas, but you don't have to take them. It is just something they offer if you want it.

SezxyStef

I've gone for 3 years.
Not once have I heard the effing alarm.

Not once have I had a piece of pizza, bagel, or tootsie roll.

I go in, do my business and leave.
Plenty of people lift. Plenty of people do cardio.


I imagine if it doesn't suit peoples lifting needs, they'll leave. But I really doubt weekly threads bashing the place are needed.

My biggest disappointment about the place is the fact that the shower gets cold if somebody flushes the toilet.
Hate that.

that's pretty much my response...I love how the bro's and bro'ettes have their feelings so hurt about the place. I have moved on to a Y (for the pool), but I used PF for a couple years. It suited my needs.

And the mockery continues......

The usual from a "judgement free zone". :drinker:

Yeah, couldn't resist..haven't waded into a pf thread in a while.

Good thing there isn't any mockery of the kind of folks who use pf. That wouldn't be too cool.

ah well, round and round.......

I totally missed those commercials, which "gym" uses mockery to sell memberships?

Please quote my "mockery" of those that use it, I'll hang up and listen.

sigh, my reference was to the general mockery in this thread, which is EXACTLY why pf exists in the first place. I am not saying they are going about it the correct way, because they aren't. But, there is a reason it works and why they are all over the place. It's crappy attitudes about what constitutes "real" working out.

This is my last response...regretting responding already. The thread will be locked soon anyway...

Take care.

What's funny is "we" don't make fun of those going to PF...it's good for some...but at the same time doesn't suit others...but when we do call PF out on their inconsistent rules such as things about clothing we always get a bunch of PF goers who love it and bash the "Bro and Bro'ettes" for pointing out what is actually going on...

Judgement free zone my butt...

I would never join a "fitness center" where corporate has actually allowed their franchisees, kick people out for anything beyond abashed harrassment...not "preceived" intimidation etc...

janhiness

I love PF. I had a membership at LA Fitness and the last time I worked out there I left crying because a couple of guys thought it was okay to make fun of me because I wasn't sure what I was doing and I'm fat. It made me never want to visit the gym again. I now workout at PF and I have no problems and if I see someone who's fit I don't feel insecure about working out next to them. The staff is friendly and have showed me how to use equipment. They've also encouraged me when I leave always saying see you tomorrow. It makes me feel good I no longer feel insecure while working out. I've also been when they have pizza and for me I love that I have build up some willpower to say no. It's a great gym.

JoRocka

I'm trying to just keep my head down and get my workouts done.

There lies the issue. YOU pay them to train there. You shouldn't have to keep your head down. They owe YOU a gym where you can exercise the way that you see fit. They are in YOUR debt yet you are walking on eggshells so that you don't offend them? That's just as ridiculous and presumptuous as the US government!

You set off a lunk alarm at a PF somewhere just by typing this. *nods* true story

Lol, if I set off the lunk alarm at PF it would take the entire staff and the rest of the members to remove me from the building.

I feel like you would set it off just walking into the place.

excuse me sir... "we don't allow people this swole into our gym."

Platform_Heels

Annnnnnd. Here we go.

Again.

For like the bazillion gazillion millionth time.

I go there.

it suits my needs.

I lift heavy.

I sometimes grunt.

I sweat a lot.

I work out hard.

I am very fit and in shape.

The lunk alarm rarely goes off.

I have never been there for pizza -- and even if I was I wouldn't eat it.

I never take tootsie rolls.

I have been there for coffee and bagels because the coffee is free and it's really, really good.

There are fit people that go there.

There are big, beefy, guys with muscles that go there.

There are people who are out of shape that go there.

There are people who have their full make-up on, cute outfits looking pretty and not even breaking a sweat because they're just there to be cute.

There are people, like me, who works out hard, sweats buckets, lifts heavy and look like a complete and total hot-mess at the end of their workout.

But you get those types of people at any gym though.

It's a gym.

It's affordable.

And again, it suits my needs.

JoRocka

Still doesn't change the fact the whole premise of the "fitness center" is built around making fun of other people.

Aslo: A paragraph (from the Greek paragraphos, "to write beside" or "written beside") is a self-contained unit of a discourse in writing dealing with a particular point or idea.

Leadfoot_Lewis

Hasn't this horse been beaten to death on this forum?

RGv2

Still doesn't change the fact the whole premise of the "fitness center" is built around making fun of other people.

Aslo: A paragraph (from the Greek paragraphos, "to write beside" or "written beside") is a self-contained unit of a discourse in writing dealing with a particular point or idea.

This^^^

Some people are missing the forest for the trees.....

JoRocka

Hasn't this horse been beaten to death on this forum?

nope nope nope

neandermagnon

Hasn't this horse been beaten to death on this forum?

Dead horses have never been beaten enough on this forum. Never. Even its fossilised remains will continue to be beaten.

StoneColdLiger

I've been working out there since October and I actually don't mind it. I think it just depends on the location. Mine is pretty layed back, and it is packed with equipment, has about 4 times more machines than the one, one town over. I've worn jeans and boots in there before and they didn't say anything to me. I've also never set off the "Lunk Alarm" I don't life heavier than what they have, so that doesn't bother me.
Overall, I actually enjoy the place. Inexpensive, and a good way to get in a quick full body workout in my busy schedule.

Also, They have pizza the first Monday night of the month, and bagels the second Tuesday morning of the month. I've never been in there for Pizza but have grabbed a bagel. I need breakfast anyways right? You don't have to eat it.

PRMinx

I checked out PF when I was first starting to get back into fitness. Honestly, it would have suited my needs to get started.

But, now I'm lifting real weight. Sometimes, a PR comes with a grunt or two. I would be absolutely mortified if I set off the lunk alarm - I'm very shy - and so I probably wouldn't push myself to that point because I would be so anxious. That's the problem I see with PF.

neandermagnon

Still doesn't change the fact the whole premise of the "fitness center" is built around making fun of other people.

^^^^ is a fact.

I'm glad some of their franchises are not like the ads, really I am. But you can't blame people for basing their opinion of the company on the company's own marketing FFS.... If the company doesn't like the fact that people don't want to go there because of how they present their brand on the ads, then they need to take that up with their marketing department, not the people who are refusing to go there. Bad marketing is bad marketing. However, I strongly suspect that this is exactly the image and reaction that they want, because a) they want all the people who are too scared to go to "a real gym" to go to their "fitness centre" and continue to be too scared to go to "a real gym" so they become lifelong Planet Fitness members, and b) any kind of controversy, such as this thread, increases brand awareness and they probably see it that a few hardcore fitness enthusiasts stating on public forums that they're never going to go to planet fitness is worth it, because of all the gym-shy people lurking in the background that might become customers because of it.

Take home message: if you hate planet fitness that much don't post on threads like these, because you're playing into their marketing game and giving them free publicity.............. if you love planet fitness don't get butthurt when people criticise planet fitness based on the way that the company markets itself.

My reason for arguing on these threads is to make people consider that the "gymtimidation" they feel subject to in "real gyms" is something that pretty much everyone feels when they first go to a gym, or indeed any new place, and that when you get over it, you find the place is a lot more friendly and less intimidating than you thought it would be. I don't really care if people choose to go to planet fitness because it's cheap or because it suits them and their needs.... what bugs me is the idea of people avoiding all other gyms out of fear and/or planet fitness marketing making them think they really do have something to fear in "real gyms" when actually they don't.

Leadfoot_Lewis

Dead horses have never been beaten enough on this forum. Never. Even its fossilised remains will continue to be beaten.

Very funny - and sadly very true...