Planet Fitness Yay or Nay?

Gottastop

A new Planet Fitness is opening in my area next week. They are offering $1 to join $10/month.
I loathe gyms, I've had some bad experiences at them so what type of gym is it & is the personnel trained or is it just a pick up joint for all the members?

MtnKat

Wow....wish I could go.

I consider 10/month pretty reasonable.

I'd join if you know that you are going to use it....otherwise don't waste your money. There are plenty of exercises you can do without a gym.

mmreed

Planet Fitness is very generic. There are no trainer program or high pressure sales to buy suppliments or trainer work outs. Thats good...

thats bad though if you want or need a gym that DOES offer more than "a room with equipment".

If you know you can structure your own workout, motivate yourself, ect... and just need access to the hardware - its great.

they also have no pool, sauna, whirlpool, ect. may or may not be important to you.

they also - at least the ones here - do not have classes on anything like most gyms - zumba, cardio kickbox, ect.

One other nice things is the juiceheads tend to stay away - you dont see many steroid monsters. You do however have to deal with TONS of high school kids since its so cheap - you end up dealing with the wrestling kids trying to shed water weight, and the young school kids making it a hangout.

I wanted a trainer, and access to more amenities to I switched to LA Fitness and love it.

gomisskellygo

Planet Fitness is fine. It depends what you are looking for in a gym. There are no group fitness classes. The PT's are certified (at least in my part of the world) . They really do not encourage weight lifting and will embarrass members that may be lifting to heavy. Also, they have many member appreciation days. This entails free pizza, bagels, and candy. I was a member at PF but then moved to Golds (for $10 more).

They do have the black card membership for $20/month which is free day care/tanning/free guests. That part I really liked (Not the tanning). They also have a 30 minute express workout station, which is nice, if you are beginning.

raindance_maggie

PF here in my part of the world is very black and white.

no trainers
no classes
no extra anything

BUT worth the 10 bucks if that's all you want.

i go to Work Out World and it's 20.00 for unlimited classes and tanning (which i dont use but see people taking advantage of it) sauna, showers, etc.

they have personal trainers but i dont use them cause they cost more. they have a ladies only room. they have daycare. and WOWs are in way more places than just new england where i am.

LeilaFace

I belonged to Planet Fitness in Wilmington, NC ... I LOVED IT ... It was affordable and they had the "Lunk alarm" where if someone dropped weights or grunted too loudly it would go off. I loved the 30 minute circuit training cycle. I would do that then run on the treadmills. Mine had a lot of machines I can't even find at my current gym. Yeah they don't offer classes or trainers but in all honesty I HATE THOSE AT THE GYM. i keep hoping a planet fitness will open near me all I want are the machines and freedom.

gomisskellygo

This is an example of how a trainer would be used at my PF in New Hampshire:

http://www.planetfitness.com/clubs/10437/docs/group_fitness_training.pdf

Which is odd since RockStarSally (love the name) and I are both from New England, it seems!

Gottastop

Thanks for all the replies!
Think I'm going to wait, I was really hoping to take some yoga classes too & it's been YEARS, YEARS since I weight lifted or even been around equipment, think I would benefit from someplace with more structure

Stagezz

I love PF!

workoutbarbie29

I love Planet Fitness. I have been a member for almost three years. They also have a special once a year, you can pay and entire year for $99. No complaints here.

madisonsteelex

$10 a month is really good for a gym. I belong to planet fitness and I have the black card so it's 20 a month and you get free tanning and can bring a guest every time. It's basically one large room full of treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, and lifting machines and weights. There's a locker room and showers but no group fitness classes or anything. You can sign up for personal training.

wellbert

It's a treadmill farm with a couple weight machines. If you ever decide to do compound weight lifting programs, you will very likely have to find a different gym.

docktorfokse

Don't go if you ever plan on doing any actual strength training. From what their ad campaigns tell me, your act of actually making an effort will hurt other people's feelings, and they'll have to ask you to leave because a gym is meant to be a place where you look cute and feel comfy.

This video also sums up my opinion of the place pretty well.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-september-14-2011/the-plight-of-muscled-americans

secretlobster

I was a member for a year, then I changed memberships to another local chain (they have one location in each major town around here). PF was fine for... Being on a treadmill I guess. But it wasn't particularly clean, the equipment was usually crowded, and the weight machine options were very limited. For me it was not a bad "starter gym" because for $10, when you are just getting into the fitness "scene", there's not much you need. But I'm really glad I switched to the gym I'm at now, it's worth the extra $10 a month.

Edit: after reading taso's post, I'm reminded of one reason why I left PF. The numerous pizza/bagel days are there to keep you fat, so you keep paying $10 a month. I LOVE the ability to take a class that interests me so PF had to go because they don't offer any.

pa_jorg

I belong to PF. $10 a month is really reasonable, so I don't feel guilty anytime I do more exercise outdoors than at the gym for example. Plus, it's the closest gym to my house, so very convenient. They have basic cardio & strength equipment and no classes, but if that's ok with you then I say go for it.

taso42

If you're ok with just using machines, then it's a cheap option. If you want to do real weightlifting, it's not an option.

They have something called "Lunk Alarm" which is literally an alarm they blow if somebody is doing real weightlifting. And they have a pizza day once a week or once a month or something. I'm not joking! :laugh: It's like the Shake Weight of gyms.

lmbw126

I work out at PF and I like it. I came from an all ladies gym so at first it was adjustment working out with guys. But I am actually like it because I learn some different modalities fromthe guys. I also see my father and brothers while working out. It's not like the mega gyms. There is no lunking allowed. So guys are not in there grunting loudly and throwing weights on the floor, etc. Their hours are good and it's cheap! Overall I enjoy it.

Tropical_Turtle

It is very black and white. I know it did not offer classes which I wanted, and I wanted a pool. And since those were important to me, PF was not the way to go for me. I went to 24 and I have to say I have missed it.

ETA: PF and 24 are the only two I had to choose from in my area - so rather limited.

It just soley depends on what you are looking to get out of the experience.

auroranflash

A gym worse than 24 hr Fitness? :indifferent:

angieleighbyrd

That's where I go.

I love it.

Edestiny7

Nay

wareagle8706

They definitely mean it when they say, "no muscleheads" they are very judgemental toward the meathead type of people. They even have little signs up that have pictures of the type of people they don't want. In my mind this is a little discriminatory and annoying, even though I'm a girl... yeah yeah...

It's fine if you want a room full of equipment, other than that they don't offer much. Just like everyone else on here is saying. Also, it's not a "judgement free zone" for women, you get oggled at... a lot... at least at mine...

wareagle8706

Oh yeah, and then there is the Lunk Alarm and the pizza day. And they also have no bench presses, squat racks, or power racks. It's all smith machines... because again... no muscleheads allowed.... :grumble:

EDIT: Here is a video of a planet fitness employee asking a guy to leave because he dropped the weight or grunted or something.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIQuxnK1b3c

Dayna154

great price but it could be busy to start with with prices like those.. I like my gym and I dont care for them..

angieleighbyrd

Oh yeah, and then there is the Lunk Alarm and the pizza day. And they also have no bench presses, squat racks, or power racks. It's all smith machines... because again... no muscleheads allowed.... :grumble:

We have the squat racks and stuff at the one I go to.

HornsUT32

I have ben at PF for a year.

Disadvantages:
No classes
Not meant for body builders (doesn't have weights to support their workout)
Pretty generic...get in, get out...nothing special

Advantages:
Cheap
If you know what you are doing, it has everything you need (except for body builders)
Staff is very helpful and always giving advice (at least at mine, maybe not others)
Tanning included in the 20/month
It is a gym for almost everyone. I see people who weigh 110 pounds to 400 pounds. I have NEVER once seen anyone be rude to a heavy person.
For someone who is looking to gain strength and lose weight, it is great.

I hear people say they actually turn away skinny people. The is dumb and just not true. It may not be for body builders, but let's face it..most of us are not like that. And females especially....if we are lifting more weight than the gym offers, there may be a steroid or two involved lol.

I dont think the gym was ever created for the elite athlete...and lets be honest.. very few of us fall in that category, even if we say we are. If you are looking for a plain, cheap gym...this is it.

I went to Lifetime Fitness when I weighed 270 pounds, and was told the gym "wasn't really for people like me." Now that I am 80 pounds less, I am glad I didn't give them my money!!

hlp423

I belong to Planet Fitness and I love it. I am, however a beginner. If you are looking for basic weight machines, ab machines and nicely maintained cardio equipment its perfect. I do understand that if you are looking for heavier weight lifting, you probably need something else. I belonged to another gym with classes and personal trainers and because there was an extra fee for both I was wasting my money. Planet Fitness has everything I personally need in a gym. I like using AMT and elliptical machines both of which I cant afford to purchase for my home. I like doing the 30 minute circuit training there also.

I can't speak for other PFs but mine is immaculately clean, well maintained with a friendly staff and a wide variety of different people who work out there which I like. Its a diverse crowd with a mix of very fit people and newbies.

Also If you go tanning, its 20 a month for unlimited use of both the gym, tanning and red light therapy which is expensive at other places PLUS you can bring a buddy every single day for free to work out. So for me and my partner its 10 each to work out and it gets me unlimited tanning also.

It depends on what you are looking for but for people just starting out its perfect. People who are more hardcore and looking for the next level might feel like it isn't enough.

logicman69

I like PF. Good deal for people like me who just want to go and work out. The downside is there are no "classes", so if yu like Spin Classes or Zumba, PF may not be right for you.

bobie1978

I like LA Fitness if they have in your area.. something about gym's that have pizza parties lol just doesn't make any sense!

wareagle8706

Oh yeah, and then there is the Lunk Alarm and the pizza day. And they also have no bench presses, squat racks, or power racks. It's all smith machines... because again... no muscleheads allowed.... :grumble:

We have the squat racks and stuff at the one I go to.

Lucky!!

shellg1975

Its a nay