Planet Fitness Yay or Nay?

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  • wareagle8706
    wareagle8706 Posts: 1,090 Member
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    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
    wareagle8706 Posts: 1,090 Member
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    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
    Dayna154 Posts: 910 Member
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    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
    angieleighbyrd Posts: 989 Member
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    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
    HornsUT32 Posts: 163 Member
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    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
    hlp423 Posts: 41 Member
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    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
    logicman69 Posts: 1,034 Member
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    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
    bobie1978 Posts: 204 Member
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    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
    wareagle8706 Posts: 1,090 Member
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    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
    shellg1975 Posts: 2 Member
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    Its a nay
  • rhonniema
    rhonniema Posts: 522
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    All I want is a machine & a tv, so PF is good for me.
    I got the black card so I can bring a guest with me every time I go, massage chair, & tanning.
    I don't care about classes.
    and the pizza monday's and bagel tuesdays (or whatever days they are) that people keep complaining about... it's once a month, you don't want it you don't eat it!
    In my experience, I've never partaken or even seen the food. Oh well.
  • Laces_0ut
    Laces_0ut Posts: 3,750 Member
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    Planet Fitness looks like it was cooked up for a Saturday Night Live skit.

    no grunting/breathing heavy.
    lunk siren.
    pizza bagels....really?
  • dmf711
    dmf711 Posts: 141 Member
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    I never really cared for PF but it was the only gig in town at the time, and my membership was a Christmas present from my parents. I actually cancelled my membership yesterday because since moving back home, my closest PF is 45 minutes away and I've been to it before and they were very rude to my mom and I (I brought my mom along as a guest and they wouldn't let her in with me).

    As far as the "judgement-free zone" stuff...... TOTALLY felt judged whenever I was there. I think putting so much emphasis on being the "cool" gym where you can be your imperfect self just turned up the judging a couple of notches. I constantly felt like I had to put on a show while trying to complete my workout. Maybe it's just me.

    Pros:
    The place is pretty damn clean as far as gyms go and it's not some boring white washed gym with a couple of signs here and there. It's decorated very brightly and with vibrant purple and yellow colors. Massage chairs and unlimited tanning are nice perks.

    Cons:
    No classes, no sauna system, no pool.... also, I found when I would try to do some light weight work, the guys would always crowd up the weight area and stare at themselves in the mirror doing bicep curls. Maybe it was just my gym or their way to enforce the "no lunks" policy, but there was very little room to do free weights. Also, keep an eye on your credit card if you choose to have them automatically deduct your membership fees from your account! And keep a copy of your contract. You want to be sure you know what you're being charged for and if you have to back out of your membership, you will know what you need to do in order to avoid any issues with billing.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    My big gripe with PF was that they don't have much in the way of free weights, forcing you to do everything on machines which is an inferior way of training. That and silly rules telling you that you couldn't do deadlifts or squats or you would get kicked out. For that reason alone I'd tell anyone to stay away.
  • hjfischer
    hjfischer Posts: 250
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    I like PF. It is a basic gym without the 'frills'. I go to the gym to lift and get the hell out. I don't use cardio machine, take classes or need a pool. If you want clean and basic, that is your place. As for the pizza and bagels, I have never seen or heard them being advertised at my facility. Maybe it is where I live. Also, most of the people in PF are thinner than me - again, it may be the demographics of my area.

    Join, if you don't like it, cancel your membership ;)
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
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    Planet fitness is great. Low cost. All the basic facilities you need (bare bones but they work just as well) and a policy of acceptance and non judgment.
  • pheonixdown
    pheonixdown Posts: 15
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    I say YAY! A new Planet Fitness just opened around my neck of the woods, and I signed up for the $10/month plan and have been going for close to a month now and I love it.

    :drinker:

    Mine isn't very crowded, but I tend to go in the mornings. Still, I like the "no pressure" feel about it, especially considering where I live is very body conscious, so it's nice to get away from the intimidation.
  • StarkLark
    StarkLark Posts: 476 Member
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    I love having a PF membership. The cost is great and I use it to get a workout in when it is too nasty to be outside (heat, rain, snow) or when my regular fitness classes are cancelled. Also the one close to me is open 24 hours so I can go whenever I need to.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    so does the no grunting thing also extend to cardio? people breathe very loudly when they run too.

    anyway if you're new to the gym then it's a great way to do it. as you workout more then you might end up deciding that you want more from your gym but when you're just starting out and setting up a habit, cant go wrong with $10 a month
  • Blaqheart
    Blaqheart Posts: 235
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    Yes!!! BIG YAY! I've been a member since the week before Mother's Day and it is great. This was my Mother's Day present best one I've ever gotten! :drinker: :heart: Some days they are busier than others, but once you start going you'll learn their least busy days.

    They do have classes Mon through Fri I'm holding their class chart right this minute. Chest, back, abs, 30 min circuit, arms, legs, shoulders just schedule for one. They are small available to first 5 people who sign up, but call ahead get on the list and you can get into one. :wink:

    We have a stretching room along with a 12 min abs circuit. Plenty of recumbent bikes, treadmills, and ellipticals. A locker room with showers and lockers you just bring your own lock.

    Yes there's squat racks, and bench presses.

    We also have personal trainer who will let you schedule and she will teach you everything you want to know about the machines and gym. She helped me set my seat settings and weight when I started. I let her know I want to train for strength and flexibility. She helped me create my training plan. I see her on the 16th of next month as a checkin. All I do is schedule my appt with her.

    I'm a Black Card Member -$20.00 a mo includes all that, whole gym usage, tanning, Red Light Therapy with built in Vibrashape powerplate system, and Hydro Massage beds. Believe me it IS worth the extra just for the red light and tanning! Red light is super awesome. It's helping me shrink my scar on my tummy. I love the fact they're open 24/7 including holidays. I work out when I want to instead of keeping to some stupid schedule. I simply skip First Mon of month pizza night and first Tue of month bagel morning. I go straight in to do my red light, tan, and workout. On those Mon nights they also give away an Ipod!

    I love the Cybex machines. A few even go up 240lbs! They don't cater to bodybuilders because the free weights are low not something they would use, but this is a good thing. It allows someone like me to be able to use the gym without some wild person grunting and slamming weights around. VERY intimidating! (This is one of the reasons I wouldn't join any gym these guys are just too intimidating and scary. We visited one once and most of the guys there were doing this. My hubby worked with one and he was hormone sally! All the people he worked out at the gym took steroids so they were all scary and out of control. There were 9 of them). They (PF) have a name for these "lunkheads". I believe it is in good jest not something serious, but they feel like the rest of us normals feel - we want to work out and not be pushed or challenged to lift half the freaking room. No one does this there.

    (When we first went I was quite nervous that might run into some of these, but they don't come). I believe in their motto -"You belong" because it means everyone can use the gym not just body builders. It is about time there was a gym for people like me who is here to actually GAIN weight and muscle. So what if you're 100 lbs to 400lbs you really do belong at Planet Fitness because it is a judgement free zone.

    My gym everyone is respectful and polite. I have never seen anyone being rude to another. Now depends on how you're dressed if you're stared at or not. We do have our "half off maids and gents" every now and then. They do get stares, but this is what they're looking for because well their clothes are half off! o.O Fine for them to each their own, but not me I wouldn't dress this way just not my style. :laugh:

    Check them out if you're looking for a normal gym I do believe you will be satisfied.

    www.planetfitness.com

    From what I keep hearing from friends they say $20 a month or even $10 a month is a huge savings because they can't find a gym for anything under $75 a mo!

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