PLANET FITNESS GYM and its" Judgment Zone"

LetsTryThisAgain54

My Planet Fitness plays all kinds of music. Yesterday, they were playing AC/DC and Metallica. And as far as the free food they offer once a month, I think it's a nice gesture. It seems like a lot of people posting have a problem with that, but they're not shoving the food down your throats. Just walk past it. It's simple.

justal313

My PF has a ROW of TVs, different channel on each one. I do happen to go on Pizza Monday just like the other days of the week and month. I grab a slice on my way home. I put in extra time so I'm not going over my budget calorie wise so no-harm no-foul. My issue with pizza monday is that people come out of the woodwork to go. I'm going to be charitable and say they changed their workout time to between 4 and 8 for the pizza but go anyway.

I have probably eaten 15 tootsie rolls from the gym since january. I have very occasionally grabbed one on the way out. No diet breaking there.

It's 10 bucks a month, and I only trust my scale at home because that's where my baseline was established.

I do miss the steam room at the gym where I used to live but I don't miss 38 dollars a month and a 150 dollar sign-up fee. I dig the hours 24x7

iLoveMyPitbull1225

I go there.
They play a great mix of music at my PF

Its 20 a month for unlimited access to gym and tanning beds

I have a scale at home

I love tootsie rolls

you dont have to partake in free bagels, pizza or donuts

Everyone there is nice to me.

I think they have a good variety of equipment, at least at mine, lots of cardio machines and lots of weight equipment.

all considered, I dig it.

chevy88grl

A former friend of mine had a membership with them and she was allowed to bring a friend with her, so I went.

It was too loud (every tv and the radio were on as loud as you could possibly turn them up - I'm partially deaf and they were loud to me. I can't imagine how loud they were to someone with normal hearing). There were SO many people there, you had to wait forever for machines. The tootsie rolls, pizza and pop nights, bagels, donuts, etc. Um. Okay. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a dose of junk food but I don't want it at the gym, thanks.

For being a "judgement free zone", I've seen quite a bit of judging going on. Oh and the whole "lunk alarm"? How dumb.

When I started out, I was nervous as I'd never stepped foot in a gym. I started at Snap Fitness and LOVED it. Eventually, I outgrew their limited machines/weights/etc and moved to Powerhouse Gym - which is awesome. Neither one of those gyms have "meat heads" or "cardio goddesses".. I saw all different people at all different fitness levels at both gyms.

Azdak

:happy:

Lone_Wolf70

Its a gym for ppl who dont want to put in.the work

raystark

I think it's nice that people have a choice of gyms. That's great.

Yup

rainbowbow

I was going to consider it as the gym i currently go to is so expensive. I was very disappointed with their facility... Only smith machines? Really? I can understand wanting to save yourself from liability... But it's just ridiculous!

Jules2Be

Its a gym for ppl who dont want to put in.the work

I SMASH things all over that gym.

also, my PF has a scale, great music, and plenty of great people there. I will create bada$$ wherever i decide to lift.

purplegoboom

I've never been a member of Planet Fitness, but I do remember when I had a membership to Workout Anytime. Every few months or so, they would have a pizza party for the members where they would have Papa Johns delivered. I'm not talking about whole wheat crust with tons of veggies, either.

Jules2Be

I was going to consider it as the gym i currently go to is so expensive. I was very disappointed with their facility... Only smith machines? Really? I can understand wanting to save yourself from liability... But it's just ridiculous!

hmm. clearly they are all very different...mine has plenty of equipment...except they need more squat racks.(too many boys doing curls in them HA!)

Romans624

I'm applying for a job there, so I hope that it isnt quite like that at every planet fitness. I understand being welcoming to everyone... but it is still about being your best and bringing it - no matter what stage you are at, yes?

BrunetteRunner87

I've never been to one but the whole "No judgment zone" thing seems silly. Sounds like I can walk in there and still judge if I want to, who's to stop me?

Jules2Be

I've never been to one but the whole "No judgment zone" thing seems silly. Sounds like I can walk in there and still judge if I want to, who's to stop me?

I judge who i would like to bite or not bite.

onyxgirl17

Yea, the Planet Fitness I go to plays upbeat music.

Maude_Lewbowski

The free doughnuts and pizza thing always gets me but, I can say the PF I go to is clean, has tons of equipment, nice people and I can walk to it from my home. From what I hear that is the exception.

I can say that the lunk alarm is a farce...don't ask.

rachelilb

I have been a member for a few months now. I do agree that it's kinda wrong that they serve pizza and bagels but i feel stronger when I leave without eating any of that junk! Its a great gym for the price

jillybeanruns

I've been thinking about it. For $10/month and no commitment it's certainly tempting for me. I don't care for their policies, but I'm training for a marathon and I need access to a treadmill for thunderstorms and speedwork and I've outgrown my weights at home. Was thinking about joining and supplementing with yoga, pilates and swim classes/open pool swims but I think it might be better to join LA Fitness for $30-$40 a month.

Merithyn

My Planet Fitness has: a scale in the bathroom, great music, weights up to about 400 lbs, free pizza the first Monday of the month and free bagels the second Tueday of the month (but both are accompanied by lots of fruit), and it is a judgement free zone. I see everyone from hard core body builders, to the local high school athletes, to an elderly woman who does the machines with her purse in tow, to obese people steadily walking the treadmills and everywhere in between. I have felt comfortable enough to ask people questions (in betweeb their sets of course) and have never not had another member help me if I asked. 3 of the front desk peeps know me by name.

I love my gym! Don't judge all the franchises based on an experience at one franchise. Now, my gym may be different because we live in the suburbs (I perfer to think of it as a small town, but thats not really true anymore) and our gym is smack in the middle of several neighborhoods.

The Planet Fitness you have described seems the be one of the ONLY ones like its kind...just read most of these posts. I asked the associates about the weights and scales and they said every PF has this policy because of its motto...so no, I'm not judging. Its an observation.

Unless she goes to mine, there is at least one other out here. She's more or less just described my gym, too.

maab_connor

I know it's working for some folks here, but PF is a terrible, terrible place to work out. It's cool that it's dirt cheap and there's no contracts, but you'd be better off saving the $10 odd bucks and walking and doing pushups in a park by your house. By not having real weights, keeping the dumbbells low, and not even having a scale(?!?!?!) they are putting a cap on progress.

And their "Lunk Alarm" tactics prove that they actually are a Judgement Zone. It's just a Planet of the Apes type reversal where the judgement flows in the opposite direction than you'd expect.

THANK YOU!! i'm so glad i'm not the only one who sees the judgement in the "lunk alarm". i toured one and any time someone was getting in a good lift, that thing went off!

i am one broke, broke ginger, but i pay more to go to the Y where i can lift like a BOSS.

Brynn1216

I started going to a brand new Planet Fitness about 7 months ago and I LOVE it. The scale thing bothered me, at first, also, but I have a scale at home that I use regulary... so it ended up not being a big deal. My Planet Fitness also plays upbeat music.. some current, popular songs that a 26 year old like me would like and also some older songs that I still enjoy listening to.

As far as the unhealthy foods go like pizza and bagels that my Planet FItness provides once a month, I just ignore it and stay away from the food.

The reason I was given that the weights only go up to 60 lbs is that they want the gym to be for regular, everyday people, wanting to get in shape and stay in shape and deter "body-builders" from attending their gym. I'm ok with that.

I also read that someone said their Planet Fitness is gray and boring. The new one that I attend is yellow and purple... which guys probably hate... but it's bright and motivating.

It seems that each Planet Fitness is slightly different depending on when it was built and new color schemes and ideas that they are adopting.. but I enjoy mine!

Oh, and the "Judgement Free Zone"... I took it as meaning.. they are not judging you, how you work out, or what regiment you choose to do no matter what size or age that you are. Not that everyone is insecure about their weight...

onyxgirl17

And as to the free pizza and bagels, people it's called self-control. I have been there several times during free bagel Tuesday and do not partake.

photorific

I go to PF, and actually really like it - at least the one I go to. It's only $10/month and while it's not the "elite gym" - I am a firm believer in that you get out of something what you put into it. For my goals, I can go and get a really good workout in that includes both strength and cardio. They have upbeat music on (although I generally use my own when doing cardio anyways), and a variety of TV programs on, if that's your thing. I've never been in their restroom to know if ours has a scale or not, but I weigh at home anyways.

And as much as I'd personally love something healthier than bagels and pizza, perhaps for some, those 2 things are their only indulgences for the month. I say if you choose to eat those things - great, knock yourself out. Otherwise, abstain. Nobody's force-feeding them to you.

sheila569

I joined Planet Fitness at the first of the year, about two days before I began using MyFitnessPal to track my calories and exercise. I have lost 61 pounds in the six months since, so yeah, I am a big fan of Planet Fitness.

I have a scale in my bathroom at home.

I appreciate the fact that they usually don't play the more raucous music until after about 7:30am. If I wanted to listen to music I would wear my earbuds and listen to my mp3 player.

They don't force anyone to eat the tootsie rolls or bagels. :happy:

Have to co-sign here.
Been at PF since January (weight loss ticker below). LOVE IT. Never eat the food and UGH tootsie rolls (who the heck eats those things anyway). I have a scale at home and thank goodness I don't have to hear 50 Cent at 4am. Oh, but classical they don't play at my location. Main stream, rock, r&b, country.

beckajw

PF sort of gives off the vibe that you're going for the sake of going. So you can say you went to the gym. Doesn't matter that you went to the gym and spent 3 minutes on a treadmill then had donuts, but you can SAY you went to the gym.

Plant Fitness to me is sort of like the kindergarten of gyms. Remember kindergarten, when you showed up for half a day, then colored, then had some juice, maybe a story and a nap? Kindergarten was COOL! First grade was a completely different ballgame.;)

True but Kindergarten was absolutely necessary to get you started on the path to a good education.

RealWomenLovePitbulls

take ur ipod and don't eat the candy or other things they provide.
i went there for a few months, and i did notice a poster on the wall about pizza days, and i kinda wondered why they would have pizza when people are trying to eat healthy, but whatever, i guess its a choice whether or not u want to eat it.
i liked the elliptical (which i now have one in my home)
and i liked the circuit training stations.
what i didn't like was that there seemed to be quite a few creepers there... one employee in particular really gave me the creeps, nothing happened but it was just the feeling that i got, and that he always seemed to pop up wherever i was working out and i dunno.... i also had several men come up to me while i was using the elliptical and ask me out, at which point i would just hold up my hand with my ring finger in plain view.... and there was one guy who walked around in front of the mirror wall and was always strutting around kissing his biceps..... and the final thing i didnt like about the gym was that i would always get on a machine as far away from everyone as possible but there would always be that person who would walk past all the other machines and get on the one right next to me, and then be constantly peeping over looking at my machine, i guess seeing how many calories i had burned, or i dont know what.....
i'm a bit of a nervous personality around strangers.

stephyy4632

* "Judgment FREE Zone"

Hello everyone. I recently started attending Planet Fitness. I go with my mom every morning at 6am. I've only attended for one week but have observed a lot of interesting, different things that I have not seen in other gyms:

1. Their motto is that its a "Judgment Free Zone".
-This makes me feel like they think everyone there is super paranoid about their weight.

2. They have no scale in the bathroom
-How am I supposed to track my progress?

3. They have no upbeat music playing
-You really think I can stay motivated with classical music?

4.They make unhealthy snack options so readily available
-Everyday they have a huge bowl of tootsie rolls in the front desk for people to take
-Today, for breakfast, they had donuts and bagels for us

I do enjoy that I dont have to sign a contract. Also, it is very close to my house. The gym is also very clean and neat plus the people are very friendly.

But...I'm so confused. How is this supposed to work for weight loss? Does anyone here love Planet Fitness? Has it worked for you?

start off by saying I don`t have a planet fitness gym anywhere near me at all

1. dosen`t bother me there gym there moto not a big deal
2. My current gym dose have a scale but I have never used it lol I prefer to weigh in at home and tape messure at home so no scale would be fine imo
3. My current gym plays country all the time I hate country but again not a bother to me personaly because I use an MP3 player with my own music so I`m all good
4. temtation is everywhere wouldn`t bug me at all to see it at the gym in fact might even be a motivator to workout harder

Honestly if we did have one I would join for the price I have see them advertized at 10.00 or something like that with no contract especialy since I have my own free weights and bench at home so I only need a gym for cardio

JustJennie1

Planet Fitness is a franchise and each gym is individually owned so it is up to them what they play for music. The one I go to has upbeat music.

While they have a bowl of tootsie rolls at the front desk, have pizza on the first Monday of the month and bagels and coffee on the second Tuesday of the month no one is forcing you to eat the stuff! We have been there when it was pizza night and walked out without having a slice. I have never once put my hand in the tootsie roll jar. My husband and I call the second Tuesday of the month "Coffee Day" because that's all we get is coffee. Do we take a bagel every now and then? Yes. Like today for example we took a bagel.

The scale is of no importance to me because I have a scale at home and the chances of a gym keeping a scale properly calibrated is probably low.

Sure PF has "wimpy" dumb bells which only go up to 65lbs but for me it's adequate and if someone needs more weight they have the smith machine. Load it up and use it. Yes the gym is inexpensive but that's what the draw is. My husband used to go to a big, fancy gym that had all kinds of equipment: squat racks, cage, pre loaded bars, a wide variety of dumbbells, machines, etc. etc. etc. but it was super expensive -- tanning was a whole other fee and so were classes - and he felt really guilty if he missed a few days. Not only that but on the off chance that I went with him (at the time I was working for a company that had a fitness center which I'm sure you PF bashers would laugh at because it was "small" and "inadequate") I had to pay the $15 day pass (my sister was the manager there mind you!) which was pretty darn expensive for the few times a month I'd go. Now I get to go for free as a guest and tanning is free. I don't take aerobic classes and if I wanted to do a class type workout I'll pop in a DVD at home so the lack of classes doesn't bother me.

As for the "lunk alarm"? While it scares the crap out of me on the off chance it goes off the staff are really good at not sounding the alarm unless someone is being a real douche, like this one guy who talks really loud, slams stuff down and sounds like he's having an orgasm when he's lifting 20 lbs.

If you want to go to a big, fancy gym that has all the bells and whistles, costs a lot of money per month and gives you the fancy shakes and "healthy" drinks (seriously. There's a gym that has a smoothie bar and just one shake would put you over your calorie limit for the day regardless if you worked out or not) then have at it but please don't bash PF because it's not your cup of tea or you think it's stupid and wussy.

For the record, the one that I go to has big dudes that work out there and they don't get kicked out like some people claim they do and no one has ever been yelled at for lifting heavy. While it's annoying to have to search down the big plates because someone needed to load up to do their reps I've never once had anyone get in trouble for lifting "too heavy".

AngryDiet

It kinda sounds like they feel that if they de-emphasize success and make it a pleasant enough place, then they'll retain more membership, and thus maximize fees. No scale, free tasty food, mediocre exercise with no pressure, AND the feeling like you're doing something good for your body? Without any of that annoying measuring success or failure? Sounds like profit!

pa_jorg

I'm a member and haven't had the problems you describe. They play good music in mine and I've never seen food around - although I don't actively seek out times they might supply it either! And every business has a motto, theirs is not great, but I don't really see how it offends anyone either.

The two biggest reasons I joined were the price (can't beat $10 month!) and the fact that it is the closest gym to my house (easy to force myself to get to!). Plus my location is always clean and has available machines.