PLANET FITNESS GYM and its" Judgment Zone"

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.

MrTypical

FREE Donuts and bagels? I really want a donut right now.

I'm guessing this is a "member retention" method...to keep you needing them! :laugh:

Dead on. It's a business. If everyone got in shape then they wouldn't have any customers.

AngryDiet

Dead on. It's a business. If everyone got in shape then they wouldn't have any customers.

LOL, there's not much chance of that!

Easywider

I go exclusively FOR the bagels, pizza, and donuts. Hell I'm not even a member of PF, I go to Gold's. Lol.

JustJennie1

Dead on. It's a business. If everyone got in shape then they wouldn't have any customers.

You could say that about ANY gym.

Seriously. When did it become the GYM'S responsibility to make sure you got a good workout and why is PF the one that gets bashed, other than the fact that they call themselves the "judgement free gym"?

You can go to any "big fancy meat head" gym and see people who are over weight and doing a half-hearted workout. The gym my sister works at has members there who go every day, pay people to train them and have not lost a pound or an inch and does anyone call that gym crap or bust on the PT's because they're not doing a good job? No but for some reason when it's PF it's the GYM's fault for "pushing" pizza, bagels and tootsie rolls on the members. The "fancy gym" my sister works at used to have bagels every now and then but for some reason that was ok. Oh right. Because they're fancy.

Seriously people regardless of what gym you go to and whether or not they force food down your throat and throw the pizza and bagels at you while you're running on the treadmill because they feel you HAVE to eat it it's hardly the gym's fault when people do a half hearted workout and don't lose weight.

Get a grip.

DrMAvDPhD

I was a member of PF for a while, but I was a cardio only gal then. Now I am lifting. When I lift, and I lift as heavy as I can, I occasionally let out a grunt from exertion. So I am glad I don't go to PF, because I would feel very embarrassed and judged if anyone set a loud and light flashing alarm off at me.

EDIT: When I joined, you got a free t-shirt. Except they didn't want to ask your size so you wouldn't feel judged, so they gave everyone an XL. Yeah, I was 5'5" and 140lb, and I felt a little judged.

KiltFuPanda

Started out at PF - it was a good way to get a sweat going and do some moderate cardio. NO, you don't have to eat the snacks. It's called willpower. The one I went to didn't have a scale - no worries, I weighed myself at home.

It's the Judgement Free Zone and the Lunk Alarm I have an issue with. I never had the alarm buzzed on me (namely because I was mindful enough to keep quiet), but I was always afraid they were going to do so when I loaded up the Smith machine or the sled press. They purposely kept the number of plates on the floor to a minimum so when I wanted to do my reps on the sled I would have to take plates from 4 other machines.

The point I decided to leave was after I talked to one of their "trainers" - I explained what I wanted (to build up arm and back strength), and he almost floored me with this response:

1. Eat your bodyweight (in lbs) in grams of protein. That's 360 grams of protein. 1440 calories worth. Forget it - I'm not eating 4 lbs of chicken a day.
2. "Your best bet is to do deadlifts, but we don't allow those here."

That told me the whole story - they're good at catering to the beginners and intermediates, but not to advanced gym-goers. I was technically a intermediate (I'm still fat), but physically I was beyond what they were designed to accommodate.

I left shortly after and found my current gym - I'm not a meathead (yet), but I appreciate a gym that lets me do what I need to do.

I'd recommend PF to those who are just starting out - it's a friendly environment for people to find their groove, whether it's just starting out on the free weights, running on the ellipticals/treadmills, or working on the weight machines. I'm actually trying to work out a schedule for my wife to go there (my gym is by my work, 40 miles from the house). But if you find that you're starting to hit walls in your development, then go somewhere else.

LetsTryThisAgain54

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.;)

Yeah, I go there just to say I went to the gym.

Tony_Brewski

PF is mainly a cardio gym and they should have mentioned that when you signed up. The dumb bells go to 75lbs at my local one and the smith machines are some of the best I've seen before. If you need to curl more than 75lbs you don't need a cardio gym. PF is a good gym if your on a budget and looking to shed weight. Like myself. As far as no scales in the bathroom, ditch the scale and use a tape measure... inches lost are better than pounds lost...IMO.

Since May 5th i've lost close to 6 inches and 16 pounds.

raystark

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.;)

Yeah, I go there just to say I went to the gym.

All us cool PF kids do that. :happy:

wellbert

its probably cheaperto join planet f*tness than to buy pizza 4 times a month.