Planet Fitness?

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  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    Planet Fitness has corporate rules that limit you to performing only beginner-level workout routines. They typically do not have squat racks or weight benches, with the only free weights being a limited dumbbell selection. Everything else is machines. If you plan on only using the cardio equipment, it's fine, but it's simply not sufficient for strength training. That being said, because it is a franchise, individual locations can opt not to adhere to the corporate policies and some do have proper equipment.
  • bagge72
    bagge72 Posts: 1,377 Member
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    Just go and check it out, they are all different. The one I go to used to be a different gym, and has a lot of the old equipment so there is a ton of free weights for PF. Then there is the one near my work that is only cardio, so you it really is a toss up until you get there. It is true that the dumbells only go up to 60lbs at most PF, but not the barbell weights, they go up to what ever you can get on there.
  • Lisah8969
    Lisah8969 Posts: 1,247 Member
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    I heard that they don't allow deadlifting at Planet Fitness.

    I deadlift at mine and so do many others. I haven't heard that it isn't allowed.

    Obviously it all depends on your own personal needs and what you want to get out of a gym. I have done some lifting programs and am currently in stage 3 of NROLFW. Yes, the dumbbells I don't think go past 80 pounds, but the day I need more than 80 lbs in a dumbbell in some exercise where I can't substitute a barbell, I will be too happy to worry that they don't have it. The cardio equipment is plenty and I have never had to wait for it. Sometimes the free weight area is busy, but that is rare. I have also used the free training and he was very helpful as well.

    You really can't beat it for the money. I would like it more if there were classes, but I have also then just taken some adult ed yoga classes instead.
  • Danniielllle
    Danniielllle Posts: 2
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    I'm not sure if the gym is really for me, since I've always worked out at home or swimming laps at the community pool, but there is Planet Fitness right by me, and I have no clue whether I should join or not since I just moved out of my mom's where my home gym was. But I always hear good things about this gym!
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    I heard that they don't allow deadlifting at Planet Fitness.

    I deadlift at mine and so do many others. I haven't heard that it isn't allowed.

    Obviously it all depends on your own personal needs and what you want to get out of a gym. I have done some lifting programs and am currently in stage 3 of NROLFW. Yes, the dumbbells I don't think go past 80 pounds, but the day I need more than 80 lbs in a dumbbell in some exercise where I can't substitute a barbell, I will be too happy to worry that they don't have it. The cardio equipment is plenty and I have never had to wait for it. Sometimes the free weight area is busy, but that is rare. I have also used the free training and he was very helpful as well.

    You really can't beat it for the money. I would like it more if there were classes, but I have also then just taken some adult ed yoga classes instead.

    Corporate policy prohibits it and most PF locations do not stock free weights. As I mentioned in my answer though, they are franchises and individual locations often choose to go against corporate policy. That being said, when giving advice to others over the internet regarding PF, don't automatically assume their location will be like yours and will laugh in the face of corporate policy.

    EDIT: The PF I was a member of a couple years back was a "100% compliant" location, meaning they strictly enforced the rules demanded by corporate, and the only equipment in the gym were purple weight machines, cardio machines, a dip stand, an assisted chinup station, a nautilus machine with a weight stack, a smith machine, and a selection of dumbbells that did not exceed 55 lbs. Technically, this is all a PF gym is allowed to stock while maintaining 100% compliance with corporate policy.
  • ECTexan
    ECTexan Posts: 195 Member
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    I'm not big into lifting right now so I love PF. Their machines are all nice and new and I've never seen anything out of order at the locations I go to. However, I recently switched to 24hr Fitness because I got a great price, they were closer to home, and I was ready to start taking some group classes. I almost want to switch back to PF though because it is so much nicer than any 24hr I've been to. Their machines are all super old, there are lines for some of them like the stairmaster, and stuff is always broken. It's also really loud. I know a lot of people hate the Lunk Alarm at PF, but after switching I now realize how much I liked a quiet gym w/o dropping weights everywhere. It's much less intimidating for beginners IMO.
  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
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    I hated gyms but then I joined Planet Fitness and I LOVE IT! That being stated, I've been to a different one aside from my local one and it certainly wasn't as nice so the best way to tell is to just go and see for yourself. I have a Black Card (BC) Membership which affords me certain perks I really enjoy. Each PF is going to vary from location to location but I'm including the pros found at my local PF in Wallingford, Connecticut.

    My pros:

    - Open 24 hours during the week. I'm a nut and I like to workout late. There is no audience and it feels like you practically have the whole gym to yourself. You can sing, dance, act a fool and no one cares.

    - Big, bright, clean.

    - A lot of machines to workout on, lots of tvs to watch

    - Circuit training rooms

    - Massage Chairs & Hydro Massage Beds !!! (BC only)

    - Tanning (I don't tan, but some people do), (BC only)

    - Bring a friend for free (BC only)

    - Workout at any PF anywhere (BC only)

    - Canceling membership is (I think) only about $50 which is far cheaper than most other places.

    - Free training groups


    Cons:

    - No classes

    - Not open 24 hours Friday - Sunday

    - Gets busy during peak times

    Overall, if you are an introverted personality type or you enjoy working out alone and you don't need to be engaged in a lot of classes, I think PF is a good choice. If you're intimidated by gyms, PF is really easy to go to and not at all intimidating. I call the equipment "Fisher Price" equipment because it's really simple to use and there are fully illustrated pictures on every machine.
    [/quote


    $50 to CANCEL membership??? Holy hell, what a rip off! There should not be a charge at all for that!]
  • Pixilox
    Pixilox Posts: 51 Member
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    I heard that they have a limit as to how often you can visit. Is this true?
  • Lisah8969
    Lisah8969 Posts: 1,247 Member
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    Corporate policy prohibits it and most PF locations do not stock free weights. As I mentioned in my answer though, they are franchises and individual locations often choose to go against corporate policy. That being said, when giving advice to others over the internet regarding PF, don't automatically assume their location will be like yours and will laugh in the face of corporate policy.

    EDIT: The PF I was a member of a couple years back was a "100% compliant" location, meaning they strictly enforced the rules demanded by corporate, and the only equipment in the gym were purple weight machines, cardio machines, a dip stand, an assisted chinup station, a nautilus machine with a weight stack, a smith machine, and a selection of dumbbells that did not exceed 55 lbs. Technically, this is all a PF gym is allowed to stock while maintaining 100% compliance with corporate policy.

    Wow dude! Sorry you had a bad experience. I was only relating my own experiences. I will from now on end everything I post on here with "your results may vary" so that I don't give someone else the horribly false impression that everything that happens to me will happen EXACTLY like that to them.

    To the person who asked if they limit the number of times you can visit, I am not aware of a limit and go 4 or 5 times a week myself, BUT YOUR RESULTS MAY VARY.
  • bagge72
    bagge72 Posts: 1,377 Member
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    I heard that they don't allow deadlifting at Planet Fitness.

    I deadlift at mine and so do many others. I haven't heard that it isn't allowed.

    Obviously it all depends on your own personal needs and what you want to get out of a gym. I have done some lifting programs and am currently in stage 3 of NROLFW. Yes, the dumbbells I don't think go past 80 pounds, but the day I need more than 80 lbs in a dumbbell in some exercise where I can't substitute a barbell, I will be too happy to worry that they don't have it. The cardio equipment is plenty and I have never had to wait for it. Sometimes the free weight area is busy, but that is rare. I have also used the free training and he was very helpful as well.

    You really can't beat it for the money. I would like it more if there were classes, but I have also then just taken some adult ed yoga classes instead.

    Corporate policy prohibits it and most PF locations do not stock free weights. As I mentioned in my answer though, they are franchises and individual locations often choose to go against corporate policy. That being said, when giving advice to others over the internet regarding PF, don't automatically assume their location will be like yours and will laugh in the face of corporate policy.

    EDIT: The PF I was a member of a couple years back was a "100% compliant" location, meaning they strictly enforced the rules demanded by corporate, and the only equipment in the gym were purple weight machines, cardio machines, a dip stand, an assisted chinup station, a nautilus machine with a weight stack, a smith machine, and a selection of dumbbells that did not exceed 55 lbs. Technically, this is all a PF gym is allowed to stock while maintaining 100% compliance with corporate policy.

    I really don't find this to be true, you can quote coporate policy all you want, but I have actually been to PF's in many states, and have only been to one that has not had any free weights. Like the other poster, I think your bad experience is blinding your judgement. I also see people deadlifting at my PF, which is kind of annoying, because there isn't an actual spot for it, so they take the bars off of the flat or incline benches.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    I go to and like PF. It is perfect for my needs. I don't see myself benching 200lbs at any point in the near future so right now the amount of freeweights they have works well. I have also done deadlifts there WHILE the owner of the gym was there and didn't get in trouble for it. There are also very fit, big guys who work out at the gym and seem to be ok with the "lack of weights". For the price I'd say it's a decent gym.

    And yes, they are independently owned so the rules and equipment at the different facilities will vary greatly. There are some PF"s around where I live that are a lot bigger than the one I go to and therefore they have more equipment: squat racks, free bars etc. and then there are smaller ones that can only have a small amount of equipment. I actually asked for them to add some equipment to the facility that I currently work out in and (it took a while) but they did.

    As for limiting the amount of times you visit: Never heard of them -- or any gym -- doing anything like that.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    As I mentioned above, you are going to find that there are two kinds of Planet Fitness: There are people who basically pay money to join the franchise so they can use the name and are more or less PF in name only, and then there are the ones that follow actual corporate policy. If you google Planet Fitness, you will find a large number of complaints that specifically talk about the latter. As the people who posted above me have shown, though, there are a number of PF gyms out there that just pay money to use the name and share nothing in common with other PFs. Check out your local one and see what equipment they have. If you walk in and you don't see the following equipment there:

    Squat rack
    Bench
    Barbells w/ plates

    Turn around and never come back.

    You will find, however, that one of the most common complaints about the chain stems from people being kicked out for doing deadlifts or squats. There have been numerous youtube videos parodying this, actually. There IS an official policy in place that prohibits these exercises and yes, individual owners often do not enforce it, but be aware that it is there and yours may be one of the unlucky ones run by a guy who adheres to policies by the book.
  • mbucchieri
    mbucchieri Posts: 44 Member
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    It's great for cardio and light weight lifting (I go 5 days a week) . If you are looking for classes, or hardcore weight lifting, then I would go elsewhere.
  • K_Serz
    K_Serz Posts: 1,299 Member
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    It's 10 bucks a month, try it out yourself and see if you like it

    ^This. It's not for me, but you're not doing my workout. For $10 per month it can't be that wrong. Unless there's no free weights and/or squat rack, because then it wouldn't be worth $10. But with no contract, it's only $10 to find out

    Ive heard they give away free pizza every week. If you arent eating your $10 worth of pizza a month and then working out for free then everyone is doing it wrong.
  • agggie550
    agggie550 Posts: 281 Member
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    I use to work out there... its a great cardio gym, lots and lots of cardio equipment, if you are looking to lift weight even on machines, the one I use to use was a little lacking. One of most machines maybe two of the more popular ones, and very very limited free weights. But its a good gym for cardio.
  • krouse83
    krouse83 Posts: 182 Member
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    My gym membership is with Planet Fitness. Its great for me since I'm just getting started with weightlifting and mainly using it for cardio. I think that if you are a serious lifter then it might not be the gym for you. They also do not have any classes, which I prefer, but some may want to have that option. I may have to change gyms in the future, but its perfect for me at this time. Plus the $10 monthly fee is a huge bonus.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    I use to work out there... its a great cardio gym, lots and lots of cardio equipment, if you are looking to lift weight even on machines, the one I use to use was a little lacking. One of most machines maybe two of the more popular ones, and very very limited free weights. But its a good gym for cardio.

    The machines max out at absurdly low weights. Back when I first started as a beginner to strength training (bear in mind I had NEVER done any strength training before) I was able to max out the machines for my working weight, and the leg press machine maxed out at 290. Seriously, a 290 leg press. I started out being able to do more and most women I know surpass that after just a few times going to the gym.
  • leaellenj
    leaellenj Posts: 38
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    I'm under the impression that PF is geared to be beginner friendly. Since it's so affordable and no contract, I think it's worth finding out. You may love it for awhile and then outgrow it and that's ok. This is all about finding out what you like and continuing to grow. I say give it a try!
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    I'm under the impression that PF is geared to be beginner friendly. Since it's so affordable and no contract, I think it's worth finding out. You may love it for awhile and then outgrow it and that's ok. This is all about finding out what you like and continuing to grow. I say give it a try!

    There is a contract.
  • TJ_Rugger
    TJ_Rugger Posts: 164 Member
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    It’s a great gym to get started…. It was the first gym I ever joined.. It’s $10/month and for the most part it has a decent amount of equipment. After about a year I switched to Gold’s. But if you have never joined a gym before it’s a great place to start if you have the drive to work out on your own.. since they don’t have classes, and I don’t recall if they have trainers that you can regularly meet up with.

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