Planet Fitness

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  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    Depends on your goals and how you plan to work out. I have no personal experience, but I see a lot of people talking about how they do not allow loud noise or power lifting, so it would not be for me.

    Not true, at least not at my PF. You will get people who tell you they don't allow deadlifts, squats, etc. and that is pure rubbish. We deadlift all the time. I do squats, I lift heavy and there are some guys who are in really good shape that go to our gym. They do have that "lunk alarm" but the people who work at my gym don't like to use it so they won't unless someone is being really obnoxious.

    The issue that some people have is that the weights don't go up that high, there's not a lot of weight equipment etc. but since they're independently owned it depends on the branch. We don't have a squat rack or anything like that and the dumbbells go up to 65 lbs but for me that's fine right now. The gym suits my needs. I say check it out. You can't beat the price and if it works for you then go for it.

    Apparently different ones are different. It is definitely true at some. I have seen some people say the ones they go to have no barbells at all.


    It's true. Mine only had some pre-weighted barbells up to 50 pounds. If you want to lift more you have to use the Smith machine which you can't deadlift and not the best for squats. They don't have personal trainers (except groups) or any classes like zumba etc. But with that said, for me they are open 24/7 and most holidays. I can't beat the $10 a month.

    I've dead lifted with the smith machine and I do my squats on it as well.

    Not really good things to do.

    And my other options are. . . . .?

    Perhaps if there was a squat rack at my PF I'd use that. As it stands the smith machine is my only option.
  • lsilly15
    lsilly15 Posts: 137 Member
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    Golds Gym posted a message on facebook that said "if you look like this, come to our gym!" and they posted a picture of jessica simpson PREGNANT. i couldn't believe it. Ive lost respect for that company. Seriously.. she was pregnant...

    Planet Fitness was OK... I just never felt motivated there. I feel most motivated at the local YMCA where everyone is working out at different levels. I like to go next to someone who is working out hard. That motivates me.
  • bokodasu
    bokodasu Posts: 629 Member
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    If you ask, you can usually get a free trial - try both and see which you like more. Both totally depend on your location - I didn't like the PF by my work at all, because their big selling points were teeny little weights, eight billion treadmills, and free pizza nights; the Gold's was more what I was looking for and they offered me a great deal, but their hours weren't convenient. (I went with the Y, because they had a pool.)
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    I checked out a brand new one by my house. It's $10 a month which is cheap as can be but you might as well just burn your money. It's 80% cardio equipment, 15% machines and 5% free weights. Fine if you're a cardio bunny but if you want to actually move some iron you're wasting your time and money. Max barbells were 50lbs and dumbbells 75lbs. Smith machines galore (terrible idea). Fine for a beginner I guess. But you'll outgrow them fast.
  • schicksa
    schicksa Posts: 123 Member
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    Check in with your work and see if they offer any discounts to the local gyms! I checked and ended up finding this great smaller local place that was the best deal...least expensive membership, and all the classes were included in the fees!
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,248 Member
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    PF is "adequate". I was a member for a year. Once I graduated to needing more than an elliptical machine, I found a new gym (a local chain that is much cleaner and offers lots of classes). But it did the trick for me while I was losing weight.

    Pretty much the same here. It was enough for me when I first started and mostly used a treadmill. It was enough for me while I was content to do the machines for strength training. But the locations closest to me weren't really all that close (about 20 minutes each way) so I bought free weights for home use instead. I'd rather run in the cold, rain, wind or snow than on a treadmill again anyway. :happy:
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    If you ask, you can usually get a free trial - try both and see which you like more. Both totally depend on your location - I didn't like the PF by my work at all, because their big selling points were teeny little weights, eight billion treadmills, and free pizza nights; the Gold's was more what I was looking for and they offered me a great deal, but their hours weren't convenient. (I went with the Y, because they had a pool.)

    Yep, all locations are different. "My" Golds had a pool.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
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    I checked out a brand new one by my house. It's $10 a month which is cheap as can be but you might as well just burn your money. It's 80% cardio equipment, 15% machines and 5% free weights. Fine if you're a cardio bunny but if you want to actually move some iron you're wasting your time and money. Max barbells were 50lbs and dumbbells 75lbs. Smith machines galore (terrible idea). Fine for a beginner I guess. But you'll outgrow them fast.

    I've never been in one but I heard the same thing - max weight on dumbbells, no squat rack, blah blah. I even heard that if you drop a weight loudly they set off some kind of siren? Seriously? Definitely not a place for those serious about building muscle.

    Also, there's one here that has pizza night!!! Seriously, check out their home page - http://www.planetfitness.com/gyms/CO/Colorado_Springs That's always a good thing to have in a place that's supposed to be promoting a healthy lifestyle.
  • RealWomenLovePitbulls
    RealWomenLovePitbulls Posts: 729 Member
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    I used to go to Planet Fitness, they have all the equipment and pretty much leave u alone to do whatever it is u want to do, i thought it was okay
  • elleloch
    elleloch Posts: 739 Member
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    The "Lunk Alarm" at PF is enough to scare me away and I'm not even a meathead. Just strikes me weird that in a "no judgment zone," they discourage heavy weight lifting or working hard enough to grunt or sweat a little extra. Not really a place I'd want to go if I wanted to push myself, KWIM?

    A friend of mine was a member at PF and you get to take a guest every time you go for free, I guess, so I went with her a handful of times. When I went there I saw candy dishes sitting out, and they do things like Bagel Mondays (like give out free bagels) and do pizza parties weekly - which I also found weird. Like oh, congrats on those 300 calories you just burned on the elliptical! HAVE A GREASY PIECE OF PIZZA!! Wtf?
  • zechks
    zechks Posts: 224
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    Gold's Gym all the way.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    I guess pizza and bagels don't bother me. Oh no's, once a month I can have pizza or a bagel. Some of the shakes and smoothies are worse if you don't know what to order (Golds had a shake bar), and just wanted something that looked good.
  • elleloch
    elleloch Posts: 739 Member
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    I just think a gym should do more to point you in the right direction. Like, of course, you are not going to go through life and never eat pizza, bagels or candy again. That's unreasonable. But I see it all the time on MFP - people post asking what exactly to eat, because they don't have the first clue about healthy diets. And that's sad to me. A gym should be able to help you stick to your plans and meet or even exceed your goals - and you don't do that by limiting weights, creating an environment where no one pushes themselves and peddles pizza as a reward. It sends the wrong message.

    And yeah, I might be a little neurotic about my hate for PF (lol) but it's just how I feel.
  • EmpressHollie
    EmpressHollie Posts: 25 Member
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    I am a member @ PF and love it... the staff is great and for what i need, they have! I like the "lunk alarm" it is very rarley used and is a joke when it is. The price is awesome and gives you access to so many other benefits that they offer
  • linz1125
    linz1125 Posts: 441 Member
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    I love planet fitness. I am very comfortable there, and I get a lot of support from the staff. I'm a beginner when it comes to weights, so I'm not bothered by not being able to have access to heavy weights. I also have the black membership and I feel I get my money's worth, which I haven't felt at many other gyms.

    If the price difference isn't great, go where you feel comfortable. If you can't see yourself there, it's not the gym for you. If you are comfortable there, you are more likely to go.
  • bradphil87
    bradphil87 Posts: 617 Member
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    I go there and I love it. I lift too. It's fine. I lift alot with the dumbells and can't lift over 75's so that's no issue. The smith machine doesn't bother me really, it's actully kinda nice to be able to lift your heaviest without needing a spotter. As for dead lifts and squats, I do them using it, it doesn't bother me. For me I can't afford anything else really right now. So I have the option of lifting whatever I can there or not at all. Also, I see people lift heavy there all the time. At mine 75% of the people are in the weight area.
  • ImKindOfABigDeal40
    ImKindOfABigDeal40 Posts: 807 Member
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    I work out at Planet Fitness. I have no gripes. Plenty of equipment to use and prices are fantastic. Couple that with no commitment.
  • imwithgizmo
    imwithgizmo Posts: 146 Member
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    PF is my gym. I've been using them for 9 months so far.

    It is a simple gym. No classes or that kind of thing (at mine, anyway).

    It suits my needs very well, has great hours, and is cheap! The folks who work there are very nice, too.

    I think that if you are very advanced, you may want more options. For instance, my PF doesn't have the cages, just the Hammer Strength rack, where the barbell is on a track. Kind of like a Smith Machine. I know many on MFP are against those. But if you don't plan to use a cage, no biggie.

    Good luck!
  • hiker359
    hiker359 Posts: 577 Member
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    Just make sure you get a walk through before you sign the contract. I signed up and later came to realize a complete lack free weights outside of dumbbells and a small supply of weighted bars. But no Olympic lifting set up, no squat racks, and very limited miscellaneous equipment.

    I am now at a Gold's Gym and it has everything I need in addition to a lot of classes if I feel like it.
  • timmymon
    timmymon Posts: 304 Member
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    You get what you pay for. I am a member at Gold's and would recommend it to anybody who is serious about being a member at a quality gym.

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