Gym tells woman she's intimidating guests with 'toned body'

Derek Van Reheenen is the director of the Athletic Studies Center at UC Berkeley.

He says, “In a lot of ways I think what Planet Fitness is doing is a positive thing. They obviously need to iron out some of these issues but sport in the U.S. is by nature is discriminatory too, it is selective and it is elite."

^^ from the article. Sport in the US is discriminatory???? PF is doing something good???? Wow.

I think this quote was taken out of context. Planet Fitness's idea of making the gym accessible for everyone is admirable if that was their sole goal. How many people here were nervous or intimidated the first time they went to the weight section of their gym? That being said, the pizza parties and fit shaming makes it obvious that their model is not based around their customers' success but rather keeping their customers yo-yoing by giving some results but then setting them up to regress in order to keep them as paying members.

This is exactly what I thought too. Also how can they claim to be a judgment free zone when they're judging people who actually succeed in getting fit? A "lunk alarm" seems almost like bullying or something. I would be afraid to accidentally make a noise while lifting for fear of someone setting off an ear-splitting alarm, that's no way to be successful. What a weird gym!

So out of all that, you're only response was that saying people who fall into the "lunk" description are ridiculous was judging? I probably came out that way, but it is dangerous to drop weights, and I guess to make myself clear, someone who is judging other people(orrr being ridiculous and pointing and laughing at other people. Which doesn't happen at PF, because they promote no judgement)

Besides you're probably just being a troll, so I don't expect you to take what I said seriously anyway.

other gyms don't tolerate people mocking others in the gym, or unsafe behaviors either

actually dropping weights in the gym isn't always dangerous, it depends on how and why it's done. I have rubber plates on my barbell, so if I need to drop it, I don't break the floor. I work out at home with heavy weights, and that means sometimes they get dropped, e.g. if I'm stuck at the bottom of a squat. People don't lift weights just because they want to drop them on the floor and make a loud noise... if you lift heavy, it's something that happens sometimes. Just like if you run sometimes you stumble.

Actually, it is a good business plan. Wouldn't want your customers reaching their goals and leaving. Keep them fat and comfortable.

Hopefully this keeps gaining momentum and brings this gym as much bad press as possible.

This is exactly what I thought too. Also how can they claim to be a judgment free zone when they're judging people who actually succeed in getting fit? A "lunk alarm" seems almost like bullying or something. I would be afraid to accidentally make a noise while lifting for fear of someone setting off an ear-splitting alarm, that's no way to be successful. What a weird gym!
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There is no "fit shaming." People just take the lunk alarm too personally.

I only meant if they were making noise and dropping weights on purpose... And like you said, some people don't go to the gym just to drop weights. That's true. But, for example, if a big muscular guy was only lifting like 20 lbs or something and was just making all kinds of unnecessary noises on purpose. And I mean, yeah, if it's safe, I wouldn't worry too much about dropping the weights, but I don't think people would drop them from shoulder height or something. Usually someone would bend over a bit to set something on the ground. It would be stupid to purposely drop a set of weights from shoulder heights. I just don't think there was anything wrong with the lunk alarm and if someone people have a problem with it, I think they are just taking it to personal or something. There are plenty of fit at the PF gym that I go, and no one has pulled the lunk alarm on them or told them they were being intimidating. Everyone just works out and minds their own business. I think it was just a fluke with that gym and that the girl shouldn't have really been that bothered. Cause, I honestly would have thought that she should cover up. I mean, I wouldn't like sit there and point at her with my friend and go, Oh my god, becky, look at what she is wearing, she is SO exposed. What would have happened is I would have just noticed her on the treadmill, wondered if she was really comfortable like that, and went about my day. And like someone else said, maybe they wanted to try and compliment the girl while telling her about the dress code.

So are olympic weight lifters stupid for dropping their weights when they're holding 500+ lbs over their heads? and making up a word like "lunk" to negatively describe someone is being judgemental.

I only meant if they were making noise and dropping weights on purpose... And like you said, some people don't go to the gym just to drop weights. That's true. But, for example, if a big muscular guy was only lifting like 20 lbs or something and was just making all kinds of unnecessary noises on purpose. And I mean, yeah, if it's safe, I wouldn't worry too much about dropping the weights, but I don't think people would drop them from shoulder height or something. Usually someone would bend over a bit to set something on the ground. It would be stupid to purposely drop a set of weights from shoulder heights. I just don't think there was anything wrong with the lunk alarm and if someone people have a problem with it, I think they are just taking it to personal or something. There are plenty of fit at the PF gym that I go, and no one has pulled the lunk alarm on them or told them they were being intimidating. Everyone just works out and minds their own business. I think it was just a fluke with that gym and that the girl shouldn't have really been that bothered. Cause, I honestly would have thought that she should cover up. I mean, I wouldn't like sit there and point at her with my friend and go, Oh my god, becky, look at what she is wearing, she is SO exposed. What would have happened is I would have just noticed her on the treadmill, wondered if she was really comfortable like that, and went about my day. And like someone else said, maybe they wanted to try and compliment the girl while telling her about the dress code.

If I'm stuck on a squat, then I'm dropping the barbell from where I'm stuck. If it's too heavy for me to complete the squat with good form, then it's way too heavy for me to bend down and gently put it on the floor..... It would actually be dangerous to try to put it down gently rather than let it drop from my shoulders. Yes there's a technique to doing this safely, plus you have to have the right kinds of plates or work out in a squat rack where there are safety bars that the weight can be dropped onto safely. But either way it's going to make a really loud noise, and trying to put it down gently when you can't complete the exercise because it's too heavy is a) impossible (if it was light enough to do that, you'd be able to complete the exercise) and b) you'd risk injury attempting it.

the whole mentality of planet fitness is that they don't like people who are fit or strong, or who aspire to be either by pushing themselves to the limits. Dropping weights and grunting is the inevitable result of trying to increase the total amount of weight you can lift. Plus they're telling people that their body's too "toned" and is intimidating... they don't want fit, strong people in their gym. If you get too fit or strong you have to pretend to be weak by not picking up any weights that are challenging for you (in case you accidentally grunt or drop the weight) or by covering up your body so no-one can see that you look fit and strong.... and this benefits no-one, because the people who do feel intimidated by experienced gym goers will benefit most from going to the gym anyway, finding out that they're not really intimidating at all, and keeping on going to the gym and achieving all their fitness goals.

If that was my gym I'd be paying HER to be a member. Best advertising ever.

If people feel bad about themselves when they think other people look better than they do, whose problem is it? Personally I will spy on her... totally creep her profile and imitate every part of her life so that I may too eventually look like that.

There is no "fit shaming." People just take the lunk alarm too personally.

Why would you say that? Of course there is fit shaming. Making commercials that show fit people acting like jerks to people who aren't fit is portraying fit people in a negative light, which is the definition of shaming. If the commercial showed unfit people overeating and acting like jerks to fit people, there'd be lawsuits all over the place as that would be declared 'fat shaming'. What's the difference?

Along the lines of "let's give everyone a medal so the losers don't feel too bad".

This... Really she was "too toned" c'mon. "You look good and that makes me feel bad so you gotta go" attitude. Why not "you look good and I want to know how you did it" attitude.