Planet Fitness Comes to Canada

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chivalryder
chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
From the Toronto Star

My initial reaction: NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

Then I read the article, and it has some good points.

Planet Fitness is to fitness like McDonald's is to nutrition: Cheap and quick.

The so-called 'judgement free' zone, titled that right after they talk about how judgmental the company is to "meat heads".

At the end is my favourite: The CEO of Planet Fitness obviously lifts heavy, so where does he workout? Not at Planet Fitness. In his basement.
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Replies

  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
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    bump
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    Are they going to judge, but judge politely?

    Instead of a lunk alarm, it will be recorded audio of someone pointedly clearing their throat in annoyance?
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
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    dbmata wrote: »
    Are they going to judge, but judge politely?

    Instead of a lunk alarm, it will be recorded audio of someone pointedly clearing their throat in annoyance?

    Nope. It's going to literally be the exact same as the American Planet Fitness.
  • laurajo521
    laurajo521 Posts: 91 Member
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    I go to Planet Fitness, Gold's Gym and a local community center. Say what you want about Planet Fitness, but no one ever judges me there. There are some pretty heavy lifters at PF, and Gold's has a lot of the same policies that PF does (dropping weights, etc). Last night I went to Gold's and I got disrespect from patrons and a couple of workers. People at PF are much more encouraging. Every gym is what you make it. PF has weight machines, treadmills and stretching cages, so I don't really worry about the rest. Gold's has those things, but I feel like if you aren't at their level, they see you as an annoyance. I don't let it slow me down. In fact, it pushes me harder.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    I would join a PF as a secondary gym just for the monthly buffet.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    dbmata wrote: »
    Are they going to judge, but judge politely?

    Instead of a lunk alarm, it will be recorded audio of someone pointedly clearing their throat in annoyance?

    Goal horn.
  • jtobenchain
    jtobenchain Posts: 10 Member
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    "What do you say we don't drop the weights anymore, eh? Only if it isn't a bother though!"
  • cmasongreen
    cmasongreen Posts: 82 Member
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    I go to a Plant Fitness in Michigan, and I really like it. I have always been intimidated by heavy lifters at other gyms, and since I am lifting again, it'll be nice to start out where people are at my level, instead of people that use my bodyweight as a warm up.

    But it's not for everyone. If you are a heavy lifter, of course you aren't going to like it. And when I get to that level, I will probably go to a different gym; because they don't really cater to everyone. Just people that are trying to work out in a more comfortable, less competitive atmosphere.

    WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?! ;)
  • SconnieCat
    SconnieCat Posts: 770 Member
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    I used to go to PF. Never had a problem even though I thought the "Pizza Monday" thing was a bit odd. *shrug* Honestly, I gave a rats *kitten* about where I worked out as long as a the place was clean, the machines were in good condition, and there was a good variety of equipment and free weights. My goals changed so I switched gyms (I was looking for one with a pool).

    Each gym is a bit different and I think you're always going to find positives and negatives with each place. I'm not sure about gym membership prices in Canada and the prevalence of gyms or fitness centers, but if it's providing an inexpensive place for people to get their inner swolger on, then go for it. Hopefully people will benefit.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    RGv2 wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    Are they going to judge, but judge politely?

    Instead of a lunk alarm, it will be recorded audio of someone pointedly clearing their throat in annoyance?

    Goal horn.

    Yes!
  • cmasongreen
    cmasongreen Posts: 82 Member
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    jtobenchain wrote: »
    "What do you say we don't drop the weights anymore, eh? Only if it isn't a bother though!"

    Haha! This.
  • FenTiger89
    FenTiger89 Posts: 49 Member
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    I think people tend to blow the pizza thing out of proportion. It's one day each month. How is that any different than the Y selling candy bars or a bake sale at the check-in desk or having soda in the vending machines?

    If you want it, eat it. If you don't, then pass it by.
  • LifeInTheBikeLane
    LifeInTheBikeLane Posts: 345 Member
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    Have you ever been into a planet fitness? It's not a bad gym. My local planet fitness is filled with heavy lifters. It's huge and at the right time you can go in and find some massive men and women lifting weights. The difference is they aren't making it a point to show off. They are actually there to work out.

    It is cheap. Where as most gyms (at least where I live) are $40-$50 a month for something the size of my office with far less things to use. They aren't judgemental. They are very nice to everyone and even walk around and help people who are lifting.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    edited January 2015
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    LifeInTheBikeLane wrote: »
    Have you ever been into a planet fitness? It's not a bad gym. My local planet fitness is filled with heavy lifters. It's huge and at the right time you can go in and find some massive men and women lifting weights. The difference is they aren't making it a point to show off. They are actually there to work out.

    It is cheap. Where as most gyms (at least where I live) are $40-$50 a month for something the size of my office with far less things to use. They aren't judgemental. They are very nice to everyone and even walk around and help people who are lifting.

    Wow.....just wow.

    They aren't judgemental....Lulz. Have you seen their business model?

    If PF's business model wasn't to caricaturize the fitness enthusiast and capitalize on the stigma that the gym is full of "Judgment" (when it's not) by selling their "judgment free zone" (when it's not...oh the irony) they would catch far less flack on boards such as these, and really just be another 24/7. You know what they say about publicity though, right? They're getting their publicity and that's what they want.
  • mykaylis
    mykaylis Posts: 320 Member
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    i'd go there in a heartbeat. i've been to several gyms in my time, and i've discovered i don't particularly care what the atmosphere is, i go there and work out. sure a few muscle bound jerks look at me funny, cause i'm morbidly obese, but i just do my wimpy little workout and then they either smile or ignore me and get back to their thing. i'm at anytime fitness right now, love it, but i'd try anything if the price was right and the available equipment suited my needs.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    PlaydohPants wrote: »
    I use to go to PF in college because cheap. It doesn't have a pool but that's fine. Other than that I don't know why people get their panties in a twist about whether it's judgey or not. It was fine for me and there were plenty of people lifting.

    Mostly just the irony.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
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    My biggest beef with PF isn't that it's a gym, it's not that it has a judgemental 'judgement free' zone. It's not that they offer free pizza one a week or month. It's not the lunk alarm or that there are no free weights. It's not that the CEO doesn't use his own gyms and works out in his basement.

    My beef with PF is that they advertise themselves as a gym for people to get healthy when really, that's the opposite from their real goal. Their real goal is to lure people who don't go to the gym to give them $10/month, every month. There is one, count it: ONE Planet Fitness in Canada so far that opened not long ago. It already has 6000 members. That's $60k in their pocket EVERY MONTH. I'm willing to bet most of those people will only go once or twice, yet they will never cancel their membership.

    Planet Fitness isn't in the business to make you healthy. They're in it for the money.

    Which, frankly, is brilliant.
  • enigmaneo
    enigmaneo Posts: 61 Member
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    All of the big gym's only goals are to make money. To find one not in it only for the money you'd have to find a small local gym.
  • cmasongreen
    cmasongreen Posts: 82 Member
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    chivalryder wrote: »
    My biggest beef with PF isn't that it's a gym, it's not that it has a judgemental 'judgement free' zone. It's not that they offer free pizza one a week or month. It's not the lunk alarm or that there are no free weights. It's not that the CEO doesn't use his own gyms and works out in his basement.

    My beef with PF is that they advertise themselves as a gym for people to get healthy when really, that's the opposite from their real goal. Their real goal is to lure people who don't go to the gym to give them $10/month, every month. There is one, count it: ONE Planet Fitness in Canada so far that opened not long ago. It already has 6000 members. That's $60k in their pocket EVERY MONTH. I'm willing to bet most of those people will only go once or twice, yet they will never cancel their membership.

    Planet Fitness isn't in the business to make you healthy. They're in it for the money.

    Which, frankly, is brilliant.

    I'm not trying to stir anything up. HONESTLY! I am just making an observation. But isn't the goal for every gym to make as much as they can? Whether to expand their business or better the locations that they already have? No gym has enough space for all of their members, so that points to other gyms making money on their clients that don't go.

    From what I can tell there is no statistical data that shows that Planet Fitness has more non-attending members than that of, for example, Gold's Gym. Granted, I haven't exactly done hard research.

    But I would be more than happy to be proven wrong if that is the case. I don't want to throw out false information.

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