Anyone go to Planet Fitness?
waxflower
Posts: 47
I have a membership at PF, but they are limited on equipment (cheap price tag, so I'm not complaining). What's your routine when you work out there? I'd be going solo, I usually just run on the treadmill, but I want to branch out from there.
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For what it's worth (I just started branching out from cardio myself) I have four workouts- long run, arm day, short run, leg day, rest day. I have a weight lifting card that I write down the machine and number of reps that I do. I got it from the PF front desk- it's yellow (I guess they use it for orientation, but I find it works well for my needs too).
Long run days are two longer chunks of runs. Short run days are 3-4 faster paced, shorter runs (no real mystery there).
For arm days, I literally started at the first arm machine in the row and went down the line. I do 3 sets of 8-10 reps per machine w 25-30 seconds of rest between sets. Then I head over to the graviton machine where you kneel on the platform and attempt pull ups. And then use 3 of the ab machines. Overall, it takes me about 50-60 minutes to do this.
For leg days, I start at the first leg machine in the row and go down that line. Then I use the leg machines that are usually in another section (like hip abductors and hip adducts where you try to crush things between your thighs, haha). I finish w 3 of the ab machines (again. Ugh. Abs. Right?) Again, it takes me about 50-60 minutes to do this.
You could also try the 30 minute workouts, but I'm not familiar w those! Please share what you end up doing! I'm curious how other people work out!0 -
I'm currently doing both cardio and some strength on the same days, though I'm considering switching to more dedicated days.
Typically I will do 30 minutes cardio of choice on a weekday, 45-60 on a weekend (especially if there is a good football game on). If its a leg day, I only do treadmills. Arc, elliptical and bikes seem to work my legs more and I don't feel at full strength to take on the weights.
After cardio, I head to machine weights. I have an arm/shoulders day, chest/back day, leg day. I add abs in most days. I don't work them very hard, and they recover more quickly. I do these mostly on machines and cable towers.
Like I said, I'm considering switching soon to have more dedicated and separate cardio/weight days. I just have to let go of my reliance on the added exercise calories I get from cardio. I have a hard time staying in my calorie allotment on days without cardio, so its been tough to convince myself to take a break, lol.
I'd also like to move to doing more with the free weights/bars. I have a secret crush on all the women in my PF who use them. They are very inspiring, and have amazing and strong bodies.0 -
PF is good for beginners, but as your advanced in lifting they are kind of limited..i.e. no squatting or deadlifting...plus how the whole "judgment free zone" is BS...0
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I've never heard of PF, what's it like there?0
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Tootsie rolls? Pizza? I'm in!0 -
I love my planet fitness. I go in, do what I need to and get out. Nothing more, nothing less.
I usually go about 4-5 times a week. On my strength training days I'll do about 30 mins of cardio and then machines to fill out another 30ish mins. I go for shoulders and back, arms, and legs. I will squeeze in core exercises throughout the days as well. Then I usually go another day or two just for cardio and maybe some core (about 90 mins total).
I've never eaten the pizza but have succumbed to a few tootsie rolls when I feel my blood sugar drop after a long workout with not a lot of fuel. I always make sure to log them!
To each his own though.0 -
Good for you. Some of the PF policies are foolish, such as the all-you-cat-eat free pizza deals. Mercifully, they're only offered once a month, but it's still a poor policy that sends the wrong message to its clientele.
I always urge people to find a better place if they can afford it. If you do belong there though, you may as well make the best of it. Show resolve, avoid the fattening foods that they offer, work hard, and recognize which of their policies (e.g. no deadlifting, no grunting, no barbell squats) will only hinder your progress.
Oh, and I wouldn't put much stock in their "relaxation zone." Relaxation has its place, of course, but lying in a tanning bed will do diddly squat for one's fitness. As for the massage chairs, they can be pleasurable, but they won't do much for improving one's fitness level. As a professional massage therapist told me, they're better than just sitting on one's sofa, but only marginally so.
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I do.
I do a routine... Arm and back day, chest day, and leg day. Core on the off days, cardio everyday.
Is pf limited in the weight department? Yes. But since I don't have a spotter anyway, I'd be uncomfortable trying to do much free weights anyway.0 -
There's some wisdom to that, Doug. Caution is always good.
Of course, a spotter applies mostly to exercises such as the barbell bench press. If using dumbbells for overhead presses, one shouldn't really need a spotter. One wouldn't need one for dumbbell bench presses either, as long as clients were allowed to drop the weights if they can't quite complete a rep. (Any decent gym should have a rubberized floor that can absorb the impact.)
On a related note, this is why I wish that PF would provide cable machines for people who don't use the free weights. These machines are versatile and they engage the all-critical stabilizer muscles. Unfortunately, PR typically provides the less useful machines-- the kind that make exercise easier by forcing the user to move in a very specific arc. These machines appear less (ahem) intimidating, but most users don't realize how much they can hinder one's progress.0 -
Powercage.dougpconnell219 wrote: »I do.
I do a routine... Arm and back day, chest day, and leg day. Core on the off days, cardio everyday.
Is pf limited in the weight department? Yes. But since I don't have a spotter anyway, I'd be uncomfortable trying to do much free weights anyway.
I find a power cage is safer than a spotter in most instances.
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Honestly, it depends on what's available at the one you go to.
Since they're independently owned, they vary so much. Even with the individual franchise.
Now, we don't need the location on the one you're going to but a brief inventory.
Do they have:
weight stack machines?
cable machines?
squat rack? (yes some of them have it - heard of one in NJ and CT)
bench stations?
dumbbells?
fixed weight bars?
Ideally, a barbell is the best bet. But dumbbells and the cable machines are a good second.
You can use the NerdFitness Beginner Bodyweight routine with dumbbells if you'd like. It's pretty simple and well rounded. It's perfect if you've got access to dumbbells.0 -
Idea, if PF is a franchise, we should get one.
Make it normal during the day, but it becomes an "afterhours" meathead gym come 9pm. Front door gets locked, a keyfob entry in the back becomes active.
Dropping weights is normal. Yelling is required.
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dougpconnell219 wrote: »I do.
I do a routine... Arm and back day, chest day, and leg day. Core on the off days, cardio everyday.
Is pf limited in the weight department? Yes. But since I don't have a spotter anyway, I'd be uncomfortable trying to do much free weights anyway.
you don't need a spotter to lift if you are just doing a progressive overload program ..
if you are going for PR"s then yes, you will need one..
I never have a spotter and have not had any issues...0 -
Idea, if PF is a franchise, we should get one.
Make it normal during the day, but it becomes an "afterhours" meathead gym come 9pm. Front door gets locked, a keyfob entry in the back becomes active.
Dropping weights is normal. Yelling is required.
IN!0 -
lol I imagined you saying this aloud in a really super-enthusiastic voice
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Yassss!!!!
Idea, if PF is a franchise, we should get one.
Make it normal during the day, but it becomes an "afterhours" meathead gym come 9pm. Front door gets locked, a keyfob entry in the back becomes active.
Dropping weights is normal. Yelling is required.
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^but still+the pizza right?-1
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lol I imagined you saying this aloud in a really super-enthusiastic voice
in my mind I was saying it with an Irish dialect. ..lol0 -
Honestly, it depends on what's available at the one you go to.
Since they're independently owned, they vary so much. Even with the individual franchise.
Now, we don't need the location on the one you're going to but a brief inventory.
Do they have:
weight stack machines?
cable machines?
squat rack? (yes some of them have it - heard of one in NJ and CT)
bench stations?
dumbbells?
fixed weight bars?
Ideally, a barbell is the best bet. But dumbbells and the cable machines are a good second.
You can use the NerdFitness Beginner Bodyweight routine with dumbbells if you'd like. It's pretty simple and well rounded. It's perfect if you've got access to dumbbells.
I think it is hilarious that the bolded part reads like a legend..."Bro, I got lost in NJ and found a PF with a squat rack!!! It was epic!!" ....
LOL sorry could not resist
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I like Planet Fitness. I met with the PE and he set me up on a routine for the lifting. My routine is cardio everyday and lifting every other. I only have about an hour in the morning but I manage to get everything done. Weekends are different and I usually do longer cardio workouts. The PF I go to is staffed 24 hours which is great for me. I'm somewhat of a morning person so I get up early and start my day with a good workout.0
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Honestly, it depends on what's available at the one you go to.
Since they're independently owned, they vary so much. Even with the individual franchise.
Now, we don't need the location on the one you're going to but a brief inventory.
Do they have:
weight stack machines?
cable machines?
squat rack? (yes some of them have it - heard of one in NJ and CT)
bench stations?
dumbbells?
fixed weight bars?
Ideally, a barbell is the best bet. But dumbbells and the cable machines are a good second.
You can use the NerdFitness Beginner Bodyweight routine with dumbbells if you'd like. It's pretty simple and well rounded. It's perfect if you've got access to dumbbells.
I think it is hilarious that the bolded part reads like a legend..."Bro, I got lost in NJ and found a PF with a squat rack!!! It was epic!!" ....
LOL sorry could not resist
*rolls eyes jokingly* oy vey lol
I haven't seen one - but when I went to one regularly I wasn't looking for it...
I've got a membership now to one to use the treadmills on crappy weather days.
On my tour the kid told me that they don't have "Wesson machines", I just stared at him for a few seconds. I replied with "You mean a Smith machine?" "Oh yeah! That! I don't where I got Wesson from" "uh, the gun company, Smith & Wesson?"
I don't think he works there anymore...
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MyChocolateDiet wrote: »^but still+the pizza right?
Yeah, for the norms.
There will be a kitchen for the meatheads, I'll make stew. Like a bunch of icelanders.0 -
My PF is huge and not limited on anything. It has multiple places for squats, dead lifts, whatever you need. An entire wall of free weights...etc. I have seen other PFs and they are pretty small in comparision to mine. I go on average six-five days a week. Start with cardio then move into lifting. Two-three days a week I will do 30 minutes of circut training. Then days of nothing but free weight training. On weekends I will do straight cardio.
Ours is staffed 24 hours too.0 -
Honestly, it depends on what's available at the one you go to.
Since they're independently owned, they vary so much. Even with the individual franchise.
Now, we don't need the location on the one you're going to but a brief inventory.
Do they have:
weight stack machines?
cable machines?
squat rack? (yes some of them have it - heard of one in NJ and CT)
bench stations?
dumbbells?
fixed weight bars?
Ideally, a barbell is the best bet. But dumbbells and the cable machines are a good second.
You can use the NerdFitness Beginner Bodyweight routine with dumbbells if you'd like. It's pretty simple and well rounded. It's perfect if you've got access to dumbbells.
I think it is hilarious that the bolded part reads like a legend..."Bro, I got lost in NJ and found a PF with a squat rack!!! It was epic!!" ....
LOL sorry could not resist
*rolls eyes jokingly* oy vey lol
I haven't seen one - but when I went to one regularly I wasn't looking for it...
I've got a membership now to one to use the treadmills on crappy weather days.
On my tour the kid told me that they don't have "Wesson machines", I just stared at him for a few seconds. I replied with "You mean a Smith machine?" "Oh yeah! That! I don't where I got Wesson from" "uh, the gun company, Smith & Wesson?"
I don't think he works there anymore...
LOL
Nothing inherently wrong with PF ..it is cheap 10.00 a month, and you can go to anyone if you are member at one....I just hate the judgment free zone stuff, lunk arm, no heavy lifting....but I get why people would go there...0 -
... I want a smith and wesson machine...0
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Honestly, it depends on what's available at the one you go to.
Since they're independently owned, they vary so much. Even with the individual franchise.
Now, we don't need the location on the one you're going to but a brief inventory.
Do they have:
weight stack machines?
cable machines?
squat rack? (yes some of them have it - heard of one in NJ and CT)
bench stations?
dumbbells?
fixed weight bars?
Ideally, a barbell is the best bet. But dumbbells and the cable machines are a good second.
You can use the NerdFitness Beginner Bodyweight routine with dumbbells if you'd like. It's pretty simple and well rounded. It's perfect if you've got access to dumbbells.
I think it is hilarious that the bolded part reads like a legend..."Bro, I got lost in NJ and found a PF with a squat rack!!! It was epic!!" ....
LOL sorry could not resist
*rolls eyes jokingly* oy vey lol
I haven't seen one - but when I went to one regularly I wasn't looking for it...
I've got a membership now to one to use the treadmills on crappy weather days.
On my tour the kid told me that they don't have "Wesson machines", I just stared at him for a few seconds. I replied with "You mean a Smith machine?" "Oh yeah! That! I don't where I got Wesson from" "uh, the gun company, Smith & Wesson?"
I don't think he works there anymore...
LOL
Nothing inherently wrong with PF ..it is cheap 10.00 a month, and you can go to anyone if you are member at one....I just hate the judgment free zone stuff, lunk arm, no heavy lifting....but I get why people would go there...
It is frustrating.
What I find more frustrating though is the inconsistency within the individual franchises!
I get that the one in Manchester NH isn't going to match Portland ME or New Haven CT.
But the owner on the New Haven CT one owns 4 others. All completely different. I get that space limits you but you would think that the 5 would have the same base equipment and expand up as square footage allows.
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I went to one in when I lived in Alabama and I loved it. My favorite thing (besides the price!) about it was probably the fact that I even during peak gym hours there was PLENTY of (NEW!!) equipment for everybody...whether it was weights, machines or cardio equipment. I also liked that they had a designated circuit area so people doing circuits weren't hogging 5 machines in the main area at once during peak hours. There were always people lifting weights and that particular PF even had a squat rack. I never heard the "lunk alarm" go off once. They're building one close to where I work now and I definitely plan on joining when it opens.0
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