Anyone go to Planet Fitness?
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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.
yea, that ticks me off about anytime fitness too ..
I have been in some that have like ten squat racks, power racks, all kinds of area..and then I go to another and there is like a rack of dumbbells and a bunch of cardio machines..
thankfully, my main one is pretty good...0 -
Thank you @down_w_the_man @brightsideofpink @daynes23 @dougpconnell219 and @603reader for your suggestions/sharing your routines. I'll keep them in mind when I go to try and get a routine going for myself.
As for equipment at my PF:
Mine has everything @603reader listed, an area for cardio (bike, elliptical, and treadmill only), medicine balls, a hanging Bosu Ball sort of thing (definitely don't know the name for this, sorry), and various weight machines. It's a very tiny space, though, haha.
As for PF pizza and tootsie rolls - definitely not something I participate in. I understand the thought behind it but it's probably a little ill-advised. I'm not too crazy about their Lunk Alarm, either...mine does go off often enough and it's incredibly distracting. That being said, my PF is really clean and well-staffed, and as with other gyms everybody leaves you be. Plus it's dirt cheap, so there's that.
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I am new to planet fitness. So far I am loving it. Its also nice to use the message chairs/tanning bed as a reward after a hard workout. Good luck everyone!!0
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Thank you @down_w_the_man @brightsideofpink @daynes23 @dougpconnell219 and @603reader for your suggestions/sharing your routines. I'll keep them in mind when I go to try and get a routine going for myself.
As for equipment at my PF:
Mine has everything @603reader listed, an area for cardio (bike, elliptical, and treadmill only), medicine balls, a hanging Bosu Ball sort of thing (definitely don't know the name for this, sorry), and various weight machines. It's a very tiny space, though, haha.
As for PF pizza and tootsie rolls - definitely not something I participate in. I understand the thought behind it but it's probably a little ill-advised. I'm not too crazy about their Lunk Alarm, either...mine does go off often enough and it's incredibly distracting. That being said, my PF is really clean and well-staffed, and as with other gyms everybody leaves you be. Plus it's dirt cheap, so there's that.
I want to visit. I've never heard the alarm!
So if you have a squat rack and cool desk people (or a hidden weight area), I suggest Stronglifts or New Rules of Lifting.
The PF I went to when I started lifting, let me deadlift but some don't. So keep that in mind0 -
I guess I should get ready for some crazy criticism here. I love planet fitness. The staff is way friendly, the equipment is great! I love their strength training equipment and I love the hydromassage beds. After saying all that, I disagree about the judgment free thing because they are passing judgment on the "lunk." However, I am thankful that I do not have to be intimidated out of doing strength training because all the beefcakes have all the equipment sowed up. So take it for what its worth but I am thouroughly injoing my membership. (and I dont give a crap about the pizza, I am strong enough to walk right by it)0
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20-25 elliptical
10 mins arc trainer
20-30 on the weights
20 mins treadmill0 -
Thank you @down_w_the_man @brightsideofpink @daynes23 @dougpconnell219 and @603reader for your suggestions/sharing your routines. I'll keep them in mind when I go to try and get a routine going for myself.
I'm not too crazy about their Lunk Alarm, either...mine does go off often enough and it's incredibly distracting. That being said, my PF is really clean and well-staffed, and as with other gyms everybody leaves you be. Plus it's dirt cheap, so there's that.
I always thought the lunk alarm was just a publicity stunt, something to get others riled up. I didn't know it was a real thing! Ha. I want to visit and hear it too.
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LifeInTheBikeLane wrote: »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.
Just like the one I am going to.
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I really think, that if I was doing a long set of squats, or some hard bench, and that alarm went off. It would be extremely dangerous.0
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It kind of sounds like an ambulance alarm that just lasts for a moment - it's annoying, haha.I want to visit. I've never heard the alarm!
So if you have a squat rack and cool desk people (or a hidden weight area), I suggest Stronglifts or New Rules of Lifting.
The PF I went to when I started lifting, let me deadlift but some don't. So keep that in mind
Ok, I'll look into those suggestions.
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I attend Planet Fitness. It is convenient and affordable. Love that its right next to my house. Wish they had more things like a sauna but it works. I go and try to do 35-45 mins of cardio then weights. I am about to start working on the 30 minute circuit again cause it is good for cardio and strength training. But you are limited on how many times you use it to prevent injury. The staff at PF it awesome and I love that they have free trainers. Awesome way to motivate
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I really think, that if I was doing a long set of squats, or some hard bench, and that alarm went off. It would be extremely dangerous.
It is! At least to me, I'm definitely prone to jumping a bit when something scares me and that thing is loud. I almost dropped a medicine ball on my face the last time it went off, haha.
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I really think, that if I was doing a long set of squats, or some hard bench, and that alarm went off. It would be extremely dangerous.
It is! At least to me, I'm definitely prone to jumping a bit when something scares me and that thing is loud. I almost dropped a medicine ball on my face the last time it went off, haha.
I think management wouldn't like it if someone got hurt because of that alarm. Particularly when the lawyers smelled that kind of blood in the water.0 -
On numerous occasions, I've seen people say "I've never heard the lunk alarm go off at our location."
I don't think we should conclude much from this. First, this doesn't mean that the alarm isn't in use. It could just mean that the members have been conditioned to avoid pushing so hard that they set it off. Alternatively, it could mean that the alarm was disabled by the management at their discretion. Or perhaps it's just not used consistently.
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I've never heard of PF, what's it like there?
It as glorious wonderful place decorated with pizza and tootsie rolls. It even has a charming little siren that sounds on occasion just to remind you how wonderful it is.
And it's full of people genuinely trying to take their lives back. That matters. The business model and available snacks don't change that.0 -
I like that, the siren of wonder! lol.
What would be interesting is to see the efficacy of places like Curves vs PF vs a meathead gym, like Golds.
How many members were active weekly, how many set goals, how many achieved goals, how many had an measurable positive progress, etc.0 -
Every PF doesn't have the same equipment. You will need to see what your PF has.
At my PF, I use the free weights, barbells, some machines, and cables.
Here are a couple exercises I do (not listing them all):
For arms: Bicep curls (with dumbbells, barbells, and cables), overhead tricep extension (with dumbbells), preacher curls, cable hammer curls
For chest/shoulders: Cable crossover, chest flys, cable chest press, rear delt flys, rear delt rows
For legs: Lunges (with barbells and dumbbells), squats (with barbells)
For back: Lat pulldowns, bent over barbell row, one-arm dumbbell row
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@FatFreeFrolicking Thanks for listing some exercises!0
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You can squat. They just don't have squat racks.0 -
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.
What PFs have you been to that don't have cable machines? I've belonged to one for going on 7 years and it has cable machines. When I travel, I use the PFs in the cities I travel to and they all have cable machines, too.
My PF also has free weights and barbells and heavy weights to put on said barbells. I haven't heard the lunk alarm in several years. They do have pizza and if I wasn't so skeeved out over germs, I would probably have some, but after seeing how few people wipe down machines when they are done using them, no thanks! So tonight I'm going home and the hubby and I are having pizza from our favorite pizza joint. Yum!
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I like that, the siren of wonder! lol.
What would be interesting is to see the efficacy of places like Curves vs PF vs a meathead gym, like Golds.
How many members were active weekly, how many set goals, how many achieved goals, how many had an measurable positive progress, etc.
That would be interesting. I feel like overall, if someone is signed up for and planning to go to the gym, the type of gym matters less than their own determination. I'm going off my own feelings on that, of course, but I just know that whether I'm a member at a 'meathead' type gym or the 'everyman' type gym neither convinces me to go if I am only willing to put excuses forward.
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I like that, the siren of wonder! lol.
What would be interesting is to see the efficacy of places like Curves vs PF vs a meathead gym, like Golds.
How many members were active weekly, how many set goals, how many achieved goals, how many had an measurable positive progress, etc.
That would be interesting. I feel like overall, if someone is signed up for and planning to go to the gym, the type of gym matters less than their own determination. I'm going off my own feelings on that, of course, but I just know that whether I'm a member at a 'meathead' type gym or the 'everyman' type gym neither convinces me to go if I am only willing to put excuses forward.
I think there are some confounding variables you might not be thinking about.
For example.
$10 a month membership vs. $50, 60, 70, or even $100 a month.
Based on that ALONE will significantly impact rate of use.0 -
hbrittingham wrote: »What PFs have you been to that don't have cable machines? I've belonged to one for going on 7 years and it has cable machines. When I travel, I use the PFs in the cities I travel to and they all have cable machines, too.
I don't go to PF, precisely because of its practices. I did tour one though, and I noted the lack of cable machines. From what I've read elsewhere, this is common.
It's good that your location has them, just as there are some locations that still have the old squat racks. As you said though, yours is an older location. The older PF franchises sometimes have the older equipment, including the squat racks in question.
From what I've read, a lot of PFs do have free weights, though the selection is limited. Again, the age of the facility tends to be relevant.hbrittingham wrote: »My PF also has free weights and barbells and heavy weights to put on said barbells. I haven't heard the lunk alarm in several years.
As for the lunk alarm... as I said elsewhere, the fact that you don't hear it doesn't mean much. It could be that people have been (unfortunately) conditioned to avoid setting it off. Or sometimes the management will turn a blind eye and avoid enforcing the anti-"lunk" rules. If so, this only means that the local management has a bit of sense. It doesn't make the PF philosophy any better.0 -
FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »
You can squat. They just don't have squat racks.
smith machine???0 -
FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »
You can squat. They just don't have squat racks.
smith machine???
Think my brother has a squat rack in his PF... but he goes to PF... which is kind of embarrassing...
Nevermind. I don't have a brother...0 -
dieselbyte wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »
You can squat. They just don't have squat racks.
smith machine???
Think my brother has a squat rack in his PF... but he goes to PF... which is kind of embarrassing...
Nevermind. I don't have a brother...
Well said.
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dieselbyte wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »
You can squat. They just don't have squat racks.
smith machine???
Think my brother has a squat rack in his PF... but he goes to PF... which is kind of embarrassing...
Nevermind. I don't have a brother...
disowned..eh?0 -
I've never heard of PF, what's it like there?
Smartass.
It's a Pizzaria with free tootsie rolls.
(I don't have a Planet Fitness near me but I'm so aggravated with the critical mass of All-cardio-all-the-time gyms around here. It's either treadmills and zumba or Crossfit (and our local Crossfit people are of the cult-like variety) for us.
Thank goodness I have weights in my basement. I have to do lots of adaptations, but I have no excuse not to work out.
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I thought PF was "Pizza Friends"-1
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FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »
You can squat. They just don't have squat racks.
smith machine???
Not at the PF I go to!0
This discussion has been closed.
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