What do you think of Planet Fitness?
VividVegan
Posts: 200 Member
I'm a student on a college budget and there's a Planet Fitness near my apartment (and campus). The campus does have a gym but only the 4 days a week (Monday-Thursday) that the campus is open which three of those days I have classes almost all day, and the school gym is somewhat small and often crowded with students. I attend a community college. Should I give Planet Fitness a go? I generally lift weights and do cardio HIIT but I'm considering adding more variety and would feel comfortable with more room. I have some free weights and an elliptical. That's it. And my apartment got a bit crammed after adding more furniture and a large study desk.
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I, personally, don't have an issue with PF. I'm product of what can be accomplished at PF. BUT they are kind of limiting, and they do have "personal trainers". So your going to get out exactly what you put in.3
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Depends on the PF. Sometimes they have what you need, sometimes they don't. Tour it and make sure they have what you need and find out if the busy time is your normal time. PF can get very crowded so if there's one rack or bench you can wait a while.
Lunk alarm, pizza and tootsie rolls are lame but avoidable.2 -
VividVegan wrote: »I'm a student on a college budget and there's a Planet Fitness near my apartment (and campus). The campus does have a gym but only the 4 days a week (Monday-Thursday) that the campus is open which three of those days I have classes almost all day, and the school gym is somewhat small and often crowded with students. I attend a community college. Should I give Planet Fitness a go? I generally lift weights and do cardio HIIT but I'm considering adding more variety and would feel comfortable with more room. I have some free weights and an elliptical. That's it. And my apartment got a bit crammed after adding more furniture and a large study desk.
It's the gym I use, but I'm not a huge lifter. Their free weights tend to be limited (Most of their locations max out at 50 lb dumb bells, and all machines).
They tend not to be crowded, in my experience, but that really depends on location.
I generally use PF for the mat area to do body weight exercises, and to run when weather is crappy. Works for me, at $10/month.1 -
They are cheap and you can get a decent workout in.
Wife and I just switched to PF and she likes it more than I.
I get most of my lifting done at the gym at work so when I'm down there it's mostly for accessory work. With the smith machines, squatting is out, but if for some reason I need to hit legs they have enough variety with the smith and other machines to work the legs.
At $10 a month it's not bad at all.
I don't care about their advertising one way or another.1 -
Price: best around
Cardio: typically plenty fo machines
Weights: i think its rare to see p.f. with free weights (except for dumbbells). They have lots of machines but if youre like me then essentially all they have for you is dumbbells and cables.
You can get by at p.f. but you may have to adapt your routine. I always join p.f. in the summer and then go to a gym with free weights after summer (just graduated college). Take a tour decide if you can get by with what they have.1 -
use the search function, you should see hundreds of threads about planet fitness.
in general i think the reception is overwhelmingly negative.1 -
I have no problem with it. Most people complain the free weights don't go high enough, but I don't see myself using a 70'lb dumbbell any time soon anyway.
Some of them are really stepping up their game by adding TRX straps, box jump stations, and even monkey bars, but this is dependent on location (mine doesn't do this, but I know people in CT/PA areas who have some of these things included in theirs).
I don't find it to be super crowded other than in the early months of the year.
I keep a membership there in case I'm travelling or trying to work out on a holiday (my main gym only has 4 locations and limited hours on holidays). I like it.
Just don't buy into the whole pizza monday/bagel Tuesday/tootsie roll thing (unless it fits your caloric goals for the day, then who the hell cares? If you're like I was in college, free food is the best food!)2 -
I, personally, don't have an issue with PF. I'm product of what can be accomplished at PF. BUT they are kind of limiting, and they do have "personal trainers". So your going to get out exactly what you put in.
Stupid voice to text.... they don't, repeat do not, have personal trainers other than classes.0 -
3.6 years at planet fitness. I have no issue with it. I left bc I had progressed as far as I could at PF. I needed a bar that was not trapped in a smith. I achieved all of this at PF so I'm a PF girl but happy to be at a gym where I don't draw too much attention and the bar is free from the smith
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/progress-photo/17813097/296ee0b731cd47d883c14653b80720ab-610xh.jpg1 -
I love Planet Fitness and I have been going there for years. I was at a community college for two years and went while I was there as well. Perfect place for someone on a college budget in my opinion. My current planet fitness has added a lot of cool equipment that I like using for my resistance training but that aspect probably depends on location. Overall, I really love going there and having access to the other Planet Fitness gyms when I travel (I have the black card).1
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I have a Planet Fatness membership. I mostly do cardio and circuit although my PF does have free weights and squat racks, which I understand is not the norm. I'm not ever likely to want to do classes or group exercises so PF is good for me at $10 a month plus the $79 annual fee. Ours is 24 hours, which I like. I will say though, if you want to work out right after work, God love you. It's so crowded then. but mornings and after 8pm are fine. You just can't get a machine from 5pm-7pm. Especially not from January through May.1
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I'v never been so theres something i want to know, is the "lunk alarm" real or just an internet joke?0
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Some of their practices as a company are unsavory, and they aren't set up for serious lifters. However, given your specific situation, it sounds like a good option. Go for it.1
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I'v never been so theres something i want to know, is the "lunk alarm" real or just an internet joke?
No it's a legit thing. Even though I've never seen it go off. Basically when some bros start slamming weights and grunting and groaning really loudly they make the alarm go off to draw attention to the person doing it. Which is nothing more than a way to embarrass someone ....1 -
Personally, I'd never join a PF. No pool.
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I find it quite ironic that a place that calls itself the "Judgement Free Zone" has a buzzer when someone is judged to not be in compliance or working too hard. They have a bunch of dress code rules too.I'v never been so theres something i want to know, is the "lunk alarm" real or just an internet joke?
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I find it quite ironic that a place that calls itself the "Judgement Free Zone" has a buzzer when someone is judged to not be in compliance or working too hard. They have a bunch of dress code rules too.I'v never been so theres something i want to know, is the "lunk alarm" real or just an internet joke?
The two i frequent is basically,
No Boots
No Jeans
No spaghetti strap tanks0 -
I really like PF. I am in the gym every day at 5 am and the staff is very friendly and helpful. I like the fact that no matter what city I travel to, I can find one and not miss a beat. PF have alot of different equipment so I've never had to wait. I've been a member for five years. It works for me because I am able to maintain. I am not trying to be a bodybuilder.
They are decent!0 -
I find it quite ironic that a place that calls itself the "Judgement Free Zone" has a buzzer when someone is judged to not be in compliance or working too hard. They have a bunch of dress code rules too.I'v never been so theres something i want to know, is the "lunk alarm" real or just an internet joke?
They're the most judgmental "judgment free" zone I've ever seen. Total hypocrisy on their part, absolutely ridiculous.1 -
For $10/month with no contract, it's working well for me. I started out thinking of it as renting a treadmill for when I can't run outside. But there's a good variety of cardio equipment, everything is new and clean (at least in my location), lots of free weights, medicine balls. An ab area, a circuit training area, weight machines. A trainer with classes - a bootcamp style, an ab class, a circuit class, and a few other - and appointments for basic private instruction. I was pleasantly surprised.
I do live in a city, so there may be extras available due to the large population and availability of other gyms.0 -
The people who don't like it are generally people who have outgrown it. It really isnt for serious lifters, who usually have the most issues with it. Perfect for me, but I just started weight lifting, and know at some point I will have to move on once I set goals I can't achieve at PF. I go either 5-6a, or on my lunch at 11:30-12:30 and don't have any issues getting the equipment I need.
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If that's what you have? Make it work. Good luck.0
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I'm a member of PF and it's fine for my immediate capabilities and short-term goals. People need to understand that PF is a franchise business model. They exist specifically to make a lot of money by making their gym as appealing as possible to as broad a base as possible to get ten times as many people as maximum gym capacity to actually join. Most people who join a gym will not stick with it. Most people are overweight and out of shape. PF markets to that target audience, not the people who are already health and fitness conscious and certainly not people who are looking to enter bodybuilding or powerlifting competitions.
My experience has been that the biggest gripes people have against PF don't really apply to my home location. The people who work there are young, chill AF, and really fit themselves. I've heard dudes grunting loudly in the weight room and the "lunk alarm" never goes off. People drop weights. People wear sports bras and tank tops and carry around giant water bottles and never catch any flak from staff. I know some people's PF is far more strict and I would never work out at a gym like that.
My advice would be this. Do you know anyone with a Black Card membership? If so, visit as their guest and see how you like it. Whether or not joining PF is right for you would be solely contingent upon what your immediate goals are. If you need a lot of personal, professional attention, childcare, a pool, a running track, dumbbells over 75lbs, or group classes like Zumba or Spin, PF isn't the right gym for you. If you just need to do self-guided cardio and light weight training, you can't beat the price.0 -
If it fits in your budget try it out There is no contract. You do need to give them written notice before the 10th of the month to end your contract or it will automatically renew. So for example if you try to cancel on September 19th you will still get stuck paying for October. But at $10 per month for a plain membership you are really only risking about $20 - $30 if you absolutely hate it
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I have never been a member of a planet fitness, but personally I would not be interested in going. It all depends on your goals. If you want to do squats, deadlifts, and bench press with equipment other than a fixed barbell or a smith machine, then it is not for you. However, if you enjoy strength and bodyweight training, and cardio and can independently create your own workout routines, then it is probably good for you especially if you are on a budget. Regardless of the price, always be sure to get your money's work and utilize all the benefits that your membership has to offer!
Also, no group classes at PF which is kind of a bummer. Soo I'd say if PF is all you have, go with it. But if there is another cost efficient option--such as a Retro Fitness-- look into that.0 -
I find it quite ironic that a place that calls itself the "Judgement Free Zone" has a buzzer when someone is judged to not be in compliance or working too hard. They have a bunch of dress code rules too.I'v never been so theres something i want to know, is the "lunk alarm" real or just an internet joke?
They're the most judgmental "judgment free" zone I've ever seen. Total hypocrisy on their part, absolutely ridiculous.
For this...
I would gladly pay the membership fee just for the pleasure of receiving a lifetime ban from PF.1 -
I went to PF (for the first time) today to train an old friend from HS. (His gym.) I started him off with mobility to help remediate some of his pains, and there was no bands, foam rollers, or LaX balls. Good thing I always travel with them.
Spotless place, but as an athlete (an amateur of no note) not the place for me.
But that candy on the way out... Oh yum!0 -
nakedraygun wrote: »
But that candy on the way out... Oh yum!
I got on the treadmill the other night after hitting the weight room and when I went to put my gloves in the cupholder, it was full of Tootsie Roll wrappers. It was...surreal LOL
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JennGardner1 wrote: »nakedraygun wrote: »
But that candy on the way out... Oh yum!
I got on the treadmill the other night after hitting the weight room and when I went to put my gloves in the cupholder, it was full of Tootsie Roll wrappers. It was...surreal LOL
Only wrappers?
BURN IT DOWN ! BURN IT ALL DOWN! BURN THE ASHES! NUKE IT FROM ORBIT. ONLY WAY TO BE SURE!
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