Planet fitness
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kshama2001 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »What are your goals? If you are a competitive lifter, Planet Fitness is not for you, but you'd already know that and wouldn't be asking.
There's a new PF near me and I'll probably join it when the new equipment smell dissipates.
Some people hate PF's "normal gyms are scary but we are safe" business philosophy so avoid it for that reason.
I don't think you have to be a competitive lifter...I'm not a competitive lifter in the least...but I was brought up working in the gym with traditional compound movements at the foundation of a good lifting program, most of which aren't allowed, even though they are basically the foundation of any solid program.
I'm used to having to do a lot of modifications due to my knees and lower back, so if I belonged to a facility that didn't allow deadlifts I'd find some other way to accomplish similar benefits. Like they say in yoga, "There are 80 postures and 1,000 variations."
But I can understand if you've been doing deadlifts for decades not wanting to join a gym that doesn't allow them.
And I agree that prohibiting lifts like deadlifts and the other anti-serious lifter policies they have are lame. However, for $10/month and my fitness goals and abilities I would personally put up with it.
The program I run has me working heavy days with traditional compounds as well as moderate rep/weight days and some high rep/light weight days. I do variations on those moderate and light days for sure as I have difficulty with recovery from an all "heavy" program...the problem with variations is that you start to get into more isolation (even though some still provide for a good enough full body program) that isn't going to have the full benefit of doing the actual full version of that movement.
I grew up involved in athletics of many sorts...I never lifted to be a lifter, lifting was just a part of virtually every sport I played and made me a better athlete and all kinds of movements are necessary for that from traditional compounds to variations of those movements. I got into Olympic lifting (cleans and jerks and snatches) in high school when I was doing track and field...I was a sprinter and jumper and those lifts just made me that much more explosive.
I only mention it because I think that is one of the falacies of PF marketing...that if you're into that kind of stuff, you're just a big lunk looking for attention when in reality, I'm just an athlete (I use the term loosely these days) trying to improve in my sport of choice (cycling).
It also kind of annoys me that PF portrays other gyms as these scary places where "you just won't fit in"...the first gym I went to when I got back into things was the local Jewish Community Center...it was wonderful and I had access to everything I needed to do in the weight room, including an Oly platform...there were all sorts in that gym, from the very fit to the very unfit to the just trying to get better (me)...My 2nd gym was a local shop...not small, not huge...very good mix of people. My current gym is a small studio and most people who are working there are being trained...it's not open to the public to come and go as they please...I have an "executive" membership because my trainer and his wife own the place and I trained with him for a long time and we're friends and he knows I'm not going to be doing stupid stuff and be getting in the way of other clients.
There are lots of really great gyms out there...not all of them are meat markets as PF would have people think.4 -
I liked it a lot!! Good place for newbies to start. They have "training" sessions to get you aquainted with the basics and can help you decide what/how you want to accomplish. The one closest to me is often SOOO busy after work (5-6:30 pm) I had to wait for a treadmill (sometimes bikes, too); but I also really like 2 floors of equipment and the circuit training areas :-) I stopped going bc I refuse to wait for cardio equipment, lol!0
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I like pf because of the hours (no excuses, I got time). I am a basic user. I use the cardio and weight machines and some free weight exercises. Although, some times are more crowed than others, I generally can get in and on any equipment without waiting. They don't have classes and the "trainers" are questionable imho, they can show you how to operate machines and suggest a routine if you need help I guess. . . but for $10 bucks a month and unlimited access, it does the job.
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I go to one because of price and location. It is clean, always open, and no issues with the staff. They have never said a word to any of us for deadlifting. My only real complaints would be the Smith machines instead of free weights and that the dumbells only go up to 60 pounds.
if you are deadlifting in the smith you may not be getting the true benefit of deadlifting with a bar on the floor...
It is essentially on the floor when it starts and does start from a dead stop but I despise Smith machines anyway. I would much rather have true free weights and even consider them safer but all the other gyms nearby are more expensive and lock you into a long term contract and as someone working away from home and could easily find myself in a different area, I am not willing to agree to pay as much as a $1200 contract that I may not use when this costs me $14 a month with no contract.0 -
I go to one because of price and location. It is clean, always open, and no issues with the staff. They have never said a word to any of us for deadlifting. My only real complaints would be the Smith machines instead of free weights and that the dumbells only go up to 60 pounds.
if you are deadlifting in the smith you may not be getting the true benefit of deadlifting with a bar on the floor...
It is essentially on the floor when it starts and does start from a dead stop but I despise Smith machines anyway. I would much rather have true free weights and even consider them safer but all the other gyms nearby are more expensive and lock you into a long term contract and as someone working away from home and could easily find myself in a different area, I am not willing to agree to pay as much as a $1200 contract that I may not use when this costs me $14 a month with no contract.
Right, a deadlift variation is far superior to no deadlifts at all due to not joining a gym because other facilities are too expensive or otherwise have unacceptable contracts.3 -
I went for a tour there near by our house. I literally laughed at the rule sheet that the lady gave me because I thought she was kidding. They were just so random and definitely trying stereotype against "intimidating buff dudes". Then she started bragging about their free pizza days, free bagel days, free ice cream social days.......
I laughed all the way to the parking lot.3 -
I go to one because of price and location. It is clean, always open, and no issues with the staff. They have never said a word to any of us for deadlifting. My only real complaints would be the Smith machines instead of free weights and that the dumbells only go up to 60 pounds.
if you are deadlifting in the smith you may not be getting the true benefit of deadlifting with a bar on the floor...
It is essentially on the floor when it starts and does start from a dead stop but I despise Smith machines anyway. I would much rather have true free weights and even consider them safer but all the other gyms nearby are more expensive and lock you into a long term contract and as someone working away from home and could easily find myself in a different area, I am not willing to agree to pay as much as a $1200 contract that I may not use when this costs me $14 a month with no contract.
my understanding is that it is more of a rack pull than a deadlift....
I hear you on price. For me it is worth the 70.00 a month for the family membership and I can do what I want and be as loud as I want...0 -
newheavensearth wrote: »
Once a month they have free pizza one day, free bagels another day. But my PF does not participate in it, probably because pizza and bagels here are expensive.0 -
I love the Planet Fitness I go to. There's a huge variety of people that go to mine ( including people that are very into fitness). You don't have to participate in any of the pizza or bagel days if you don't want to and when I joined they never went over any weird rules. I mean you pay 10-20 dollars a month and to me its honestly a good deal. I'm able to workout and stay in shape without having to dish out 80 dollars a month. For me its perfect but hey to each his own.5
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Their eliptical machines don't fit me as well as the ones at YouFit. And I didn't like the lack of personal TVs. It's a no-shame space, but I think all gyms are. It's personal preference.1
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I've been a basic member for three months. It is clean, open when I want to exercise, and inexpensive. I use the weight machines (at my age and with my history of injuries, machines are only safe alternative for me). Even when crowded it has plenty of capacity. I've never heard the lunk alarm go off. I have a lot of weight training experience, so I have never used the trainers. The staff has always been helpful and friendly. The gym I use does not offer free food or sponsor socials. All things considered, It's a good fit for me.3
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cwolfman13 wrote: »Depends on what you want. If you're primarily looking at working on cardio machines it's fine...if you do resistance training and you're fine with machines and a handful of free weights, it's fine. If you want to get into weight lifting at all, it's pretty sub-optimal at best. It's an OK starter fitness center...would hesitate to call it a gym.
I don't care for their fit shaming marketing.
this. Great "starter" gym- or even a great second gym.
But it's a far cry from an actual gym.
I will second this ..
if you want to progress to bigger compound lifts and what not, then PF is not going to be for you. And the lunk alarm is just ridiculous.
Agreed on the "lunk alarm" I never hear the weights drop, but the stupid alarm makes me jump! Not good when I'm on the elliptical!
It's not the ideal gym (I miss "real" classes) but for the price, it's really good.3 -
I hate the way they sell to potential clients that other gyms are scary places where they will be judged immediately. They prey on newbies fears and I don't like that at all. I have belonged to many different types of gyms over the last ten years, and at no time did any gym I ever belonged to fit that made me feel out of place, no matter how unfit I was. Every gym, with few exceptions will welcome anyone of any ability, and to advertise to people that unless they join this crap gym they won't be accepted. It's utter bull.
I toured the one that just opened in my town before getting a membership to a real gym. Sure, it costs three times as much, but I can do squats with a proper squat rack - squats are an exercise my local Planet Fitness does not support as only "lunks" do squats. I hate to tell them, but this 37 year old overweight woman does squats. I'm no where near a "lunk"
I personally enjoy going to a gym with people of all abilities. I love seeing super fit people while I workout. It keeps me on the treadmill or elliptical just that much longer. Seeing people who work out once a week or less and never get results is my definition of a sad trip to the gym.
I also don't agree with pizza and candy at the gym. I asked the salesperson what was the deal with the huge bucket of candy, and she said it was a little reward for working out. More like, eat ten of these little tootsie rolls and completely undo your entire workout. People were eating them on the treadmill ffs.
I honestly believe that we humans need motivation to work out and to do a good job in the gym. Watching people eat candy and pizza while doing the bare minimum and getting 0 results, does not give much motivation.
If anything, you're being motivated not to be fit. Fit people are the enemy-remember? Fit people will look down on you. They are bad. Don't be bad.
They do have a stellar idea though. Get a bunch of people who aren't really going to work out that hard or frequently to all give you ten bucks a month to feel like they are doing something good for their health and then profit completely off of them when they barely use the substandard equipment to barely get fit. As far as business ideas, it's a good one. Great even. As a gym, it's good if it's all you can afford I guess.5 -
These are actual signs in Planet "Fitness" 'Nuff said?
As far as "Judgment Free" goes, that is a lie.
They judge anyone who is really trying to work to get in shape and are insulting to anyone who tries to lift anything heavier than a bagel or slice of pizza.
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I went for a tour there near by our house. I literally laughed at the rule sheet that the lady gave me because I thought she was kidding. They were just so random and definitely trying stereotype against "intimidating buff dudes". Then she started bragging about their free pizza days, free bagel days, free ice cream social days.......
I laughed all the way to the parking lot.
Interesting. When I had my tour the only rules they went over were you had to be 18 for the tanning beds/hydro-message bed and use the cleaner to spray all equipment after use. I think the girl mentioned pizza and bagels, though I've never heard of ice cream. My girls once made use of the free pizza because they were late for dinner (because of their activity, not my workout) but I haven't. I have made use of the tootsie rolls due to being diabetic and sometimes its hard to tell when sugar is getting low while in the middle of a workout. To each their own, I guess. I also live in a college town so the cheap price attracts lots of very fit looking people wearing tank tops and I've never seen or heard of anyone being disrespected. Personally I like PF, but I have no interest in major weight lifting whatsoever so, as I said, to each their own.2 -
These are actual signs in Planet "Fitness" 'Nuff said?
As far as "Judgment Free" goes, that is a lie.
They judge anyone who is really trying to work to get in shape and are insulting to anyone who tries to lift anything heavier than a bagel or slice of pizza.
At SOME "Planet Fitness"
Franchise policies vary.5 -
ShowingProgress wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »I've heard that they have kicked people out for openly disagreeing with their political views.
I was going to post the same thing...
They call it a 'No Judgement Zone'...as long as you agree with them...
I didn't even realize they have political views. Who goes to the gym and spouts of political views? Probably one guy being an idiot about it was asked to leave.3
https://youtu.be/qBRG4RkE51Q
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