Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.
No intimidation "gyms"
Replies
-
If a no-intimidation gym gets otherwise sedentary people off their couches to exercise regularly, then how could that possibly be a bad thing?
I also know of several people who started from the couch at these kinds of gyms and, after a year or two, decided they wanted to up their fitness game so joined a standard gym. Again - this is all good in my view.31 -
youcantflexcardio wrote: »As for why these gyms exist, you pretty much summed up the reason why people don't want to go to regular gyms and purposefully look for gyms of the no-intimidation type with your second paragraph. I wouldn't want to go a gym where people treat those who are overweight as lazy either.
I have never once seen someone criticized for being "lazy" at a regular gym - but showing someone where they stand in regards to obesity, bf%, strength, cardio, and teaching them how to rectify it through proper nutrition and training should not be demonized and seen as harsh. I have no qualms about someone telling me I'm fairly strong but I could stand to lose another 40+ pounds, because they are right. And before I started this when I ran into an old friend who last knew me fit he looked at me and said "dude you got fat, like really fat"...he wasn't being mean, he was one of the few people who was being honest.
You may respond just fine to someone saying that. A lot of people would not. My use of "lazy" was referring to the words you wrote in your OP - that these gyms are the embodiment of our "lazy, overly PC, overfed American culture" - and that people having bodily autonomy and getting to decide how they want to look and exercise is not ok, because someone should be telling them that being obese is not okay and they should stop being lazy and fix it.
I don't see not being rude to someone and telling them they are fat and need to lose weight as overly PC, I see it as just having manners. I think that unless you personally are going to dedicate your time to helping the person with their weight loss, as in workouts, food, and helping to resolve the life issues that contributed to the weight gain - overloaded at work, medical issues, family issues, childcare, mental health challenges, finances, etc. - it's better to zip your lip.
I see overweight and obese people who have lost plenty of weight to get to that point, and they would still be labeled as "lazy and overfed" just based on how they look by this metric. People are more than their appearance.37 -
The OP is the reason the 'no intimidation' gyms exist. Who cares if I go just to use the cardio equipment? As for the 'teaching new comers', if I want to learn how to use the machines, I'll book a personal trainer. I don't need some *kitten* harassing me because I use the elliptical 5 times a week instead of some insane weight work out.43
-
I like my Planet Fitness, I just joined last week. I have been a member of many different gyms over the years and PF fits me just fine. It's what YOU make of it.
The only knock I have is its use of purple and yellow. It's offensive to me. LOL30 -
Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »I have never heard the "no intimidation gym" term. What does this even mean and why is planet fitness one? This is probably a stupid question but I googled it as well and can't seem to find anything explaining fully.
I have never belonged to a gym, but do people usually comment on your workouts at most gyms? I always thought no one would talk to you unless you asked for advice and everyone just did their own thing. At most gyms it is the norm to have someone approach you every time and tell you how/what to do? I am genuinely curious because I never thought this was how gyms were but I have no clue since never been to one lol.
It is absolutely not the norm. I've belonged to several different gyms and never seen this happen and it would be considered very rude behavior if someone did so unsolicited. Most people don't carry around body fat calipers and meal plans just to give random gym-goers advice so I have no idea what OP means when he says he wants a gym where people give thorough constructive advice about the bodies of strangers.9 -
Gyms marketed as "no intimidation" are solving a problem that people who are scared to go to a gym think they will have. Whether or not it is a real problem is immaterial. The fear of that problem - I'll look stupid, I won't know what to do, people will stare at me, the employees will tell me I'm doing it wrong, big guys will growl at me from the weight room, whatever - is keeping them away from the gym. If these no intimidation gyms get people on a treadmill or taking a calisthenics class or yoga, I think that's awesome. I don't see any connection at all with PC culture or laziness or fat acceptance or anything like that at all. I see a nice mix of fit people and those who are still a work in progress coming out of the local PF. <shrug>35
-
Exactly. If you don't like PF go somewhere else.If a no-intimidation gym gets otherwise sedentary people off their couches to exercise regularly, then how could that possibly be a bad thing?L1zardQueen wrote: »I like my Planet Fitness, I just joined last week. I have been a member of many different gyms over the years and PF fits me just fine. It's what YOU make of it.
The only knock I have is its use of purple and yellow. It's offensive to me. LOL
Same with me, years ago I went to a "real" gym, lost weight, gained muscle, was in the best shape of my life. I left the area, returned 20 years later and went back to the gym. It was basically the same but I wasn't motivated there. It was expensive because it was a "real" gym. I mostly used to the treadmill. When my membership expired I went to PF to try it with their $10 a month no commitment offer. If I didn't like it I would leave and go back to the old gym. I have been using it for almost three years now. I like it.
I disliked the "real" gym because it had several different types of treadmills, ellipticals each with their own characteristics. PF has consistency, it doesn't matter which machine I get on it is going to operate the same as every other machine, and I don't have to be on top of another person.
Currently I am using the treadmill and that is worth the $10 a month. if I want to get back on free weights I will go back to a "real" gym and pay through the nose.
But the color scheme is awful, it must be some physiological trick.15 -
Why can't people have different goals, different workout preferences, and different routines? If someone doesn't want to lift heavy, why is that necessarily a bad thing? Never mind the fact that people being intimidated by free weights is actually a thing.
IMO, if a "no intimidation" model gets more people moving, that's a good thing. Sorry if I cut into your condescension.28 -
Meh. Different things for different people. A no intimidation gym wouldn't be my choice. I grunt a little on the last rep and I'll occasionally put the bar down a little hard on the the last rep of the last set of deads.
But if other people want to go to something like a planet fitness, that's their choice. I've worked out in MMA gyms where there were a lot of Bros. In YMCA gyms. And a lot of others. To me, the equipment, the cost and the proximity are the drivers of my choice. What kind of people are there doesn't matter to me one way or the other. There were some real jerky bros who yelled and banged weights at one LA Fitness I went to. If it was filled with those types, I'd probably choose a different one.
But even at the MMA gym, the people were just into their workouts. BTW, I would like to 2nd that I've never gotten any unsolicited advice. If I asked, I got some. But never had someone just come up and start giving advice. If that happened, it would not be well received.
Bottom line, these places (no intimidation gyms) exist because there is a market for them. If they help some people get more fit than they would otherwise, it's no loss to me and positive for them.9 -
While I think the concept itself of "no intimidation" gyms is silly and unnecessarily instills fear of gyms, I have no problem with the existence of 'less hardcore' gyms. Not everybody is (or wants to be) a hardcore powerlifter or bodybuilder, and that's perfectly fine. In terms of general health, any exercise is better than no exercise.
I do have a problem with the blatant hypocrisy of Planet Fitness' marketing strategy. They label themselves as a "no judgment zone", yet they're highly judgmental of fit people and their commercials stereotype and mock them in various ways. If any other gym chain wanted to project a more 'hardcore' image and made TV commercials stereotyping, mocking and belittling fat people and scrawny non-lifters in a similar way, they'd be crucified for it.
Planet Fitness is the closest/most convenient gym in town for me, and also the most inexpensive. I'm sure I could get a decent enough workout there, and I actually wouldn't even mind paying the $20 a month to have them as a "backup" gym for the occasional workout or to use their hydromassage tables or whatever. But because I abhor their hypocritical marketing strategy so much, I've never set foot in one and I'll gladly drive further and pay almost twice as much for my membership to another gym chain.18 -
This post made me laugh. I just joined a really cheap gym that has mostly cardio equipment. I only need the treadmill because mine is broken and it's dark in the morning so I don't want to walk alone (my dog was my walking partner and she passed last month). So people actually do have legit reasons for joining these types of gyms that have nothing to do with judgment (not that I would actually care if someone was judging me, that's their issue, not mine).
I suspect I will drop the gym if I get another dog or someone buys me a treadmill for Christmas.21 -
Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »I have never heard the "no intimidation gym" term. What does this even mean and why is planet fitness one? This is probably a stupid question but I googled it as well and can't seem to find anything explaining fully.
I have never belonged to a gym, but do people usually comment on your workouts at most gyms? I always thought no one would talk to you unless you asked for advice and everyone just did their own thing. At most gyms it is the norm to have someone approach you every time and tell you how/what to do? I am genuinely curious because I never thought this was how gyms were but I have no clue since never been to one lol.
I've been in and out of gyms since I was about 15/16 years old. I've never received unsolicited advice or had anyone comment on my workout.
"Gymtimidation" is basically PF marketing thing...that marketing gives people the impression that if they go to other gyms, the "lunks" will be judging them and whatnot...also not anything I've ever experienced.
As to the OP...I'm not big on PF marketing, but fitness centers like that are adequate for the vast majority of people to achieve a reasonable level of health and fitness. While I do prefer free weights, compound movements, and Olympic lifting, most people just trying to get a little fitness will do fine at a place like PF if they go regularly. I had a membership way back in the beginning of this little safari I'm on namely because it was cheap, down the street from my house, and I mostly needed it for cardio equipment in the winter. I also wasn't sure how much I'd use it and had gotten tangled up in long term contracts before, so it seemed like a safe bet starting out. I ultimately outgrew it in regards to what I wanted to do...but it was fine starting out, and probably fine for the vast majority of people out there who just want to get in a little regular exercise.8 -
I workout at a small local 24-hr. gym (code access). There is a guy who is sometimes there and he groans extremely loudly whether he is doing any activity or not. It is not a big place and if he is on weights in the back and I'm on the treadmill in front, he will make an effort to walk all the way to the front grunting loudly every few steps as he walks past and then returns to the back for his next set. I assume he was a jock in high school because his license plate says "85CHAMP" and 1985 was HS based on age estimate.
That is exactly the type of jerk that makes some gym-goers uncomfortable. I shouldn't be able to hear him groaning through my earbuds at full volume unless he is lifting a whole lot more than his legs to walk past. I try to ignore him and avoid showing any signs that I even notice he is there, but it is still very annoying.17 -
This post made me laugh. I just joined a really cheap gym that has mostly cardio equipment. I only need the treadmill because mine is broken and it's dark in the morning so I don't want to walk alone (my dog was my walking partner and she passed last month). So people actually do have legit reasons for joining these types of gyms that have nothing to do with judgment (not that I would actually care if someone was judging me, that's their issue, not mine).
I suspect I will drop the gym if I get another dog or someone buys me a treadmill for Christmas.
Sometimes my dog is the only thing that gets me out of the house and moving. Yay for dogs.
10 -
comptonelizabeth wrote: »This post made me laugh. I just joined a really cheap gym that has mostly cardio equipment. I only need the treadmill because mine is broken and it's dark in the morning so I don't want to walk alone (my dog was my walking partner and she passed last month). So people actually do have legit reasons for joining these types of gyms that have nothing to do with judgment (not that I would actually care if someone was judging me, that's their issue, not mine).
I suspect I will drop the gym if I get another dog or someone buys me a treadmill for Christmas.
Sometimes my dog is the only thing that gets me out of the house and moving. Yay for dogs.
24 -
I’m not a fan of chains like PF however I don’t blame people for joining PF because of the low cost.
I personally know people that used PF as a stepping stone, and eventually joined gyms where building muscle was the primary focus.
Here’s my problem with PF ... They throw pizza parties every month and hand out candies at the desk. Now that really gets my blood boiling. I also hate the commercials they use... They say they don’t judge but they do, through their marketing.
5 -
Mmmmm pizza, nothing wrong with pizza! They do have candy at their front desk, little tiny tootsie rolls, one does not have to take them.8
-
Tacklewasher wrote: »comptonelizabeth wrote: »This post made me laugh. I just joined a really cheap gym that has mostly cardio equipment. I only need the treadmill because mine is broken and it's dark in the morning so I don't want to walk alone (my dog was my walking partner and she passed last month). So people actually do have legit reasons for joining these types of gyms that have nothing to do with judgment (not that I would actually care if someone was judging me, that's their issue, not mine).
I suspect I will drop the gym if I get another dog or someone buys me a treadmill for Christmas.
Sometimes my dog is the only thing that gets me out of the house and moving. Yay for dogs.
And they don't - shock, horror - force you to eat pizza!2 -
After perusing this thread I just remembered the first Friday of the month is free pizza day at my Planet Fitness. And it's good pizza with plenty of pork toppings.
So I'm going there now for as many slices as they'll give me and I'll eat them at the small glass tables right by the front door, in front of the employees and everyone walking by. With a bottle of full sugar Pepsi from the Planet Fitness fridge. And it will be okay.
Then I'll sashay to the ladies' locker room to take a few selfies. After that, to the vibrating hydromassage beds. Then I'll leave without exercising at all and no one will so much as look askance at me and my rubenesque frame.
OP, I'm so glad you and your ilk won't be there.28 -
Sunrain2018 wrote: »...Here’s my problem with PF ... They throw pizza parties every month and hand out candies at the desk. Now that really gets my blood boiling. I also hate the commercials they use... They say they don’t judge but they do, through their marketing.
That's the one reason I would actually consider joining. I could easily eat 20 bucks worth of tootsie rolls and free pizza in a month.
Now if they just weren't so douchey and judgmental with their advertising....12
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.4K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 387 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 899 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.2K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions