Weighing my options

It depends on what you want to do at the gym. If you're primarily using it for cardio equipment and/or intend to do resistance training with mostly machines and/or dumbbells, PF is fine. If you want access to more free weights, including squat racks, bench and incline bench, deadlift platforms and bumper plates, etc you're likely better off with the YMCA depending on what your YMCA has. The Y that I worked out at many many years ago was fully equipped with everything but I'm not sure that is true across the YMCA board.

I was a member at a PF briefly in the winter of 2018 mostly to use their cardio equipment at lunch as the facility was only a couple miles from my office...it was fine but I found various things annoying and their "weight room" was very lacking for what I need to follow my programming, but it was just my "backup gym". I much prefer a fully equipped gym.

Your budget matters . . . but if the Y is affordable even though more money, then perhaps other things matter more.

What may matter more - which are issues of personal preference - is things like:

* what kinds of equipment, classes, and amenities each offers
* hours they're open
* cleanliness of the facility
* general "culture" of the facility, i.e., are staff (and maybe even patrons) pleasant to be around
* how convenient the location is for you (I don't have a cite, but I saw some survey-type research recently suggesting that convenience of location is a surprisingly large variable in how often people work out, and small differences of distance are meaningful).
* how crowded it is (and how much competition therefore for equipment or space in classes)
* pricing of added-cost options, if there are any relevant to you (classes, personal training, services like massage or whatever)
* payment methods available
* cancellation rules/methods if you decide to stop
* ability to put membership on hold (no charge) if you're out of town for an extended period (if that may matter to you)
* etc.

Since this may be a long term meaningful decision for you, make a list of things you'd like in a gym (or what activities you think you'd like to try/do at one). Then make a list for the things in my asterisk list that you care about above plus any others you think of. Some of it you can get from their web sites, but you'll want to visit each, and ask for a tour. (Call in advance in case you need to schedule, but prefer a time close to when you'd be most likely to go.) Compare lists side by side in context of the price difference, then decide.

If you totally have no idea, go with the cheap one, as long as it's not dramatically less convenient.

Just my opinions.

Hello there. The wife and I were members of PF for several years before moving away into the middle of nowhere. We both had very enjoyable experiences. The biggest issue was there was only one PF in our town and it could get quite busy at certain times of the day, especially after work. That being said, there appeared to be enough equipment available to transition soon enough from one exercise to another w/o long waits.
I can only speak for the PF gym we went to, but the staff was really good, and I never once saw anyone being looked down upon for their size or abilities. There was every body type there and I was amazed at how people, who didn't know one another, would encourage each other in their journey's.
I have never been a member of the Y. The wife has and she liked PF better, even though the Y has more classes for folks to attend, if they desire. I do know the PF we attended had personal trainers available, but I assume that was extra or part of a higher membership fee.

QuietRunner wrote: »

Hello there. The wife and I were members of PF for several years before moving away into the middle of nowhere. We both had very enjoyable experiences. The biggest issue was there was only one PF in our town and it could get quite busy at certain times of the day, especially after work. That being said, there appeared to be enough equipment available to transition soon enough from one exercise to another w/o long waits.
I can only speak for the PF gym we went to, but the staff was really good, and I never once saw anyone being looked down upon for their size or abilities. There was every body type there and I was amazed at how people, who didn't know one another, would encourage each other in their journey's.
I have never been a member of the Y. The wife has and she liked PF better, even though the Y has more classes for folks to attend, if they desire. I do know the PF we attended had personal trainers available, but I assume that was extra or part of a higher membership fee.

I'm not replying to your post to disagree with you at all . . . but to continue the line of conversation.

I know that PF has used marketing tactics suggesting that other gyms can be bullying or critical of people who are not gym bros/babes, but I think that's less common than they might like us to believe.

One of the things I've loved about my Y was the diversity of patrons, and how supportive everyone was. There were people of all ages, sizes, ethnicities, fitness levels, and speaking various languages in the locker rooms and such. The staff was friendly and helpful, and I found other gym-goers to be pretty nice, too, and encouraging to others. My Y had a sort of "scholarship program" for people who couldn't afford to join the Y, but desperately needed workout support for reasons of health or obesity. I knew some of the recipients, and saw them getting great support - not just the financial side, but practical and personal support, too.

I've also been to other commercial gyms around here for classes and that sort of thing, including when I was obese (plus older), and didn't perceive any kind of negative reception from instructors, staff, or other patrons. I admit, I didn't spend as much time in those as at my Y's various locations. I'm sure there are gyms that seriously aren't welcoming to less-fit or obese people, but I don't think that's as common as PF marketing implies.

I know we hear from people here who have anxiety about going to the gym, and I can understand that . . . but I think most gyms in most places are not abusive. It's fairly common for people to ignore others (because they're focused on their own workouts, not there to socialize), but I don't think bad behavior is super common.

Planet Fitness is usually a good gym option if you are on a budget. They have most of the weight machines that are needed to get a good full body workout. They also have a good recovery station that I would recommend using (the hydro massage and massage chairs).

The downside of going to planet fitness is that they do not offer the best personal training options. If you don’t have a clear plan on what you would like to accomplish with your workout, it’s going to be difficult to get the proper guidance in there. I would recommend searching for a private personal trainer to help assist you with a fitness plan so that you will have a clear idea of what you should be doing while you’re at the gym.

Hopefully this helps. The main thing is that you’re on the right path for wanting to have a gym membership. That is one of the first steps to having a successful fitness journey

I use a PF bc it's ~1min from me, cheap and has everything I need. So what's the most important priority for you? Pick the cheapest one as long as it has the equipment/features you want/need.

As far as the marketing aspect of PF being 'judgement free'....whatever, gyms (where people powerlift specifically) are some of the most supportive places/people I've ever met. So I'm never worried about that. It's simple math - cheap, close/accessible so I know I'll go. If I had to drive more than 10 min to get to a gym - I'm sure I wouldn't.

Planet Fitness is the gym that everyone loves to hate but there's one close to my office and it's cheap (I have my barbell, plates & rack at home for the heavier lifting).

In their favour they tend to have a good variety of well maintained equipment and many of the locations are open 24 hours a day. On the downside they're poorly equipped to handle the needs of an aspiring powerlifter, they don't have cages (if you've ever squatted in a smith machine you'll understand why this is a problem) and they don't have bars & plates (lots of dumbbells & fixed weigh barbells).

Honestly for what the vast majority of people need in a gym they're fine. It is ironic that they claim to be a judgment free zone but openly mock "lunks".

Cross posting from another thread:

I belong to two gyms. The Y near my home is very convenient and not terribly crowded in the early morning. It has a good mix of free weights and power racks, machines, and cardio. I don't take advantage of the pool or classes. I also belong to an old school hole-in-the-wall gym which is a bare bones barbell gym. It gets the job done and the staff is awesome. I've been to PF only once. It was clean with a reasonable selection of resistance and cardio machines. I found it to be very crowded (the parking lot is full every time I drive by). I think it depends on your goals and budget. If you're focused on a full body workout a few times a week, I don't think you can go wrong with a PF membership. If, on the other hand, you are looking to explore a more intense lifting program, a gym with free weights might be a better option.