Joining Planet Fitness tonight...

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  • suzclark66
    suzclark66 Posts: 13 Member
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    I started at a smaller amazing gym in August of 2010. It was just like a mini community...very comfortable and client oriented! I started dropping weight like crazy with all the support and classes they had. All the trainers interacted with everyone not just their clients. Sadly...a national chain bought them out and closed it down! The only good thing that came out of it is I can use any of the national chain clubs and they have other classes that I like and I am locked in at my rate that I started at. It's about half of what they charge! I really miss the comfortable feeling though! It was my home away from home! I haven't found that in any of the gyms I visit now!
  • kammy92
    kammy92 Posts: 408 Member
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    I felt the same way when I 1st went to Planet Fitness or any other gym ...........my sister won a membership there a few yrs ago and I went with her..........but the place was soooo big you just forgot all about it.....tons of machines everywhere!!! I wouldn't even worry about it!!! Just go and work out girl!! :happy: :happy: :happy:
  • kammy92
    kammy92 Posts: 408 Member
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    I feel the same way when I work out, but you know what it may sound cliche, but the truth is I do it for me not them. Sweat means work. Some of those same people started from the same place you did.

    Amen!!!!!
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    I wouldn't walk into a Planet Fitness after seeing their commercials. They're supposedly "judgement free" -- yet, I see them being pretty judgmental in their commercials. Not all people who are fit and in shape are big dumb oafs who say "I pick things up.. and I put them down". And it is ridiculous for them to claim to be judgement free and yet.. they are judging.

    I started at Snap Fitness because it was a very laid back, very diverse gym. After a year of being with them, I found I had basically used up all they had to offer and moved to a different gym that had more options. It recently merged with Powerhouse Gym and I'm waiting to see what happens once the merge is complete. If they change too much - I'll find a different gym.

    I understand what you're saying completely, but I honestly have only heard the 'lunk alarm' once. It's not so much to stop bodybuilders or people lifting heavier weights, or even grunting...At the one I go to they do it when those types start dropping weights (but that's annoying at any gym!).

    On another note, I went to meet my friend at Powerhouse last night. I walked in and almost felt like I was walking into the Planet Fitness commercial! All these meatheads just stopped everything they were doing and looked me way. I felt really uncomfortable, being overweight and new (again) to working out. Not to mention the rudeness I encountered from their front desk person (another topic). Needless to say I went back to Planet Fitness. I just feel more comfortable there (plus my location is much larger than Powerhouse was). Good luck with the merger!

    I guess I'm very confused by how grunting is intimidating. If you lift heavy - you grunt. It is normal and not the least bit intimidating.

    I just feel like their commercials are pretty judgmental towards people who take working out/body building seriously. I mean.. everyone has different goals. Just because your goals are to lift heavy and have big muscles? Doesn't mean you're an idiot. My boyfriend lifts heavy and is in awesome shape. And yep, he grunts when he's doing dead lifts or squats. He's not a stupid meat head who says "I pick things up.. I put them down".

    As for dropping weights, I've only heard it happen ONCE at Snap and never at the gym I'm currently at... but it didn't scare me, intimidate me or upset me. It was just "gym noise" to me. No different than the noise of the treadmill or whatever.
  • jennifer2977
    jennifer2977 Posts: 156
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    I wouldn't walk into a Planet Fitness after seeing their commercials. They're supposedly "judgement free" -- yet, I see them being pretty judgmental in their commercials. Not all people who are fit and in shape are big dumb oafs who say "I pick things up.. and I put them down". And it is ridiculous for them to claim to be judgement free and yet.. they are judging.

    I started at Snap Fitness because it was a very laid back, very diverse gym. After a year of being with them, I found I had basically used up all they had to offer and moved to a different gym that had more options. It recently merged with Powerhouse Gym and I'm waiting to see what happens once the merge is complete. If they change too much - I'll find a different gym.

    I understand what you're saying completely, but I honestly have only heard the 'lunk alarm' once. It's not so much to stop bodybuilders or people lifting heavier weights, or even grunting...At the one I go to they do it when those types start dropping weights (but that's annoying at any gym!).

    On another note, I went to meet my friend at Powerhouse last night. I walked in and almost felt like I was walking into the Planet Fitness commercial! All these meatheads just stopped everything they were doing and looked me way. I felt really uncomfortable, being overweight and new (again) to working out. Not to mention the rudeness I encountered from their front desk person (another topic). Needless to say I went back to Planet Fitness. I just feel more comfortable there (plus my location is much larger than Powerhouse was). Good luck with the merger!

    I guess I'm very confused by how grunting is intimidating. If you lift heavy - you grunt. It is normal and not the least bit intimidating.

    I just feel like their commercials are pretty judgmental towards people who take working out/body building seriously. I mean.. everyone has different goals. Just because your goals are to lift heavy and have big muscles? Doesn't mean you're an idiot. My boyfriend lifts heavy and is in awesome shape. And yep, he grunts when he's doing dead lifts or squats. He's not a stupid meat head who says "I pick things up.. I put them down".

    As for dropping weights, I've only heard it happen ONCE at Snap and never at the gym I'm currently at... but it didn't scare me, intimidate me or upset me. It was just "gym noise" to me. No different than the noise of the treadmill or whatever.



    LOL, no I said not for grunting. The time I heard it go off, it was preceded by some guy going 'RRRAAAWWWWWRRRGGGGG!' really loud, followed by BANG!!!! as he dropped a huge weight on the floor. I hear people grunting there all the time. To each his own ;)
  • alyssamiller77
    alyssamiller77 Posts: 891 Member
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    I'm a Planet Fitness member and I love it. I've been a member of other so called "serious" gyms where I spent my time in the weight cage listening to guys hollar out and slam things around and I'll tell you what, I appreciate the policies at Planet Fitness. Now I do agree, the marketing approach is pretty hypocritical. They claim to be judgement free yet go on judging body builders and suggesting their all mentally challenged oafs. If my opinion of their marketing was how I chose my gym I wouldn't be a member of any gym because I take issue with all of them.

    On the grunting side, the problem isn't the normal grunting that anyone would do when lifting heavy. It's the ridiculous shouting and yelling that the guys I used to work with at some of my past gyms used to do that they don't want in their clubs. It's the huge bellow that the entire gym has to hear which is honestly completely unnecessary and annoying. The same with dropping weights. Slamming the stacks together on a weight machine, dropping a dumbbell or barbell from 2-4 ft up is simply not necessary and is disrespectful tothe gym and it's other members given the propensity to cause damage to the equipment and facilities. So while I don't find either behavior particularly "intimidating" I do find both extremely annoying and I'm thankful to have a gym that has policies against it that they actually enforce.

    Keep that last point in mind. I've been to other gyms that have policies against slamming weights (in fact Snap fitness is one of them). The difference is they don't (and after hours couldn't if they wanted to) enforce the policy. I've been treated very well by the 5 different Planet Fitness locations I've visited since I got my membership. I continue to have great success in my weight lifting and mass building progress, so I'm happy. Maybe the thought have having a lunk alarm or the hypocritical marketing is something you don't like. Well then there are plenty of other gyms that will happily take your money which of course is your right as a consumer. In the end, we each just need to find a place that works for us.
  • mstoya7
    mstoya7 Posts: 11
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    I joined Planet Fitness at the beginning of the month and I like it there. There are a lot of cardio machines but they have strenth training machines as well as free weights. I see people of all sizes when at the location I go to and I don't feel uncomfortable at all not being a size 2 or 4. I would tell anyone looking to join to try it out, besides you can't beat $10 a month :)
  • Shannonnn92
    Shannonnn92 Posts: 86 Member
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    I go to Planet Fitness too! I like to go early in the morning before class/work (6:30ish) and it's mostly all women there. It makes it a lot less intimidating, or on Sunday afternoons around 3:00 seem to be less busy. I'm not really that intimidated by the other people there, I just enjoy it much more when it isn't crowded so those are the times I like to go.
  • jennifer2977
    jennifer2977 Posts: 156
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    I go to Planet Fitness too! I like to go early in the morning before class/work (6:30ish) and it's mostly all women there. It makes it a lot less intimidating, or on Sunday afternoons around 3:00 seem to be less busy. I'm not really that intimidated by the other people there, I just enjoy it much more when it isn't crowded so those are the times I like to go.


    I wish I could get my butt up early enough to go in the morning!!!
  • Shannonnn92
    Shannonnn92 Posts: 86 Member
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    Actually the gym is my motivation to get up early since I know if I wait to go later in the day it probably won't happen! haha. I also feel like I have SO much more energy through out the day when I work out in the morning :)
  • jennifer2977
    jennifer2977 Posts: 156
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    Actually the gym is my motivation to get up early since I know if I wait to go later in the day it probably won't happen! haha. I also feel like I have SO much more energy through out the day when I work out in the morning :)

    Well I worked on the eating, now I'm working on the working out, that might be my next challenge! LOL
  • kwehkweh
    kwehkweh Posts: 70 Member
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    As an instructor I'm going to tell you the same truth I tell my classes- do your thing and don't give a flip what everyone else thinks. The people that judge you are people who feel like crap about themselves. For the most part people walk past someone who's sweaty or larger and they tend to look at you like you're a badass when you're at the gym. The gym is the only place you will be covered in sweat and become a mini god for it.
  • alyssamiller77
    alyssamiller77 Posts: 891 Member
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    They have one in my town...i heard its all Cardio equipment..keep us posted!

    Pretty sure what you heard was inaccurate. All their gyms are pretty much the same. They have a ton of Cardio equipment, no doubt but also their 30 minute circuit area, 12 minute ab area, a ton of other weight machines and a free weight area as well. Their minimum size is 15,000 sq feet so they've got all sorts of space for weight equipment too. I could be wrong, but I'd be surprised if there was one that was only cardio.

    Oh and they also all have tanning, red light and massage if I'm not mistaken.
  • alyssamiller77
    alyssamiller77 Posts: 891 Member
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    As an instructor I'm going to tell you the same truth I tell my classes- do your thing and don't give a flip what everyone else thinks. The people that judge you are people who feel like crap about themselves. For the most part people walk past someone who's sweaty or larger and they tend to look at you like you're a badass when you're at the gym. The gym is the only place you will be covered in sweat and become a mini god for it.

    ^ THIS ^ - just awesome!!!
  • nixirain
    nixirain Posts: 448 Member
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    I joined PF about a month ago. I love it there! Everyone that works there is super nice and they go out if their way to make sure everyone is comfortable. There are all types of people there. I always thought that the bodybuilder guys were all a-holes, but they have helped me on more than once with fixing a machine that I just couldnt reach or adjust. lol
  • nixirain
    nixirain Posts: 448 Member
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    They have one in my town...i heard its all Cardio equipment..keep us posted!

    Pretty sure what you heard was inaccurate. All their gyms are pretty much the same. They have a ton of Cardio equipment, no doubt but also their 30 minute circuit area, 12 minute ab area, a ton of other weight machines and a free weight area as well. Their minimum size is 15,000 sq feet so they've got all sorts of space for weight equipment too. I could be wrong, but I'd be surprised if there was one that was only cardio.

    Oh and they also all have tanning, red light and massage if I'm not mistaken.

    you information is correct, sir :)
  • kwehkweh
    kwehkweh Posts: 70 Member
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    We have one about 40 miles from my house which makes me think they're about to start expanding out my way. Do they have childcare that you have to pay for or does their "no childcare running up your cost" mean no childcare center at all?
  • jennifer2977
    jennifer2977 Posts: 156
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    We have one about 40 miles from my house which makes me think they're about to start expanding out my way. Do they have childcare that you have to pay for or does their "no childcare running up your cost" mean no childcare center at all?

    The three locations I know of don't offer it at all. And you have to be 18 to use the gym alone (unless your with a parent).
  • alyssamiller77
    alyssamiller77 Posts: 891 Member
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    No child care at all, part of how they keep the membership costs low is by not including a lot of the extras that other clubs do. No pools, tracks, child care, basket ball courts, etc. strictly cardio and strength training equipment plus tanning, red light therapy and massage chairs.

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