PLANET FITNESS GYM and its" Judgment Zone"

Larimar0989
Larimar0989 Posts: 55
edited December 24 in Fitness and Exercise
* "Judgment FREE Zone"

Hello everyone. I recently started attending Planet Fitness. I go with my mom every morning at 6am. I've only attended for one week but have observed a lot of interesting, different things that I have not seen in other gyms:

1. Their motto is that its a "Judgment Free Zone".
-This makes me feel like they think everyone there is super paranoid about their weight.

2. They have no scale in the bathroom
-How am I supposed to track my progress?

3. They have no upbeat music playing
-You really think I can stay motivated with classical music?

4.They make unhealthy snack options so readily available
-Everyday they have a huge bowl of tootsie rolls in the front desk for people to take
-Today, for breakfast, they had donuts and bagels for us

I do enjoy that I dont have to sign a contract. Also, it is very close to my house. The gym is also very clean and neat plus the people are very friendly.

But...I'm so confused. How is this supposed to work for weight loss? Does anyone here love Planet Fitness? Has it worked for you?
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Replies

  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    I was a member of one up until about a year ago, and here's what bugged me: Aside from dumbbells that only went up to about 60 or so lbs, there were no free weights, only machines.
  • AShawneeF
    AShawneeF Posts: 123 Member
    I went a few times with my dad, and me and my mom are going to start going again soon. I dont mind the place. it's not usually super crowded and I dont want to get superbuff so i dont mind that they only have light weights. It's kinda weird how many treadmills and ellipticals and stuff are so jam-packed together like that though.
    Also, the building is like a warehouse. big and grey and boring.
    And the TV is never on a good channel.

    BUT i can do more there than i can on my own, so complaining really isn't an option.
  • ImKindOfABigDeal40
    ImKindOfABigDeal40 Posts: 807 Member
    I'm a current member and the "no scale" thing bothered me too. I asked one of the associates and he was like, "Corporate strictly prohibits them." Thought that was just crazy.
  • gsbanks1
    gsbanks1 Posts: 69 Member
    I was actually considering getting a membership based on the price alone. I think it is up to me to have self control and not give into temptations, but I love the fact its open 24hrs. Im really undecided :(
  • kiminikimkim
    kiminikimkim Posts: 746 Member
    FREE Donuts and bagels? I really want a donut right now.
  • leomom72
    leomom72 Posts: 1,797 Member
    i wanted to join, but my hang up was they had no childcare..i could have gone when the kids were in school, but i like going with my husband, and we had nobody to watch the kids..maybe judgement free means they dont want YOU judging OTHER people, you could buy an ipod and listen to your own music, and as for breakfast, you can always get up a little earlier and eat something at home so you dont have to worry about donuts and bagels and tootsie rolls, bring a scale from home, or use it when you get back..good luck
  • AllieBug25
    AllieBug25 Posts: 61
    I've been going for 2 years and I enjoy it. It has been wonderful to me. And I don't mind all the food around me. It makes me feel stronger for rejecting it. It could just be me, though.
    p.s I'm sorry they don't play good music at your gym. They play great music at mine.
  • gmarriottfccla
    gmarriottfccla Posts: 64
    I understand where you're coming from, but I don't have a gym near me. I'd rather take one that I can practice good self control at, then none at all.
  • ChristyRunStarr
    ChristyRunStarr Posts: 1,600 Member
    I love my Planet Fitness (at least during the winter-during the summer I prefer to be outside) yes, they have donuts (and pizza on the first Monday night) but you don't have to eat them or take the toostie rolls. They're there to kind of help if you need a sugar kick I think (at least that's how it was described to me) The ones I've gone to didn't have any music at all which for me wasn't a problem cause I prefer my own playlist anyways. Ask them about the donuts and pizza and toostie rolls-I'm sure they'll explain it way better than I can.

    It has worked for me too-and on a side note, if you haven't already, you should meet with their personal trainer and get an idea of what's best for you to use.
  • StarvingDiva
    StarvingDiva Posts: 1,107 Member
    Pretty much a no frills gym and it's uber cheap, so if you don't have the money to go to a better gym I think its better than nothing. As far as the tootsie rolls and bagels and donuts, life is full of temptations, they will always be there, might as well learn to avoid them as soon as possible. Most people bring their own music, as everyones tastes are different, I wouldn't want to listen to hip hop/rap anymore than I bet some people want to listen to my hard rock music.

    I think the judgment free zone logo is for those people intimidated by the gym, which there are many that are worried what people will think of them being overweight in a gym, whether it's a logical viewpoint or not there are a lot of people worried about that.
  • ebaumann1
    ebaumann1 Posts: 3
    I'm not saying that having a great motivating gym wouldn't help but honestly if they have machines you can get on and the price is affordable there isn't anything you can't overcome. Get a scale at home, don't eat their donuts and bring your own music. Most people do this anyways.
  • dorkusmalorkus
    dorkusmalorkus Posts: 61
    thats interesting. a coworker was talking about how great it was, so much equipment and such..i have yet to check it out
  • sangelic
    sangelic Posts: 207
    I used to be a member of Planet Fitness until I moved to a city that didn't have one. My location DID have a scale in the bathroom and music playing all the time. As for the tootsie rolls, I found it extremely easy to avoid them plus I never went to the gym when they had their pizza nights. Overall I liked it but definitely like my current gym better.
  • MizSaz
    MizSaz Posts: 445 Member
    PF sort of gives off the vibe that you're going for the sake of going. So you can say you went to the gym. Doesn't matter that you went to the gym and spent 3 minutes on a treadmill then had donuts, but you can SAY you went to the gym.

    Plant Fitness to me is sort of like the kindergarten of gyms. Remember kindergarten, when you showed up for half a day, then colored, then had some juice, maybe a story and a nap? Kindergarten was COOL! First grade was a completely different ballgame.;)
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    I hate planet fitness with a passion. From the free food, minimal weights and that damn lunk alarm. I understand that they want it to be a place for people who are intimidated by the meat heads at a normal gym, but I get the impression they don't actually care if people get fit there. In fact I would almost say they discourage people from getting fit.
  • Jynus
    Jynus Posts: 519 Member
    It's the gym for people who don't want to go to the gym. I mean think about it. Do you actually want to provide a service to people who use it? Or do you provide a service to people who don't want to use it and just pay monthly for it anyway. By keeping the gym a 'zone where people who actually want to train, aren't allowed to train' they can focus on the core of their business model. those who do nothing.,
  • KdBeehsm
    KdBeehsm Posts: 5 Member
    I just joined this week, and so far so good! Today was "Bagel Tuesday"....hahahaha! I had a cup of coffee and passed on the bagel. I didn't even think about the lack of scale - I weigh myself at home. I have been at a variety of times, and there is always a variety of people working out. It is a cheap, no-contract, clean, friendly, no pressure place to go and work out. I am glad I joined! :happy:
  • Divaflo1
    Divaflo1 Posts: 15
    I am a current member of planet Fintness and I have noticed the sweets at the desk!
    I just take my headphones plug into a machine and either watch tv or choose a radio station. Everyone is very friendly and the gym close to my home and very clean.

    I enjoy my time there. Truly no judgement zone...

    :wink:
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    PF sort of gives off the vibe that you're going for the sake of going. So you can say you went to the gym. Doesn't matter that you went to the gym and spent 3 minutes on a treadmill then had donuts, but you can SAY you went to the gym.

    Plant Fitness to me is sort of like the kindergarten of gyms. Remember kindergarten, when you showed up for half a day, then colored, then had some juice, maybe a story and a nap? Kindergarten was COOL! First grade was a completely different ballgame.;)

    Couldn't have said it better myself!
  • raystark
    raystark Posts: 403 Member
    I joined Planet Fitness at the first of the year, about two days before I began using MyFitnessPal to track my calories and exercise. I have lost 61 pounds in the six months since, so yeah, I am a big fan of Planet Fitness.

    I have a scale in my bathroom at home.

    I appreciate the fact that they usually don't play the more raucous music until after about 7:30am. If I wanted to listen to music I would wear my earbuds and listen to my mp3 player.

    They don't force anyone to eat the tootsie rolls or bagels. :happy:
  • BOLO4Hagtha
    BOLO4Hagtha Posts: 396 Member

    4.They make unhealthy snack options so readily available
    -Everyday they have a huge bowl of tootsie rolls in the front desk for people to take
    -Today, for breakfast, they had donuts and bagels for us


    But...I'm so confused. How is this supposed to work for weight loss? Does anyone here love Planet Fitness? Has it worked for you?

    IMO, its so people can stay fat and keep coming. At least that is what my friend and I deduced when we went there on a Monday for the first time and they were serving pizza.
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
    FREE Donuts and bagels? I really want a donut right now.
    I'm guessing this is a "member retention" method...to keep you needing them! :laugh:
  • drgooch
    drgooch Posts: 68 Member
    I go to Planet Fitness and I love it. The staff is very helpful. It has upbeat music. The tv channels are good. And there are free weights. Each Planet Fitness is independently owned so maybe any questions or concerns you have should be directed to the owner and not Planet Fitness as a whole. As far as the food that is option only and you don't have to eat it! imoo....
  • janet0513
    janet0513 Posts: 564 Member
    I go there and I don't really get the bagels and then the pizza every first monday of the month. Aside from that I do like it. It is clean and I don't wait for cardio and rarely for anything else. I go in and do my thing and leave. They do play better music at mine, but I still bring my own tunes. Hey for $10 a month, I think its a great deal. The tootsies have come in handy on one occasion when my blood sugar dropped :)
  • CommandaPanda
    CommandaPanda Posts: 451 Member
    Planet Fitness is one of the worst gyms in the world. I've actually been acquainted with the founder and I'm pretty sure everything they have going on in the Planet Fitness culture is just to maximize profit. It's an ingenious business plan, honestly... Anyways...

    I consider Planet Fitness to be the most judgmental place I could put myself in.

    THOUGH, I do applaud the "lunk alarm" -- it's great, whenever I am about to do a lot of weight, the alarm goes off and it's like the whole gym is watching me while I put up the weight! So motivational!! No, honestly, the "Lunk Alarm" goes off every time I'm in the gym and it gets annoying, half the time I can't even tell if I'm the one setting it off.

    I wrote a very long email to their customer support and I got a "cut/paste" reply... I responded with a cut/paste message as well and we eventually cut off the conversation.

    I seriously have 100+ reasons why I hate Planet Fitness. There area a couple of facts that I cannot ignore... Locations (everywhere) and the cheap price.


    I hate Planet Fitness.
  • Larimar0989
    Larimar0989 Posts: 55
    I was actually considering getting a membership based on the price alone. I think it is up to me to have self control and not give into temptations, but I love the fact its open 24hrs. Im really undecided :(

    YES! The price is very cheap, and its worth it because it is very nice in there. And there IS the advantage that it is 24/7! Try it out, it may work well for you. You can opt out of a contract so you can quit it whenever you can.
  • CommandaPanda
    CommandaPanda Posts: 451 Member
    FREE Donuts and bagels? I really want a donut right now.
    Don't forget the free pizza on the first Monday of each month!
  • WickedSpinSistr
    WickedSpinSistr Posts: 139 Member
    I was a member for a while and went a total of twice. It wasn't motivating for me, at all. I ended up joining Gold's and have been more times than I can count. But I love classes which Planet didn't have, and Gold's does.

    Don't get me wrong, the place was nice and clean and there were many machines. Just no classes and the fact that a lot of the people there seemed to be in it for the free bagels and pizza.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I was a member until earlier this week. My biggest problem was that I just plain hated GOING to the gym, and especially hate running on a treadmill, so I'm starting to build my own home gym now. A more minor problem, but the catalyst to quit now, was billing issues when my card on file expired.

    The lack of scale was never an issue. I track my progress at home. And even here, the scale is a craptacular way of gauging my progress. Measurements, photos and how clothes fit works better for me.

    Tootsie rolls are low fat and low calorie, as long as you don't eat a couple dozen of them. The pizza and bagels were never an issue for me, either, because they're both part of my regular food rotation. I have bagels for breakfast probably 75% of the time. I have pizza at least once a week. I rarely went to the gym on pizza night or bagel morning because it wasn't worth battling the crowds.

    No one is forcing anyone to eat those things. There will always be temptation. I crave Auntie Anne's every time I walk into the mall and smell their buttery goodness. I don't always have one.

    Mine played good music for the most part. Although I did hear Nelson's "Love and Affection" more than once. I didn't really mind, but it just seemed like an odd choice to have in their regular rotation after not hearing the song for 22 years. But overall, good music.
  • HotMamaByVday
    HotMamaByVday Posts: 343 Member
    My Planet Fitness has: a scale in the bathroom, great music, weights up to about 400 lbs, free pizza the first Monday of the month and free bagels the second Tueday of the month (but both are accompanied by lots of fruit), and it is a judgement free zone. I see everyone from hard core body builders, to the local high school athletes, to an elderly woman who does the machines with her purse in tow, to obese people steadily walking the treadmills and everywhere in between. I have felt comfortable enough to ask people questions (in betweeb their sets of course) and have never not had another member help me if I asked. 3 of the front desk peeps know me by name.

    I love my gym! Don't judge all the franchises based on an experience at one franchise. Now, my gym may be different because we live in the suburbs (I perfer to think of it as a small town, but thats not really true anymore) and our gym is smack in the middle of several neighborhoods.
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