Planet Fitness

Geez, the knives are out. I feel like Voldemort around here. ?

All I can say is that CrossFit has been a runaway success for me, even at my age. PR’s on bench, squat, deadlift, snatch, pull-ups, etc. Rowed my best 2,000m time a couple weeks ago. Today, I was to hit 5 muscle ups in a row for the first time ever, though I “chicken-winged” the last one. Even got two compliments from a couple women, separately, which was cool!

No injuries in 5-6 years, extremely low body fat, 6-pack abs. And finished just below the median (all ages) in the recently completed worldwide CrossFit Open competition.

I’m feel great! ? (knock on wood)

@Embracethemess That’s interesting that you can suspend your kid’s account while at college. My daughter is interested in a membership this summer but I have yet to look into it.

I have never joined PF, but have belonged to plenty of other gyms, some of which have been difficult to drop. Get a copy of the membership agreement and read it. If it sounds okay, join and then hang on to a copy of the agreement you signed for when you quit.

We belonged to a wonderful gym some fifteen years ago. Posh, friendly, hard core, all of that. Everyone knew me because I went often. Everybody except the folks in the business office I guess, because when we moved and I quit, they wouldn’t stop billing me. I had to dig out that contract I signed and follow the steps to drop my membership.

Ten dollars a month and you can use the membership out of town sounds interesting. H travels a lot and this could be an option for him for when the hotel gym doesn’t cut it.

My PF has free weights and a big space devoted to it. Don’t know if they have all the equipment mentioned by @MichaelNKat, but again, the really hard core lifters are not the target market. But there are guys (and women) who come to PF and spend all their time in that area, working hard. I lift decently heavy dumbbells at home, and am still intimidated to do it at PF.

@bearcatfan I don’t know if that is standard policy, but the front desk at my PF doesn’t engage in hard core sales and they were willing to negotiate it when my husband went in to ask about it. But all 3 of us have been members for 5+ years so that may have factored in.

I like planet fitness as its inexpensive and nearby. They have plenty of machines, and free weights so it works for me. We currently pay monthly by having them charge our credit card - which should help if we ever have to cancel our contract.

What bugs me is that currently to sign up monthly you have to give them permission to reach into your bank account and remove money. We looked into having our daughter join, and were told they no longer have the option to use credit cards only bank. Not going to happen - I see no reason to give permission to PF to reach into my bank account.

^ I didn’t like that either. I have a desperate account with only a small amount of money in it and that’s what I use for them.

@Python20 yeah it would be nice if they had other options for paying!

I was one of the first people to respond, but I was reading others’ comments and wanted to add something. I don’t like the stereotype that you can’t be a serious athlete and go to PF. My town has several boutique and expensive chain gyms that cost $50+ for a membership, I’m just not willing to pay that much. My PF location has a lot of free weights and weight machines. If you’re interested in using those, I would make sure to tour your location before signing up, if not no big deal. I see a lot of very muscled people when I go to the gym, but I also see a lot of high schoolers, parents, and seniors. It honestly seems like a good place no matter your fitness level unless you are super hard core. I trained for a 10k and am currently training for a half marathon at PF and I don’t think a more expensive gym would make my training any better or easier. A note to the food: I have never been there when they have food out, maybe because of my schedule. I think with a little bit of self control you can easily walk by low quality food plus eating one slice of pizza is not going to kill you so I really don’t understand why it’s an issue.

There’s just a couple things I find ironic about PF, but it’s just one person’s opinion.

Offering pizza, bagels and tootsie rolls to members at a gym seems antithetical. You folks can avoid it or eat in moderation, but not everyone out there can.

Also, their marketing campaign, branding and/or motto, which is emblazoned on their walls, states that PF is a “judgment-free zone,” where “you” (the public) can escape from “lunks,” which is a derogatory term used to describe someone with big muscles, grunts and/or breathes heavy.

I haven’t stepped into one, but PF gyms are equipped with large, obnoxious alarms and their staff are instructed to set off the alarms any time they see someone behaving like a “lunk” in their gym. Behaving like a “lunk,” includes audible grunting or breathing while lifting weights, or setting down the weights too hard. That’s just plain rude to me. How would that make you feel?

I admit, I occasionally breathe heavy and I also frequently set weights down hard. I even grunt sometimes, however, if I do and there are people around, I do apologize to them. Thankfully, no one cares where I go to workout. Not quite a judgement-free zone at PF, if they’re judging some people as “lunks.” :smiley:

Lastly, PF lacks equipment that I feel is a necessity. I know some people may feel a rower, medicine balls, skierg, assault bike, barbells, bumper plates, racks, pull-up bar, GHD, etc. are considered “extreme fitness,” but I don’t. To me, it’s just fitness. I’m not jumping out of airplanes or climbing Half Dome.

So, count me as someone who’s not a fan of PF. Thankfully, the nearest PF in my area is at least 30 minutes/miles in either direction.

If they talk about being judgement free…isn’t the whole calling someone a “lunk” kind of judgemental?

I’ve been a PF member for about 3 years. I don’t have any problems. There are plenty of free weights and some rack-like things the more serious folks use. There is a big mix of people. From high school athletes to retirees, and everyone in between. There are also quite a few developmentally disabled folks from a nearby home who come with their aides. I can’t remember the last time I heard the lunk alarm although I accidentally dropped a weight and made it go off. I use the machines and some of the free weights and have never felt intimidated. I have a black card membership which is great when I travel. My husband likes to use those massaging beds and chairs. I also go to 2 different ones regularly depending on my work schedule. I honestly love the once a month pizza night other than the fact that it tends to be pretty crowded. I’ve been eating healthy and this way I get a once-a-month-pizza-treat without buying (and eating!) a whole one. They get the pizza from local places. My husband and I tend to go to the ones closest to our workplaces on those nights because he prefers the pizza at his and I prefer the pizza at mine!

I’ll have to go check out my local one and see what it’s like. In regards to the pizza thing…I can resist, but t do think it’s a funny thing for a gym…most gyms I’ve belonged to in the past only sold energy bars or maybe had mints by the cash register. As for the lunk alarm and judgement free atmosphere, I’ve belonged to other gyms in the past and have never felt the atmosphere to be judgemental. I’m not a hardcore fitness person at all and I just came in and kept my head down and worked out…all the gung ho super fit people paid me no attention and didn’t seem to care about me…when I did have to deal with the gym employees or other members, everyone seemed nice…

I agree with those above who question the hypocrisy of calling people “lunks” while claiming to be “judgement free”. I don’t care for that and am glad I’ve never seen that alarm used. We have a wide variety of ages and fitness levels at our location.

Our YMCA puts out coffee and donuts on Friday mornings and I really wish they wouldn’t waste their money on it and spend more on cleaning the place. I’ve been in our local PF a few times when the Y was closed and it seemed fine. A decent collection of machines and free weights.

Thought CC wasn’t for debating?

@ohiopublic , I don’t agree with you. ?

I go to PF because it’s convenient and the cheapest possible gym membership. Blink is a little further from my house and the subway and $5 more/month.

Way to go Planet Fitness. Teens 15-18 can use the facilities free this summer if they come in and sign up with a parent. Also PF is offering some scholarships!

https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190423/teens-can-work-out-for-free-this-summer-at-planet-fitness

That’s cool! For some families, the teen will be able to get a workout AND add some extra driving experience with driver’s permit.

I am excited that my DS20 will have a place to work out over the summer. He can’t wait until the sign up period and texted all of his buddies as soon as I shared the link with him. He uses the school facilities daily during the year but last summer it was tough for him and we do not belong to a gym. Our local Y membership was too expensive for how often he could use it, due to being out of town off and on during the summer and then how busy he is during the school year.

Those few who are so critical about PF, it is like everything else. Great that you have found what you need, in a comfortable location, at a price you can afford. As a non-athletic, middle aged, full-time working mom my fitness routine is nonexistent. I have never had the time or money to invest in me. I imagine once my son is back to school I will look into joining our PF. It is close to our home and my work, and if it is a judgement free place then I will be all over it. Our Y is the local place to hang out and be seen in designer workout gear for the beautiful people. I had a trial membership back when my tots were doing swim lessons and was treated like an outsider by the regulars. I have a long journey towards healthy and finally feel like I might have some time to start taking care of me. If there is a place that works for people like me, that is awesome! There are TONS of places near me for the Cross Fit crowd and serious body builders where I would never feel comfortable.

PS: As a teenage boy - my son will LOVE the occasional bagels and pizza and it will not impact his level of fitness or overall health (he eats amazingly well but often, very often!!)