Planet Fitness

cybrid · April 9th, 2008, 02:06 AM

Has anyone here been a member of one? If so how was the experience?

I just joined last week, haven't been yet as it is still under construction and should be open in a couple of weeks. It is $20 a month and was $40 sign up, not bad. I fell out of fitness for a few years now and the price and timing are right, however I have been reading some reviews on it and it seems to be a love it or hate it place.

Suppose that while posting I'll [re]introduce myself haven't been here in ages. Hi, the name is Mike.

**torofuerte** · April 9th, 2008, 07:57 AM

Isn't that the retarded place where they have alarms that go off if you grunt or make a noise when doing a heavy lift?

YouTube - Don't Grunt in Planet Fitness!

YouTube - Lunk Heads need not apply at Planet...

By the way, apparently they don't allow deadlifting and t-bar rows:

My gym, Planet Fitness, just banned deadlifts and T-bar Rows... HELP!!!!

- Bodybuilding.com Forums

No wonder this is an unfit nation. That's the *health/fitness* industry for you.

**pliny_2001** · April 9th, 2008, 01:59 PM

I've never been to a planet fitness, so don't have any advice I can give you, but here's my take on the grunting thing: it's fine for maximal effort. And only that.

The d-bag that was complaining was grunting after every rep, then I'm glad the gym told him to shut the hell up. And yes, squatting "about 500 lbs" in a smith does, indeed, make you a d-bag. And a gym that would use an alarm for someone who "judges" deserves whoever would want to train there.

So - even at a pretty good price - I wouldn't/couldn't join. But if it was convenient and cheap, and I was only starting out, it might be fine for a big. But something tells me that you aren't going to find alot of people training there who are actually reaching their fitness goals. My impression was that it looks like Planet Fitness is one of those places that makes alot of money selling drinks at the smoothie bar.

**torofuerte** · April 9th, 2008, 03:09 PM

I don't agree about grunting only for maximal effort. In a real 5x5, you would almost inevitably grunt at the last reps. Hell, there is no way to avoid a grunt on a heavy squat or leg press. Hell/fuck no. Given that they also forbid deadlifting, I'm inclined to believe the lifting dude over the gym owners about the nature of the grunt. That is, if he were screaming, then I would totally be on the gym's side (sadly I've actually seen people screaming when doing a rep, really, screaming, I shit you not.)

Squatting about 500lbs on a smith, yeah, that's kind of retarded, though.

**pliny_2001** · April 9th, 2008, 04:22 PM

To just hijack the thread, I may not have been clear w/ "maximal effort" -- I'm not talking one rep max, but maximal effort is anytime you're lifting to failure. So you're at max by the end of your set, and making some noise then's acceptable, though I rarely see it actually help someone get a lift up.

But if someone's 5 repping an 8 rep weight and still grunting; or grunting after every f'ing rep -- I'd still say that they need to shut up. Because IME, it's universally the skinny people w/ invisible lat syndrome that end up doing this.

KMKfan · April 9th, 2008, 10:28 PM

I have a friend at work whohas the $20 membership here in Hoover, AL. I've been with her a few times, and it's pretty good gym overall. You should have plenty of equipment to get in a good workout. Not as much equipment as my regular gym, but if I went there I would be able to put together several fairly diverse workouts.

Equipment here includes: 30 minute room (circuit type training); ab room (really one of the cooler areas of the gym for me); another circuit of machines (more than 30 minute room) in the front of the gym; lots of dumbbells & benches; one multi-cable machine (I don't know what it's really called, but has lat pulldown, row, pressdown/cable cul/ cable X-over stations); 1 squat rack; 1 Smith; 1 Plate Leg Press Machine...tons of cardio equipment.

I do make fun of their sign, though...It says "judgment free zone" and right below it: "No bodybuilders". Just seems a bit hypocritical, but it gets the point of what market they are after across.

Unless you're ultra hard core, you'll probably like it...expect to set off the alarm here and there. Here, it tends to be a bit sensitive (goes off if you set a heavier dumbbell down a little hard...and I mean a little.)

**theatrain** · April 10th, 2008, 12:50 AM

No grunting!?

So Tim The ToolMan Taylor would not be allowed there, eh?

YouTube - Tim Allen grunt collection

cybrid · April 12th, 2008, 04:41 PM

Thanks for the replys, fellas.

pilny, thread hijacking dosen't bother me. it's all part and parcel of another forum i go to.

KMK I'm far from hardcore, really just back to being a newb.

i'll post up an opinion of the one i joined after a month or two.

**bouncer** · May 22nd, 2008, 08:27 PM

I have to say that it bugs me when people make alot of noise to call attention to themselves, but this kind of BS? PLeeeeeeeze! Who owns this wussified place anyway?

**torofuerte** · May 23rd, 2008, 08:11 AM

A very smart businessman/woman cathering the pampering needs of the wimpy masses willing to pay a monthly fee for getting the opportunity to self-delude themselves into thinking they are working out :P

Gunslinger77 · May 23rd, 2008, 09:17 AM

So am I clear that Planet Fitness has a device that makes a loud distracting noise designed to go off anytime someone in the gym makes a loud distracting noise? That's like something Vonnegut would come up with...or maybe Douglass Adams. Or something in News of the Weird in the "Can't Possibly Be True" section.

1texas1 · August 16th, 2008, 08:18 AM

My husband and I were members at one time, but it has just gone down hill...No they dont like for you to grunt and they took the heavy weights out of the gym aswell. They are trying to turn it into ladies only gym.....We left about two and a half years ago. We have been at the Omni ever since......

SHAWN1 · August 21st, 2008, 01:42 PM

they call heavy lifters LUNKS!!!! if you grunt, breathe to heavy, carry a gallon of water the staff reprimands you. not the best place to work out, not a lifter friendly place to work out, but a decent 2nd gym if you need one. they also have commercials on their satellite radIO that state there are no bodybuilders or people who would judge you there, it's kinda B.S.

**torofuerte** · August 21st, 2008, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SHAWN1

they call heavy lifters LUNKS!!!! if you grunt, breathe to heavy, carry a gallon of water the staff reprimands you. not the best place to work out, not a lifter friendly place to work out, but a decent 2nd gym if you need one. they also have commercials on their satellite radIO that state there are no bodybuilders or people who would judge you there, it's kinda B.S.

It's not just B.S. It's plain bigotry. A person or a business that lives by making assumptions on pple's characters just because of the way they look or live is simply bigotry. Plain and simple.