Why does Planet Fitness get such a bad rap?

[SNC]

My local PF only went up to 65lbs dumbells. Golds has 120lbs. . There is also no straight bar for pullups. It may be different per PF, that was my experience.

Every PF I have been to has 75s. As for the bar for pull ups there are several pullup grips available on the TRX (I believe that what its called) and if not put your weight on the lat pulldown machine add a straight bar and pull "up" to your hearts content. If you really want to do something you will find a way. Don't rely on the tool as much as the action.

 

[z1ggy]

PF is cool if you're a weekend warrior lifter. The one near me has 1 rack, 2 flat benches and 1 incline bench for barbell. It had 3 adjustable benches in the free weight area, with dumbbells only going up to 75lbs.

Instead of 39324830948930408 cardio machines, they should get dumbbells up to at least 100lb (150 if they are a serious gym) and at least 2 more racks.

 

[Ackmed]

Every PF I have been to has 75s. As for the bar for pull ups there are several pullup grips available on the TRX (I believe that what its called) and if not put your weight on the lat pulldown machine add a straight bar and pull "up" to your hearts content. If you really want to do something you will find a way. Don't rely on the tool as much as the action.

I said my local, and 75's aren't enough either.

There was no TRX at the one I went to, there was not a single straight bar you could use. There was only one place to even attempt a pullup and that was on a dip machine that was weighted. But the bar didn't connect and the weights were in the way going up and down. There was no place to do a pullup.

I have worked out in many non gym areas, I know how to adapt.

 

[Fritzo]

I went to PF yesterday on a guest pass. Got through the standard high-pressure sales pitch, but found it hilarious they had a pizza day there--- you could eat unlimited pizza! It's like they want to keep people from losing weight so they'll stay a member Noticed Tootsie roll bowls everywhere too. Very odd. It's like your heart doctor having a french fry stand in his waiting room.

Anyway, the equipment isn't bad, but it's pretty basic. My YMCA is a much better deal for the same money. They have more specialized resistance machines, plus they have a heated Olympic-sized pool (so I get to see bikinis all year long ). The down side is they give seniors a huge discount, so there tends to be a lot of "I give zero fucks and stand around talking with my junk hanging out" old men in the locker room. I learned to change clothes before I get there.

 

[ControlD]

Anyway, the equipment isn't bad, but it's pretty basic. My YMCA is a much better deal for the same money. They have more specialized resistance machines, plus they have a heated Olympic-sized pool (so I get to see bikinis all year long )

You have an Olympic sized pool at your YMCA?? Holy cow, that must be quite a facility. I am a swim official for YMCA and I have never seen an Olympic sized pool in a Y yet. (I believe you, just a little jealous!).

And you see bikinis? All I see are 60+ year old whales when I am trying to swim laps. I think I need to move lol.

 

[z1ggy]

I went to PF yesterday on a guest pass. Got through the standard high-pressure sales pitch, but found it hilarious they had a pizza day there--- you could eat unlimited pizza! It's like they want to keep people from losing weight so they'll stay a member Noticed Tootsie roll bowls everywhere too. Very odd. It's like your heart doctor having a french fry stand in his waiting room.

Anyway, the equipment isn't bad, but it's pretty basic. My YMCA is a much better deal for the same money. They have more specialized resistance machines, plus they have a heated Olympic-sized pool (so I get to see bikinis all year long ). The down side is they give seniors a huge discount, so there tends to be a lot of "I give zero fucks and stand around talking with my junk hanging out" old men in the locker room. I learned to change clothes before I get there.

It's the core of the fitness business:

-The ONE thing you're not doing right in the gym (IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!!!)

-WORK OUT OF THE MONTH!! (never skip THIS ONE exercise!)

-Supplements you aren't taking, but should (GET READY TO BE BLOWN AWAY!!)

...and offering unlimited free pizza so people keep coming back over and over and over.

 

[Fritzo]

You have an Olympic sized pool at your YMCA?? Holy cow, that must be quite a facility. I am a swim official for YMCA and I have never seen an Olympic sized pool in a Y yet. (I believe you, just a little jealous!).

And you see bikinis? All I see are 60+ year old whales when I am trying to swim laps. I think I need to move lol.

Yep...just built it a few years back. Has a water slide too! (crappy picture, but it's all I could find):

Another close-by facility has a huge outdoor pool:

 

[Fingolfin269]

It works well for us but they do vary by location quite a bit. We run 3-4 times a week so it gets used pretty heavily during the winter as we both hate using spikes on sidewalks.

Same here. The cardio equipment for winter use is one of the huge selling points to us. Plus our summers get pretty bad in Tennessee so running outside is not always safe. They'll get a decent amount of use then as well.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Also, checked last night and the dbs at our location only go up to 65. I would like to see 75 but once again that's a trade off I'll live with for cleanliness and organization.

If the Gold's we're also members at could figure the clean/organized part out we would probably go back. Instead they're currently installing a bunch of neon lights and such to make it look more like a 'club/party' type of environment. No thanks.

 

[Ns1]

I went to PF yesterday on a guest pass. Got through the standard high-pressure sales pitch, but found it hilarious they had a pizza day there--- you could eat unlimited pizza! It's like they want to keep people from losing weight so they'll stay a member Noticed Tootsie roll bowls everywhere too. Very odd. It's like your heart doctor having a french fry stand in his waiting room.

Anyway, the equipment isn't bad, but it's pretty basic. My YMCA is a much better deal for the same money. They have more specialized resistance machines, plus they have a heated Olympic-sized pool (so I get to see bikinis all year long ). The down side is they give seniors a huge discount, so there tends to be a lot of "I give zero fucks and stand around talking with my junk hanging out" old men in the locker room. I learned to change clothes before I get there.

Lucky you - our YMCA is still 5x more expensive than PF

 

[Compddd]

How does PF compare to Chuze?

 

[pauldun170]

It's the core of the fitness business:

-The ONE thing you're not doing right in the gym (IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!!!)

-WORK OUT OF THE MONTH!! (never skip THIS ONE exercise!)

-Supplements you aren't taking, but should (GET READY TO BE BLOWN AWAY!!)

...and offering unlimited free pizza so people keep coming back over and over and over.

You just summarized 99% of Facebook

 

[SNC]

Lucky you - our YMCA is still 5x more expensive than PF

Ours is so expensive you have to go and talk with them and endure the high pressure sales pitch just to find out how much it costs, that usually means its to fucking much.

 

[z1ggy]

You just summarized 99% of Facebook

It's insane. I've unfollowed so many youtubers because eventually they become sell outs and just start promoting like this.

 

[musicmaster]

I've been a PF member for around 2.5 years now. The first facility I was at was only a year or two old, had a lot of cardio and a decent amount of weights, plus the bathrooms were nice.

I moved, and the one near me is much older, but still has the same basic equipment.

I'm a marathon runner. I'll lift once in awhile, but treadmills are what I have it for during the winter and humid summers.

My current employer has a fitness center though, so I end up running on the treadmills there 9 times out of 10 now. I still keep PF because occasionally on the weekends I'll go there to run when it's frigid

 

[TheGardener]

Local YMCA here is $52/mo plus $50 to join for 26-64 yo plus a one-time fee of $???. At 65+ it drops to $47/mo plus $40 to join plus a one-time fee of $???. PF is a basic $10/mo plus $29 annl fee. For families with kids, the YMCA make better senses, and there are price breaks. But in this thread, we are pretty much talking adult workouts. The Y is more like a cheap country club. And I'm not interested in the skin cancer booths, so I don't need the PF black card.

While Tootsie Rolls and pizza were mentioned, don't forget bagels, cream cheese and coffee for breakfast on the second Tuesday of the month.

 

[SP33Demon]

PF is everything that's wrong with this country. Embracing mediocre instead of a real challenge. Keeping out the people who would actually inspire some of them. Feeding them excessive carbs to ensure the cycle of mediocrity continues.
And this of course:

Yes, let's eliminate one of the big 3 compound movements so we can ensure calories aren't burned too fast.

 

[dr150]

The Lunk alarm is funny and useful but they are so sensitive to using it that you get pissed off and quit that gym when it's used on you.

 

[Ns1]

txt

we get it, you are not PF's target market.


from a business perspective, I'm not sure why you'd want PF to be just like everyone else.

 

[HeXen]

I'd rather buy my own weights and life at home..which I do and always have.

 

[SNC]

PF is everything that's wrong with this country. Embracing mediocre instead of a real challenge. Keeping out the people who would actually inspire some of them. Feeding them excessive carbs to ensure the cycle of mediocrity continues.
And this of course:

Yes, let's eliminate one of the big 3 compound movements so we can ensure calories aren't burned too fast.

I have not seen that sign, are you sure its not just at your place?

 

[pauldun170]

I have not seen that sign, are you sure its not just at your place?

Planet Fitness Hi Pax - We don't allow deadlifting because it's a powerlifting exercise. Our focus is on the first time gym user and general fitness. Planet Fitness has plenty of machines that work the same muscles that are utilized in deadlifts, and our trainers can provide any number of alternatives. Thank you for your question!

https://www.facebook.com/planetfitness/posts/10151210761299856

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBkuNpgACH0

 

[SNC]

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I have seen several people perform that on the smith machine at the 2 PFs I go to, it must not be widely adhered to. I still don't get why you guys are so anti PF, and waste so much time finding fault with something you have zero interest in. Its like a truck driver complaining that a VW doesn't have enough room to haul 5 tons of rocks, and trying to convince everyone that they suck because of that. As someone who works out you know that you did not pick up 100 pound DBs the first time you went to the gym or deadlift 400 pounds. People have to start somewhere and PF is a GREAT place to start and with a bit of ingenuity, grow in whatever way you want. Insteed of tearing someone down because they go to a PF use some of your grand knowledge to give ideas and instruction on how to use what PF offers to perform a exercise correctly and how to use it to their advantage.

 

[edro]

This is the internet, where opinions are free and logic doesn't exist.

 

[purbeast0]

lol @ calling deadlifting a "powerlifting exercise". it's one of the most basic compound core exercises in existence.

i guess that is also why they have no pull up bars, since pull ups are "powerlifting exercises" lol. what a joke.

I have seen several people perform that on the smith machine at the 2 PFs I go to, it must not be widely adhered to. I still don't get why you guys are so anti PF, and waste so much time finding fault with something you have zero interest in. Its like a truck driver complaining that a VW doesn't have enough room to haul 5 tons of rocks, and trying to convince everyone that they suck because of that. As someone who works out you know that you did not pick up 100 pound DBs the first time you went to the gym or deadlift 400 pounds. People have to start somewhere and PF is a GREAT place to start and with a bit of ingenuity, grow in whatever way you want. Insteed of tearing someone down because they go to a PF use some of your grand knowledge to give ideas and instruction on how to use what PF offers to perform a exercise correctly and how to use it to their advantage.

because they are spewing garbage to people that go there and spewing so much misinformation about "fitness". just look at the fitness advice given here on ATOT vs the advice given in the ATHF forum. 99% of people on ATOT think that anyone who works out and has muscles must do steroids. they also think because they get a bigmac and fries with an XL diet coke they should be losing 5 pounds a week but wonder why they aren't.

it's places like planet fitness that spew garbage to these people who have no knowledge and don't teach them what correct "fitness" is.

deadlifts are not powerlifting exercises. they are extremely basic compound exercises that can be done at all weights. i'm not sure why you are bringing up 400lb deadlifts. the majority of people i see doing deadlifts at my gym are doing between 135lb and 225lb deadlifts. those would be great for the lazy fatasses to do at planet fitness to build a solid foundation in their core, but nope, they instead do those lame ass ab machines like that fatty eating pizza while doing it in the gif.

and you don't see many people doing deadlifts on a smith machine because that's fucking retarded.