Anyone know anything about Planet Fitness?

[cheezer]

It's right next to my office and I'm thinking of joining for the $10 or $15 a month special.  Is this too good to be true?  I just can't see how they can do a rate that cheap in a HCOL city.  I'm only planning on using it a few times per month when I've got some extra time at work or want to get a jog in around dinner.

Also, I love that my 2 gym options are Planet Fitness or Equinox.  Talk about both ends of the spectrum.

[irene adler]

All I know is they have free pizza once a month #priorities

My sister is a member. She likes it

[july]

It is geared towards casual users of gyms, so I bet many people rarely go. Other than that, the gym is fine.

[Deleted]

Jan 29, 2015 5:31:11 GMT -5 irene adler said:

All I know is they have free pizza once a month #priorities

My sister is a member. She likes it

That's so weird, I never understood when my old gym served pizza/subs/cupcakes at events.

I have a friend who is a member and likes it.

[Deleted]

They have low rates because they bank on the fact that most people don't show up and use their membership.

They are legit.

[hamster]

Hmmm.... They are building one next to our house...

[mainelyfoolish]

I am not a member but part of the way they keep rates low is not having extras like child care and juice bars and hot tubs and whatnot, so if you're just looking for an inexpensive way to use exercise equipment, it's perfect.

[lmdbww]

If I had one close that was not in a bad part of town, i'd absolutely join. I kept seeing commercials on New Years Eve and got sucked in.

Friends of ours go and love it.

[hamster]

OOH.

Is anyone familiar with their fitness training program? It's included in the $10 price, and they actually have mid-day times that work for me which NEVER happens.

[Deleted]

I just joined them a month ago. I wondered the same thing - how does this place stay in business with such a low rate?

So far, I like it. It's actually a lot nicer than I expected, but that could be partly because it's brand new. Very clean, tons of machines, large space. I expected it to be like Anytime Fitness, which I used to pay more like $35 a month to be a member of, and it's actually much larger and has just as much to offer (so, not much lol).

IDK if it's because mine is so new people don't know about it, but every time I've been there there have been 15 or less people there. So I'm not even right next to someone when I'm on the treadmill. Which is ideal.

[doglove]

It's good for basics - machines and weights. It's not great if you want group classes or perks like a pool, sauna, towels, etc.

[mbcdefg]

Jan 29, 2015 9:15:10 GMT -5 calamity said:

They have low rates because they bank on the fact that most people don't show up and use their membership.

They are legit.

Yup - they probably got at least $100 out of me because I joined, went for a month, then stopped going and was too lazy/embarrassed to go there in person to cancel my membership for several months

You need to use a credit card to sign up - no cash or debit card. That way they can just bill your CC every month whether you show up or not.

When I DID go, I liked it.

Back when I lived near my college, I got a really good alumni rate for their gym. $150 a year - that included the weight room and fitness center, basketball and racquetball courts, and the pool.

[Deleted]

I used them some years ago. It was clean, basic exercise equipment. There weren't a lot of frills, but $10 was a steal. I don't live near one now or I'd ditch my gym, because I don't need 35 classes and childcare.

[lintscreen]

I recently joined one because it was the only place near me after my old gym closed down.
I like it. It's large, there's tons of equipment. It's kept very clean. The only thing they don't have is classes, which is kind of a bummer. But for your basic gym, it works very well and you can't beat the $10/month.

[sicilygirl]

Jan 29, 2015 9:41:15 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

Yup - they probably got at least $100 out of me because I joined, went for a month, then stopped going and was too lazy/embarrassed to go there in person to cancel my membership for several months

You need to use a credit card to sign up - no cash or debit card. That way they can just bill your CC every month whether you show up or not.

When I DID go, I liked it.

Back when I lived near my college, I got a really good alumni rate for their gym. $150 a year - that included the weight room and fitness center, basketball and racquetball courts, and the pool.

Weird.  The only way for us to pay was direct debit from our checking account.  We couldn't put it on our credit card, which I found annoying.

H and I are members and have been since the one by us opened a few months ago.  Since it's new, it's very clean with brand new equipment.  There are always people there when I go, but because it's so big it never seems crowded.  H mostly uses the weights, and I do a little of both (and sometimes do the 30 minute circuit if I go during lunch, which I really like).  We've never tried the fitness training... I just assumed it wouldn't be worth it but I don't actually know that.

H was a little worried about the "lunk alarm" or whatever they call it because he's a pretty big guy and lifts relatively heavy weights.  He hasn't had any problems with it though.  They have all of the weights he needs, and neither of us has ever heard it go off, but I think that kind of depends on the personality of your particular gym.

I don't go often enough because I work an hour away most days, which makes it hard to get there during the week, but I still like it and don't have to feel guilty that I'm not there 4 times a week since I'm only paying $10.  We plan to keep our membership for the foreseeable future!

ETA: Yes, like @domerjen said, there is an annual fee of about $40 which was billed to us in October for equipment.  But I've had this at every gym I've been a member of, and it's usually more than $40.  There was also free sign-up when we joined.  I don't know if it's always free or if that was just because the gym was new, but I bet you could work that out with them even if they're not advertising it.

[jillboston]

DH is a member - he loves it.

[Deleted]

Right next to the office for $15 / month? Sounds awesome. They are no-frills, but it sounds like that's what you're looking for.

They have done a ton of smart pricing & value prop analysis - that price point (under $20 and typically under $25) is an easy "I will definitely sign up!" and then something that's low enough that if you don't use it, many people aren't bothered enough to go through the hassle of cancelling.

For your use case, I'd be all over it.

[vlagrl]

DH just joined today. We have one that just opened within the last year. It's legit. I'm a yogi so I don't go to gyms, but I'm excited that DH is finally getting the motivation to get fit.

[starlily]

Jan 29, 2015 1:49:57 GMT -5 cheezer said:

It's right next to my office and I'm thinking of joining for the $10 or $15 a month special.  Is this too good to be true?  I just can't see how they can do a rate that cheap in a HCOL city.  I'm only planning on using it a few times per month when I've got some extra time at work or want to get a jog in around dinner.

Also, I love that my 2 gym options are Planet Fitness or Equinox.  Talk about both ends of the spectrum.

I still can't quite believe they turned the equities trading floor into a gym.

[ijack]

My mom goes to one and really likes it. She says it's not crowded at all and likes the "vibe."

[cheezer]

Jan 29, 2015 23:43:55 GMT -5 farmvillelover said:

Jan 29, 2015 1:49:57 GMT -5 cheezer said:

It's right next to my office and I'm thinking of joining for the $10 or $15 a month special.  Is this too good to be true?  I just can't see how they can do a rate that cheap in a HCOL city.  I'm only planning on using it a few times per month when I've got some extra time at work or want to get a jog in around dinner.

Also, I love that my 2 gym options are Planet Fitness or Equinox.  Talk about both ends of the spectrum.

i've been to one in the bay area and it was like fitness 19. i'm sorry but i felt grossed out in there. my gym time needs to be a nice experience in order for me to want to go. 

it's like comparing the ritz or 4 seasons to a motel 6.  

i'd rather work out outside by walking/jogging or at home than go to a PF gym, honestly.

I mostly go to yoga or run outside but I do miss the weightlifting. Plus it could be nice to pop over from work. But I would much much prefer the Equinox with all the lovely amenities.