Planet Fitness review

I was very intrigued when a Facebook friend started posting he was working out at Planet Fitness with his middle school aged son over the summer.  I called the facility to ask about their age requirements.  13 and up.

So now my girl is 13 and we joined!

Our local Planet Fitness is in the same plaza as a grocery store, a clothing store and several restaurants.  It’s a long, skinny gym.  We popped in on a Saturday afternoon to inquire about membership and were offered a tour.

There was no sales pitch.  Planet Fitness is pretty bare bones.  There’s cardio equipment and strength training equipment.  The locker room has a couple shower stalls and a hair dryer.  There’s no sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi or pool.  There aren’t any classes, so there’s no yoga or Pilates studio.

There are also is no sales pitch.  They are up front about the rates and that’s what they are.  $10 a month.  Bam. Thats’ all.

Unless you want to upgrade to the “black card” membership.   That gives you half price drinks in the little cooler up front, access to all Planet Fitness facilities in the US, free access to the tanning booths and free access to a couple of massage chairs.  (The tanning booths and massage chairs are off to the side, behind a curtain, and I wouldn’t have even noticed them if they weren’t pointed out on the tour.)

We went with the basic plan.  There was a $10 each enrollment fee, which they were also very clear about up front.

Signing up was quick and easy.  They even gave us each a free t-shirt!

I’ve belonged to the type gyms that are more like social clubs for the fit and beautiful before.  They had big cafes, pools, hot tubs and dozens of classes a week.  They were also way more expensive with contracts.  I went a few times and then stopped, wasting tons of money and making me feel terrible about myself.

Planet Fitness’s motto is “the no judgment zone.”  I liked seeing all sorts of people working out.   The equipment is arranged in a way that you aren’t starring at other people.  There aren’t mirrors all over the place.  It’s a very relaxed atmosphere.

And no contracts.

My daughter and I have already been a couple of times.  Her best friend and her mom are joining, too, so the four of us can workout together.  Our membership entitles us to free sessions with their trainer, but we haven’t taken advantage of that yet.

So far I give Planet Fitness a big thumbs up!  What do you like or dislike about gyms?