It’s been a while since I’ve looked into having a membership at a “big box” gym. Now that I’m living in Little Rock and trying to get into a routine, having a regular gym membership became my default. The closest gym to the house happens to be a Planet Fitness. Aubrey also has a Planet Fitness membership, and I’ve been in a few of their gyms over the years. I’ve always had a few issues with Planet Fitness, but honestly you really can’t beat their pricing on memberships. I’ve been working out at this gym for a couple of weeks now, and want to give a list of my pros and cons. Hopefully this helps give some insight in case you’ve ever though about joining Planet Fitness!
Pro’s
Let’s start with the pro’s for Planet Fitness. Honestly there’s not a whole lot to complain about, but I think pointing out the good before the bad is the best way to go about it. Here are my top 3 pro’s of Planet Fitness.
1. Price
Obviously! There is no other big box gym that I’ve come across that comes close to Planet Fitness’s pricing model. For their basic membership you pay $10.94 monthly. This basic membership gives you full access to the gym and Planet Fitness app. Surprisingly the app has a lot of features that I can go into in another post! The “Black Card” membership is $25 monthly and includes access to the tanning beds and massage chairs. You can also bring a guest for free anytime with the Black Card membership which is a nice perk.
2. Equipment (for the most part)
I’ll go ahead and tell on myself that equipment will also be on my con list. However, overall Planet Fitness will have the majority of equipment you would look for from a big box gym. Plenty of cardio machines, a lot of weighted machines, and the Benton gym has 3-4 cable machines. For most people, the equipment at Planet Fitness is all they would need. I have a few pieces of equipment that I wish were there, but overall can do just about any workout with what’s available.
3. Perks & Space
If you chose the Black Card membership, the perks that come along with it are nice if you’re interested in them. Personally, I have absolutely no interest in being in a tanning bed. But, Aubrey uses the tanning bed a couple times per week so that perk is great for him. The massage chairs are a perk that I imagine I would enjoy if I ever thought I would make the time to use them. When my workout is over and I’ve stretched, getting in a massage chair is not on my to-do list. The ability to always bring a guest is probably the best overall perk of the Black Card membership, and I have taken advantage of that with Aubrey and Heather both. It’s especially great if you’re traveling with someone who has a Black Card membership!
Almost every Planet Fitness that I’ve been in has an enormous amount of space. This is great because it provides the ability to have plenty of machines. It’s also especially great if you’re like me and don’t ever want to be working out right on top of someone else. Some other big box gyms that I’ve visited might have more free weights than Planet Fitness, but they’re so cramped you can hardly get the space you need for your workout.
Con’s
With the good, I also have to talk about the bad. My con’s, just like my pro’s, might not be something you agree with. But, I do think the following are worth pointing out when considering joining Planet Fitness.
1. Fees
My first pro was price, but as with anything it’s never black and white. When I signed up for my basic membership, I was a little frustrated with all the miscellaneous fees that started to pile up. Now, anytime you sign up for a new gym it’s never cut and dry with just the monthly membership fee. But, for my $10.94/month membership I was also hit with an additional $110.74 in fees! I don’t know that the breakdown is important, but honestly it feels like a reach to get as much as they can from you on the front end.
2. Equipment
I do have some equipment gripes that I prepared you for. My #1 gripe is that there are absolutely zero free standing squat racks. Most Planet Fitness gyms have 3-4 Smith Machines, which are basically assisted squat racks. So, yes, you can manage without the free standing racks. But, I prefer just a regular squat rack because I think it is more challenging than the assistance of the Smith Machine.
My #2 gripe is that I would rather there be more “normal” free weights. If you’ve ever been to a Planet Fitness, they have their own branded hand weights. The heads of those weights are bulkier than just regular free weights, and it makes them odd to work with sometimes. I’ve also seen maybe 1 kettlebell in the entire gym that I’m a member of, and wish I had more access to things like that.
Lastly, I wish this Planet Fitness had more mirrored space. This might seem dumb, but I prefer to be able to check my form when working out to make sure my focus is on the correct muscle group. There are a couple of mirrored walls in my gym, but there are plenty of spaces that I think would benefit from mirrors. This is certainly a personal preference, but being able to watch my form keeps my workouts more effective.
3. Crowd & Perspective
I am the type of person that enjoys working out around a group of people. I always have enjoyed studio type workouts, because when other people are around I tend to perform better. That’s my competitive nature and why I enjoyed CrossFit for so long! In this type of gym, I don’t get that same type of competition. Eventually I might make friends and find people in the gym that I can use to push me to do better in workouts. But, right now, I feel like I’m not very challenged by those around me.
Planet Fitness prides themselves BIG TIME on being a “Judgement Free Zone”. It’s all over their media marketing, website, and splattered all across the gym. What I find interesting, though, is this judgement free moto seems to have a tone of judgement in a different way. As an example, some Planet Fitness gyms have what is called a “Lunk Alarm”. You might have seen this in some of their commercials. Essentially, the alarm goes off if a heavy amount of weight is dropped on the floor with the assumption that a “lunk” is trying to show off by lifting too much.
This rubs me the wrong way because I believe there is also such thing as shaming someone for being physically fit or interested in fitness. I’ve experienced it plenty of times, and know lots of other people who have had similar experiences. If you want to do some of your own research, visit the Planet Fitness “BULLFIT” page here and see what you think!
Final Thoughts
All things considered, I still have the basic Planet Fitness membership. I think the good outweighs the bad for the most part, and if you’re looking for the space and equipment availability it’s hard to beat. I also think having a Planet Fitness membership to fall back on while exploring different workouts to see what else you enjoy is realistic financially. Every boutique, studio workout I’ve tried offers at least 1 free intro class and you can use those to see what you love or hate. Save the big buck memberships for something that you really love that’s specialized, like Orange Theory or barre, and enjoy having a cheap safety net in a Planet Fitness membership.
Side note: Planet Fitness also offers a free day pass if you’ve never been! You can follow this link to find your closest gym sign up for your own free pass!