Recently, I’ve spent seven months at Planet fitness. Why? Because it was cheap and easily accessible, but was the time I spent there worth it?
Let’s start with the most obvious reason that people end up at Planet Fitness.
Its Cheap
Starting at $10 a month for the basic membership, it was a steal. Even the premium “Black Card” membership is cheaper that 90% of the gyms out there. If all you can afford for a gym is $10 a month then Planet Fitness is probably the best gym out there for your money.
But what if you can spend $25 or $30 a month for a gym. Is Planet Fitness still worth it?
It really depends
on your goals
Are you a beginner who is just starting their fitness journey? Or a seasoned lifter who has specific goals such as getting stronger or bigger?
If you are just going to the gym to stay fit, then Planet Fitness is a perfect match. You don’t need power racks, dumbbells that go up to 140 pounds, or even a barbell. Planet Fitness will be the best gym for you.
If you are looking to build muscle and get stronger, then I would say that Planet Fitness will hinder your results.
Let’s talk about my experience there
As an experienced lifter, I not only lost size and mass, but I also got weaker. It was honestly depressing to see all of my hard work slowly disappear the seven months that I spent there.
I had specific goals that I wanted to achieve and I am not any closer because of it.
Let’s address
my strength
Many of you know at Planet Fitness, there are no barbells. It’s fine to do squats on a smith machine, but after a few months your stabilizer muscles won’t be as strong, so it results in a lower squat max than before. Same thing with bench press. I wasn’t used to using the stabilizing muscles that I needed for the bench press, therefore my bench went down.
Other than the fact that planet fitness doesn’t have any barbells which results in a loss in overall strength, and lets not forget the lunk alarm, planet fitness is a pretty solid gym. Their machines are always well taken care of. The leather on the benches are better than 99% of the gyms I have gone to, and they are affordable. Planet Fitness probably isn’t that bad.
A quick disclaimer: I think the Planet Fitness I used to go to disabled the lunk alarm, and I was also able to put four plates on each side of the smith machines without being yelled at, but I am aware that most Planet Fitness gyms probably aren’t like the one in my home town.
Overall Planet Fitness isn’t that bad if you have no goals besides staying fit, but if you do have specific fitness goals other than being fit, I would recommend going to another gym.