In defense of Planet Fitness (whom I despise)

[The Survivor]

A while back I introduced a weight loss program called "Total Solution" into my gym. I knew it was a soft core plan for the masses. I sent the corporate a ad that meshed their ahem "plan" with the gym I have. I advertised as muscle friendly. Below I pasted the president of TS response......showing how much of wusses the public is. But to be fair from a biz point of view, the soft cores make $$ much more than what we can ever imagine. Heres what she said:




Have you seen Planet Fitnesses “lunk alarm?” No swearing, dropping weights, grunting…if you do the Lunk alarm goes off and you are kicked out. This is genius! I can tell you across the nation “body building gyms” do not exist. I’m guessing they don’t exist for a reason. So what does “muscle friendly” mean? It doesn’t go with TS. The Lunk alarm attitude goes with TS…

 

[Ox 51]

Wow, that sucks. The fatter America gets, the more mainstream such opinions will become.

 

[The Survivor]

Wow, that sucks. The fatter America gets, the more mainstream such opinions will become.

The wussicafaction of America continues. For the record there are BB gyms out there although getting rare. Hate to say but PF may be the future.

 

[big in vegas]

I'll tell you now that there will always be hardcore gyms, they may be few and far between, but they'll always be there. The days of old are obviously gone, but I don't see it getting any worse. The majority of America can go to these shit hole gyms because they have tvs and the newest technology friendly cardio equipment, but we'll see how many people go on a regular basis. These places want to open a gym on every street corner and I hate to say it, but they're not McDonalds so that won't fly for too long

 

[The Survivor]

I'll tell you now that there will always be hardcore gyms, they may be few and far between, but they'll always be there. The days of old are obviously gone, but I don't see it getting any worse. The majority of America can go to these shit hole gyms because they have tvs and the newest technology friendly cardio equipment, but we'll see how many people go on a regular basis. These places want to open a gym on every street corner and I hate to say it, but they're not McDonalds so that won't fly for too long

I've heard that ex Universe winner from way back Mike Katz has investment in at least one PF out in the east coast. Taking my strong emotions out of the equation (the emotion that wants to burn all of them down) I do see where they would appeal to the ignorant, uninformed wussy public. If you are after the big bucks and we all know since the gym biz has been bastardized, corporate greed and PF are a perfect match.

The only good in this is that at least some people MAY be getting healthier.

 

[big in vegas]

Yea, I mean I see where PF could be appealing to some, but as a whole I just don't see them having any long term customers like they'd get if they were more bodybuilder/powerlifter friendly. I mean look at the regulars on this board and even others. None of us will probably ever go a month without having a gym membership, but the general public won't stick much out in the terms of being committed to anything

 

[The Dude]

I think they are grossly stereotyping dedicated trained athletes to make fat lazy slobs feel better. The idea in and of itself is disgusting, degrading, and blatantly shows the total disregard for a segment of the population that brought gyms and fitness into this world. If that commercial were tweaked just a bit and aimed at black people, there would be massive uproar and lawsuit after lawsuit. I am more educated and more intelligent than 99.9% of the corporate fucks involved in that abomination of a gym chain and that is recognized as fact by the foremost authority in this country. I am sure that I am not alone.

 

[Ox 51]

I'm sure the yuppies just love those types of gyms.

 

[big in vegas]

In the end, if they don't want my money, I have no problem in hanging on to it.

 

[The Survivor]

Now I do get a reduced rate from this company so I was somewhat subdued in my response. Hopefully I summed it up....heres what I wrote back:

.....I understand that from a marketing view, your giving the people what they want. Nothing wrong w/that. I agree that there should be no swearing, that's a given. But the genius part? I would use disingenuous You have to question the legitimacy of something when you are penalized for trying too hard. Lets punish the student for studying too much and getting a A in class. Sorry to disagree but there are 3 BB gyms all within an hrs drive of where I live. And they are proud of it. The BB community discounts these mainstream commercialized fitness centers and as a BB myself I believe PF represent everything that is wrong with this industry. You walk into my place and you can feel the blue collar mentality I have here. No fu fu WO's here!! You see chalk on the floor and I encourage my members to do some power lifting workouts if they are capable. Try using 100lb dumbbells and putting them down gently. NOT! I'm a gym purist and belive in a direct link between the huge obesity rate and the number of paddy cakes fitness centers that are popping up.....I just wont become part of it.....and the lunk alarm? Put it where the sun don't shine and if it wont fit I'll find the heaviest weight in PF (likely 5 lbs) and make it fit!! As my WO partner (he's a cop and no slacker) would say "be glad your not one of them!" There sooner they burn the better...how's that for honesty???

 

[Ox 51]

If it won't fit I'll find the heaviest weight and make it fit! Hahahahahahaha!!! That is awesome!

 

[The Survivor]

I've had some people ask me about them and I just tell them I really dont know much about them other than the wuss alarm. So I just sort of give the impression that we really dont consider them a legit source, therefore they really arent worth the time to comment on.

 

[big in vegas]

I bet you don't get a response to that one

 

[The Survivor]

I bet you don't get a response to that one

Naw your right....they usually can't respond to being called out. If they do I will let you all know.

 

[Ox 51]

Yeah, I agree with Big. They won't touch that one.

 

[big in vegas]

I know there's gotta be a side of them that wants to, but I'd be surprised if they'd go that route for the simple fact that they know it's just going to be a pissing match. Not to mention God forbid they lose their "credibility" to the public

 

[The Survivor]

I wish these soft core places wouldn;t advertise themselves as gyms. Fitness center maybe. Maybe we should come up with a "wuss alarm" and install it.

I see on PF web site they actively rip BB's and powerlifters. Its plastered all over their walls.

More proof that NASCAR drivers dont belong on go cart tracks and go carts dont belong on NASCAR tracks.

 

[big in vegas]

I just don't see why they would blatantly blast bodybuilders the way they do. I know they don't want people thinking they're going to be intimidated when they go to the gym, but to openly blast the genre that brought weight lifting into focus is stupid to me

 

[Presser]

We need to make a good professional video and post it on youtube. Some fat fuck walking into my gym(a real gym) and come up with something funny and catchy for the video, like the fat fuck benidng over and rubbing his fat pudgy hands on the outside of a powder donut to get the "chalk" effect and then he puts the donut down and has white donut powder on his hands and then goes to lift something funny, i dont know im sure we could come up with a funny video, and i would love to shoot back at these over weight fat fucks, cause i hate that fucking commercial where dude keeps saying " i pick things up and put them down" or whatever he says,lmao

 

[Presser]

Or we could have a "Chunk Alarm" where a fat fuck walks into my gym, and then the "Chunk Alarm" goes off and everyone in the gym just looks over at the fat guy who is wearing a Planet fitness t-shirt 3 sizes too small!! Now thats funny!

I am honestly going to look into seeing if i can make this video for youtube