The people to which I’m referring probably haven’t made it to a site like bodybuilding.com yet. But they may get lost on Instagram and get info from an online “trainer”. If you consider a 30 year old mother who has never been in a gym then I think their first step is to accompany a friend to their gym. I don’t think they’ll get the right information if they show up to PF on pizza night.
I’m not thinking about the late teen and early 20’s males who find their way to these sites with the hopes of becoming the next Arnold by using the leg press and curling in the squat rack. That’s the group who has access to good info but chooses to follow the advice that agrees with whatever they already have in their head.
I get what you’re saying but this demographic typically isn’t looking for a trainer. They are looking for a cheerleader and motivator. You will probably get only 1 or 2 out of 50 who will actually follow a good trainer if he lacks the aforementioned qualities, which usually is the case. These 1 or 2 people will usually also be the type who will be proactive in seeking out alternative solutions to their problems if what they are doing isn’t working. They won’t give up. So you are talking about a really minute amount of people who are really getting screwed, which hardly constitutes a tragedy. Everyone else is getting what he/she paid for.
Look, trust me, a worldwide fitness chain knows their target audience. Everything is as it should be. It’s ying yang, karma and all that shit. People who train there belong there.
I’m not specifically concerned about the trainers. It’s the whole damn environment that discourages hard work. It’s all about comfort and judgement free. The reality is that we need to be judged to a certain degree.
If you’re 5’6", 250 lbs and wearing nothing but yoga pants and a sports bra then you need to be judged… out loud… for everyone’s sake. That’s a drastic example but “judgement free” doesn’t have to be free of common sense. People need facts and hard truths sometimes. I think a lot of people probably get exactly what they want out of the membership, but I don’t like them being taught that working too hard or pushing yourself is an abomination.
I guess I’m actually just bothered by how they draw the line and make us look like freaks when most of us are just average folks who enjoy throwing some sh*t around on occasion. Nothing says judgement free like sounding an alarm and pointing at someone during their workout to show them they’re being different and have crossed the line.
Imagine if a hardcore gym had an alarm they sounded when some fat person walked through the door and began doing body weight squats on a Bosu ball. They’d be sued and lose.
I have always found it ironic that the type of people whom PF doesnt want in the first place are the exact types that had helped the fitness Boom of the 80’s. Which in retrospect planted the seeds for PF to exist in the first place… OH the Irony. But like its been pointed out it does have to do with marketing and the demographic they are trying to bring in.
Yeah I know, I get it. I just accept the fact that people are who they are. I KNOW what some people are thinking when they look at me in the gym. PF simply reveals what people like these are thinking.
Ok, seriously, how many of you thought this was a parody of, I dunno, hipster culture maybe, the first time you saw it? I actually thought the dude doing the funny movement on the leg curl machine was a dead giveaway.
That’s hilarious! And THAT would be the planet I want to be on
The PF commercial with the “I lift things up…” dude, in our context is definitely a paridy. We’ve all heard about “fat shaming” but we need to stand against muscle shaming dammit. #MusclesMatter or something…
No kidding. I’m a white police officer who patrols a predominantly black neighborhood. Everything I do is offensive or wrong to someone. I can’t lose the weight room too!
In concept, it’s not the worst idea. I worked at a tattoo shop that shared a storefront with a nail and tanning salon. We got a lot of customers that came in because we were less “threatening” than your traditional tattoo shop (this was the late 90’s and tattoos weren’t on every soccer mom). There are timid and frail people who need to get off their ass and do something. PF specifically provides an environment for them. Now that being said, if everything I’ve read about them is true, they’re still doing a disservice to their customers by not helping them progress. Pizza parties for people trying to lose weight is lunacy. You could do the concept right and make a shit ton of money. Nutrition classes, program design, and free monthly consultations with a trainer who could help you tweak your program would be big improvements. You need these gyms so that people who aren’t ready to start hitting smelling salts and making wretched and contorted faces while they lift can have somewhere where they’re not bitching about those of us who do.
I would just like to point out that I blame this thread for the nightmare I had last night, which was that my gym turned into a PF. Thank you so very fucking much.
I never knew about the pizza but do know they hsve some tables & chairs setup for bagels or some shit like that.
You’re so right though, they could provide those services, even if it was at a premium. It’d make more sense than catering to the food addictions and motivate customers to progress.
I mentioned elsewhere that the first gym I ever joined was a nautilus setup. They did initial measurements, and told me how to improve them using a plan customized to me. I had whopping 14 inch biceps at the time. At the end of the first year there they were 16 inches and it looked like a huge softball in my arm. Also went from a bench 1RM of 145 to 285. One thing they had that was good was a clipboard system with members’ workout plans that were picked up when u signed in. Those were tracked by the trainers…I still track things and that’s where I learned about that and a bit about what movements do what.
Alas, I bought a lifetime membership and after about 9 years with a $35 annual renewal they shut down. At the time it was one of only two area gyms that had a squat rack too
There used to be a Gold’s Gym not very far from me but I never could afford it due to age and raising a family. Too bad…,
I may have recurring nightmares thet PF becomes the only “gym” nearby and I get kicked out for dropping dumbbells
When they sounded the “lunk alarm” on me for that I asked the guy, “I thought this place was judgement free?”
He said, “It is.”
I said, "Then y u judging me for dropping dumbbells? ".
Then I showed him my bad hand
He didn’t sound the alarm again but I decreased the weight a bit to avoid it anyway. Wasn’t long after that I cancelled my membership and went to a real gym where it isn’t an issue. Now I can bang barbells in a power rack and fit right in :).
I’m not giving the competition my ideas. Lol. I do aspire to open a gym one day, but until then I can count on Planet Fitness not helping too many people.
