February 09, 2011

Planet Fitness.....Can you really call this a GYM?

When I first started hearing stories about this place....I couldn't believe everything I was hearing.  I've worked out in plenty of GYM's .... all over the world.  From the one's on Air Forces bases...some looking like health clubs...and some were really just an open space with weights and cardio in there.  To Gold's Gym, a gutted house in Hawaii that was turned into a Gym....German Gym's while living there...and some amazing Gym's....Ironbound being one of them here in Willismaburg.

So, after hearing about it.....and what really perked my interest was a story about some alarm that goes off if you grunt or clank weights...I can understand the clanking around of weights....but the grunting....that is just a normal thing to do....you breath in...and when you push a weight at times when you breath out.....well...you grunt.

This is like having an alarm in your bedroom that goes off if you make any noise while having sex.  What really is the point?  Other than to control people?

So...lets start off with their website.

""As the most innovative health club brand in the United States, Planet Fitness is known for a lot of things – our absurdly low prices, our Lunk™ Alarm, and most of all perhaps, for our Judgement Free Zone® philosophy, which means members can relax, get in shape, and have fun without being subjected to the hard-core, look-at-me attitude that exists in too many gyms.""


Really?


A Lunk Alarm?  That would be like having a HUGE ASS alarm in Mc Donalds.  So when you walk in McDonalds to get something to eat...if you are over an amount of weight, or you order too much food...and if your car weighs too much (With Only you in it) while going thru the drive thru...and huge loud ass alarm goes off....and we'll just call it the Pig Alarm.


AS ON THEIR SITE...LINK IS LABLED "WE ARE NOT KIDDING ABOUT GRUNTING."


The thing is that they are saying no muscle head.....nothing is intimidating about grunting.....if so.....you can't have sex either...and what about tennis? Tons of grunting during a tennis match....guess they wouldn't be accepting either.


I'm really surprised this place hasn't been sued by someone for discrimination.  The the name alone and the commercials are enough for someone to sue this place.  


Don't get me wrong...I totally understand that this is owned by someone...but....can you imagine if places only catered to the people that "THEY" have deemed they want in there.  This would be like saying.....McDonalds decided that they will only serve customers that are not obese.....or Olive Garden .... if you are eating with your mouth open (granted I hate this) that a loud ass alarm will go off and you could be kicked out, that if you are not just the right body type that you can not go to the beach in a bikini because it may offend the other people at the beach.






Really?  Is this where we have gone as people?  That we are sooooo sensitive that now we have places where you can not just go work out without Slim Betty running over to you telling you to please not exhale to loudly .... and maybe you need to use lower weights and not push yourself that hard. lol!!


The Judgement Free Zone - this really is horrible....so what this place is saying...that they are building a business off of the minimal self worth that you have for yourself..and to please join our Gym.....YET.....they toss around LUNK, have a picture of a bodybuilder with the no symbol on him....even in their commercial that are doing nothing BUT judging people.....SO...they are doing the exact same thing that they are advertising that will not happen if you join or work out in their Gym?????  Does this not make sense to anyone else???????


Guess they don't discriminate...guess their Judgement Free Zone only pertains to some sort of corner they have in their facility.

Do you really think everyone is like this?  Oh...again....this is their Judgement Free Zone that they promote is a perk of working out their.


Relax, get in shape, have fun...without being subjected to the hard-core, look at me attitude that exists in too many Gyms.  This is all fine.....I'm cool with this to the point where they come out and say Hard-Core, Look at me Attitude.....really?  I will promise you that if this was the fact......then take down ALL of your mirrors in your Gym....this way that girl isn't looking at her ass while standing in front of the mirror...or that guy isn't checking out his arms while doing curls......this is not the fact at this gym....the members are doing the exact thing here as in any other gym.


To be honest......you are there to workout.....it's not High School or Peggy's sunday afternoon tea party.....At every gym I have ever been in...almost everyone has ear buds in and are just going about their own business.....What this place does is feed and get rather fat off of the low self esteem that their members have....yet it's not helping them in the long run......it's like that guy from SNL.....looks in the mirror (oh wait....you can't do that....it's kind of vain) telling yourself.....I like myself, I'm a good person....I'm attractive and you know what....people like me...and couple of times over and over until you believe it. 


PLANET FITNESS MISSION STATEMENT


""We at Planet Fitness are here to provide a unique environment in which anyone – and we mean anyone – can be comfortable. A diverse, Judgement Free Zone® where a lasting, active lifestyle can be built. Our product is a tool, a means to an end; not a brand name or a mold-maker, but a tool that can be used by anyone. In the end, it’s all about you. As we evolve and educate ourselves, we will seek to perfect this safe, energetic environment, where everyone feels accepted and respected. We are not here to kiss your butt, only to kick it if that’s what you need. We need you, because face it, our planet wouldn’t be the same without you. You belong!""


This was taken right off their website.  I already addressed the Judgement Free Zone...it really doesn't exist...due to the fact that everything they are about is judging the client they wish to stay in their gym.  It's in their signs...pictures...Lunk Alarm.. and commercials....you are fine as long as you are the demographic they are looking for....which is them making money off your insecurities.


And it's not all about you....it's not really.  If it is about you....that really means everyone...no matter the person.  


Where everyone feels accepted and respected.....it's not.  If it was....they would not use demeaning names in their BRANDING, or air commercials demeaning the intelligence of people that pursue bodybuilding....that would be like me saying Blonds are Dumb and will always be....or every Marine is a Jarhead...and treat them that way.  Kind of a stupid way of thinking.


The membership is free....it's like buying $1.00 hamburgers....get enough people buying them....they make a profit.


I think it's funny that people are so sucked into this...and would give money to a company that preaches Judgement Free...when all they do is Judge.


My Rant.