Planet Fitness — Attraction in Philadelphia

I enjoy coming to my gym because I love working out. However, I can only complete my workout routine to an extent. There are often people here who are fixated on one position and rarely move: the bench press machine is, nearly, always occupied and there is lacking machinery. Still it is a nice gym for those in the South West Philadelphia, PA area. It will do for a quick workout, even an intense one, but it fails in the area of equipment, often lacking the essential machinery for targeted workouts.

I don't want to castigate this gym too much though because it is a "Planet Fitness" and few should expect to be able to bodybuild at any location. These franchises emerged to make working-out appealing for everyone, and that is very clear from how they structure their gyms. So, there shouldn't be an unrealistic expectation when entering or joining one.

Still there should be investment in equipment to equalize each gym, it makes the "Planet Fitness" experience seem unbalanced. I say this because certain "PF"s will have a particular machine that another won't. Some will have far too many tread mills, etc. And others will have far too few free weights. I grasp that this is probably to make each location unique, but there should be uniformity to an extent.

In conclusion, my "Planet Fitness" experience varies because I have been working out since I was a youth: sports, calisthenics. and running were, and are, my forte. I mention this because once you are active, an athlete, or just a gym lover you learn rules. Rules no one has to post on a wall. You also have expectations about working out, a mindset. My mindset is probably different from most beginners in exercise, and that should be expected. Again, there is an inexcusable error that all gym goers should abide by. This rule is to properly rack your weights. DON'T PUT A 25 IN A 60'S PLACE, and DON'T RACK A 15 NEAR A 40. And, goodness gracious, what happened to 15lb dumbells in "Plant Fitness?" I know they are there, but good Lord are they hard to find. Ok, lol, so this is my most erratic review, but I have a passion for exercise and I had to let that one out. Anyway, keep pushing towards your fitness goals, know what type of gym "PF" is, and re-rack those weights...

As far as PFs go, this location is sub par. Compared to other locations I’ve used, this one has the lowest number of resistance machines/apparatuses—and thus an inadequate variety—I’ve come across in a PF. (The complete opposite is true regarding cardio equipment)

Moreover, it seems regular maintenance of their resistance machines isn’t a priority. For example, it’s obvious—because of their friction and lack of smoothness—many of the rods that guide machines’ weight stacks haven’t been cleaned or lubricated for quite some time.

The dumbbells are never where they’re supposed to be on the racks. In other locations, staff usually fix that member-generated problem by regularly organizing the dumbbells. Not here. Speaking of member-generated problems the staff don’t intervene to mitigate, it’s not uncommon for members here to hoard dumbbells or monopolize multiple pieces of weight equipment to do super sets, giant sets, or modified circuits. (I have yet to see the machines/space dedicated to circuit training used by anyone.) This wouldn’t be a big deal if this location had more weight equipment. Replacing some of huge number of cardio machines with more weight machines would help significantly, but that’s unlikely to happen.

I’ve used this facility because of its proximity to where I live, since I moved. However, I’m tired or making do, and my dissatisfaction will probably lead me to find another gym. I’m sure this PF works for many people, but I’m...

A good gym for the money. I pay 10 dollars a month to use the machines. If you like a large variety of training classes, swimming pool, sauna, tennis court, boxing ring, or even a scale to weight yourself, this is not the gym for you. I have to edit my post bc of my experience "trying" to take advantage of what the commercial calls free personal training. I scheduled to meet with the trainer. When we sat to talk, he grabbed a pen and a flyer of the gym's workout schedule. He wrote what we talked about on the back of a flyer! No form or list. He only asked me about my goals and he wrote down food ideas I already practiced. Didn't ask anything else, wasn't informative. I asked questions, not knowing how and where I would be trained bc there's no room for any of that. Anyways...he no shows for our first scheduled appointment to workout. The other employee didn't know anything. I canceled the future appointment, bc I didn't have time for unreliable services. I see the trainer the following week and he says he had the flu. I stared for a second, bc I (any one on his schedule) should have been informed. That kind of professionalism isn't available for "free" training. If you want real workout results, go to a gym with...