Planet Fitness — Attraction in Tampa

I'm what you can call a gym connoisseur - I have been a member of/worked out at 20+ different gyms/boxes (get your mind outta the gutter) and have experienced the highs and lows that come with memberships at different price points. I have been a PF 'black card' carrying member for three months which I chose since it gives me access to all their locations when I travel.

Although Planet Fitness loves trolling with the noise alerts to ensure a "judgement free" zone (I've yet to see it go off but hope I am there to see it IRL one day #bucketlist), I can say they are one of the better gyms out there. So far, the two locations I've visited were: Super clean, had friendly staff, and had everything required for a solid workout. Free weights, circuits, assorted cardio machines, fixed straight/curl barbells and CLEAN/spacious showers/restrooms!!!!

One of the most important things to me is cleanliness (my 'friends' have accused me of OCD but I consider it being hygienic). I left Crunch fitness in TP for many reasons but the last camel-back-breaking straw was bc they wouldn't clean the showers (legit would not remove the same clump of hair for weeks after I complained multiple times - obvs didn't use the shower but it just made me question cleanliness as a whole making me queasy AF) - definitely not the case with Planet Fitness. Everything is sparkling and ready for use with plenty of different shower options for the off-chance it's in-between cleanings.

I also LOVE the no phone rule - you have NO idea how many people I wanted to chop in the throat for Bogart-ing a machine/bench/circuit bc they had to talk/text/take 1M selfies... Don't get it twisted though, they do allow phones if it's your music player - just don't be a Bogart.

TLDR: If you're looking for a clean and sufficient gym without the usual gym meme-like characters we've all come to know and hate - join Planet Fitness!!

*Disclaimer: I do NOT and have NEVER worked for any gym and was not paid for this awesome endorsement. Also,...

Homeless people are wondering in the parking lot panhandling every person entering. It makes it feel unsafe to leave anything in your car so I went in with pockets packed. If you are going to open in a bad neighborhood you have to budget for security.

Angry lady behind the front desk. When I said good morning she looked at me with a go f yourself look but otherwise didn't respond with words or sounds or well, anything. Just any angry glare.

Equip is 80%+ cardio, so compared to some Planet Fitness locations, it is very hard to do strength training. Free-weight benches are old, not very safe as they move while you are lifting, they are way to close together to be safe as well and are cracked and worn out on the leather padding. All equipment bases need deep cleaning.

Cable station need cables adjusted as they are set too long for anyone over probably 5'9. Weight kept crashing into the weight stack as I am 6'3. Couldn't have a full range of motion.

Not enough strength training equipment for the number of people at not a busy time of day.

So many people don't do cardio anymore that I wonder what all those cardio machines are for? Weird.

I am probably super spoiled by the New England Planet Fitness locations which are the best I've ever seen and should be the prime template for all locations especially if you want to attract and keep people who only do strength training and are used to spotless cleanliness in the rest of their lives.

Hope this helps create change at this location for the locals. Tough market also with the Planet Fitnes and boycott in full swing everywhere I look on social. I'm trying to stay loyal to the brand as I hate changing gyms. I'll drive farther out of town to the next closest one in the future, which is super inconvenient timewise but this is the one part of my day that is just for me so it's worth...

I figured I'd wait to make a review to give the place a shot before I say anything. They fired the overnight girl, which was a big mistake. Now they have some 400-pound guy in there, trying to enforce every rule like he is a dictator. Meanwhile, he never once got off of his bar stool or did anything other than play on his phone. Meanwhile, the bathrooms a mess there are weights all over the place. Every bench has somebody's grease all over it. Because he can't bother to get up off the bar stool that he's sitting on to go clean. I suspected if he got off the bar stool, it might float away. I confronted him about harassing the people over a gym bag on the gym floor (ive seen the customer before he has made substantial improvements and he is in there often) when there are 10 people in the whole gym and his immediate response was to kick me out. He kept telling me there's the door, there's the door if I don't like it, and threatening to call the cops on me because he didn't like what he was hearing. The guy literally just started a week ago, maybe, and apparently, he's planet fitness police. The place is generally overcrowded. They allow homeless people to come in there and shower and hang out in the lobby or waiting area. There's usually a machine or 2 that's broken for months at a time. The only time it's ever clean is when the overnight girl was there and she's gone. Probably just go to a different gym at this point, if that's the type of people they're gonna hire there. I could smell the guy from 6 feet away. He doesn't look like he's brushed his hair or washed himself in several weeks. Update since the altercation this gentleman attempts to intimidate me by staring at me any time I'm in his line of sight or walks by... not...