r/PlanetFitnessMembers

24F, dealing with extreme social anxiety. I have been hitting the gym for 3 weeks now and want to try new exercises to achieve my desired build.

How do i get over the fear of trying new scary machines/exercises, any tips and tricks : bulgarian split squats, smith machine, hip thrusts, dumbbells, hack squat, roman chair, cable machine. I am just looking for some reassurance if you can share your first time trying these exercises and what tips and tricks will be helpful.

I've noticed an influx of meta glasses ( capable of filming) everywhere but there's 1 staff member and 1 what I think is just some member wearing these when in the bathrooms.

The regular dude just sits in the locker room on his phone for long periods of time. Ive seen him twice now....glasses on....chillin in the locker room.

The staff member ( lesbian woman) is cleaning the male bathrooms.

Why wear these in the bathrooms?

My understanding is these aren't prescription for most people AND that they have a light on when recording but this can be hidden easily or blacked out.

I'm not sure if I should assume anything, be concerned or even think about it but also....wtf??

Ive been going to planet fitness over the summer and the very first time I maxed out the leg extensions. Right now I’m literally doing sets of like 12-18 reps and I just feel like there’s nothing else I can do.

the ten minutes is NEVER enough 😭😭 can i reserve back to back times if no one else is at the gym? i go at like 11:30 at night it’s never busy

If my original club that I joined is in one city but I also travel to one in a different city can I go to the other one that isn't my home base with just a classic membership or is there a way to change what ones my home base??

Thank you all so much for the encouragement and crazy beginner stories yesterday. Last night while laying on bed I went from "free day pass" to "kick butt gym member" on a whim. Up at 5am and tried again. Am I still intimidated? You betcha. But I survived 5 minutes on the stair climber (not a fan 😂), successfully used 2 machines and did the bike for a bit. Now that I'm a member I see the option to sign up for an orientation so that's my plan for tomorrow. If nothing else I get up and start my day with 20 Oz water down before I'm typically even out of bed. Now that I'm in my 50s it's time to curate the healthiest body of my life so far 🙂 Please don't leave me, I need your support when I inevitably do dumb stuff 🤣

I cried a little at the gym today. I’ve had a little bad habit of going to the gym for awhile then stopping then going back again and I’m finally doing it recently, I’ve been really insecure about my body lately and have caught myself watching alot of tutorials on how to perform these workouts and having a better diet, today was just a bad day, i tried to create a routine and it felt like almost every other machine my form was wrong or it was burning all in my forearms and not where it’s supposed to be targeting and I felt like giving up again. How did you guys learn to correct your form when starting out?

Every time I try to go during the day it’s always so packed with people. I’ve tried 1pm, 3pm, 7pm during the week and there’s always a good amount of people there - cardio machines always empty though.

What do the bars on the crowd meter even mean? After 3 bars on mine there’s no point going, there’s no space and I always end up only getting to do half my routine and spending the rest of the treadmill if I don’t want to wait around for other people to be done.

I’ve started going around 10-11pm as that’s the only time it starts clearing out. This isn’t a complaint I’m just genuinely curious if they’re all like this or is it just mine? And does anyone know what the crowd meter is measuring?

can the staff tell if I am using the buddy pass without the member being present?

My husband and I have a black account, it is under his name and I just use the buddy pass to go so we can get all of the benefits without paying for 2 separate accounts. There has been a few times where I have gone without him and he'll just unlock the pass, no one has ever said anything, but I feel super anxious every time I go that they won't let me in without him.

We've looked into switching the account into my name but we'd have to cancel his and pay the start up + yearly fees all over again and don't want to do that.

Can the staff tell if he hasn't checked in?

I've never used a tanning booth/bed so I wanted to ask about them.

Are you supposed to use a tanning lotion? Or do you just strip down and get in nothing applied?

I was at PF today and this person had a 4 foot selfie stick with feet so they could stand it up. Seriously? What pissed me off was I was in her “shot” exercising.

Is this aloud or not? If it is aloud, should it be?

What is the protocol? Tell the desk?

I'm way too easily intimidated apparently. I felt like a lost puppy. I used the free day pass with every intention to join...I have to get in shape. But I have no freaking clue what I'm doing and was in a sea of people rocking it. Tell me your first visit was overwhelming and now you're a pro. Tell me I'm not alone.

Hi everyone! I just joined my local planet fitness today and am excited to start going. I have a lot of gym anxiety so it took a lot for me to go in there and sign up. I plan on going almost everyday and rotating between cardio and weights but when it comes to workouts I feel lost. I struggle to come up with workout routines on my own and i’m wondering if anyone has any tips for building a routine and sticking to it. I have anxiety about looking lost and people staring at me… ☹️

so heres my 2 negative experiences with starting at planet fitness. for context im an overweight 19 year old who is just trying to better their body, and I try to not be like other young members you may run into who disrespect the public space and disturb other people.

So first, during one of my workouts I leave a machine without wiping it down. I understand that of course this is my full mistake because there are rules that need to be followed, and that the expensive equipment needs to be respected and maintained. I also have no issue in being called out for a mistake, and im sure I would call out others for something similar. But in this case, a man approaches me about not cleaning the machine, starting with something like "hey, you forgot to wipe that last machine you were on." I instantly reply with "oh, thanks for telling me, I'll go do that right now." Instead of him leaving it at that, he proceeds to go on about how we young people know nothing about respect, and even baby talking to me about how a spray bottle and paper towel are used. I had no idea how to react to this, so I just say nothing and proceed to go wipe down the machine, which I end up not doing anyway because the next person using it said it was ok and they would take care of it. Now if I were to remind someone to clean the machines, I would never tell them in such an inconsiderate way. I wouldve kindly reminded them its a policy and that its just for the sake of all of us gym goers, and not take it as a chance to go off on someone half my age. He totally made that a way more negative thing that it ever needed to be.

Another day, I walk in wearing jeans, which would be a common thing for me at my old gym when I would be doing an upper-body focused workout. The front desk employee asks "do you have anything to change into?" I reply no, which she then says that they dont allow jeans, which was not something I was informed on upon signing up. She says that they will allow it this one time, but the whole conversation she is giving this judgy glare and impatient tone of voice. If that really is a PF policy, so be it, but what harm to the equipment or anyone does me wearing my own choice of modest clothing possibly do? Just feels like cherry picking things to make an issue about.

I dont come to the gym to have unsavory interactions with people having a bad day, I just want to show up, do my lifts, and leave. I stay quiet, never have once left my weights unracked, use 1 machine at a time, and really just try my hardest to stay out of anyones way or be an inconvenience. People were nice to me at my old gym, these people just feel bitter.

No excuses but with life lifing I been out of the gym (including at home work outs) for about a month and a half. Today I went again starting a new day 1 and in a weird way it was like my body missed this craze. It was almost like my feet pulled me back and I was at home. Motivated and ready to get back on the grind.

Anyone else having their day 1 again recently ?

14m is it normal to be embarrassed to lift small weights. I can only incline db press 30 on each side, and I can only preacher curl 70, I started to begin going to the gym later in the night with less people because my social anxiety is killing me

I've (MTF) been transitioning for about 2.5 years and pass fairly well. I've still been using the men's locker room out of habit/comfort, but lately I've been considering switching to the women's locker room.

For other trans members who've made that switch, what was your experience like? Did anyone give you a hard time, or was it mostly a non-issue? Anything you wish you'd known beforehand?

The men's locker room has also gotten increasingly uncomfortable for me lately because I've had guys make sexual comments/advances, so I'm trying to figure out what I'm most comfortable doing going forward.

Has anyone ever tried using one of those corporate promo codes for black card, the website says it works and everything, but then when you sign up they charge you the normal amount and they change the club agreement to say you signed one with the non promo amounts?

I just tried using a code for black card, it said it applied and all, but then I got charged the normal prices and the club agreement they gave me they said I signed has all the normal pricing numbers. But when I signed up on the website and I looked at the generated club agreement I checked the box of saying I agreed to, it has all of the promo numbers.

I also called my home gym and they said they're not going to do anything about it. I figured I'll just try disputing it, but is this a normal thing that happens?

Was a member for over 3 years but canceled today. My "club" is full of people shooting TikTok videos - people set up tripods and equipment, or just hanging around. They hog the machines and staff doesn't do anything about it. I try to ask if I can work in my set and they just stare like they don't understand. I get that its a lot of "No Hablo", but its annoying.

Why do locations have so many treadmills that sit empty? They need more weights, less treadmills. My former club must of have 30-40 treadmills plus another 2 rows of ellipticals but only 2 weight racks. Are there are fitness centers that do a better job of keeping the Rif-Raff out?