If Planet Fitness eased back on their goofy policies, would they get more members?

[Dream Evil]

I got yelled at for jumping rope off in a corner once.

 

[Jkillah]

I got yelled at for jumping rope off in a corner once.

Were you intimidating people with your alpha jump rope pace?

 

[TerryMCLOOPS]

Were you intimidating people with your alpha jump rope pace?

It was his two buddies holding the jump rope that got him in trouble

 

[Kforcer]

I got yelled at for jumping rope off in a corner once.

Nice avatar and handle, by the way.

 

[nhbfan8080]

I'm just thinking, what if they just quietly added legit equipment, ditched the lunk alarm but didn't really broadcast it? Still kept up the same propaganda but just silently made the gyms better places to workout...? Do enough of the people who really buy into their rhetoric and feel comforted by their assurances of a "Judgment Free Zone" even know enough about gym equipment to notice the difference if squats and benches are added?

You guys make a good point though. They are what they are for a reason.

I think some locations were previously conventional gyms which switched hands and they still have safety cages/lifting racks for bench press/squats and they are quite adequate for the real gymgoers.

 

[whippersnapper]

Yes. Don't alienate those who would be the most dedicated to fitness.

 

[TeTe]

I read that Planet Fitness locations don't have barbell racks or cages, only Smith machines. And their heaviest dumbbells are 60 lbs.

LOLWUT. I mean, I would never go there because of their dumb policies but if that's true it wouldn't even serve a purpose for me.

 

[ThunderL1ps]

I used to work out at Fit4Less in Canada, which is basically the same model, minus the alarm. The biggest income stream is their "donors" (people who rarely if ever show up). I asked someone at the front desk about that and they said they had about 6K members and maybe 1500 people come to the gym. Not sure if that that was 1500 people coming 4- 5 days a week or what....but I guess good on them for getting money for nothing.

 

[nhbfan8080]

Yeah, good point. A lot of gyms are that way, even the legit ones. A guy who worked at a gym and went to a lot of conventions for gym owners was telling me that the hardcore people were the ones that were the worst for the gyms financially because they were roughest on the equipment, often worked out alone, didn't pay for training and generally didn't buy things at the gym.

........

I'm thinking that the hardcore gymgoers have something in common with the hardcore mma fans. They are more knowledgeable about the product and don't accept filler and vegan substitutes like the casuals. We get irritated when top matchups don't get made and when top fighters aren't busy enough.