# PlanetFitness has a 'philosophy' that is ignorant and potentially dangerous
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [May 10, 2012, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456 "2012-05-10T01:28:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 12
### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456/221 "2012-05-13T18:59:37Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#):
>
> It’s only bad PR if you are a grunting, weight-dropping lunk. Others may be attracted by this publicity.
Or wearing the wrong shoes.
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### Author:  [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456/222 "2012-05-13T19:15:15Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#):
>
> It’s only bad PR if you are a grunting, weight-dropping lunk. Others may be attracted by this publicity.
No, it’s bad PR if you are serious about fitness/exercise.
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456/223 "2012-05-13T19:27:16Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#):
>
> No, it’s bad PR if you are serious about fitness/exercise.
Which makes up what percentage of the potential fitness market?
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### Author:  [@Stelios](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stelios)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456/224 "2012-05-13T19:36:52Z")
I’m from the UK so we don’t have Planet Fitness, but I’ve gotta ask…what kind of weak-minded, milquetoast-y shrinking violets need a “Lunk alarm” to protect them from guys who grunt when they lift? Seriously, just how pussified are these people? It’s fucking pathetic.
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456/225 "2012-05-13T19:47:08Z")
> [@Stelios](#):
>
> I’m from the UK so we don’t have Planet Fitness, but I’ve gotta ask…what kind of weak-minded, milquetoast-y shrinking violets need a “Lunk alarm” to protect them from guys who grunt when they lift?
Is that what you think it is for? That’s odd.
---
### Author:  [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456/226 "2012-05-13T19:49:07Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#):
>
> Ok then-let’s agree on _idiotic_ to describe the philosophy.
No. Not agreed.
Most marketplaces are saturated with the standard gym business model. These people saw a market for people who (for whatever reason) are reluctant to sign with standard gyms.
It’s an investment that is making money. It’s not idiotic.
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### Author:  [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456/227 "2012-05-13T19:49:18Z")
> [@Stelios](#):
>
> I’m from the UK so we don’t have Planet Fitness, but I’ve gotta ask…what kind of weak-minded, milquetoast-y shrinking violets need a “Lunk alarm” to protect them from guys who grunt when they lift? Seriously, just how pussified are these people? It’s fucking pathetic.
I know, right? And I can’t believe the SD warns people for insults in GD! Fucking momma’s-boy wimps! Can’t take the heat stay out of the kitchen, I say!
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### Author:  [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456/228 "2012-05-13T19:52:08Z")
> [@Loach](#):
>
> If you follow their philosophy you would be better off staying at home. Almost as much health benefit and it’s free.
I don’t care about their philosophy. I care about cheap access to exercise machines. I checked it out today. It actually exceeded my expectations - more equipment and training opportunities than expected. I think the lunk alarm is stupid, and discriminating against fitness buffs is stupid, and selling Pepsi is stupid, but it’s not like they control how hard or frequently I work out, and they don’t force bagels down my throat. I can do just as well there as I could anywhere else, at least until I can lift a dumbbell more than 80 pounds.
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### Author:  [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456/229 "2012-05-13T20:09:33Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#):
>
> I don’t care about their philosophy. I care about cheap access to exercise machines. \<_snip_\> it’s not like they control how hard I work out.
Ahh, but there’s the rub. They actually _do_ have that control. It is totally and completely in their control to decide when you (general ‘you’) have broken a rule. It is up to PF staff to determine if a noise made by a member is deemed “excessive” or not. If they think you _look_ like a “lunk”, you are starting off at a disadvantage when it comes to being able to work out without breaking the rules.
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### Author:  [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456/230 "2012-05-13T20:12:19Z")
I have a question. If:
- This thread is not about you getting kicked out of PF for whatever reason;
- The lunk alarm and other ‘ignorant philosophies’ are dangerous and may lead to significant injury;
- PF’s discriminatory attitude toward serious bodybuilders sucks…
Then…
Why didn’t this thread show up the very first time you experienced the lunk alarm, or other things you’re complaining about?
It seems to me if you wanted people to focus on PF, then the optimal time to do so would be when, if you’ll pardon the expression, your hands were clean. Not after there would be reason for folks to seize on your history. Just a thought…
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### Author:  [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456/231 "2012-05-13T20:12:39Z")
> [@PlainJain](#):
>
> No. Not agreed.
>
> Most marketplaces are saturated with the standard gym business model. These people saw a market for people who (for whatever reason) are reluctant to sign with standard gyms.
>
> It’s an investment that is making money. It’s not idiotic.
Well we’ll see how much money they continue to make.
---
### Author:  [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456/232 "2012-05-13T20:17:00Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#):
>
> Which makes up what percentage of the potential fitness market?
I’d say a pretty hefty percentage. At least of those you’d find _inside_ of a gym. Now maybe there is a large percentage who would gobble up memberships to a place such as PF; only to rarely ever step foot inside the actual facility.
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456/233 "2012-05-13T20:22:00Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#):
>
> I’d say a pretty hefty percentage. At least of those you’d find _inside_ of a gym. Now maybe there is a large percentage who would gobble up memberships to a place such as PF; only to rarely ever step foot inside the actual facility.
Sounds like an ingenious business model to me. Kind of like health insurance that discourages everyone but the young and healthy.
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### Author:  [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456/234 "2012-05-13T20:27:05Z")
> [@bobkitty](#):
>
> I have a question. If:
>
> - This thread is not about you getting kicked out of PF for whatever reason;
> - The lunk alarm and other ‘ignorant philosophies’ are dangerous and may lead to significant injury;
> - PF’s discriminatory attitude toward serious bodybuilders sucks..
>
> Then..
>
> Why didn’t this thread show up the very first time you experienced the lunk alarm, or other things you’re complaining about?
>
> It seems to me if you wanted people to focus on PF, then the optimal time to do so would be when, if you’ll pardon the expression, your hands were clean. Not after there would be reason for folks to seize on your history. Just a thought..
Because I was putting up with such policies to continue training in a facility that featured the only such equipment that I’ve found that allows me to successfully train my back in a complete manner. It was only _after_ I was kicked out that I fully realized just how discriminatory the place was towards anyone who was seriously committed to working out (bodybuilder or not). And this was because I knew that I had NOT been guilty of violating any of the rules, yet my membership was revoked nonetheless. And when I tried to confirm the “warnings” on my account, the manager said that was “not possible” at this time. Yeah, because those warnings _never occurred._
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### Author:  [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456/235 "2012-05-13T20:29:07Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#):
>
> Well we’ll see how much money they continue to make.
Apparently they’ve been in business for over 20 years. I don’t imagine they’ll be shutting down anytime soon.
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### Author:  [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456/236 "2012-05-13T20:33:37Z")
And when I said “Yea, I just finished doing a set with these 80lb dumbbells, and I reached muscular failure, but I will be sure to gently set them ever so lightly back on the ground in order that they don’t make a sound”; that was written as a 1st-person example. It wasn’t a personal anecdote. It was done in order to show that when someone is working out with intensity, it is not always possible to do what PF is demanding of it’s members. It wasn’t an example of _my_ specific work out tendencies.
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### Author:  [@Beastly\_Rotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastly_Rotter)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456/237 "2012-05-13T20:34:35Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#):
>
> Because I was putting up with such policies to continue training in a facility that featured the only such equipment that I’ve found that allows me to successfully train my back in a complete manner. It was only _after_ I was kicked out that I fully realized just how discriminatory the place was towards anyone who was seriously committed to working out (bodybuilder or not). And this was because I knew that I had NOT been guilty of violating any of the rules, yet my membership was revoked nonetheless. And when I tried to confirm the “warnings” on my account, the manager said that was “not possible” at this time. Yeah, because those warnings _never occurred._
At this point I doubt most people would side with you if you complained you’d been kicked out of the Klan for being black.
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### Author:  [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456/238 "2012-05-13T20:36:57Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#):
>
> Apparently they’ve been in business for over 20 years. I don’t imagine they’ll be shutting down anytime soon.
Well they must have changed _something_ recently because I’ve never heard of them before a couple of years ago and in that couple of years it’s been nothing but crap about their “rules” and the Lunk Alarm. Has their entire 20 year span included their current business model?
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### Author:  [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456/239 "2012-05-13T20:38:00Z")
> [@Beastly\_Rotter](#):
>
> At this point I doubt most people would side with you if you complained you’d been kicked out of the Klan for being black.
Maybe not _you_, fuck wad.
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### Author:  [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2012, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planetfitness-has-a-philosophy-that-is-ignorant-and-potentially-dangerous/621456/240 "2012-05-13T20:40:19Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#):
>
> I don’t care about their philosophy. I care about cheap access to exercise machines. I checked it out today. It actually exceeded my expectations - more equipment and training opportunities than expected. I think the lunk alarm is stupid, and discriminating against fitness buffs is stupid, and selling Pepsi is stupid, but it’s not like they control how hard or frequently I work out, and they don’t force bagels down my throat. I can do just as well there as I could anywhere else, at least until I can lift a dumbbell more than 80 pounds.
What happened to the fitness center you joined the other month that had the trainer and the kickboxing class? (The class you got very sore after?)
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