Planet Fitness

Mackerous · Jan 19, 2014

My apologies if this has already been talked about, but I couldn't find it in a thread, though searching for two words with the search function doesn't work all that great.

I joined Planet Fitness a few weeks back and wish I knew about it when traveling cross-country. $20/month gets you access to any of their locations, most of which are 24 hours on the weekdays. This gets me a place to shower, an impetus to exercise, a place to park, and they have massage chairs (and tanning beds if that's your thing)! If you're stationary, $10/month gets you a membership at a single location. The $20 one allows you unlimited use of your "home club" and you can use any other location 10 times a month. That's 10 times for EACH club. So if I moved to another city with multiple clubs, I could go every day for a month as long as I split it up between three locations. I asked and every 3 months you can change your home club.

As far as the gym, it's pretty no-frills, which is why it's so cheap. Towels are not provided, usually no sauna or steam room, etc. But there are showers, cardio equipment, and even TVs on every machine if you want to catch up on some programs.

user 423 · Jan 19, 2014

When you say you have a place to park, do you mean you've stayed overnight?

Patrick46 · Jan 19, 2014

slow2day said:
When you say you have a place to park, do you mean you've stayed overnight?

Alot of these gyms are located in strip malls, and some of the malls have 24 hour restaurants in 'em...so it's a doable place to camp-in if you show up late and leave early.

Places like this are way to busy for my tastes, (lotsa folks coming and going), and you may even get a knock or two. (more from bums then LEO's). Good urban stealth would be a plus.

vanguy · Jan 19, 2014

right now i'm deciding between planet fitness and anytime fitness. their websites don't really have any pictures or much info about themselves. it's good to know planet fitness (or most of them) are open 24 hours too.

Mackerous · Jan 19, 2014

I have to admit I haven't parked overnight at Planet Fitness since a friend of mine here has an extra parking spot, but I don't believe it would be much trouble. They even give you a sticker for your car to make sure you don't get towed if you're there late night. I would bounce between few if I did it though.

Most of them ARE in strip malls, but the one I'm mainly using has a covered parking garage as it's by a large mall. It seems like the vast majority of Planet Fitness are 24/5, some being 24/7. Looks like Anytime Fitness offers free trials. I didn't know about them so I'd love to know if they're better.

Patrick46 · Jan 20, 2014

I'm thinking apples and oranges

Van-Tramp · Jan 20, 2014

vanguy said:
right now i'm deciding between planet fitness and anytime fitness. their websites don't really have any pictures or much info about themselves. it's good to know planet fitness (or most of them) are open 24 hours too.

I have a membership to both. There are more Anytime fitness gyms then Planet Fitness gyms and you will find more Anytime's in small towns in your travels. Planet Fitness gyms are only in those larger metro areas. However, Anytime fitness is twice as much ($40 per month over $20).

Don't get me wrong, I like them both for different reasons. Because I travel ) a lot) the Anytime's gyms are easier for me to find and use. They are true 24/7 while Planet Fitness gyms actually close down a few hours here and there (weekend nights especially).

Anytime fitness also has private bathroom and showers, while Planet Fitness has dorm-style showers. If privacy is important to you... there you go.

I was going to cancel my Planet Fitness, but $20 is nothing and I like having the option.

It would be easy enough to over-night at either. Simply put a bumper sticker or your gym paperwork in the windshield so any LEO could see it. If they rolled up on your van/RV they would assume you were in the gym and leave you alone. I have not overnight ed at either, but I have rolled up very early (3-4am), worked out and showered, and then hung out for a few more hours without any interruption. I have also seen numerous occasions of people clearly overnighting at my local Planet Fitness with no problems.

@ Mackerous - I would not say one is "better" than the other. Anytime is just a smaller Planet Fitness. Anytime's are in smaller spaces and have less equipment, but they both have basically the same equipment (including tanning beds). Planet Fitness can get very (very!) crowded at times (6-8pm weekdays are the worst).

If working out is your goal, either will do. If showering and staying clean is the goal, I prefer Anytime Fitness because of the private bathroom and showers.

user 423 · Jan 20, 2014

Good info. Thanks!

Van-Tramp · Jan 20, 2014

You are welcome.

I have actually written about this very topic on my blog back in October 2013
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/van-essential-gym-membership-aka-shower/

MK7 · Feb 17, 2014

Thanks for the info on Anytime Fitness. It looks like the better choice since there are many more of them compared to PF. I bet nobody's there when you come in late at night. The private bathroom should be a big plus especially if you're a female. It could be dangerous coming into a dorm style bathroom or showers late at night when no one is there. They don't man the place right? You just go in with a pass key and there are security cameras with people monitoring them remotely.

But although at the 24 hour PF, there still would be someone working at the front always. Hard to say which is safer.

Blue · Feb 17, 2014

I might get the paperwork so I can park.... if I wanted to actually use the gym I think I'd just pay the day fee (assuming they have one)

theres another new fittness place... for the life of me I forgot the name... they operate without attendants, you get a magnetic card and its open 24 hrs. from what I remember your gym fees depended on what hours your magnetic key worked, if you could only work out at 2:00 AM your fees might only be 5.00 a month.

offroad · Feb 17, 2014

Do these places clean their showers?

Blue · Feb 17, 2014

yeah they have cleaning services, and a single attendant durring the day, but the showers had those auto-spray things that activated when you left the shower room. the attendant mostly sold memberships and instructed on machine use (did walk throughs)

WheelEstate USA · Feb 17, 2014

These gyms sound useful even if you don't workout...I don't.
I wish ones like this were around years ago when I was in a van.
The best option then was to stop into the "Y", not that it was such a bad thing, as I never had any issues there.

user 423 · Feb 17, 2014

bindi&us said:
The best option then was to stop into the "Y", not that it was such a bad thing, as I never had any issues there.

"It's fun to stay at the Y-Y-Y-MCA...."

WheelEstate USA · Feb 17, 2014

Don't know how much fun it would be to stay....never tried that.

Iggy · Jun 2, 2014

I joined Anytime Fitness because of all the locations that they have. Unfortunately there are none on the Oregon coast and few on the CA coast. I miss both the showers and the workouts when none are available. But all of life consists of tradeoffs. Still plan to spend a lot of time on the beaches, just stay upwind of me! lol jk There are other options for both workouts and showers, usually it just costs you a bit more.

WheelEstate USA · Jun 3, 2014

A solar shower works fine on the beach too.
We're on the 3rd year of use on a cheapo (Coleman) from Wally's.
Take good care of your shower and it will take care of the stinkies for a long time

Lucky mike · Jun 3, 2014

Im the same jay!!!.......solar shower is a must , you can fill it from a brook , lake , River it doesnt matter and shower away!!!..............

Prisoner Of Knowledge · Jun 7, 2014

Van-Tramp said:
I have a membership to both. There are more Anytime fitness gyms then Planet Fitness gyms and you will find more Anytime's in small towns in your travels. Planet Fitness gyms are only in those larger metro areas. However, Anytime fitness is twice as much ($40 per month over $20).

Don't get me wrong, I like them both for different reasons. Because I travel ) a lot) the Anytime's gyms are easier for me to find and use. They are true 24/7 while Planet Fitness gyms actually close down a few hours here and there (weekend nights especially).

Anytime fitness also has private bathroom and showers, while Planet Fitness has dorm-style showers. If privacy is important to you... there you go.

I was going to cancel my Planet Fitness, but $20 is nothing and I like having the option.

It would be easy enough to over-night at either. Simply put a bumper sticker or your gym paperwork in the windshield so any LEO could see it. If they rolled up on your van/RV they would assume you were in the gym and leave you alone. I have not overnight ed at either, but I have rolled up very early (3-4am), worked out and showered, and then hung out for a few more hours without any interruption. I have also seen numerous occasions of people clearly overnighting at my local Planet Fitness with no problems.

@ Mackerous - I would not say one is "better" than the other. Anytime is just a smaller Planet Fitness. Anytime's are in smaller spaces and have less equipment, but they both have basically the same equipment (including tanning beds). Planet Fitness can get very (very!) crowded at times (6-8pm weekdays are the worst).

If working out is your goal, either will do. If showering and staying clean is the goal, I prefer Anytime Fitness because of the private bathroom and showers.

I'm amazed at how well most of the members here write. It's not an easy prose, to be sure. This post was exremely well thought out, written AND helpful. Put a meal and a stewardess on it...that ball is OUTTA HERE!!!

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