Does Planet Fitness have free weights? (must know!)
There are several gyms in the US, but few can compare to Planet Fitness. There are literally hundreds of outlets in every state. Granted, some Planet Fitness centers may offer more amenities or host more exciting events than others, but in general, no matter where you go, you can expect the same basic experience.
So, it’s important that you know what to expect from your local Planet Fitness location before signing up. Most people only need a few pieces of exercise equipment to maintain their fitness level.
However, the details of easy-to-use equipment are very important to anyone trying to lose weight or prepare for a competition. Let’s find out if Planet Fitness offers free weight training and find out everything else you need to know before signing up.
Does Planet Fitness have free weights?
Planet Fitness does not have free weights. They don’t offer a power rack, but they do have a dumbbell rack that can be used instead of free weights. Their dumbbells usually weigh either 50 or 75 pounds, depending on the location.
Planet Fitness is not the right fitness center for someone who likes to lift weights for exercises like squats and bench presses.
However, they do have Smith machines that can be used in place of free weights.
While the Smith machine may be suitable for some, others may find that they do not adequately exercise a particular muscle group. In general, most Planet Fitness fitness centers have dumbbells in the range up to 50 lbs.
With this weight capacity, you may not even need a barbell or larger weights, as you can use just your own body weight for a very effective arm workout. Still, the importance of this question depends a lot on what you want out of your gym workout.
Planet Fitness is a bit concerned about the lawsuits and insurance premiums for stocking larger free weights. Compared to someone trying to chest press 300 lbs, a person’s risk of injury is much lower than that of an individual trying to use a Smith machine.
Due to the significantly increased chance of making a mistake when using free weights over 50 lbs, fitness centers have decided not to use these weights.
You’ll find many other gyms, especially local weightlifting clubs, that offer these options. However, you may also notice that these gyms are a bit more expensive.
Higher premiums may be a direct result of their use of more expensive equipment and thus the need for more comprehensive insurance policies.
Insurance and liability costs make up a large portion of the overhead that fitness center owners need to control.
While this is certainly one of the downsides of being a Planet Fitness member, it’s important to remember that the facility does this for your own safety and offers many positives.
Read: Can You Deadlift at Planet Fitness?
Why doesn’t Planet Fitness have weight training?
Planet Fitness does not allow free weight training as it is against company policy. They want their gyms to be beginner-friendly, non-intimidating, and they have a strict no “dumb” rule.
Despite the lack of weight training, they offer their members a host of other extras. If you want to improve your physique to the top, you can also choose to receive personal training.
Planet Fitness tries to be a “no intimidation” gym, and as such, it doesn’t have big weights. Another plausible reason why Planet Fitness doesn’t offer these higher free weights is due to insurance and liability concerns.
When free weights exceed 50 pounds, the potential for error and injury increases dramatically; therefore, gyms choose not to use them.
Read: What Age Can You Go to Planet Fitness?
in conclusion..
There are several issues with using free weights at Planet Fitness, and some members share these concerns. Planet Fitness is a low-cost fitness center that focuses on personal training, and because private classes are so popular, the gym doesn’t have a lot of weights.
However, you can expect to find plenty of exercise bikes, treadmills, and weights. Planet Fitness has a strict no free weights policy as they have a “No Dummies” rule. Plus free weights are hard to keep track of and clean.
