It’s kind of been what I expected, but also what I was looking for
As of this writing, I am three weeks into my Planet Fitness membership. People are often asking what I think so far.
In case you missed it, I wrote a blog about my reasons for joining Planet Fitness. You can click or tap on the button below to read more about it!
My most common response is, “so far, so good.” I go in and do my workout and I leave. Nevertheless, I am always observing and reflecting.
One thing I have noticed is that you can’t always rely on the front desk person to be able to answer your question. My first day there, I was looking for a particular machine that my coach had programmed, but couldn’t find it. I wasn’t sure if I was just missing it, or if it really wasn’t there altogether. I asked a person at the desk and she wasn’t sure, so she asked another gentleman nearby if that machine was there. I am still not quite sure if he worked there or not, but he did answer my question. He knew what I was referring to and he said they did not have that machine there.
In that moment, no big deal. I adjusted on the fly and did another exercise that I know would target the intended muscle groups. I then also added a note to the workout making my coach aware so he could adjust my program going forward. While I felt confident in doing that, I recognize most might not know what to do in that circumstance. In working with my current clients who make use of Planet Fitness or similar-type gyms, I often remind them that if for some reason they don’t have access to a certain piece of equipment at their local location, let me know, and I will adjust for next time. I appreciate the opportunity to figure that out for the client so they don’t have to. I recognize that for that day, they might miss out on a workout movement, but here is another friendly reminder: that one move wasn’t going to drastically improve your fitness in one day. You can miss it and we’ll be better prepared next time.
An anticipated challenge I met on the first day was simply learning where things were, what settings would work for me, and what weights to go with for movements. That is not very much unlike anytime we do something new in my gym, or someone comes into my gym for the first time. Those first few my sessions are about familiarizing yourself with the gym, and this was no different. Similarly, any time I do a new movement in my program from my coach, that first session is often about figuring out what my working weight will be. I make notes accordingly in my training app so that I come in more prepared the following session. In my second and third sessions at Planet Fitness, I was able to refer back to my notes from the previous week(s) and I knew more about what weights to go with and what positions I liked certain machines to be in, which made the second and third trips go much smoother.
Something I am not typically used to is waiting on equipment. I have on occasion had to do some exercises out of the planned order because someone was using a particular piece of equipment. I just move on and do what I can while periodically circling back to see if that equipment has become available. Usually when I head back, it has become available. At least one to two times, something was slower in becoming available and it was something I needed to get done to be done for the day, so I asked a person a person in-between sets of their exercise if I could hop in and use something they were using, and they were fine with it. In this case, it was the cable fly machine. After I was done with my set, I re-positioned the pulley to the setting and weight they were using. Likewise, they did the same for me. So, it all worked out!
Because of where certain equipment is located, its availability at the time I would like to use it, and the facility’s preference that people wipe stuff down after each use, I haven’t been able to follow the exact workout flow my coach has programmed. For example, he has supersetted some exercises with prescribed rest in between, and I have not been able to abide by those given the challenges I mentioned. I don’t stress that though. Ultimately, the work gets done to the best of my ability to do it. At the end of the day, a workout done imperfectly is better than not doing a workout because it couldn’t be done perfectly.
One more observation I have made is that there seems to be little connection with others. No one really says anything to one another (unless they are there with a friend) and everyone is just going about their own thing. Full disclosure, I haven’t attempted to strike up conversation with anyone either. I pretty much check-in and get to work. Perhaps not unlike anyone else there, I am there to go in, get my workout done, and get out.
While some prefer a sense of community, and as a result, may gravitate to more group-type settings, this circumstance might offer some reassurance for those who are new to the gym and nervous about people looking at or watching them: no one seems to care what you are doing. They are more focused on what they are doing for themselves.
This is both a blessing and a curse. For the introverted me who appreciates alone time, I don’t mind it. Many days even in my own gym, I tend to workout with no music and appreciate some time to myself. On the other hand, for the person who is new and has made no connections at the gym, it can be very easy for them to drift away. They don’t really have anyone to check on them. God knows, as long as your credit card charge goes through each month at Planet Fitness (or any other similar-type gym), they’re likely not going to ask where you have been.
In closing, it has met my expectations for the reasons I joined at this point. I am utilizing my time to gain experience on equipment that I have always been curious about and wanted to be able to use, especially the cable equipment. I am also learning more about the set up there to be able to better support those who workout in that setting.
At the end of the day, when I get better and learn more, my clients benefit, no matter where a client may use one of my programs.
Sincerely,
Coach Candice
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