New gym vows ‘no judgment’
Published 12:00 am Friday, April 8, 2016
LaGRANGE — At Planet Fitness, the area’s newest gym, you’ll find a plethora of equipment. Weights, treadmills, ellipticals and massage chairs are all waiting for gym members — but there’s one thing you won’t find: a scale.
“No, we don’t have a scale,” said Toby Hines, owner-manager of LaGrange Planet Fitness at 118 Commerce Ave. “We don’t feel that’s the mentality we want. If you feel good, and you’re exercising and coming, we don’t want the scale to freak you out.”
After a ribbon cutting Thursday to celebrate the gym’s grand opening, Hines said what makes his gym different is its staff’s attitude toward exercise.
“We are a judgment free, non-intimidating atmosphere,” Hines said. “We’re doing a lot of things behind the scenes to make sure first-time users who have never been to a gym — or went to a gym and had a bad experience with loud weights dropping, body building type mentality, dirty or broken equipment — to make sure that every single person feels comfortable in our club.”
The gym officially opened for business on March 14, and has already seen 5,000 members sign up, Hines said. The gym offers a two-tiered membership option. A basic membership for one person is $10 per month, but Hines said many people opt for the second-tier plan, called the “Black Card membership,” which is $19.99 per month. The Black Card membership includes access to the spa area, the use of any of the other Planet Fitness locations across the country and members can bring a guest with them each time. There is also a $39 annual fee for memberships.
“This club is exactly what you’ll see in 1,100 clubs around the country,” Hines said. “A customer that has a Black Card membership here, she can use any club in the country. So if you know how to to use these treadmills, you can use any treadmill across the country. It’s all the same.”
Chris Cleveland, a local banker who attended the ribbon cutting, which was sponsored by the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce, said the option of bringing a friend stood out to him.
“I really like that you’re allowed to bring a guest, that’s pretty cool,” he said. “It’s an amazing place — it’s all new equipment.”
The gym opens Monday at midnight and stays open until 9 p.m. Friday. Saturday and Sunday it is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
For more information, visit www.planetfitness.com or call 706-884-7037.