Introduction
Back in 2017, I started my gym membership with Planet Fitness at Ivy City. This wasn’t necessarily the closest location, but I could tell it was pretty active young professionals which I liked. At the time I was unemployed and lived in a house, so I didn’t have access to a gym. Health and fitness are always important to me because this is how my entire body stays in one peace. The price tag of $9 a month was enticing to me but what turned me off was the fact that I had to use a banking account and not a credit card which is normal for gym memberships. Didn’t feel too safe giving out my bank account information to a new company to debit their membership fees.
My workaround for the bank account needed for membership was starting a new account with a local bank specifically for this gym membership. It worked and I was able to sign up successfully. Looking back at this method, I could see why it’s important to use a bank account versus a credit card. It’s so easy to scam using a credit card and the company essentially would walk away without revenue.
Fitness Classes
This was a different way of attending classes at the gym. There’s no actual room at this location. Not sure if it’s different at other locations but there’s no fitness room at all. It threw me off at first but then I got used to it after a few classes. Look for gym memberships that’s 24 hours and under $20, you can’t beat that deal.
The classes take places in different areas around the gym. It depends on the class which determines where the class will take place. For arms it will be located in the weight area. As a person that prefers to have a class in a room, that was a downside. Like I said earlier, you’ll get used to it but I still prefer a room.
Equipment
The plus side to this location is that I felt that I had plenty of gym equipment to choose from except when there’s a class taking place. Another downside with classes taking place in the main area. The students have first dibs on the equipment. If you’re in the middle of a set and the class starts in the area you’re working out then you have to move. I scheduled my workout around those classes so this never happened to me but I saw it happened to other members.
The equipment gets cleaned constantly throughout the day. This was pre-COVID too. As I mentioned, my membership dates back to 2017 until about 2018. Sanitizing the equipment is part of the normal habits for Plante Fitness.
I do love the area where you can do a full body workout on various machines. It takes the guessing out of how long and which machine to use next. It’s so convenient for people who wants to do better at the gym but needs a little guidance.
Staff
I always had a pleasant experience with the different staff members during different times of the day. There were some times that I would come in after being out and about in the area and just stopped by the gym. Regardless of the time, they were courteous to me.
When I have questions about the equipment they stopped what they were doing to help me out.
Gym Members
Seemed normal to me for the part. I got the vibe that everyone was young go-getters but didn’t want to pay for a ridiculous amount in gym fees. I wouldn’t necessarily say that this is a place for people who are hardcore gym rats but for people who want to get serious about their fitness journey.
Location and Parking
Look, it’s in Ivy City, if I go at night it’s because it’s already a decent amount of people in the area. I wouldn’t recommend any ladies go there when it’s like a ghost town. As much as we want to believe that this area is completely transformed, unfortunately it is not. You still have to be extremely cautious in this area.
Parking is free if you park in garage for 90 mins. After that you get charged. If you’re fortunate enough to find street parking on a Sunday or during the week after parking hours than go for it.
Conclusion
If you need a gym to serve the basic level of fitness and equipment, then this is the place to go. If this is a convenient location for you then it’s a good deal. Again, please don’t go into this membership thinking that you’re getting bells and whistles. Lastly, please be safe when visiting at night. I say this because now that another store is closed (TJ Maxx couldn’t survive pandemic in this location), there’s less activity. Plus the surrounding nightlife isn’t as vibrant as before, which made it safer to stop by the gym at night. Be careful and stay healthy.