Planet Fitness – Victor

Came to town for a week and needed a place to workout. Kelly told me it was cheaper to sign up with the special than to pay the drop in fee each day of $ 15. The special was $ 10 to sign up, $ 10 for the month, no commitment. She said I could cancel at the end of the week with no fee. Sent me on my way. No introduction. Didn’t explain their layout, rules, or policies. Worked out a few days. The bathrooms and equipment are filthy. But, there’s plenty of cardio equipment. Tried to cancel today and told there would be a $ 58 cancellation fee by Bobbie. She slow rolled me for about 20 minutes. I told her about the special and she asked me to show her on their Facebook page. So I did. Then she told me that was a new special. I pointed out that I signed up during the specified dates. Then she told me the Kelly didn’t put it in the system right so it would be $ 58. She so told me Kelly didn’t work there anymore and she couldn’t call her manager, Collin, because he was off and probably wouldn’t answer. I told her I would wait until she got a hold of a manager or one came in. Eventually, after staring at her cell phone and then the computer and then the paper, she did the cancellation paperwork. Not worth the drama.

FIX YOUR EARBUD CONNECTIONS!
That’s really all. Planet fitness is really great in terms of no-​fuss work outs. Decent equipment, clean locker rooms, and the gym doesn’t smell like a gym. Kudos! But most of the elliptical and all of the treadmills have these old school remote controls and ear bud connectors that don’t work with normal ear buds. And by «normal» I mean iPhone ear buds which millions of people have. I understand I could listen to my own music or just focus on working out, but I like to watch TV to keep my workout going. And I can’t hear anything at Planet Fitness!
Please fix them. Please.

I relented and joined PF 2 weeks ago. The location (drive past Victor location on my way to work) and the price ($ 10 to join/​$ 10 a month) was enough for me to take a look. Even though I have a home gym, sweating with strangers between jobs makes a lot more sense somehow.
Anyhow, I was pleasantly surprised! The high ceilings and wall of windows make the space feel open, light. The locker room (women’s) looks like a spa with stone walls and dark wood lockers. Leave your lock at home, they have them built in. VERY clean. It’s fairly quiet when I work out mid-​day M-​F. I like that they have the equipment set up into zones. Luckily, I won’t be needing more than a 75lb dumbbell and I NEED those Smith machines! The treadmills all have TV’s and iPod/​iPhone hookups. I’m not sure they sinc to Polar HRM’s but seem to. Also, the staff is VERY friendly– no phony «Hey! How ya doin!» with dead eyes and back to talking to their co-​worker. They are sincerely nice and welcoming.
My only complaints are the same as most. Pizza and candy are not healthy and should not be incorporated into a gym. Same goes for tanning. You ask me, their $ would be better spent offering free coffee/​tea and a once a month outdoor fitness challenge. Higher weights would be great for lunks like my husband but he’s not interested in going somewhere he’s not wanted (and therefore judged lol!) anyway. I LOVE classes like yoga, total body & hoop fit and wish they offered something along those lines.
I have been a member at the RAC, YMCA & Lifetime Fitness. PF wins.

I’ve been attending this PF since it opened a couple years back. It is only a 5 min drive (or a quick bike ride) from my house in Mendon, which makes its location very convenient. The next closest gym I know of is a Y about 12 min toward Pittsford.
In addition to location, the price is also great. You can’t beat $ 10/​month for the standard membership. At $ 20/​month you have access to any of the other PFs in the country, including the ones in Henrietta, Greece, and Chili. The upgraded membership also gives you unlimited tanning (which I admittedly used during the winter to avoid looking like a ghost) and allows you to bring a guest each time you go!
The available equipment gets the job done, but they are lacking a bit in free weights (no barbells). If you want to bench press, you are stuck on a smith machine or with dumbbells (which go up to 75 lbs). They have resistance machines galore since they cater to the out-​of-​shape crowd that buys a membership, goes every day for a week, and stops coming while still paying the monthly fee. I guess you can’t blame PF for their marketing strategy since it works.
The only times I end up waiting for weights or benches is right when work lets out Monday through Friday (5 – 7). I almost have never had to wait for a cardio machine. They keep the locker rooms clean, and they usually don’t get too crowded either.
I have been a member of both the Y and the JCC, and I’d say PF is the best gym for its price.