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Business & Tech

Planet Fitness Offers a Low-Pressure Workout Zone

New gym in Lake Forest Park hopes to build safe haven from macho body builders

It may seem odd when the heaviest weight in a gym is only 75 pounds, but Planet Fitness hopes that by keeping the weights down, they can make it clear that their new gym is a place where people don’t have to worry about competing with power lifters and excessive machismo.

“This is the judgment free zone,” assistant manager Amber Getta said. “We have people of all shapes and sizes. We don’t want people to stand in front of the mirror grunting and making people uncomfortable.”

Planet Fitness, which opened February 1 in the Lake Forest Park Town Centre, is billed as a place where non-Schwarzenegger types can drop in and work out without the pressures that sometimes accompany other gyms.

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But the gym offers plenty of workout options to help people stay fit.

The facility boasts more than 80 pieces of cardio equipment, including low-impact elliptical machines, treadmills and arc trainers. Also available are strength training machines such as Smith racks, cable towers and an ab room.

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Getta said the response so far has been positive, with more than 800 people signing up for memberships before the gym’s opening. Since February 1, that number has grown to more than 1,400 members.

“We were the first [Planet Fitness] in Washington, so that isn’t too bad for a gym that nobody has really heard of,” Getta said.

Basic memberships cost $10 per month, along with an annual $29 fee. Planet Fitness also offers a “Black Card” membership for $19.99 per month, which includes free tanning, free access to a foot massage chair and half-priced beverages. The Black Card membership comes with a $39 annual fee.

Planet Fitness, which originated in New Hampshire, plans to open another facility in Renton in about two weeks and another in Vancouver in the coming months.

Planet Fitness is open Monday through Thursday 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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