Planet Fitness Free Weights 🏋️🚫

The "Planet Fitness" Question

This is a famous, controversial question. "Does Planet Fitness have free weights?" The answer is confusing. It is YES... and it is NO. This is not a joke. This is a fact about their business. You are right to be confused. This guide will explain the truth. We will find the "hidden" traps. (The Lunk Alarm!). (And we will show you what they really have. So you can decide if it is the right gym for you.

The "Why": The Planet Fitness Business Model 💡

This is the most important concept. You must understand their business model. It is not a "normal" gym. It is not a "bodybuilder" gym. It is not a "powerlifting" gym. Their model is the "Judgement Free Zone." ® Who is their customer? Their customer is the 80% of the population... ...who does NOT go to a gym. They are targeting:

• First-time gym-goers.
• People who feel "intimidated" by a normal gym.
• People who just want "light cardio."
• People who want a cheap, 10/month price.

Who is NOT their customer? They are not targeting the "hardcore" 20%. They are not for:

• Powerlifters.
• Bodybuilders.
• CrossFitters.
• "Grunt-and-slam" lifters.

This is the "secret." Their business model... ...is to scare away the "hardcore" people... ...to make the "80%" (the beginners) feel safe. This is why their "equipment choice" is so weird. And it is why they have the Lunk Alarm.

The "Lunk Alarm" (The "Problem") 🚨

This is the tool they use. The "Lunk Alarm" is real. It is a giant "police light" on the wall. It has a loud, obnoxious siren. What triggers it? An employee can "press the button"... ...if they "judge" you to be a "Lunk." A What is a "Lunk"? A "Lunk" is their word for a "hardcore lifter." It is a "bad" customer. It is a list of behaviors:

• Grunting: (This is the #1 "sin"). (
• Dropping Weights: (This is the #2 "sin"). (
• Slamming Weights:
• Wearing "Intimidating" Clothes: (e.g., a "stringer" tank top). (
• "Judging" others.

If you do these things, the alarm goes off. You are "judged." You are kicked out. This is the "trap." What kind of lifting... ...causes "grunting" and "dropping weights"? HEAVY FREE WEIGHTS. (Like a 400lb deadlift). ( This is the "secret." Planet Fitness hates heavy free weights... ...because they create the "Lunk" behavior... ...that scares away their "beginner" customers. So, they "fix" this problem. They simply remove the "heavy" free weights! It is a genius (or evil) business model.

What Free Weights Do They HAVE? (The "Yes" List) ✅

So, what do they have? They do have "free weights." Just not the "scary" ones.

1. Dumbbells (The #1 Pro) 🥇

This is their main "free weight" offering. And it is a good offering. They have a huge rack of dumbbells. They are often rubber-coated "hex" dumbbells. They are clean. They are organized. They have all the "light" weights:

• 5 lbs
• 10 lbs
• 15 lbs
• 20 lbs
• 25 lbs
• 30 lbs

...and they go up from there. But this is where the "catch" is. The "Dumbbell Cap" (The #1 Con) 🚫 This is the "hidden" trap for strong lifters. The dumbbell rack STOPS. It does not go up to 150 lbs. At most Planet Fitness gyms... ...the dumbbells stop at 75 POUNDS. Some "Black Card" (nicer) gyms... ...might go to 80 lbs. But this is rare. T

What does this mean? If you can bench press... ...more than the 75 lb dumbbells... ...you have "maxed out" the entire gym. You can no longer get stronger. This 75lb "cap" is an intentional part... ...of the "no-Lunks-allowed" business model.

2. Fixed Barbells (The "Arm" Station)

This is the other "free weight" they have. This is a rack of "pre-loaded" barbells. They are short, 4-foot bars. The rack usually has:

• A 20 lb bar
• A 30 lb bar
• A 40 lb bar
• A 50 lb bar
• ...up to a 60 lb bar.

These are NOT for bench pressing. They are too short. They are for "isolation" work. They are for your arms. (e.g., Bicep Curls, Tricep Extensions). ( These are "EZ Curl" bars. They are a good tool. But they are not "heavy" free weights.

What Free Weights are MISSING? (The "No" List) 🚫

This is the "deal-breaker" list. This is what Planet Fitness does NOT have. 1. NO Power Racks / Squat Racks 🚫 This is the #1 missing item. This is the "cage" or "stand." It is the "safety" tool. It is how you do a heavy barbell squat. It is how you do a heavy overhead press. This is 100% missing. You cannot do a heavy barbell squat. Period. 2. NO Olympic Bench Press Stations 🚫 This is the #2 missing item. The "fixed" bench press. The "pro-level" bench. It is gone. 3. NO 45lb Olympic Barbells 🚫 This is the "king" of the gym. The 7-foot, 45lb (20kg) barbell. The "bar" in "barbell." It is gone. 4. NO 45lb Weight Plates 🚫 You will not find the 45, 35, 25, or 10lb... ..."Olympic" (2-inch hole) plates. (Either "iron" or "bumper" plates). ( There are no plates to load. Because there are no bars to load. 5. NO Heavy Dumbbells (The "Cap") 🚫 (As we said, they stop at 75 lbs). ( The Verdict: Planet Fitness is NOT a "barbell" gym. It is NOT a "free weight" gym. (In the "powerlifting" sense). ( It is a Dumbbell and Machine gym.

The "Smith Machine" (The "Fake" Barbell) 🏋️

This is the "trap." This is the "compromise." This is what they give you... ...instead of a real Squat Rack. What is it? It looks like a barbell. But it is locked in a machine. It is on "rails" (or rods). It can only go "up and down." It cannot go "forward or back." The "Pro" (The "Sales Pitch"): This is what they tell you. "It is safer!" "You do not need a spotter!" "You can just 'hook' the bar... ...at any time." This is 100% true. It is "safer" (in that one sense). It is very "beginner-friendly." This is why Planet Fitness loves it. The "Con" (The "Hidden Danger"): 🚫 This is the real info. The Smith Machine is terrible. It is a "joint-killer." It is not a good tool. 1. The "Fixed Path" is the Problem. Your body is not a "fixed path." A "real" squat is not 100% vertical. (It has a "hip-hinge" arc). ( The Smith Machine forces your body... ...into an unnatural, 2D, vertical path. This "unnatural" path... ...puts massive "shear force"... ...on your knees and your lower back. It is famous for causing knee and back pain. 2. It Builds "Lazy" Stabilizers. The machine stabilizes the weight for you. So, your deep, "stabilizer" muscles... ...(in your core, hips, and shoulders)... ...have no job. They "turn off." They get "lazy." This is "fake" strength. It does not translate to the real world. The Verdict: Avoid the Smith Machine. It is a "trap." A Dumbbell Squat (Goblet Squat)... ...is 1000x better and safer for you.

Can You Get a Good Workout at Planet Fitness?

YES! A 100% YES! You just have to "know the rules." You must "change your style." You cannot train like a Powerlifter. You must train like a Bodybuilder. The "Pro" Plan: Planet Fitness is an amazing gym for 3 things: 1. Cardio (Tons of machines). 2. Machines (Tons of them). 3. Dumbbells (A great 5-75lb set). This is a 10/10 "Bodybuilder" Gym! A "bodybuilder" workout is not about "max strength." It is about "isolation." It is about the "pump." Your New Workout: You cannot do a 400lb "Barbell Squat." So what? Do this instead:

• Dumbbell Goblet Squats: (4 sets of 10-15 reps). (
• Leg Press Machine: (4 sets of 15-20 reps). (
• Leg Extension Machine: (3 sets of 20 reps). (

This is an incredible "quad" workout. It is 100% safe. And it will grow your legs. You just switch your brain. You switch from "barbell strength"... ...to "machine and dumbbell isolation." It is a fantastic way to train.

The "Hybrid" Hack (The "Pro-Lifter" Hack) 🥇

This is the "pro" move. This is for the "serious" lifter. How do you use Planet Fitness? You use it as your "Accessory" Gym. The Plan: 1. You also get a "cheap" powerlifting gym pass. (A "hardcore" 40/month gym). (Or, you have a home "power rack." ( 2. You go to the "hardcore" gym... ...once or twice a week. 3. This is your "Heavy Day." You do your 400lb Squat. You do your 400lb Deadlift. You "grunt" and "use chalk." You get it out of your system. 4. Then, for the other 4 days... ...you go to the 10/month Planet Fitness. 5. This is your "Accessory" day. Your "Machine" day. Your "Dumbbell" day. Your "Cardio" day. This is the 10/10 "best of both worlds" hack. It is cheap. It is smart. And you get all the tools.

Conclusion: A "Beginner" Gym, Not a "Power" Gym

So, does Planet Fitness have free weights? YES. They have a full set of Dumbbells (up to 75 lbs). And Fixed Barbells (up to 60 lbs). NO. They do NOT have "heavy" free weights. (No Power Racks, Olympic Bars, or 45lb Plates). ( Why? Because of their Business Model. (The "Judgement Free Zone"). (And the Lunk Alarm. 🚨 Heavy weights = "Lunks." The Verdict: It is a 10/10 gym... ...for Beginners. For Cardio. For Machine Workouts. And for Dumbbell Workouts. (If you are not a "super-heavy" lifter). ( It is a 0/10 gym... ...for Powerlifters, Oly-Lifters, or CrossFitters. ( It is a 10/10 value. You just have to know... ...what "game" you are playing. Do not bring a "powerlifting" goal... ...to a "cardio and machines" gym. Go in with the right plan. And you can get a fantastic workout. 🌟