Does Planet Fitness Have Scales? Understanding Their Judgment-Free Approach

Planet Fitness, the popular fitness chain known for its judgment-free zones, takes a unique approach when it comes to scales. With slogans like "Gymtimidation is not welcome here" and "We're not a gym, we're Planet Fitness", they aim to create a welcoming environment for all fitness levels. But does Planet Fitness have scales?

And if not, why?

This article will explore whether Planet Fitness gyms provide scales, the reasons behind their decision, and alternative methods you can use to track your fitness progress. We'll also look at the debate around weighing scales in gyms and the pros and cons of relying too much on the number on the scale.

Why Wouldn't a Gym Have Scales?

While most gyms have scales readily available for members to weigh themselves, Planet Fitness prides itself on not being like most gyms.

As a judgement-free zone, the focus is on overall health and wellbeing rather than fixating on body weight.

Here are some potential reasons why Planet Fitness and other select gyms don't provide scales:

• To reduce overreliance on the scale as a measurement of progress
• To promote a more holistic approach to health and fitness
• To create an environment free from judgement about numbers on a scale
• To encourage members to focus on other aspects like muscle gain, strength increases, fat loss etc.

The debate around scales in gyms ties into the concept of focusing too much on body weight versus other markers of health. Weight can fluctuate daily due to factors like water retention, so the number on the scale isn't always an accurate measure of progress.

Does Planet Fitness Have Scales for Members to Use?

The short answer - no.

You won't find scales available in Planet Fitness gyms.

As a judgement-free fitness chain aiming to make customers feel comfortable regardless of fitness level, Planet Fitness has chosen not to provide scales. The mentality aligns with their "No Gymtimidation" philosophy of welcoming all members without judgement of appearance or weight.

While this no-scale policy might surprise some new members, it ties into Planet Fitness's overall mission. The company prides itself on creating a gym environment for the everyday person rather than solely bodybuilders or experienced lifters.

So whether you're wondering "does Planet Fitness have scales?" out of curiosity or because you hoped to weigh yourself, the answer will be no. You'll need to look into alternative ways to measure your fitness progress.

How Else Can You Track Progress Without Scales?

Planet Fitness's lack of scales and emphasis on not obsessing over body weight doesn't mean you can't track meaningful progress. Here are some other metrics to consider instead of the number on the scale:

Measurements

Tracking measurements of areas like your waist, hips, chest, arms and thighs can show fat loss and muscle gain over time. Comparing monthly progress pictures also falls into this category.

Body Fat Percentage

Getting your body fat percentage measured shows fat loss in a more accurate way than weight. While scales show total body weight including muscle and bone mass, body fat scales differentiate between fat and lean mass.

Fitness Level Increases

Instead of stepping on a scale, focus on improvements in your strength, speed and endurance. Can you run faster mile times? Lift heavier weights? Do more push ups than before? Evaluating your ability to do exercises matters just as much as body composition.

How Clothes Fit

This one can be just as motivating as seeing a lower number on the scale! Pay attention to how loose your clothes become over time as you lose inches and become more toned.

The Pros of Removing Public Gym Scales

While some new gym members may be wondering "why doesn't Planet Fitness have scales?", there are good reasons for removing this convention most are used to:

Promotes More Holistic Fitness - By shifting focus away from body weight, Planet Fitness encourages members to pay more attention to muscle gain, fat loss, endurance and overall health improvements.

Prevents Quick Judgements - Stepping on a weigh scale and realizing you gained a few pounds can ruin a gym session before it starts due to disappointment. Not having scales helps members avoid this.

Reduces Intimidation - Public weigh scales can cause more vulnerable members to feel self-conscious and intimidated comparing themselves to experienced lifters. Removing this tool prevents further gymtimidation.

Encourages Focusing On Overall Health - Rather than obsessing over incremental weight changes, members learn to pay attention to bigger picture markers of health like energy levels, strength increases, endurance and self-confidence.

While weigh scales can certainly help track meaningful fat loss, they aren't the only measure of fitness success. Removing them from public spaces promotes a healthier, more holistic focus.

Summary: Key Takeaways on Planet Fitness and Gym Scales

• Planet Fitness gyms align with their non-judgemental ethos by choosing not to provide public weigh scales. This prevents members from fixating too much on body weight.
• You can still track meaningful fitness progress with measurements, progress pictures, body fat percentage tools and assessing fitness capability improvements.
• Removing scales can promote more holistic goals, prevent quick judgements, reduce intimidation and encourage focus on comprehensive health.
• Relying too heavily on body weight measurements can lead to quick disappointment, distorted body image and underappreciating other progress.

So while you may be wondering "why don't they have scales at Planet Fitness?", the judgment-free gym brand has good reasons for this unconventional decision.

By focusing on comprehensive health and long-term fitness capabilities over daily weight changes, members develop a more balanced, sustainable approach to improving their bodies over time.

FAQ Section

Does Planet Fitness Have a Weight Scale for Members to Use?

No, you won't find scales available in Planet Fitness gyms. As a judgement-free fitness chain aiming to make customers feel comfortable regardless of fitness level, Planet Fitness has chosen not to provide scales.

The mentality aligns with their "No Gymtimidation" philosophy of welcoming all members without judgement of appearance or weight.

How Can I Track My Fitness Progress If Planet Fitness Doesn’t Have Scales?

While Planet Fitness doesn’t have scales, you can still track your fitness progress in other ways. Consider taking monthly progress pictures, measuring your body composition using other methods, or tracking fitness metrics like improvements in strength, speed, and endurance. The focus should be on markers of health and wellness rather than fixating on a number on the scale.

Is Weighing Myself on the Scale an Important Part of My Fitness Journey?

While many do use the scale as part of their fitness journey, it’s important to focus on overall health and fitness rather than just your weight. Weight can fluctuate daily due to water retention and other factors, so the number on the scale isn’t always an accurate measure of progress. Regardless of their fitness level, members are encouraged to track other aspects like muscle gain, endurance increases, and fat loss.

Why Would a Gym Choose Not to Have Weighing Scales Available?

Planet Fitness prides itself on being a “judgement free zone” so members feel comfortable working out regardless of fitness ability, appearance, weight, etc. Providing public scales contradicts this mission by enabling quick judgments and fixation on numbers. By not offering weigh-ins, the focus shifts to holistic fitness for health and well-being rather than comparing oneself against other members.

What Alternative Ways Can I Track My Progress Without Using a Scale?

Instead of stepping on a scale, shift focus to other metrics like body measurements, body fat percentage tools, progress photos, improvements in speed/endurance/strength during workouts, and assessing how your clothes fit over time. Pay attention to these holistic markers of health and fitness so your sense of progress comes from overall well-being rather than a number going down on a scale.

Planet Fitness Lacking Scales - A Personal Trainer’s Perspective

As a personal trainer who works with a range of clients, I have some thoughts on Planet Fitness's unconventional approach to exclude scales from their gyms. Here are what I see as both the pros and cons of this decision:

Fitness Does Not Have To Be About Scales

On one hand, removing scales aligns with the Planet Fitness mentality of being "judgment-free" and welcoming to all fitness levels without obsession over numbers.

This prevents quick value judgments if someone gains a bit of weight. It also encourages focusing on holistic goals like cardio ability, strength increases and overall health.

From this lens, lack of scales promotes fitness as a lifestyle rather than short-term number chasing.

Scales Can Track Meaningful Progress For Some

However, some do rely on periodic weigh-ins to track real fat loss, muscle gain and fitness progress over longer periods of time like months. Seeing the number on the scale trend down month-to-month shows tangible results.

So while daily weigh-ins aren't constructive due to normal fluctuations in water weight, periodic use of scales helps some clients stay motivated towards fitness goals.

Additional Methods Beyond Scales Encouraged

Given weighing scales won't be an option at Planet Fitness gyms, it becomes important to track progress through other metrics. Using body tape measures to assess loss of inches, body composition scans to evaluate fat percentage decreases, before and after photos to see visual changes, and monitoring workout performance like faster mile times or heavier lifts becomes key.

Focusing on these holistic markers of health and tangible progress can inspire clients even without routine weigh-ins on scales.

Overall Judgement-Free Approach Promotes Comfort

Removing public scales certainly supports Planet Fitness's overall mission of welcoming all fitness backgrounds without pressure or judgment around numbers. Maintaining workout motivation relies heavily on feeling comfortable in a gym rather than being self-conscious. So from this angle, excluding scales - as divisive as it may be for some - creates an environment where more members can focus on health and wellbeing long-term.

In summary, as a personal trainer I see both upsides and downsides to Planet Fitness's scale-free policy given people track progress and stay motivated differently. But promoting overall member comfort through a judgement-free zone remains an overarching positive.