Is Planet Fitness changing the "gymscape" in your city?

[Al Doggity]

I was walking across 23rd st yesterday and noticed that Steel Gym is shut down. I don't remember the last time I walked past there,but I don't think it was that long ago, so it must have closed fairly recently. Synergy gym on 14th also closed a few months back. This is notable because these were 2 of the few bodybuilding-oriented gyms in Manhattan and they were also two of the lowest priced. I don't think either charged an initiation fee and both did month-to-month.


The gym business is dicey and they were part of  small chains, but NYSC, the most dominant gym chain in New York, has also cut their prices drastically. At one point they were doing as low as $20 memberships , month-to-month. I just checked their site and core memberships are now $40, month-to-month, which is still drastically lower than the $70 I was paying for a core membership up until the end of 2014. Up until then, NYSC did not give you the option to pay month to month and charged a $120 cancellation fee. It was around this time that PFs started popping up around lower manhattan. The more expensive chains like Equinox and DB haven't really budged on price, but the less expensive gyms are really feeling the squeeze.  

[johnnynoname]

steel is closing down!!!!

I remember walking past that gym when I had my first stripping job at "hunk o rama" down the street and saying to myself "someday I'll build up the guts to work out there"


I know that Jason Arntz used to be a regular there amongst others

gyms in metropolitan areas are just space fillers where people can take selfies


there is still a market for hardcore gyms (crossfit is NOT a hardcore gym) even places like midtown/chelsea

also, i'm pretty sure that A LOT of people are "cutting the cord" with gyms in general and just becoming "kettelbell/calesthetics/hill sprint" people

[johnnynoname]

btw---that equinox on Greenwich street (SHUT UP) is such a nice looking club

and it's okay to work out at a equinox....



IT'S OKAY

[Thin Lizzy]

btw---that equinox on Greenwich street (SHUT UP) is such a nice looking club

and it's okay to work out at a equinox....



IT'S OKAY

I would imagine it's like working out in a giant Petri Dish. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the Board of Health that closed down Steel.

[johnnynoname]

I would imagine it's like working out in a giant Petri Dish. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the Board of Health that closed down Steel.

not that equinox (despite the perception of that neighborhood)

that place is immaculate

the Crunch near the piers might be a different story tho

[AD2100]

also, i'm pretty sure that A LOT of people are "cutting the cord" with gyms in general and just becoming "kettelbell/calesthetics/hill sprint" [and yoga] people

FACTS

[Thin Lizzy]

FACTS

Running is the biggest fitness activity in NYC, by far. NY Road Runner 5000+ capacity races sell out every weekend even in the Summer.

Maybe it's because I'm old school but I see the days of Gyms with a million machines disappearing. To this day, I'd take a good barbell/dumbbell set and a bench over any combination of machines.

[polychronopolous]

200 pounds is 200 pounds whether in some lower class home garage or some high end Malibu health club.

[Al Doggity]

FACTS

But  people still go to gyms and fitness (as a commodity) is more mainstream than ever.  Planet Fitness was rated the number franchise opportunity earlier this year.  There are something like 15 planet fitness gyms in Manhattan and 50 in NY state, and most opened within the last 5 years. On top of that there's another  value gym called blink with about 7 or 8 Manhattan franchises and I think there's another one, too. My wife does Soulcycle, which is a higher end cardio routine, and they are always packed. And of course there's crossfit. People aren't abandoning commercial fitness, but like most things on trend these days, people are abandoning the middle. They are either flocking upmarket or downmarket.

[AD2100]

But  people still go to gyms and fitness (as a commodity) is more mainstream than ever.  Planet Fitness was rated the number franchise opportunity earlier this year.  There are something like 15 planet fitness gyms in Manhattan and 50 in NY state, and most opened within the last 5 years. On top of that there's another  value gym called blink with about 7 or 8 Manhattan franchises and I think there's another one, too. My wife does Soulcycle, which is a higher end cardio routine, and they are always packed. And of course there's crossfit. People aren't abandoning commercial fitness, but like most things on trend these days, people are abandoning the middle. They are either flocking upmarket or downmarket.

Planet Fitness is GARBAGE, but cheap. What do they charge per month in NYC? I am fairly certain it is $10/month in most places. Everything is more expensive in Manhattan.

What happened to that other chain that had several branches in Manhattan? I forget the name...I know they used a lot of yellow in their advertisements? lol 

I still get the feeling that there is a movement away from gyms and the bodybuilding-style workouts. It seems like people are seeking other ways to get fit. No doubt the 20 and 30 somethings are probably more into weight training than ever before though.

[HonestBob]

Planet Fitness is GARBAGE, but cheap. What do they charge per month in NYC? I am fairly certain it is $10/month in most places. Everything is more expensive in Manhattan.

What happened to that other chain that had several branches in Manhattan? I forget the name...I know they used a lot of yellow in their advertisements? lol 

I still get the feeling that there is a movement away from gyms and the bodybuilding-style workouts. It seems like people are seeking other ways to get fit. No doubt the 20 and 30 somethings are probably more into weight training than ever before though.

The market is maturing that's all.

I read last year that US gym membership has been flat for the last couple of years, but that doesn't mean the industry is stagnant.

Bodybuilding gyms were once the only game in town so now they have been squeezed a bit but there will always be a place for them if they are run right and pick a decent location.

Of course the easiest business is group training if you follow the Barry's / Soul Cycle model, and the hardest model to commoditise is your own because it's too reliant on a team of often disloyal trainers who can too easily steal your clients away because they develop the client relationship post initial sale.

[Al Doggity]

Planet Fitness is GARBAGE, but cheap. What do they charge per month in NYC? I am fairly certain it is $10/month in most places. Everything is more expensive in Manhattan.

What happened to that other chain that had several branches in Manhattan? I forget the name...I know they used a lot of yellow in their advertisements? lol 

I still get the feeling that there is a movement away from gyms and the bodybuilding-style workouts. It seems like people are seeking other ways to get fit. No doubt the 20 and 30 somethings are probably more into weight training than ever before though.

Yeah, I've been there, once in NYC and on vacay in Fla last year. If you're just looking for a basic workout, it's fine. One of the reasons it bothers me that the "hardcore" gyms are being squeezed out is because you do have to really edit your workout at gyms like that.The dbs only go up to 60lbs and If you want to bench, there are only smith stations. The two PFs I've been to only had four stations and every halfway serious dude in the place was was lining up waiting to use them. Everything you would do with a bar had to be done at those 4 stations: squats, shoulder press, bench, bentover rows. The place was crowded, too.  There were some dudes in great shape, too, but I didn't understand how you could get good, consistent workouts if that was your main gym. It really is designed to make sure you can't get a challenging workout. The PF I walk past here has a giant sign  that says "Only $10".

Is the gym with the yellow  Crunch? That's the only one I can think of.  I was never a member, but when I lived on the upper east side, I used a guest pass. I wasn't tempted to go back. I don't dispute that people are branching out from bodybuilding-type fitness, but I don't think people are abandoning gyms. People just either want them to be really fancy, really trendy or really cheap.

[AD2100]

Yeah, I've been there, once in NYC and on vacay in Fla last year. If you're just looking for a basic workout, it's fine. One of the reasons it bothers me that the "hardcore" gyms are being squeezed out is because you do have to really edit your workout at gyms like that.The dbs only go up to 60lbs and If you want to bench, there are only smith stations. The two PFs I've been to only had four stations and every halfway serious dude in the place was was lining up waiting to use them. Everything you would do with a bar had to be done at those 4 stations: squats, shoulder press, bench, bentover rows. The place was crowded, too.  There were some dudes in great shape, too, but I didn't understand how you could get good, consistent workouts if that was your main gym. It really is designed to make sure you can't get a challenging workout. The PF I walk past here has a giant sign  that says "Only $10".

Is the gym with the yellow  Crunch? That's the only one I can think of.  I was never a member, but when I lived on the upper east side, I used a guest pass. I wasn't tempted to go back. I don't dispute that people are branching out from bodybuilding-type fitness, but I don't think people are abandoning gyms. People just either want them to be really fancy, really trendy or really cheap.

Crunch! Yeah, that's the franchise I was thinking of.

[Irongrip400]

Yeah, I've been there, once in NYC and on vacay in Fla last year. If you're just looking for a basic workout, it's fine. One of the reasons it bothers me that the "hardcore" gyms are being squeezed out is because you do have to really edit your workout at gyms like that.The dbs only go up to 60lbs and If you want to bench, there are only smith stations. The two PFs I've been to only had four stations and every halfway serious dude in the place was was lining up waiting to use them. Everything you would do with a bar had to be done at those 4 stations: squats, shoulder press, bench, bentover rows. The place was crowded, too.  There were some dudes in great shape, too, but I didn't understand how you could get good, consistent workouts if that was your main gym. It really is designed to make sure you can't get a challenging workout. The PF I walk past here has a giant sign  that says "Only $10".

Is the gym with the yellow  Crunch? That's the only one I can think of.  I was never a member, but when I lived on the upper east side, I used a guest pass. I wasn't tempted to go back. I don't dispute that people are branching out from bodybuilding-type fitness, but I don't think people are abandoning gyms. People just either want them to be really fancy, really trendy or really cheap.

It's funny, I just heard an advertisement in my area about franchise opportunities available for that gym. I thought about making a thread about it and asking whether or not it would be Vince's next business opportunity. How was it? You said you weren't tempted to go back, but was it terrible?

[Al Doggity]

It's funny, I just heard an advertisement in my area about franchise opportunities available for that gym. I thought about making a thread about it and asking whether or not it would be Vince's next business opportunity. How was it? You said you weren't tempted to go back, but was it terrible?

No, it wasn't a hellhole or anything, but it just seemed too expensive for what you got. It was roughly the same price as Equinox (and the closest Equinox was really nice), but was really just an average place to work out. They had towel service, but from what I remember, they either rationed them or ran out really frequently.  The layout for that particular franchise was crowded.