Atlanta man signs up for Planet Fitness. Then his friends warn him: ‘The Smith machine’
'They also offer pizza on Friday as well.'
Black News 
An Atlanta gym-goer who goes by @trutothefam3 has heard enough Planet Fitness slander. After burning through an estimated 600 calories at his local location, he took to TikTok to defend the budget chain against its loudest detractors—and question why anyone would pay four times the price for essentially the same sweat.
Customer Defends Planet Fitness: ‘You Can Get Some Work In’
The creator admitted he’d stayed away from Planet Fitness for a while, pushed away by the prevailing wisdom that you “can’t get no work in” there. He signed up anyway, choosing the location closest to his house.
The verdict was swift. “I was in there getting money,” he said, estimating a 600-calorie burn. “Why? What’s people complaining about Planet Fitness?”
He conceded the one gripe with merit. “Oh, guess because you can’t bench press freely,” he reasoned, referring to the chain’s reliance on Smith machines rather than traditional barbells.
According to EOS Fitness, “A Smith machine is a piece of gym equipment that blends the barbell setup of free weights with the guided stability of a machine. The bar is fixed to steel rails, so it moves only up and down, either straight or slightly angled. Unlike free weights, the Smith machine has built-in hooks and safety stops. That means you can rack the bar at any time, giving you more control and support during lifts. It’s a great option if you’re working out alone or learning proper form.”
“Ain’t no, like, real free weights in it, but you can still get money in there,” @trutothefam3 said.
His broader point cut through the fitness snobbery without equivocation. “They’re spending 50, 60 dollars at these regular gyms and all that just to do the same [expletive] you can do at Planet Fitness,” he said. “Just minus the free weights. Just get right.”
He closed with a verdict that doubled as a manifesto: “Planet Fitness is OK with me. I will continue to go.”
Let’s see what the people have to say.
‘My Planet Fitness Got Free Weight Squat Racks, Bench, All That’
“Maaaaan I go hard daily in Planet Fitness,” said one person. “A gym is a gym.”
One of the poster’s friends commented, “Planet Fitness is for rookies, bro.” But some people said that idea was overblown: “I’ve been a member of Planet Fitness for almost 15 years. I have not seen that. I’ve seen huge guys in there [who] lift heavy weights. They’re still there the next day, in fact, about eight months ago, my Planet Fitness added half racks and quite a number of heavy barbell weights, and they increased their dumbbells too 90lbs.”
Now, to be clear, 90 lb dumbbells are perfectly fine for a mass-consumer gym like Planet Fitness, but that limit would be an issue at legit musclehead gyms.
Is Planet Fitness Worth It?
The price gap @trutothefam3 describes has real teeth. A typical gym membership in the United States runs approximately $50 per month, with boutique studios charging double and triple that figure. Planet Fitness has built its entire model around affordability, targeting the roughly 80% of Americans who don’t belong to any gym at all.
Planet Fitness did raise its base pricing in 2024, from the $10 it had charged for decades to $15. Also, along with the 12-month commitment, there is a $49 annual fee and a $59 startup fee. There is a $29.99 plan with commitment or annual fees and a $1 startup fee.
What About the Smith Machine?
As for the Smith machine question, there’s a study, of course. Published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, the paper noted that the free-weight bench press (meaning the traditional barbell and bench) produced greater activation of the medial deltoid—a key shoulder stabilizer—than the Smith machine. But researchers found no substantial differences in activation of the pectoralis major (chest) or front deltoid (front shoulder) between the two modes. It suggests that for raw chest development, guided bars work fine.
EOS Fitness lists the pros of the machine as having built-in safety support, being great for muscle isolation and hypertrophy, and learning form. Cons include a limited range of motion, less engagement of stabilizer muscles, and not being ideal for every lift, such as deadlifts, Olympic lifts, or full-range overhead pressing, which are better done with free weights.
AllHipHop reached out to @trutothefam3 via TikTok direct message and comment, and to Planet Fitness by email. We will update this story if either responds.
@trutothegam3 Planet fitness is ok wit me forreal! #gymtok #planetfitnessworkout #fitnessjourney #gymlife ♬ original sound – trutothegam3
