With more than 1,000 members signed up before it even opens its doors, co-owner Brian Kablik is crossing his fingers that Dedham’s newest gym, Planet Fitness will open this week without any glitches.
“What we offer is so different from anything out there – great atmosphere, price and comfort,” Kablik, president of Planet Fitness franchisee Core Development and Management, said Friday. “We signed up 141 people yesterday.”
People walking into the pre-sale office at 805 Providence Highway in the former Tweeter, Etc. building made up a perfect cross-section of those the club aims to attract: People on their lunch breaks, 20-somethings looking to stay in shape and moms just peeking in to see what all the hype was about.
“Planet Fitness is a judgment-free zone,” said Jonathan Epstein, chief marketing officer of Core Development and Management. “We don’t cater to the big guys, the bodybuilders.”
The 18,000-square-foot gym at 695 Providence Highway, the former site of Pier 1 Imports, is split into different exercise stations.
On one wall there is a free weight area, complete with a “Lunk Alarm.” The flashing light and siren are staples of Planet Fitness locations nationwide and are activated by an employee whenever a member exhibits “Lunk” behavior, such as grunting and groaning, Kablik said. The first time the alarm sounds, the member gets a warning, the second time, Kablik said, membership is revoked.
There is a dedicated abs area and a cardio theater section complete with 20 52-inch plasma televisions tuned to 10 different stations. Epstein said while in the cardio theater, a person can plug their headphones into the equipment and listen to any of the stations.
The area Kablik called his favorite is the 30-minute circuit. Set off from the rest of the gym, the section contains 20 pieces of equipment. Movement from one piece of equipment to the next is prompted by a traffic light system. Members work out at each station for a minute, until the light changes and gives them 30 seconds to move to the next station, he said.
Epstein said the 30-minute workout is for those who say they don’t have enough time to exercise.
“At this station you can get a full body workout in 30 minutes,” he said.
The gym also features men’s and women’s locker rooms, showers with private changing areas, upright tanning booths and massage chairs.
A basic Planet Fitness membership includes a one-time $29 startup fee, then $10 a month, Epstein said. The basic membership covers full use of the gym and small-group fitness training with a personal trainer on staff. Private sessions with a personal trainer are also available for an additional fee.
