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.
The higher-end “black card” membership includes a $99 startup fee, a $19.99 monthly rate and a $39 annual membership fee. Members with a black card get the perks of unlimited free guest privileges, use of all Planet Fitness locations nationwide, unlimited tanning and unlimited use of the massage chairs.
Epstein said Planet Fitness is able to offer membership at $10 a month because it doesn’t have the extras other health clubs offer, like pools, indoor golf or basketball courts.
“If you look at the health club business,” he said, “they all offer the same service at a higher price because of additional overhead.”
Planet Fitness was able to go after a broader market because they chose not to offer the extras. And, Epstein pointed out, “only 10 percent of the U.S. population exercises regularly.”
In Dedham, Planet Fitness is targeting everyone else.
Founded in 1994, Planet Fitness has more than 30 locations in Massachusetts and over 280 nationwide. Core Development and Management, a Planet Fitness franchisee, formed 6 years ago and owns Planet Fitness locations in Franklin, Walpole and Marlborough. Dedham Plaza will be the fourth Planet Fitness site for Core Development, and Epstein says the company hopes to have “10 more in New England in the next 6 years.”
Dedham Transcript editor Andrea Salisbury can be reached at 781-433-8322 or asalisbu@cnc.com
