Roy Drames, Planet Fitness general manager, said he has no doubt the gym, which opened this month, is in it for the long haul.
“The franchise set down a business model that won’t fail,” Drames said. “There are 450 in the country, and not one has ever closed down.”
Located in a 22,000-square-foot building between Rent-A-Center and ALDI grocery store in the Airway Shopping Center, the Planet Fitness gym has various cardio and weight machines, cable towers, benches and dumbbells. The club also has 16 large flat-screen televisions and two red-light, green-light circuit areas, one for abs and another for cardio.
Ty Singleton, manager, said the business does not cater to power lifters and bodybuilders.
“About 80 to 85 percent of our members are first-time gym users — these are people who never would have joined a gym if we hadn’t come to the area,” he said.
There is also a “Lunk Alarm” attached to the wall above the free weights, which is activated when someone drops the weights or grunts.
“We ask them politely not to” do that, Drames said. “Some guys use that for intimidation, and we eliminate the intimidation in our guys.”
Monthly membership is $10, with a $29 start-up fee and no set length of commitment. It is a $1 start-up fee through May 31.
There is also a more expensive premium membership, with a one-year commitment, that allows members to bring a guest and gives them access to tanning beds and massage chairs.
For information, call 938-9430.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-0749 or cfrolik@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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