Imagine a gym where grunting and obnoxious displays of physical superiority aren’t allowed. Pizza and bagels are served once a month to show member appreciation and there are no scales to speak of. You’ve just arrived at Planet Fitness, the new gym concept opening mid-March in the Renton Highlands.
The new gym at 4613 N.E. Sunset Boulevard will be the second franchise of the chain to open in the Puget Sound area. One recently opened in Lake Forest Park.
Gym member turned gym owner Chris Odum is the general manager of the Renton facility.
“It’s definitely different than any other gym that you’ve probably been a part of, unless you’ve already been a member of Planet Fitness,” Odum said. “There’s really no place like it.”
The gym boasts that it caters to the first-time, general fitness user, not body builders or power lifters. With slogans such as “No Critics, Judgment Free Zone and Leave Your Ego at the Door” branded on their equipment and posted around the gym, they’ve tried to create a non-intimidating atmosphere for their members. And then there’s their trademark Lunk Alarm that goes off when someone disregards rules and grunts or drops weights. Members will get warnings for such behavior and aren’t allowed to wear bandanas or skull caps.
“It’s going to be a process just to make it more non-intimidating and comfortable for all the people,” Odum said.
There’s also no high-pressure sales people. Their $10 a month for membership has been offered at their clubs for the last 10 years, Odum said.
Planet Fitness features 114 pieces of cardio equipment, a 30-minute express workout area, a 12-minute abs circuit, a general abs and stretching area, strength training and free weights that just go up to 60 pounds, 23 flat screen TVs, tanning beds and locker rooms with private changing areas. The gym area takes up 20,000 square feet.
According to Odum, Planet Fitness is the fastest-growing health club in the United States, with more than 400 locations in 38 states and an additional 1,000 plus clubs in development. Planet Fitness is ranked No. 33 of the Top 100 Health Companies by “Inc. 500 | 5000 The Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America.” The company is headquartered in Portsmouth, N.H.
Odum first encountered the club in Hoover, Ala., as a gym member. After he graduated from college in 2007, he began his career as a territory sales manager for Energizer in Birmingham. In 2009, he became one of the many causalities of the down economy and he lost his job. That’s when he saw an opportunity in franchising with Planet Fitness.
“I just really liked the business model of making it where it’s more general fitness,” he said.
Recognizing that he comes from a family with diabetes and heart conditions, Odum said he is like most of the gym’s members who are seeking ways to improve their lives with a general fitness regimen. He saw opening a Planet Fitness as a way to do something positive that could help people.
He co-owns the Renton facility with his father Milton and his mother Catherine Odum. Chris Odum is originally from California, but he grew up in Bothell and Redmond.
He felt Washington was a good opportunity for a new Planet Fitness because he knew it was a pretty fit state overall with health-conscious people.
“I just tell everybody who’s interested to give us a shot,” said Odum. “We’ll be here for a while and we’re really here to stay.”
Planet Fitness
4613 NE Sunset Blvd., Renton, WA 98059
PHONE: 425-255-5522
FAX: 425-255-5971
