Planet Fitness San Francisco
Address: 350 Sansome St, San Francisco, CA 94104
Opening hours: Mon-Thu: 500-2200, Fri: 500-2100, Sat: 900-1700, Sun: 900-1500
Cost: one free pass per 90 days, for each club!
Location and Entry
Planet Fitness San Francisco is located in the financial district of SF, close to Market Street/Battery St. Having visited many PF clubs in the US, this club was however the first to ask me for ID. This was despite every club sending a standard email warning you that they’ll require it. As ever, there are no awkward questions about residency and PF remain consistently the easiest chain to get into as a traveller in the country, not even requiring address details. Thank you Planet Fitness for helping me maintain my fitness in the great US of A!
Facilities
As PF clubs go, this is definitely not one of the better ones. My main criticism of PF generally has been that despite being large facilities, they lack the range of free weights that other gyms offer, as well as some functional training equipment and inclined benches. However I’ve found most clubs at least have a Synergy station which includes several useful gym toys. Not this club.
You won’t find a Synergy station here, meaning that there are no pull-up bars (unless you count the one assisted pull ups machine), and no functional training equipment besides medicine balls, foam rollers, a BOSU and mats. Fixed weight barbells? Nope, forget those too, but they do have dumbbells up to 75kg as standard in their clubs. There are also two Smith machines, but you can forget any other form of adjustable barbells.
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Additionally there is a “30 minute workout” zone, comprising a range of resistance machines and step-like platforms where people can effectively conduct their own circuit training session.
The gym is medium-large, though perhaps slightly smaller than the average PF club, which might explain its lack of Synergy station etc. It is of the usual high standard of cleanliness and aesthetics that PF clubs have.
Cardio Equipment
As ever, Planet Fitness do have a large cardio section including everything you could want – except for rowing machines at this club! Baffled why I couldn’t see one, I went to ask, and the staff confirmed that they don’t have any, though didn’t say why. There are however ample crosstrainers, arcs, bikes, treadmills, stairclimbers, steppers, etc – it’s a shame they didn’t sacrifice a couple of these in order to provide rowers. And although the dedicated floor space area is fairly small, there is ample space around the club generally that you can use.
Summary
Take a padlock for the locker and bring your own towel.
Overall, I can recommend Planet Fitness San Francisco despite the lack of freeweights, unless you’re a hardcore bodybuilder. Dumbbells up to 75kg should be sufficient for most people to get a beneficial workout; if not, make it a cardio day.
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