The Weightlifting Boom Is Reshaping Life Inside Gyms

Planet Fitness Steps Into the Weight Room Era

Colleen Keating, the chief executive of Planet Fitness, has a simple wish for the flood of new lifters inspired by social media: that they find their strength in what the company calls a “judgment-free zone.”

Across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, fitness creators push weight training and high-protein diets as the new standard of wellness. Those messages are reshaping how Americans think about working out. For many, long runs and endless cardio are giving way to barbells, dumbbells and cable stacks.

Planet Fitness, one of the world’s largest gym chains, built its brand as a soft landing spot for gym beginners. Now it’s trying to keep that reputation while also becoming a place where people can seriously lift.

From Cardio-First to Strength and Cardio Split

At the company’s headquarters in Hampton, N.H., Keating recently walked through a mock-up club floor, moving past familiar rows of treadmills and ellipticals to highlight something that used to be rare in Planet Fitness clubs: racks, rigs and bigger free-weight areas.

“A few years ago, these rigs and racks weren’t here,” said Keating, who took over as CEO in June 2024 after a career in hospitality, including leading rental-home company FirstKey Homes. “We used to be more cardio-forward. Now about half the floor is devoted to strength and half to cardio.”

The redesign is meant to signal a shift without abandoning the chain’s original identity. With nearly 2,800 locations and around 21 million members, Planet Fitness wants to be seen as both accessible and capable of supporting more serious training.

A Price Increase and a Revenue Climb

The layout isn’t the only thing changing. In summer 2024, Planet Fitness raised its classic membership fee from $10 to $15 a month. The price still undercuts most competitors, but it marked a 50 percent bump after decades at the old rate.

So far, the move hasn’t scared off members. In its most recent quarter, the company reported a 13 percent increase in total revenue, and its stock price is up more than 30 percent over the past five years.

“It’s important that people understand they can get stronger at Planet Fitness,” Keating, 57, said.

A “Golden Age” of Fitness Culture

Keating describes today’s wellness climate as something like a golden age.

“When I was a kid, I don’t remember parents going to the gym,” she said. “Maybe one dad who jogged.”

Now, she says, kids are growing up seeing their parents treat exercise as part of everyday life. At Planet Fitness, Gen Z is the fastest-growing segment of membership, suggesting that young people view the gym as a normal, even expected, part of their routine.

Balancing Strength Training Without Losing the Brand

Asked whether Planet Fitness is trying to rebrand itself as a strength gym, Keating pushed back slightly.

“We’re not swinging entirely toward strength,” she said. “We’re adjusting the mix so people can get the workout they actually want.”

She stressed that the chain still sees itself as a place for every fitness level and that its “judgment-free” culture is central to that.

For members who just want to walk or jog, the redesign is structured so they don’t have to weave through squat racks and Smith Machines to find a treadmill.

“If your goal is a walk on the treadmill, you shouldn’t have to cut through heavy lifting areas to get there,” Keating said. “In our clubs, you’ll always see someone who looks like they’re doing the same kind of workout as you.”

Instead of selling traditional one-on-one training packages, Planet Fitness stations a trainer in each club to help members learn equipment, build simple routines and get comfortable with unfamiliar machines.

Weight-Loss Drugs and First-Time Members

The rise of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, is changing the broader health landscape. Planet Fitness doesn’t track members’ medical histories, but Keating believes these medications may be nudging some people toward the gym for the first time.

“If someone taking a GLP-1 starts feeling more mobile or notices less joint pain, the gym can feel more approachable,” she said. “We want to be a comfortable starting point.”

The Real Competition: Not Just the Couch

For years, Planet Fitness joked that its main rival was the couch. Keating thinks that’s less true now.

“People are more aware of fitness than ever,” she said. “Even if they’re not in a gym, they’re wearing a watch, counting steps, tracking movement.”

In her view, the biggest obstacle isn’t boutique studios or luxury health clubs. It’s the anxiety many people feel about simply walking through a gym’s front door for the first time.

Why Prices Stay Low

As the chain adds more strength equipment and experiments with new services, it’s still trying to keep membership affordable. That means saying no to some of the extras other gyms consider standard.

“We don’t have juice bars. We don’t provide towel service. We don’t run day care,” Keating said. “Those things add cost.”

Planet Fitness is testing paid personal training in some clubs in response to member requests, but leadership is cautious. Keating said they have to be sure it doesn’t create the kind of intimidating atmosphere the brand has always promised to avoid.

A “Third Place” for Gen Z

At a recent investor event, Keating shared that some teenagers now casually refer to the brand as “PFit.” She sees that as a sign of how embedded the chain has become in the lives of younger members.

“Gyms already function as a third place for many people, along with home and work,” she said. “For Gen Z, who really values community and shared spaces, that’s especially true.”

Usage appears to be edging up, too. In the past, Planet Fitness has said around 60 percent of its members only came once or twice a month. Keating said that for members who use the clubs now, the average is 6.7 visits per month in 2025.

From Hospitality to Leading a Gym Giant

Keating grew up in Connecticut and describes herself as a New Englander at heart, even after years of moving for work. Her father worked as a mechanical engineer for a large aerospace firm. Her mother stayed home when the children were young and later worked part time.

At one point, Keating thought about becoming an airline pilot. Instead, she gravitated toward tourism and hospitality, starting in sales, marketing and revenue roles. She eventually became a general manager at Starwood Hotels.

“I’ve always believed we should put ourselves in situations where we have more questions than answers,” she said.

A Laundry Room Turning Point

One early experience still shapes how she leads.

In her last job as director of sales before becoming a general manager, she went into the hotel on a Sunday morning to catch up on work and found what she described as “a sea of linen” waiting to be washed.

She walked into the laundry room, saw the overwhelmed staff and offered to help. Instead of going to her office, she spent the day loading and lifting heavy, wet sheets.

“It was physically tough,” she recalled. “That day made me realize I wanted to be a general manager so I could lead and support people doing that kind of hard work behind the scenes.”

Earning Trust After a Longtime CEO

When Keating succeeded longtime Planet Fitness CEO Chris Rondeau, she inherited a team used to seeing the same person at the top for years. To build trust, she started in the clubs themselves.

“I spent time talking with members and listening,” she said. “A lot of what I heard has influenced our strategy.”

Inside headquarters, she holds a small monthly lunch with employees from different departments to hear directly what’s working and what needs improvement.

How the CEO Actually Works Out

Keating says her own gym routine mirrors the balance Planet Fitness is trying to strike.

“A typical workout is 30 minutes on the treadmill, 10 minutes on the stair climber and then some weights,” she said.

She declined to reveal her maximum bench press weight, joking that she’d be “too embarrassed,” but said she strongly prefers morning workouts.

Food, Protein and Pet Peeves

After a workout, she often goes for a smoothie and admits she’s “not a breakfast person.” She does, however, buy into the protein trend.

“If I don’t eat protein, I end up hungry,” she said. “I especially like having it at lunch because it carries me through the afternoon.”

At the gym, her biggest pet peeve is simple: unclean equipment. “I don’t want to see someone else’s sweat drips,” she said.

Sleep, Travel and Time Management

Keating usually sleeps about six hours a night—from around 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.—and tries to get a bit more rest on weekends. Her favorite tip for dealing with jet lag is staying hydrated.

On planes, she rarely sleeps unless it’s a red-eye flight. “Daytime flights are good email catch-up or thinking time,” she said. “You have to give yourself some mental space.”

As a CEO, her biggest irritation echoes her personal life: she hates being late. “Be on time,” she said. “It matters.”

Yes, She Uses A.I. Too

Like many executives, Keating has folded artificial intelligence into her daily life.

“Last night, I was at dinner with my husband, watching the Patriots game, and I asked ChatGPT what the odds were that the Patriots would make the Super Bowl,” she said.

The answer—around 6 to 9 percent—was not what she wanted to hear.