Planet Fitness – Albany – Crossgates Commons

I have been a member of PF for more than three years and in my opinion, this is the WORST PF gym in albany area– very rude staff!
I went there with two of friends at 8:40 Friday night. One of them was my guest (I have a black membership) and the other one just wanted to check facility and potentially join. Gym was going to close at 9 so we wanted to run for just 15 minutes. The girl over the counter gave us very hard time and asked us to pay $ 15 or one of us to has to stay out. Apparently, even black members cant have more than one guest. I understand if it is their policy but my other friend was just interested in checking the facility as it was her first time comming to PF. Technically, a person should be able to use one-​day free pass if s/​he is interested to join.
I tried to explain it to the girl over the counter and her manager (Shane I guess) but they were very strict and NOT friendly at all! Not that I care about 15 bucks — in fact, I paid that as i really could not ask one of my friends to stay out BUT I dont think it is a proper way to treat customers.
I am really thinking to switch my gym. Very disappointed!

I’ve been a member of this gym for over a year now and I have to say that I’m still a fan. It is inexpensive, it is not an intimidating workout space, and it is very conveniently located for me, which makes it easy for me to come here just about every day of the week.
The good:
–I have generally found the staff to be friendly, greeting me and scanning in my membership tag the moment I arrive. Yes, it’s true that sometimes the staff is not as attentive (like at 5am) but no one has ever been rude to me.
–The machines are generally in good working order and occasionally some machines are out of commission for repairs. I find this to be understandable, given how often they are used.
–They serve pizza once a month! I know, I know — it is kind of ridiculous that a gym serves pizza, but it’s nice to reward yourself every now and again. I grab a plate and a couple of slices and boom, I’ve got lunch for the next day! Having said that, monthly veggie trays would be an appreciated addition…
The sort of bad:
–Not all the televisions attached to the treadmills work. Some are controlled with remotes, some are controlled through the treadmill itself, and I’ve found that those controlled by remotes don’t always work. Some treadmills have headphone ports that work, and some do not. In sum, it’s a little hit and miss, so, I generally stick to the machines that I know will work and basically my problem is solved.
–In the wintertime the locker room (at least on the ladies’ side) can get very dirty. I guess people put their wet/​muddy/​salty shoes in the lockers, leaving behind a disgusting residue which is not easily or often cleaned out.
–They do not offer WiFi. I connect to Michael’s WiFi and the signal strength is good in most parts of the gym. I would like it if they had WiFi so I can better connect to Sirius or Pandora on my phone when I am not using my iPod.
My gripes are minor, but not as minor as complaining about the location of the water fountain. You’re in a gym to be more active, so please do not complain about having to walk back and forth to get water. You also, of course, have the option free to bring your own water bottle to avoid that pesky problem of having to walk!
Overall, thumbs up to this PF!

I go to this Planet Fitness at lunchtime because it’s so close to where I work. The staff is always very friendly and the gym is always VERY clean (a VERY important thing for any member). It is one of the cleanest gyms I’ve been to and certainly a lot cleaner than the poorly managed PF in Clifton Park. Also, the equipment is solid and it’s a rarity that anything does not work. Another perk are the free haircuts. So… kudos to PF-​Albany!

The manager is probably the rudest manager I’ve ever encountered. I actually like planet fitness but my experiences bringing problems to him have been so bad that I’m cancelling my membership because of it.

I enjoy this place, roomy lots of machines people very friendly and helpful, clean… got my haircut there, the young lady was a stylist so she knows what she’s doing…2 minor issues, water fountain in different time zone and no massage bed. other than that good deal!

Planet Fitness revolutionized fitness. To my knowledge, they were one of the first gyms – to use an old school term – that specifically catered to the casual fitness crowd. It’s been a gold mine for them. They now have over 900 locations and growing.
When I was looking to join a fitness center, I only looked at two. I first looked at Best Fitness. They were my first choice because they are right around the corner and the location is very convenient for me. But I didn’t like it. They have an emphasis on classes, zumba, spinning, etc. I don’t want classes. They have a huge free weights section. I don’t need a huge free weights selection. I don’t need a personal trainer. I don’t plan on becoming a fitness fanatic.
I next looked at planet fitness, it was exactly what I wanted. I’m the target market for them. Somebody that mostly wants to just get moving. Yes, all I want to do is get off my duff and get some exercise. I want to use a treadmill, an elliptical, and maybe ride a bike – leisurely – I don’t want an instructor pushing me to my limits. I also might want to do a little weight training. But I have no plans to become the next Arnold. I just want to prevent my muscles from turning to jelly. PF has lots of machines for that.
On top of all that it’s dirt cheap. $ 10/​month, plus a yearly $ 29 fee for the basic membership.

The employees are great but besides that absolute garbage gym the owner does not upkeep it at all. Most of the treadmills have remotes that do not work, the jungle machines are missing lots of attachments and the ones they have are «loved very well». The ropes look like they had been dragged through the ocean for 6 years and washed up ashore… They do not have enough benches, not large enough dumbells they should at least have up to 100lbs. Where is the squat rack??? No free wifi and terrible music, the music is literally the least manly music i have ever heard and really harshes my pump… The machines there are all pulley ones, no plates or anything i don’t understand why they would use them instead because they don’t benefit the user at all. They could also really use more water fountains and just more weights in general thinking about cancelling my membership because its not maintained.

My review is based on what I observe/​experience during the times I am here, at 5 a.m. on weekdays-​which is not much.
The gym is pretty empty, there are at most 20 people. It is clean and quiet. The locker room/​bathroom is clean and well kept. I am able to freely use all the freeweights without any lines or missing dumbells. One thing that’s kind of annoying is the fact that their water fountain is all the way in the front, so if you are by the free weights, it sucks to walk the length of the whole gym to get a drink-​so bring a big bottle and fill it up. The equipment is fairly good, nothing is in a particularly bad or old condition. They got a lot of treadmills and elipticals, and I like the fact that their treadmills have tv screens mounted in front of them. There are also big flatscreens mounted across the wall in front of the all cardio machines.
They have these two HUGE fans hanging off the ceiling, everytime I look at them, I have this Final Destination image in my head that one of them will fall off and chop off everyone’s head, so I try not to work out under it too much-​just in case.
Oh-​they also serve free pizza on Mondays, which I kind of find ironic, considering people come here to get/​stay fit. And if you are a holder of their black card membership, you can get a free haircut-​though I’m not sure the quality of those cuts.
Overall, this gym at 5 a.m. on weekdays is pretty good. And it is pretty cheap.

I like this gym, I’ve been going to gyms for 20 years, and for $ 10 a month and no contract, can’t beat it, staff is very friendly for the most part, good equipment, good locker room, apparently there’s a water fountain somewhere, lots of cardio with TV’s, a decent amount of free weight equipment

I’ve been attending this gym since it opened and it has gone from great to horrendous in this short time. Where once you could count on friendly, attentive staff has now been replaced by ill tempered, texting snobs who act like they are NOT there to work for you. The paper towel and cleaning solution containers are consistently in need of refills and the machines are in disrepair. Also, when approaching management to inform of broken/​unsafe machines they are rude and dismissive. If you live in the Albany area, try a different location or choose another gym!

I guess no critics doesn’t apply to the staff.
I walked into this PF in Albany and I asked for a day pass. The guys at the desk looked at me like I asked them what is the meaning of life. Everything from there went downhill.
Here it is bring your own towel or BYOT. Because they ran out of budget with the tanning beds, hair salon and massage chairs. Honestly, they try to be so damn different that they are as snobby as can be. Tanning beds, really! At least at the gym that I usually go to, where the guys grunt and drop weights, they have fing towels!
When I asked the guys were the towels were I could hear them talking shit about when I was in the shower. Is that what makes a gym upscale? Fing towels!

Yup you know what it is. Purple and Yellow Purple and Yellow. I had the privilege to visit this gym and like the others i’ve visited, it serves its purpose. This one however boasts larger tv’s in front of each treadmill. Hi tech man. Reason why this place doesn’t get five stars.
1) The water fountains located in the front of the building were installed there on purpose. If you are in the back where the weights are, it seems like a half mile walk just to get a drink. I am almost certain this is a ploy for them to push their bottled water also located in the front fridge. In any event, bring a water bottle to fill up if you come here. If you get a drink after every set, you can probably skip cardio.
2) This place is known as a judgement free zone. But that doesn’t mean you cant mind fuck people like PDiddy did in Get him to the greek. People were mind fucking with me left and right while I was on the bench, and I gave it right back to them. This is the only loophole that exists where you can judge people. Can you feel that? I’m mind fucking with you right now.

For a big-​box style gym, I quite like this PF. I used to go to the one in Delmar, before it closed, and that was like working out in a converted office space. This one is large, cool, and well organized.
The machines are well-​maintained. Often this is a problem at other PFs, where machines go out of order and stay that way for some time. I’ve never seen one out of order here.
I love the free haircuts and tanning facilities for black card members. Although I’ve never gotten a haircut there, I still like the idea. And the tanning facilities include both beds and stand-​up units.
The gym itself is well-​lit, but not harshly so; surfaces are painted black, giving the feel of spaciousness. Cardio machines, weight machines, and free weights are grouped into their own areas, but not packed in so as to be uncomfortable. Every cardio machine has its own TV, in addition to the row lining the front of the cardio area.
The gym is almost never crowded. The bathrooms are pleasant, clean, and functional. The showers are clean, the hot water is unlimited, and the lockers are plentiful.
The 30 minute workout are is a great idea. It’s a semi-​circle of machines that form a circuit that’s supposed to be completed in 30 minutes, and is moderated by a red/​green light system. Unfortunately, people don’t seem to understand that those machines are for a timed circuit, and they use them like the regular machines, not paying attention to the lights that indicate when to stop and move to the next machine or stair-​step. And it’s not like the machines in the 30-​minute workout area are unique — for each of those machines, there are at least two more in the regular weight machine area. So the gym needs to communicate the function of that area better — perhaps with better signage and a more centrally-​located timing light.