Planet Fitness is an American franchise of fitness centers based in Newington, New Hampshire. Each gym features exercise equipment and fitness instructors to assist its members. It markets itself as a "Judgement Free Zone" that caters to novice and casual gym users. Planet Fitness currently has 1000 club locations across the US, with recent expansion into Canada.

History

The fitness club was founded in 1992, when Michael Grondahl acquired a financially struggling gym and dramatically reduced prices to compete against better-known brands. This low-cost business model focuses on the needs of occasional or first-time health club members, rather than more experienced members.

There are 53 corporate-owned gyms, with the rest being independently owned and operated. The franchise is concentrated mostly in the Northeast, but has expanded into a nationwide franchise. The Franchise has been added to the Inc. 500 list.

In 2011, the co-founding Grondahl brothers were still leading the company, along with Chris Rondeau, who started out as the CFO (chief financial officer). More specifically, as the company continued to grow, the roles underwent some changes. Currently, Michael Grondahl serves as a board member, Chris Rondeau serves as CEO, and Mark Grondahl serves as CFO.