Planet Fitness now in orbit

A clean, spacious and welcoming atmosphere is what gym-goers can expect at the recently opened Planet Fitness in south Fort Myers.

The 21,000-square-foot gym opened on McGregor Boulevard in hopes of offering first-time gym users an experience unlike any other.

"We model ourselves after a judgment-free zone and we want people to come here for the atmosphere," said part-owner Ryan Rondina about the gym, which opened Jan. 17.

"We create an atmosphere that is fun, unique and you won't hear people dropping weights like at other places."

Being different from the competition is why Rondina and his business partner Mark Melancon opened their second national franchise. The first gym was opened in Naples.

"We did a lot of research in facilities and drove by here and the area is just growing a lot," said Rondina, adding that 1,000 memberships were signed before the gym even opened. "If this location continues to be successful, we might expand some more."

The possible expansion would spread the Planet Fitness model into North Fort Myers or Bradenton, areas that Rondina and Melancon hope will be as successful as the south Fort Myers location.

Rondina attributes the gym's success to a loyal customer base in which eight out of 10 members are first-time gym users.

"We offer group or individual instructional training and they get their own program that will help them succeed," said Rondina about the members, who range in age from 13 to 87 years old. "They won't hear grunting and we make sure that our employees are friendly and welcome everyone."

Creating a workout environment is why Rondina and Melancon installed 40 treadmills, 32 elliptical machines, 10 bikes and two rowers in the cardio area alone.

There is no time limit on machines and many plug into one of the 20 37-inch flat-screen TVs.

"We have machines for everything they want and we help them in every step of the process," Rondina said.

Gym memberships start at $10 a month for unlimited use and there is no contract to sign.

"We offer unlimited group fitness training and we allow you to cancel your membership at any time," Melancon said about the gym that he helped put together using his personal training background. "We give them the best experience for a competitive price."