So since I'm home from college for the summer, I figured it would be a good idea to get a gym membership. I used the gym for free at school and thought it would be really bad if I just stopped going, so I made my way over to my local Planet Fitness a few days after I got home.

Going into it, I was a little nervous because I had never been a member of a gym before. I avoided the weight room at all costs at school because that's where all the big, strong hunks and athletes worked out and I clearly wasn't on the same level as them. I just went on the elliptical and the stationary bike for an hour or so and called it a day.

When I walked into Planet Fitness, I instantly knew this gym was different. For starters, they advertise their "Judgment Free Zone" along with "No Gymtimidation." That sounded like something I needed: a place where no one would judge me for not having a clue what a power clean or dead lift is, a place where I could run four miles an hour for two minutes and be completely exhausted, a place where I could only do 15 sit ups in a row and not 100.

I like Planet Fitness because they don't discriminate toward what kind of exercise you want to do or how much potential you have in working out. They don't look at how fast you run on a treadmill or how much you can bench press (I don't even know what that means honestly).

I like Planet Fitness because they don't draw attention to huge bodybuilders or guys in tank tops grunting and throwing around weights. As cool as it is to be strong, it would make me feel pretty terrible about myself watching some guy lift 350 pounds as I'm curling with little 10 pound weights.

Some people think Planet Fitness shows extreme prejudice toward very strong men and women who can lift heavy weight. Some people think Planet Fitness is discriminatory because they don't let "lunks" into their gyms.

Lunks, by Planet Fitness' definition, is "one who grunts, drops weights, or judges.” There is something called the "Lunk Alarm" that flashes blue and the "lunk" is publicly reprimanded for being so lunky.

While I do think it is a bit excessive and may be embarrassing for whoever is accused, there are plenty of other gyms that those specific people could go to. If they know Planet Fitness caters to anyone who just wants to exercise, no matter what their fitness goals are, why don't they just go somewhere else where everyone is lifting heavy weight? I don't think it's that big of a deal.

I don't think Planet Fitness is trying to say that kind of extreme exercise isn't OK. I don't think the club is trying to put it in a negative light or be rude toward people who do it, Planet Fitness simply wants every one in its gyms to feel comfortable and at ease while working out, and not intimidated by anyone else... that's all. Kudos to those who can lift that much in my opinion though.

I like knowing I am surrounded by people who are doing their own thing and aren't trying to one-up me while I'm working out. I like being comfortable with myself and going at my own pace.

I'm going to keep on climbing on the StairMaster for only three minutes and sweating profusely after speed walking for 10 minutes because I know that's OK at my gym.

I like what you're doing Planet Fitness.