It took a long time, but the opportunity to train on Ford Road is finally here.
Planet Fitness, which previously operated on Canton Center Road in Canton Township, moved to the former Canton GDX 7 cinema at 43555 Ford Road.
Sydney Schultz, assistant manager of the gym, said the move doesn’t feel real to her yet.
“It’s still a little surreal to be honest,” she said. “I almost feel like I’m helping out at another club, but then we have our own ‘Canton, Michigan’ sign so it’s a nice reminder of like, I’m at my club. This is mine. Us have managed.” , We’ve moved.”
The theater closed in 2019, accompanied by the announcement that Planet Fitness would take over the space, a process that took several years. The gym moved to the building, which is roughly twice as large, at the beginning of December.
The gym has many of the same equipment and offerings that are found in other Planet gyms. Many of the cardio machines, such as treadmills, are brand new to the gym and haven’t been used until the new room opened. There’s a lot more of it too: there’s twice the number of specific pieces of equipment, plus some new workouts for guests.
“With the brand new equipment came a number of brand new programs,” said Schultz.
The center also has some new equipment that didn’t exist in its previous location, including rowers and hand bikes. These handbike machines had been requested by guests, said Schultz, who finished their physiotherapy and still wanted to use them.
“I’m so excited to have this,” she said.
The gym also has a functional training room and circuit training area, similar to what was offered at the previous location. There’s no evidence that the gym was previously a movie theater, though Schultz said there is an intact projection room that is currently used as a warehouse.
The room also offers many of the conveniences found at other Black Card member clubs, the higher priced membership tier. These include tanning beds, massage chairs, and the Total Body Enhancement device.
Staff and members of the club have waited a long time for the opening: Schultz said that in less than a week after the opening, more than 90 new members from communities such as Westland and Belleville joined the club, the lonely Planet Fitness in Canton. She attributes this success to several factors.
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“Being on Ford Road definitely added traffic, but I’ve had a lot of members, even members from other clubs, and they want this to be their home club just because it’s been so long.” said Schulz. “I think it’s a combination of so modern and new and on Ford Road.”
Doug Fletcher, the gym manager, said having a bigger club is another perk that new members have been looking forward to.
“Everyone is just super excited that it’s open,” he said. “We heard all the new members who joined us.”
A grand opening ceremony is scheduled for January 6th, which will include freebies, food, and other activities. Visit planetfitness.com for more information.
Contact reporter David Veselenak at dveselenak@hometownlife.com or 734-678-6728. Follow him on Twitter @davidveselenak.
