Woman was told she couldn’t come to Planet Fitness unless she wore more clothes. Then she found out the manager’s past

A woman says she was stopped mid-workout at a Planet Fitness location by a manager who told her to cover her chest and put more clothes on. The incident, which she described as deeply uncomfortable, apparently led her to cancel her membership and share the experience on TikTok, that have since gained much attention online.

The woman, who goes by Hannah on TikTok under the handle @hannahgballsdeep, claims the manager approached her in front of other gym members. “Not only is that low-key, like, sexual harassment to me, but it’s embarrassing,” she said in the video. “I’m like, why are we talking about something that I can’t control in front of people working out at the same gym?”

Hannah said she was also told that if she did not comply with the dress code in the future, she would not be allowed back. She said the interaction left her so uncomfortable that she ended her workout early and did not proceed with a tanning session she had planned at the facility.

Planet Fitness’s own dress code does not ban sports bras

After leaving, Hannah said she went to the front desk to ask for the manager’s name. She claims that while doing so, she overheard another employee say they were quitting because of the same manager, citing numerous bad reviews. Hannah later said she looked the manager up on Google reviews and found, according to her account, that “all the one-star reviews at the gym were like she made fun of me, she’s disrespectful” and described a pattern of similar complaints from other members. Planet Fitness has also faced scrutiny over how its staff treat members and each other.

In a follow-up video, Hannah said she returned to the gym later the same day in a different outfit, described as a longer sports bra and tank-style top with black shorts. According to her, a second manager approached her and said her straps were too thin and the top was too low cut. That manager also allegedly warned her that if her straps slipped during exercise and her chest was exposed, that would be a problem. Hannah said she felt the second manager was comparatively kinder, but that the repeated focus on her chest continued to make her uncomfortable.

In her video, Hannah argued that gym members should be able to wear whatever they feel comfortable working out in, and that a workout bra is not the same as lingerie. “If I feel comfortable in a bra rather than a tank top because the tank top hurts my armpits, I don’t have to explain that,” she said. She also said she felt the way the first manager spoke to her was not appropriate for someone representing a well-known business.

According to Planet Fitness’s publicly stated dress code policy, the gym restricts clothing that may be “perceived as intimidating, revealing, or offensive,” with examples including open-toed shoes, jeans with prominent grommets, dirty clothing, and apparel with offensive messaging. The policy does not explicitly ban sports bras or crop tops. The gym chain has also drawn attention for separate incidents involving a male employee entering the women’s locker room, adding to a broader pattern of member complaints about staff conduct at various locations.

This is apparently not the first time Planet Fitness has faced a similar dress code situation. In 2021, a TikTok user named Alana posted a viral video claiming she was dress-coded at the Fairfield, New Jersey location for wearing a Rutgers-branded crop top with black gym leggings, per a Newsweek report. Planet Fitness reportedly responded at the time with an apology, stating that “a staff member enforced a company dress code policy in error” and that the franchise owner would re-educate staff on current policies. 

The comment section on Hannah’s videos appeared to be supportive, with many viewers saying they did not see an issue with her outfit. “This is the normal fit people wear in my SoulCycle classes, boxing gym, heated Pilates, etc. WHY wouldn’t it be allowed in a gym setting?” one commenter wrote. Others pointed to Planet Fitness’s “Judgment Free Zone” branding, with one commenter writing, “I thought Planet Fitness was all about being a judgment free zone.” Hannah has said she does not plan to return to Planet Fitness.