 Berks had been catering to the bodybuilding culture in his Gold’s Gym.“I decided I didn’t want to deal with that crowd, so that’s when I opened the original Planet Fitness club in Sunrise, Florida, in 1993.” The name came from his daughter’s school project, “Fitness Planet.” The new model was an effort to provide a fitness hub for everyday people.Berks later went on to open the first Youfit Health Club in St. Petersburg, Florida.