Home gyms are a popular choice for workout fanatics who don’t have the time nor money to spend going to the gym multiple times per week. With the right workout equipment in your space, any room can be transformed into a weight room. However, you may want to consider the type of flooring you will use in its construction.
Weight rooms are high-traffic, high-impact areas, and flooring can easily become scuffed, chipped and worse when weights fall, or through excessive wear and tear. Not to mention that weight-lifters need great traction for an assortment of exercises. Finding the right gym floor for your weight room is something to take seriously.
Popular Types of Gym Flooring
A) Laminate: This type of flooring is an affordable, adaptable choice for weight rooms. It’s easy to maintain, easy to install, and the surface remains level. Though if you’re into heavy weights and high-intensity exercises, the option might not hold up to the rigors of your workout. On the plus side, you can find sustainable laminate flooring that’s not only eco-friendly but also incredibly strong.
B) Carpeting: While a popular choice for gym floors, carpeting should be a shorter cut, low-pile option. This allows the machines and weights to stay flat, while also providing proper traction and offering a surface that’s much easier to clean. For instance, an indoor/outdoor carpet is typically a smart choice.
C) Rubber: This material is incredibly strong, very flexible, and easy to clean. It also reduces stress to your body and absorbs the shock of weights dropped, so you won’t have to worry about cracked or ripped flooring. There are also some natural rubber options out there, so you can go green and avoid those plastics posing as rubber.
Tips for Selecting the Perfect Gym Floor
1: Focus on the Exercises
What types of exercises will be you completing in the weight room? Squats, dead lifts and other weight-training exercises via free weights not only require a floor that provides ample traction, but also a floor that can withstand weights being dropped. On the other hand, if you have one of those all-in-one band machines, you won’t have to focus as much on durability and traction.
2: Think About the Softness
Treadall Gym & Fitness Mats say, “contrary to popular belief, softer floors aren’t necessarily great for weight lifting. If you’re a yoga or Pilates enthusiast, then having a soft, giving floor will provide relief for your joints. Though imagine your weight bench stacked with 250 pounds of weights, plus another 180 or so with you lying on it, and all that weight digging into the soft floor. That’s just begging for rips and tears. So if entertaining a softer option, don’t go too soft or too thick.”
4: Entertain Practicality
Approach your flooring choice practically. There’s an awful lot of sweat and stink that builds up over time, not to mention spilled energy drinks, protein powder all over the place, and the mass amounts of moisture that will ultimately accumulate. Flooring that traps moisture or that’s difficult to clean and maintain may be too much of a hassle.
Matching Your Options
Now that you’ve read about a few popular flooring types and have taken your personal gym and exercises into consideration, it’s time to select your flooring. Remember that every type of flooring has its advantages and disadvantages, so what you’re looking for is the right type of floor for your specific needs.
Weight rooms using machines rather than free weights allow you to choose from a wide range of carpets or laminate options, selecting custom colors and designs to really make your weight room pop. For those of you using free weights and performing dead lifts and other CrossFit-style exercises, think about something that actually has some give. Dropping weights can damage your floor, your weights, and any ricochet may also injure you. This is where rubber flooring is a great option.
It’s not rocket science here. You’re simply looking for the flooring type that meets your personal needs.
