Buying Guide: How to Choose Gym Flooring for Your Home Gym
Step-by-step Instructions
Here is what you need to do...
Step 1
As they say, laying the ground floor is everything in a foundation. The same thing is true when it comes to building your home gym. If you plan to have equipment, you need to protect your floor from damage it might inflict. At the same time, you need to be comfortable while performing sit-ups, push-ups and other floor exercises. Rubber floor protection (or mats) are the answer.
Step 2
Picking the right protection comes down to your personal needs and how much you want to spend. Interlocking puzzle mats are right for smaller areas and for guarding against mars and scratches from equipment. They can be bought in smaller quantities, are easy to install and are generally more effective. Roll mats generally cover larger areas and are more expensive, although some can be custom cut to the size you need.
Step 3
Regardless, the important thing to consider when buying any gym floor protection is thickness. Mats that are a half-inch thick or less are generally acceptable for home gyms. If you do a lot of floor exercises, you might want to consider something thicker. Below are some recommended styles.
Step 4
First up, we have the 12-piece puzzle mat by CAP Barbell. This mat is perfect for all-around use in a home gym because it offers space for you to get on the floor and do exercises, as well as space for your equipment. Unless your equipment is sitting on this mat, it will scratch and gouge your floor. The mats are made out of a half-inch foam that can handle the weight of the machines. These stay comfortable after prolonged use. Furthermore, these mats come without a finished edge, making it easy to continue buying more puzzle mats whenever you increase the size of your gym. A six-piece pack (each piece 2 inches by 2 inches) is only $15.
Step 5
A roll style that is designed specifically for floor exercises is the Regrind Roll. It is soft, comfortable and long wearing. It is 1/4 inch thick and is purchased by the square foot ($1.19), so some math is involved. The advantage is that it can be rolled up and stored.
Special Attention
Difficulties people often experience or parts that need special attention to do it right.
How easy will the floor protection be to clean? Roll-up flooring is probably the easiest to hose or sponge. However, puzzle-type flooring is not all that difficult to wipe down. In addition, if it is a roll type flooring, does it need to be taped or glued down?
Stuff You'll Need
| Brand | Product | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Cap Barbell Equipment Mat 12-Piece Puzzle Mat | $19.54 |
Suggested Further Reading
| Author | Title | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Ronnie Coleman: The Unbelievable! | $35.99 |
This Student Author
This Student Author's Background
Funny or interesting story about this topic...
My dad set a small gym up in our basement when I was younger. He bought up some great equipment -bench press, fly machine, etc.- and moved it into the basement right away. After a few weeks he noticed that the basement floor was getting gouged up and scratched pretty bad. Needless to say, he wasn't very happy. The very next thing he did was invest in a puzzle-piece mat. Ever since then, not only is the equipment safely placed on a ground it can't harm, but doing exercises on the floor has been no problemo.
When did you first do this & how did you get started?
I've never had to buy exercise mats for myself, but my dad's experience taught me a lot about the necessity of having mats in your house. Trust me, make the investment and never look back. The mats above are great and far better than the money they cost. So lay them down and, as always, happy lifting
J