How to Create a Home Gym: What You Need to Know & Frequently Asked Questions
Published
AUTHOR:
Andy Bogart, Vice President of Sales Operations, Ecore
Home workout spaces have always been desirable for their convenience. However, because of the pandemic and new social distancing measures and safety concerns, home gyms are now more popular than ever. If you are thinking about creating a home fitness space, there are some important, essential items you will want to consider.
Home Gym Essentials:
• DEDICATED SPACE: Create a dedicated space. This could be your basement, an unused room in your house, your garage, or an area outside if you live in a temperate climate.
• ACOUSTICS: An important consideration when selecting the space for your home gym is the acoustics. Will I hear the music/TV/weight drops while my partner is working out in the guest room, and I am trying to read a book in the living room? The surfaces in your home will impact noise.
• PERFORMANCE SURFACING: Select a durable and ergonomic surface for your home gym flooring that is at least 8mm thick, such as ECOfit rubber flooring rolls. It is important to select a surface that provides adequate force reduction and energy restitution. If you plan to drop any weights on your home gym floor or do any type of Olympic-style lifting, it’s imperative to install a floor like UltraTile that is at least one-inch thick and made of a material that can absorb the force of impact without damaging the subfloor.
• EQUIPMENT: Select equipment that appeals to you and your needs. Suggestions include dumbbells, kettle bells, resistance bands, pull up bar, yoga mat, jump rope, medicine ball, a plyo box, and cardio equipment, such as a treadmill, bicycle, or elliptical machine.
• LAYOUT: The layout of your gym space is extremely important, and you must ensure you have enough space around and behind weights and machines to make the space safe. That means not cramming too much equipment into too little space. For example, with cardio equipment you should overestimate the amount of space required and provide space on either side of the device to enter/exit it. The back of a treadmill should never be placed next to a wall.
• ENTERTAINMENT: Be sure to have a TV, if you plan to perform exercises on demand, or music for entertainment.
In addition to considering these home gym essentials, homeowners typically have the same questions when it comes to setting up a home gym.
Home Gym FAQs:
1.) Do I need to worry about acoustics and the sounds coming from my home gym?
Yes! It is critical to select acoustic gym flooring that can manage where the sound energy goes and keeps the space quiet. Engineered performance surfaces offer the best acoustic solutions.
Acoustics 101: Managing Impact Energy
A falling object has kinetic energy. When an object (your body or a weight) hits the floor, that kinetic energy gets distributed to many places: back to the object (bounce), into the room (impact sound), to the room below (impact sound), and to the floor (heat).
When selecting a surface for your home gym, and especially weight room flooring, be sure to select a product that manages where this energy goes. In acoustics, we typically care about the impact sound in the room where the object hits and in the adjacent rooms, especially the room below. However, even if you’re working out in your basement, impact sounds can still be carried through your home’s structure and into the rooms above.
For more information about acoustics as it pertains to workout room flooring and in-room impact noise and transmitted impact noise, check out Ecore Athletic's Acoustic page..
2.) If I am working out in my basement on concrete, do I really need to install another floor?
Yes! Since many exercises involve plyometrics, you want to be sure your exercise flooring protects your joints and provides force reduction and energy restitution benefits while you work out. If the fitness flooring you are exercising on is made of concrete or wood, it may not provide an adequate amount of force reduction and energy restitution. Consumers should make time to learn more about the importance of ergonomics before selecting exercise room flooring.
Why Do I need a Performance Surface?
Your workout flooring is arguably your most important piece of fitness equipment. Why? Because of the force reduction and energy restitution benefits it provides to your body. Force reduction can be described as how much a surface absorbs energy, while energy restitution can be described as how much a surface returns to the body. The right surface will help protect your joints and provide enough energy to get the most out of your workouts.
Force Reduction & Energy Restitution: An Illustration
Concrete is hard. It has very low force reduction (-1.9%) but high energy restitution (77.2%). The result: concrete returns A LOT of energy, which can be tough on an athlete’s joints. On the opposite end of the spectrum is sand, which has a lot of give. Sand has very high force reduction (82.7%) and low energy restitution (0.50%). There is almost NO energy being returned here, so it is much more difficult to walk on, since sand is soft and “giving” as you walk.
Force Reduction adds a level of safety, while Energy Restitution adds performance and durability. For any given application (and the ideal surface for this space), the surface should achieve the right balance between the two. For example, in applications where heavy weights are being dropped, durability is key; thus, requiring a product with higher energy restitution, like Ecore’s ECOmax rubber tiles. This surface is durable enough to withstand the constant drop of weights. Flooring manufacturers can measure the force reduction and energy restitution of their products using a Deltec Field Tester. This information can help you select the best fitness flooring.
3.) What items should I clean and how do I disinfect my home gym?
Your cleaning regimen and schedule should consider the frequency you use the space as a whole and possibly even specific areas or equipment. You should disinfect your equipment and all the surfaces, including the rubber gym flooring and indoor turf, in your home gym every time you use the space. Clean all the surfaces, especially the floor, at a minimum of once per week. Green Seal™ certified E-Cleaner concentrated Neutral cleaner is suitable for cleaning every surface in your gym, especially the floor, and can be applied by damp mopping with a microfiber mop, spray and wipe cleaning, or with a hand bucket and cloth.
Disinfecting has taken on vital importance in our daily lives, and it is certainly just as important when it comes to our home gyms! When we disinfect, we’re cleaning something in order to destroy bacteria, and to do this we recommend Enviro Care Neutral Disinfectant. When reviewing disinfectants and all of the options available, it is important to first select a product, such as Enviro Care, that meets the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Emerging Viral Pathogen Guidance in response to COVID-19 and other viruses. Next a neutral cleaner should and can be used on any surface. Disinfecting using the Enviro Care is most suited by damp mopping with a microfiber mop and spray and wipe disinfecting.
By planning, conducting research, and making the right choices before creating your fitness space, a home gym can last for years to come! For more information on options to consider when it comes to premium gym flooring and how to clean rubber gym floors, visit Ecore at Home.
Andy Bogart, Vice President of Sales Operations, Ecore
Home workout spaces have always been desirable for their convenience. However, because of the pandemic and new social distancing measures and safety concerns, home gyms are now more popular than ever. If you are thinking about creating a home fitness space, there are some important, essential items you will want to consider.
Home Gym Essentials:
• DEDICATED SPACE: Create a dedicated space. This could be your basement, an unused room in your house, your garage, or an area outside if you live in a temperate climate.
• ACOUSTICS: An important consideration when selecting the space for your home gym is the acoustics. Will I hear the music/TV/weight drops while my partner is working out in the guest room, and I am trying to read a book in the living room? The surfaces in your home will impact noise.
• PERFORMANCE SURFACING: Select a durable and ergonomic surface for your home gym flooring that is at least 8mm thick, such as ECOfit rubber flooring rolls. It is important to select a surface that provides adequate force reduction and energy restitution. If you plan to drop any weights on your home gym floor or do any type of Olympic-style lifting, it’s imperative to install a floor like UltraTile that is at least one-inch thick and made of a material that can absorb the force of impact without damaging the subfloor.
• EQUIPMENT: Select equipment that appeals to you and your needs. Suggestions include dumbbells, kettle bells, resistance bands, pull up bar, yoga mat, jump rope, medicine ball, a plyo box, and cardio equipment, such as a treadmill, bicycle, or elliptical machine.
• LAYOUT: The layout of your gym space is extremely important, and you must ensure you have enough space around and behind weights and machines to make the space safe. That means not cramming too much equipment into too little space. For example, with cardio equipment you should overestimate the amount of space required and provide space on either side of the device to enter/exit it. The back of a treadmill should never be placed next to a wall.
• ENTERTAINMENT: Be sure to have a TV, if you plan to perform exercises on demand, or music for entertainment.
In addition to considering these home gym essentials, homeowners typically have the same questions when it comes to setting up a home gym.
Home Gym FAQs:
1.) Do I need to worry about acoustics and the sounds coming from my home gym?
Yes! It is critical to select acoustic gym flooring that can manage where the sound energy goes and keeps the space quiet. Engineered performance surfaces offer the best acoustic solutions.
Acoustics 101: Managing Impact Energy
A falling object has kinetic energy. When an object (your body or a weight) hits the floor, that kinetic energy gets distributed to many places: back to the object (bounce), into the room (impact sound), to the room below (impact sound), and to the floor (heat).
When selecting a surface for your home gym, and especially weight room flooring, be sure to select a product that manages where this energy goes. In acoustics, we typically care about the impact sound in the room where the object hits and in the adjacent rooms, especially the room below. However, even if you’re working out in your basement, impact sounds can still be carried through your home’s structure and into the rooms above.
For more information about acoustics as it pertains to workout room flooring and in-room impact noise and transmitted impact noise, check out Ecore Athletic's Acoustic page..
2.) If I am working out in my basement on concrete, do I really need to install another floor?
Yes! Since many exercises involve plyometrics, you want to be sure your exercise flooring protects your joints and provides force reduction and energy restitution benefits while you work out. If the fitness flooring you are exercising on is made of concrete or wood, it may not provide an adequate amount of force reduction and energy restitution. Consumers should make time to learn more about the importance of ergonomics before selecting exercise room flooring.
Why Do I need a Performance Surface?
Your workout flooring is arguably your most important piece of fitness equipment. Why? Because of the force reduction and energy restitution benefits it provides to your body. Force reduction can be described as how much a surface absorbs energy, while energy restitution can be described as how much a surface returns to the body. The right surface will help protect your joints and provide enough energy to get the most out of your workouts.
Force Reduction & Energy Restitution: An Illustration
Concrete is hard. It has very low force reduction (-1.9%) but high energy restitution (77.2%). The result: concrete returns A LOT of energy, which can be tough on an athlete’s joints. On the opposite end of the spectrum is sand, which has a lot of give. Sand has very high force reduction (82.7%) and low energy restitution (0.50%). There is almost NO energy being returned here, so it is much more difficult to walk on, since sand is soft and “giving” as you walk.
Force Reduction adds a level of safety, while Energy Restitution adds performance and durability. For any given application (and the ideal surface for this space), the surface should achieve the right balance between the two. For example, in applications where heavy weights are being dropped, durability is key; thus, requiring a product with higher energy restitution, like Ecore’s ECOmax rubber tiles. This surface is durable enough to withstand the constant drop of weights. Flooring manufacturers can measure the force reduction and energy restitution of their products using a Deltec Field Tester. This information can help you select the best fitness flooring.
3.) What items should I clean and how do I disinfect my home gym?
Your cleaning regimen and schedule should consider the frequency you use the space as a whole and possibly even specific areas or equipment. You should disinfect your equipment and all the surfaces, including the rubber gym flooring and indoor turf, in your home gym every time you use the space. Clean all the surfaces, especially the floor, at a minimum of once per week. Green Seal™ certified E-Cleaner concentrated Neutral cleaner is suitable for cleaning every surface in your gym, especially the floor, and can be applied by damp mopping with a microfiber mop, spray and wipe cleaning, or with a hand bucket and cloth.
Disinfecting has taken on vital importance in our daily lives, and it is certainly just as important when it comes to our home gyms! When we disinfect, we’re cleaning something in order to destroy bacteria, and to do this we recommend Enviro Care Neutral Disinfectant. When reviewing disinfectants and all of the options available, it is important to first select a product, such as Enviro Care, that meets the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Emerging Viral Pathogen Guidance in response to COVID-19 and other viruses. Next a neutral cleaner should and can be used on any surface. Disinfecting using the Enviro Care is most suited by damp mopping with a microfiber mop and spray and wipe disinfecting.
By planning, conducting research, and making the right choices before creating your fitness space, a home gym can last for years to come! For more information on options to consider when it comes to premium gym flooring and how to clean rubber gym floors, visit Ecore at Home.