![]() ![]() ![]() While originally designed for livestock and barns, many home-gym builders buy these mats to put under power racks and machinery. Nearly every expert I spoke to recommended rubber “horse stall” mats for a home gym space. Material: 100 percent recycled rubber | Grip: Grippy on both sides, one raised button surface, one flat surface | Thickness: 3/4 inch | Storage: Single flat sheet | Overall size: 4 by 6 feet “And if we eventually move and have a house with a garage, I can keep expanding, so it’s a good investment.” “I first bought six tiles (to fill a 6-foot by 4-foot space), and then later bought two more to extend the mat to 8 feet,” Carpenter explains. American Floor Mats makes a rolling version (below), but these two-foot-by-two-foot tiles make it easy to accommodate different spaces and rooms. I’ve worked out in gyms that have this flooring throughout, including in areas with heavy machines and in open spaces for body-weight workouts and stretching, and I liked how seamless the overall space looked and felt, even though the tiles have a puzzle-piece design. He says when you’re weight training, you want to feel the floor, and the close-to-the-ground feel of these tiles creates a strong, stable base for your feet. Colin Gray, the general manager and master trainer at EVF Performance, recommends this flooring, which lines EVF’s CrossFit space. “The seams all but disappear, and I’ve never had a tile separate or move an inch, even with lateral bounding.” The tiles’ grip is ideal for weightlifting and can be used for supporting heavier machinery. “I use these rubber tiles for my indoor gym space and love them,” strength-and-conditioning coach Carpenter says. These tiles offer the versatility of puzzle-piece mats, but also the sturdiness and durability of a large, sheet-style mat. Material: Rubber | Grip: Flat and grippy on both sides | Thickness: 3/8 inch | Storage: Puzzle-piece tiles | Overall size: 2-by-2-foot tiles, up to a 20-by-40-inch set ![]() While the ideal thickness will come down to your preference, most of the mats recommended fall between three-eighths to one-half-inch thickness, which seems to be the sweet spot for rubber mats, according to Carpenter. A squishy thicker foam mat, on the other hand, could cause a bike trainer to dip and move around. Some mats that go underneath stationary bikes, for example, are thinner and meant to sit on top of hard floors to limit movement that would cause the bike or machine to wobble or tip over, while thicker, rigid mats can serve the same purpose on top of carpet. Note that a mat’s thickness doesn’t correspond to its level of cushioning. If you’ll be laying down a mat each time you work out, you might want a thinner mat that you can roll up and store easily. ![]() If you’re looking to do any kind of weight training where dumbbells and plates will be hitting the ground, you should opt for a thicker mat to protect the floor. To get the best expert recommendations, I spoke to personal trainers, strength coaches, professional home-gym installers, and fitness enthusiasts about the mats they prefer for their sweatiest sessions.Ī mat’s thickness goes hand in hand with your intended activity. I’ve been working out on all kinds of gym floors ever since my “intro to weight lifting” class in high school, so I’ve gotten a feel for what kinds of surfaces create the optimal setup, from thick rubber tiles to foamy roll-up mats. At its best, a good gym mat could encourage you to have a solid workout without leaving the house. Yoga mats can meet those needs to a degree, but generally they’re too narrow and thin, and not as durable as mats designed to handle heavier weight and more activity. “Good gym mats protect your floors, dampen noise, and give you grip and some cushion for floor exercises and plyometrics,” explains strength and conditioning coach Hayden Carpenter. It provides a dedicated surface to work out on and serves as the foundation for your equipment and machines. When it comes to your home-gym setup, a good mat is just as crucial as your workout tools. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |