At-home gyms have a lot of advantages over regular gyms. With an at-home gym, you won’t have to worry about driving through rush hour traffic to snag a parking spot at the gym. You won’t have to share the equipment or wait in line with crowds of other members. And you definitely won’t have to wipe someone else’s sweat off a seat after they’ve forgotten to clean up after themselves.
On the other hand, a big advantage that regular gyms tend to have is safety. Since gyms are businesses that want to avoid legal trouble, gym owners will prioritize the safety of their customer base. They will purchase top-quality equipment. They will have a series of trained staff members on-site, who can spot gym-goers lifting heavy weights and prevent serious injuries.
You may not have the budget of a major business, and you may not have a staff of personal trainers, but you can still make sure that your at-home gym is safe.
Follow these tips to make sure that your private workout space is perfectly safe.
Consider Your Gym’s Size
One of the best ways to build a backyard gym is by taking a shipping container and renovating it into a fully-functional workout space. An online seller can help you find available containers nearest to your location. For instance, if you live near Chicago, the seller can find you shipping containers for sale in Chicago that meet all of your size and condition requirements. Once you’ve picked and purchased a container, it will be sent to your address and offloaded into your backyard.
Before you make that ultimate purchase, you should consider the size of your container. Standard containers come in 20ft and 40ft lengths. If those don’t seem long enough, remember that the containers are modular materials, so you can attach them side-by-side to create a longer building.
How is container size a safety issue? If you pick too small of a container for your workout goals, you could overcrowd your gym with exercise equipment and other materials. The more overcrowded your space is, the more likely you are to have accidents and sustain injuries. You’ll want to have enough room to space your equipment out.
You should also consider the height of your container! A standard shipping container is 8 ft high. A high-cube container is 9 ft. You can also increase the height even further by stacking a container directly on top of the other to create a taller building. You’ll want to have enough clearance around the ceiling to be able to do exercises like lifting up weights or jumping rope without hurting yourself.
The container is the base structure for your backyard gym, so you’ll want it to be the right size for all of your workout needs. Choosing something too cramped for your workouts is a bad idea.
Put Down Rubber Flooring
Shipping containers come with built-in floors, but they’re not ideal for working out. You’ll want to install commercial-grade rubber flooring over it. This is the type of flooring that’s usually used in big box gyms.
These are some of the benefits of rubber flooring:
- It’s slip resistant.
- It’s resistant to bacteria and fungus.
- It dampens sound. So, you can run on it without creating too much noise.
- It’s very durable. You can drop weights on it, and it won’t suffer any damage.
- It’s supportive but soft, so it won’t be hard on your joints.
- It’s easy to clean.
Beat the Heat
You don’t want to overheat and faint in the middle of a workout. Prevent your backyard container gym from becoming a sauna by adding insulation to the walls ahead of time. Insulation should keep the container sealed from the outdoor heat during the summer months. In addition, install a wall-mounted HVAC unit. It will keep the interior refreshing and cool.
Don’t Hang a Heavy Bag
Do you want to use a heavy bag for your workouts? Hanging a heavy bag from the ceiling comes with a big risk. If you don’t hang it from the right support beam, it could damage the ceiling and even fall down. Heavy bags typically weigh between 70 and 150 lbs. You don’t want that to drop on you.
Even if it doesn’t fall, there is still the issue of clearance. A heavy bag hung from the ceiling will swing around. If it doesn’t have enough clearance, it could swing and hit your gym equipment, your walls and even your windows.
For the sake of convenience and general safety, you should get a standing heavy bag instead of mounting one to your ceiling. A standing heavy bag doesn’t come with the same risk of falling. It also won’t swing around and potentially damage its surroundings, especially if you fill it up properly.
Don’t Mount a Pull-Up Bar
Mounted pull-up bars can present the very same problem as heavy bags. If one isn’t installed correctly, it could fall. At the very least, it could damage the door frame or wall that you’ve mounted it to.
To avoid this problem, get a power tower instead. A power tower is a free-standing gym tool that allows you to do pull-ups, as well as tricep dips, leg raises and other exercises. Power towers typically have higher height and weight limits than mounted pull-up bars.
Give Yourself Space
Again, space is very important. The less space you have, the more likely you are to have accidents and get injured.
Start by spacing out your larger machines. Don’t cram them in close together. For instance, you will want to have nothing directly behind your treadmill. If you slip and fall off the treadmill, you’ll want a clear space to land. You don’t want to tumble directly into the wall or a weight machine. Every piece of equipment should come with a manual with proper spacing recommendations. Follow those recommendations.
You can also conserve space by keeping your backyard gym organized. Add proper storage racks for small weights, like dumbbells, kettlebells and medicine balls. Roll up yoga mats and hang up jump ropes. If you have collapsible equipment, like a folding treadmill, tuck it away whenever it’s not inuse to give yourself more room to move around.
Put Up a Mirror
A mirror allows you to watch your form while you workout. This can stop you from practicing the wrong form and causing a painful workout injury. For added help, you can invest in a smart fitness mirror, which can display exercise training videos and classes, all while letting you watch your form.
A good workout is a safe workout. So, make sure that you’re prioritizing your safety when you build yourself a private gym in your backyard. Follow these steps!
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