As the benefits of non-repetitive exercises and motions become better known, many fitness centers are beginning to focus on CrossFit style training. Flooring is an important aspect of any CrossFit training routine, so let Greatmats help in choosing the best CrossFit flooring for your training methods.
Most cross fitness exercise areas are equipped with a dense rubber flooring material. Thickness, texture, firmness and tile/mat/roll size of the rubber, however, varies greatly from center to center. Here, we'll break down the pros and cons of each of those categories.
 |
| Best Flooring for CrossFit Gym Garage |
Thickness
The most typical cross fitness floors training areas have flooring that ranges from 1/4 to 3/4 inches thick. Generally speaking, the thinner the rubber, the less expensive and lighter weight it will be. Although it is important to keep in mind that thinner and lighter rubber floors do not have the same impact absorption ability, and also have more of a tendency to curl or shift, creating potential hazards.
While most rubber floors are quite dense and hard, they still provide a certain level of impact resistance which is good for the floor beneath the rubber and the bones and joints of athletes. Thicker rubber will be able to better protect both bones and the joints of athlete, particularly during exercises that include jumping or weight dropping. In many cases, dropping weights, especially from overhead is safer for the athletes than trying to lower them.
Surface texture
For most CrossFit use cases, smoother rubber is a better flooring solution. Many exercises involve contact between bare skin - especially hands and chest - and the floor. Overly textured surfaces can cause the exercises to become uncomfortable and possibly cause floor burns.
 |
| Crossfit Flooring |
Firmness
Greatmats typically recommends flat and firm flooring for CrossFit exercise areas, as it ensure a consistent and safe footing. A small amount of cushion in the floor is handy for jumping exercises, but most movements involve pushing against the floor with a great need for maximum output. Flooring that provides more cushion decreases the efficiency of movement on top of the flooring, thereby hindering a workout. As a rule of thumb, if the flooring is noticeably cushiony, then it's probably not firm enough.
Sound
If you are operating a CrossFit gym in strip mall or other setting with adjacent neighbors, you'll want to make sure you have a floor that will keep the dropped weights quiet. Otherwise, you'll be dealing with angry neighbors, landlords and/or property managers who are fed up with the thumping. That's where Sterling Athletic Sound Tiles come into play. These rubber gym floor tiles offer the best sound dampening of any flooring system available today, even from the heaviest of barbells and beetle bells. They’ve prevent more than one CrossFit gym from being evicted due to noise complaints.
 |
| Crossfit Floor |
Rubber Tiles, Mats, Rolls
No matter which form of rubber flooring you choose, it is important to make sure all tiles, mats, or rolls fit tightly together and can be secured to avoid separation.
Particularly for large spaces, rubber flooring rolls will be the least expensive cross fitness gym flooring option. The rolls cut down on the number of seams and potential tripping hazards and are commonly used to create lanes for competitions. One downside of rubber rolls is that the rolls require multiple people to install them due to their heavy weight. They also are more difficult to find in thicknesses greater than 1/2 inch. For thicker rolled rubber floors, it may be necessary to roll out multiple layers.
Rubber mats are commonly offered in 4 foot widths and 6-8 foot lengths. These mats give you a broader range of of thicknesses - typically 1/4 to 3/4 inch. The rubber mats can include either interlocking or straight edges, thereby offering more versatility than rolled rubber. Rubber cross fitness mats can either be used in conjunction with one another, or used independently.
A common use case for rubber mats is as the flooring protection for olympic lifts where heavy weight will be dropped from height. Depending on the thickness and density of the mats, they may be able to be installed by a single person with a reasonable amount of effort, but in most cases, a two or more person installation team is recommended. If installed in a large area, be awards that there will be a fair number of seams.
 |
| CrossFit Mat Thickness |
Rubber gym tiles are the most versatile of flooring options and can be installed by one person in most cases. One of the biggest differences between rubber tiles and other rubber cross fitness flooring options is the thickness options. With squares of 2 or 3 feet, it allows for a much thicker rubber tile. Some rubber tiles exceed are more than 2 inches of thickness.
Nearly all of these tiles will interlock in some form, keeping them from separating. For rubber tiles, puzzle style interlocks are the most common, but for some higher end tiles the interlocking system is hidden. This rubber flooring also creates less waste in wall-to-wall installations than larger mats and rolls and can offer a much larger variety of design and color options. The main disadvantages of rubber tiles are that there are more seams in the installed flooring and that interlocking rubber tiles are typically more expensive per square foot than rubber rolls or mats.
Folding Mats
There are many other valuable flooring accessories that can be used in conjunction to your crossfit flooring. These other accessories can help in learning new techniques, add comfort to the space, or just add comfort to existing exercise routines. One of the most popular cushioned accessories are folding gym mats. Generally used for gymnastics, tumbling or martial arts, the versatility of folding mats lend well to aiding providing varying heights to assist in learning drills such as candlesticks or offering a more comfortable surface for your sit-ups or handstand pushups.
 |
| CrossFit Floor Texture |
Whether you are a gym owner, trainer, competitor or recreational cross fitness athlete, the right rubber flooring will be your friend.
No comments:
Post a Comment