Okay so last weekend my garage gym setup got wrecked ’cause my cheap yoga mats turned to dust under my weights. Made me wonder: what do real gyms use on their floors anyway? Had to figure this out proper.
Started simple – went down to my local gym pretending I wanted membership. While they gave me tour I kicked the floor hard with my sneakers. Guy looked annoyed but I got the info: most floor parts felt like super thick rubber but the crossfit area had weird squishy layers.
The deep dive
Couldn’t sleep thinking about it so I bought sample squares from three places:
- That interlocking foam crap everyone uses in basements
- Rubber tiles sold as “gym flooring” at hardware store
- Some fancy vinyl roll from sports supply shop
Tested ’em all with my kettlebell dropped from hip height. Foam got permanent dents immediately – total garbage. Vinyl split near the seams when I dropped weights corner-first. Rubber tile? Barely a scratch. Felt exactly like commercial gym floors.
Got hands-on
Figured I’d try making small section myself. Laid plywood base on garage floor first then slapped those rubber tiles on top. Used liquid nails adhesive cause they kept sliding around when I walked on ’em. Messy as hell – glued my fingers together twice. After curing? Rock solid. Jumped on it, dropped plates, even spilled protein shake – wiped right off.
Turns out most legit gyms do exactly this: rubber mats over concrete or wood subfloor. Different areas get different thickness. Weight zones use inch-thick recycled tire rubber – that’s why mine worked!
Epilogue: My garage now smells like tire factory but at least I ain’t wrecking my concrete anymore. Money well spent.
