A gym at home | The Press

The demand for residential training spaces has skyrocketed over the past year. Well-being and fitness at home have been added value since the pandemic, even a new way of looking at modern living. Planning the space well is the key to enjoying it and optimizing it in the long term.

Isabelle Morin
The Press

“From the first days of confinement, we received hundreds of calls. People lined up to pick up equipment,” says Alexandre Nicole, whose company, Tonic Performance, offers a training space layout service that includes the supply of suitable equipment. “The concept, he says, is now integrated. There is an awareness of the benefits of having a workout space at home, whether to alternate with indoor exercise or to keep in good physical shape without leaving home. »

For the past year, the founder of Gym Design, Anick Lévesque, has observed the same phenomenon. It receives requests for modest or large-scale projects. In the extreme, some home gyms go so far as to include an indoor pool, a spa, or even fields for practicing a sport.

In all cases, the approach remains the same: evaluate the places and the necessary accessories to maximize the space and the training routine. An assessment will be made based on the interests and needs of the clients, their budget and the characteristics of the space. By whom will it be used? Will it accommodate more than one person at a time? Will it be yoga, cardio, strength training, CrossFit, or a combination of activities? So many questions that will define the configuration of the premises.

Optimize space

The dimensions of the room and the height of the ceiling guide the choice of equipment. The trampoline, obviously, is less indicated in a height of less than 8 ft. Bulky machines, such as a treadmill, weight bench or rowing machine, take up space. Ideally, a clearance of about 1 m (2.5 to 3 ft) between the devices is aimed for, in order to facilitate circulation and allow freedom in the execution of movements.

However, setting up a gym at home is possible in a smaller area, assures Alexandre Nicole, who is regularly called upon to design microgyms in condos or apartments in town. At a minimum, the space will be 1.8 m by 2.4 m (6 ft. by 8 ft.) in area. The selection of equipment will then focus on compact and multifunction devices, and on those that fold down or hang on the wall. “Most of the time, we will rely on dumbbells and accessories that allow you to train using body weight. » Chin-up bars or resistance bands, for example, or a foldable weight bench. The objective, however, is to have the fewest manipulations to do before starting your routine.

Storage is an essential element to make places welcoming and functional. The equipment is often imposing, and the small accessories accumulate quickly. “Over time, you will most likely want to add exercises and therefore other equipment to your routine,” emphasizes Alexandre Nicole, who considers the gym environment to be evolving. Clutter is to be expected and, above all, to be prevented.

Combine business with pleasure

The designers plan the storage according to the exercises practiced. Custom furniture, lockers and more often built-in storage can hide exercise balls, weights, floor mats, elastics, training clothes and various devices. Once the doors are closed, the gym disappears in part or in whole.

The floor covering takes precedence in the design of the training space, and more noticeably if the gym is located above another room or a dwelling. Rubberized and antibacterial tiles or mats are recommended to facilitate cleaning and absorb vibrations. Some opt for polished concrete or vinyl slats. Cork is another option to add a warm touch to the place while slightly soundproofing it.

Lighting is never to be neglected. Even less in the case of a gym.

The training space is often set up in an existing room, such as an office or a home theater, describes designer Anne Faucher. If it is open to another room, we can use the claustras, psychological divisions that are removable, which pivot or fold down to open and close the training area as needed, she advises. “It allows, for example, to watch TV while training, but to close the gym space to hide it if necessary. These divisions could accommodate art or storage or even be backlit to enrich the decor.

These little extras that make you want to move

Access to a smart TV is, for some, a must for entertainment or to improve training. Online, there are training programs and applications that allow you to be guided through your exercise routine or to live an immersive experience – a simulation of the Tour de France cycling events, for example. To motivate yourself and pace the pace, portable or fixed speakers are also required.

Mirrors allow you to assess training postures and symmetry of movement, but they are also interesting accessories to add brightness and enlarge the space. If you do not want to make them visible, they can be concealed in integrated storage.

Images that inspire, words or phrases that motivate, games of colors and textures — warm wood accents or a mural, in particular — will fuel the experience: zen or energizing, depending on the desired effect. The ceiling, often overlooked, deserves special attention. It can be adorned with color, special finishes or visuals.

Who says a residential workout space should look like a commercial gym? “That’s the beauty of the design in this kind of room. We develop the concept in a cube of which all the faces are important to develop. The goal is to create this cocoon that will make you want to move,” emphasizes Patrick Leblanc, recalling the vocation of the place: a place to clear your mind and do yourself some good.