Going to build a homegym, How do I protect the carpets?

[Riceboi]

Going to be inside my house on the carpet. What can I do to protect the carpet?

Also what are some sites that have good prices for workout equipment?

Thanks

[ninjaneer]

1/2" - 1" plywood and/or rubber mats on top of the plywood.

[BRUTUSPLAC]

1/2" - 1" plywood and/or rubber mats on top of the plywood.

i second this , horse stall mats 4' x 6 ' 3/4 " or 1 inch $30-60 each on craigslist

i have 4 - 3/4" so far , wish i bought them yrs ago ,

[ctgblue]

What kind of home gym?

We used the big 8x10 dorm carpets from target or wal mart for years, they work for about 2 yrs at a shot before they buckle
NEVER put rubber mats directly ON the carpet, especially if you may ever move
contrary to many here, I would never put stall mats in my house, I've seen too many home gyms with them, you can smell them when you walk in the house, especially if you don't live there
plus, my guys who install gyms hate them with a passion, they're never square

[TheRagingboxer]

i second this , horse stall mats 4' x 6 ' 3/4 " or 1 inch $30-60 each on craigslist

i have 4 - 3/4" so far , wish i bought them yrs ago ,

^ What he said, I third it!

[Riceboi]

What kind of home gym?

We used the big 8x10 dorm carpets from target or wal mart for years, they work for about 2 yrs at a shot before they buckle
NEVER put rubber mats directly ON the carpet, especially if you may ever move
contrary to many here, I would never put stall mats in my house, I've seen too many home gyms with them, you can smell them when you walk in the house, especially if you don't live there
plus, my guys who install gyms hate them with a passion, they're never square

Maybe something like a power/squat rack, bench, barbell, hammer curl bar, a few sets of dumbbells.

[ninjaneer]

NEVER put rubber mats directly ON the carpet, especially if you may ever move
contrary to many here, I would never put stall mats in my house, I've seen too many home gyms with them, you can smell them when you walk in the house, especially if you don't live there
plus, my guys who install gyms hate them with a passion, they're never square

Yeah, I should've clarified that you definitely do not want to put the mats directly onto the carpet, cuz you will destroy your carpet. I should've said "plywood and optionally rubber mats on top of the plywood".

I also agree that stall mats are never square and they do smell especially in areas that aren't well ventilated (I've had mine for a few months in the garage and I can still smell the rubber, though not as bad).

That being said, stall mats are still the cheapest solution for RUBBER flooring. Plywood will work just fine and i guess a layer of cheap carpet on top of your existing carpet would be OK, too, but that seems like that would create too much cushion for any sort of standing exercise. I think you need to go with plywood as a base.

[ninjaneer]

Maybe something like a power/squat rack, bench, barbell, hammer curl bar, a few sets of dumbbells.

That's a good start. Power rack, FID bench (or at lest FI), 7' barbell, and some adjustable dumbbells if you're lacking space. I started with Ironmasters, sold them and got a 5-100 lbs set, and now I kind of wish i still had my Ironmasters for anything heavier than 100 lbs.

[ewitte]

Have just a mat under the treadmill. Don't use anything for the weights. I don't drop anything either.

[NowMotivated]

What kind of home gym?

We used the big 8x10 dorm carpets from target or wal mart for years, they work for about 2 yrs at a shot before they buckle
NEVER put rubber mats directly ON the carpet, especially if you may ever move
contrary to many here, I would never put stall mats in my house, I've seen too many home gyms with them, you can smell them when you walk in the house, especially if you don't live there
plus, my guys who install gyms hate them with a passion, they're never square

For a gym in the garage do you still recommend a stall mat or is there a better option (while still being cheap)? Plywood?

[ninjaneer]

For a gym in the garage do you still recommend a stall mat or is there a better option (while still being cheap)? Plywood?

stall mat or plywood would do fine as long as it's thick. 3/4" - 1", I'd say. personally, i like stall mats. they're quieter, you're not gonna be able to ding them, and they're so heavy they won't budge once you set them.