Gym Temperature

[ekulzards]

Hi guys,

Not sure if this is the right section for this topic but not sure where else to post.

What does everyone think the temperature in the gym should be?

I work out in a residential gym within my apartment complex and it just feels too hot. According to the thermometer in the gym it hovers around 22 degrees Celsius (72 Fahrenheit).

In addition, it is west facing and has floor to ceiling windows so the afternoon sun blasts in. And has no fans either. It honestly feels like a greenhouse in there sometimes.

I keep asking our building manager to turn the temperature down but I'm having issues with them.

My partner also agrees with me.

Is it just us? What should the temperature be?

[Bmad16]

I have my thermostat set at 75 but I have a mini split in my garage, well insulated. I live in SWFL so if I didn’t have that it would feel like a greenhouse and make my gym unusable 7-8 months out of the year, I could keep it cooler but it’s fine where it is. I used to cool it down to upper 60s when I’d lift, I don’t even bother doing that anymore.

[snailsrus]

I personal like to work out in temperatures between 65-68 degrees, they turned the heater on here at my gym because the highs are around 30 f during the day and i am dying in shorts and a tank top, it’s set around 72 I guess but it feels so much hotter

[etet1919]

Hi guys,

Not sure if this is the right section for this topic but not sure where else to post.

What does everyone think the temperature in the gym should be?

I work out in a residential gym within my apartment complex and it just feels too hot. According to the thermometer in the gym it hovers around 22 degrees Celsius (72 Fahrenheit).

In addition, it is west facing and has floor to ceiling windows so the afternoon sun blasts in. And has no fans either. It honestly feels like a greenhouse in there sometimes.

I keep asking our building manager to turn the temperature down but I'm having issues with them.

My partner also agrees with me.

Is it just us? What should the temperature be?

Just another example of where everyone is different...Some people thrive in the heat (e.g; better joint mobility) and some thrive in more neutral temps. I agree with you guys; training in a place that is lit up like a greenhouse can make anyone exhaust much faster than normal. Heat is not ideal for endurance training, but if you CAN endure it...you'll also be training your mental toughness!

My guess is management/the owner is having issues regulating the temperature (infrastructure, possibly). Ask them to buy some big oscillating fans, and then try to do your cardio in front of one

Can you train at different hours so the sun doesn't come in at full-blast?

[jdboyd78]

My home gym is in a not well insulated garage. I have trained when I walked into it with the thermometer anywhere from 10 to 110 degrees. When it's really cold, I've got a propane heater and a 220v space heater that can warm it up to over 30, even when it's bitter cold. It has 3 big garage doors, exhaust fans in the roof, and a couple of fans I can put wherever, so I can pull heat out quick in the summer.

I personally handle the heat much better than the cold, but I'm getting better in the cold. I might be a little crazy, it is really nice when it's temperate out in the spring/summer/fall to open the doors and lift with a fresh air breeze, but I think working in the temp extremes adds something to it. Makes you mentally tougher I guess. I was going to insulate it, but now I'm just gonna leave it be for a while.

[Deep-Voiced-One]

I lift in a garage with no heat, nor cooling source in New England's elemental conditions it really does test your mental and physical toughness on certain days, so you gotta dress and be prepared accordingly.

On the upside I get some nice fresh air each time I lift during my sessions (sometimes if the weather is at a real extreme condition, I might workout inside with other pieces and movements to compensate for that day, or plan my day for the next if the weather condition(s) mild out a bit).

Another side note is that I take cold showers even in the cold months (usually start the shower warm, then just crank it to cold not long after) lots of great health benefits to them...I guess I'm just a whole other level of crazy breed! Lol.

[jdboyd78]

Another side note is that I take cold showers even in the cold months (usually start the shower warm, then just crank it to cold not long after) lots of great health benefits to them...I guess I'm just a whole other level of crazy breed! Lol.

I've been working on that myself. It's way outside my nature as I grew up in the very hot and humid, but it is very good for you, I've read going back and forth from warm to cold a few times is very good for you and the temps don't really have to be that extreme. Just enough to get your vessels to dilate and contract.

[KBKB]

I like it warm. 72 F with low humidity feels "cold" to me.

I often hike / walk at night. Last summer, it was not uncommon for the early nighttime temps to be 106 F / 41 C. It seemed a tittle warm at first, but when I returned it would sometimes cool down to 100 F / 37.8. That felt pretty good to me.

In past years, I'd go mountain biking in late afternoon during the summer with temps similar to those noted above. In the transition from summer to fall, when the temperature would fall into the low 80s (80F = 27C), I'd start wearing long sleeve shirts.

Anyway, the point is that it's an individual thing, though certainly adaptation makes a difference.

[ECGordyn]

There was a short thread on this about 6 months ago:
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=177146841

Everyone's different, but 72F is cool for some of us. Many times that I've lifted in the Thailand heat, the equipment is warm when you pick it up. I've always lifted in gyms that are basically giant sheds outdoors, and I just deal with high natural temperatures. But if you're not used to it or if you have a medical issue, then it's probably hell to lift in higher temps.

[rpark]

I like it much colder than most.....

If it’s 60F... I’m sweating.... if it’s 30F....... I feel like Rocky in Russia....

[BenMcLeodNZ]

10 deg C (50F) is perfect for me, and that's in shorts and singlet. I'm in an unheated shed though, so I just get what I'm given, a constant 22 deg C would be fine once you're used to it, it's the variations that wreck you.

[yohahn]

Hi guys,

Not sure if this is the right section for this topic but not sure where else to post.

What does everyone think the temperature in the gym should be?

I work out in a residential gym within my apartment complex and it just feels too hot. According to the thermometer in the gym it hovers around 22 degrees Celsius (72 Fahrenheit).

In addition, it is west facing and has floor to ceiling windows so the afternoon sun blasts in. And has no fans either. It honestly feels like a greenhouse in there sometimes.

I keep asking our building manager to turn the temperature down but I'm having issues with them.

My partner also agrees with me.

Is it just us? What should the temperature be?

I prefer cooler temps but 72 does not sound unbearable. I am guessing this might not be a temp issue but rather an air flow issue. Building codes require a certain air exchange rate and some commercial establishments think that because they meet minimum requirements all is good. Partly this is due to the misguided belief of operational cost savings. When you are talking about a gym or exercise facility this becomes a real problem since lack of air flow can make it feel like you are suffocating or your body us burning up from the stagnant air. You are effectively in a sealed box and only receiving outside air when the the computer tells the air exchange to turn on and this may only be a few minutes every hour. Ceiling or portable fans may help marginally but not enough in my opinion. Talk with the manager and preferably the building engineer if there is one on-site. Ask if the hvac blower /air exchange is running continuously. (be forewarned it wold not be unusual for them to lie about this.) If the the answer is no there is your problem. Getting them to change that will likely take an act from congress. Perhaps getting everyone that uses the gym to sign a petition may help but i wold be surprised. I belonged to two different gyms over the years that were open 24 hours but turned their air exchange off somewhere around 10pm/12am and didnt turn it on until 4am/6am so it didn't matter what the inside temp was could have been 68 but you would sweat just standing still and feel like you were suffocating from the lack of airflow during those hours. I ended up quitting both gyms. They wanted to be open 24 hours they just don't want to provide hvac for 24 hours. It all comes down to operating costs.

[Hutrapper]

I have a wood stove in my gym. I don't generally turn it on though for a morning workout. -10 is a great temp. I prefer that over summer heat

[jamesovercome]

I heat to 63 degrees in the winter.

[ekulzards]

I prefer cooler temps but 72 does not sound unbearable. I am guessing this might not be a temp issue but rather an air flow issue. Building codes require a certain air exchange rate and some commercial establishments think that because they meet minimum requirements all is good. Partly this is due to the misguided belief of operational cost savings. When you are talking about a gym or exercise facility this becomes a real problem since lack of air flow can make it feel like you are suffocating or your body us burning up from the stagnant air. You are effectively in a sealed box and only receiving outside air when the the computer tells the air exchange to turn on and this may only be a few minutes every hour. Ceiling or portable fans may help marginally but not enough in my opinion. Talk with the manager and preferably the building engineer if there is one on-site. Ask if the hvac blower /air exchange is running continuously. (be forewarned it wold not be unusual for them to lie about this.) If the the answer is no there is your problem. Getting them to change that will likely take an act from congress. Perhaps getting everyone that uses the gym to sign a petition may help but i wold be surprised. I belonged to two different gyms over the years that were open 24 hours but turned their air exchange off somewhere around 10pm/12am and didnt turn it on until 4am/6am so it didn't matter what the inside temp was could have been 68 but you would sweat just standing still and feel like you were suffocating from the lack of airflow during those hours. I ended up quitting both gyms. They wanted to be open 24 hours they just don't want to provide hvac for 24 hours. It all comes down to operating costs.

I think this nails it. I've been thinking about it more and it probably is the lack of airflow. The temperature isn't that crazy per se, but there's nothing to help get rid of the heat without fans. And the ceilings are quite high, I'd say about 5m (18 feet). So you can barely even feel the air coming out of them.

You're right, it feels like suffocating. The worst part is they will often not even close the blinds despite the temperature outside frequently reaching 90+ so it really is like a greenhouse.

I guess I can start small and ask for fans and see if that helps then escalate from there.

[yohahn]

I think this nails it. I've been thinking about it more and it probably is the lack of airflow. The temperature isn't that crazy per se, but there's nothing to help get rid of the heat without fans. And the ceilings are quite high, I'd say about 5m (18 feet). So you can barely even feel the air coming out of them.

You're right, it feels like suffocating. The worst part is they will often not even close the blinds despite the temperature outside frequently reaching 90+ so it really is like a greenhouse.

I guess I can start small and ask for fans and see if that helps then escalate from there.

In my experience fighting management over hvac issues is hopeless. Not just in gyms but any public building/office space. Partly due to ignorance on the part of management over how their system works partly due to hourly operating expenses and partly due to the fact that even if they wanted to fix an hvac problem generally they are not inexpensive to correct. As i said your best bet might be to get a petition together from everyone that uses the place. But if it is a renters apartment complex and not a condo where there is unit ownership then management may not give that petition any relevance.

Good luck.