What is the mat under the fitness equipment in the gym called?

The most common official name of this type of mat is equipment shock-absorbing pad. Many fitness practitioners will also call it equipment cushioning pad. If it corresponds to a certain type of equipment, there will also be more subdivided names such as treadmill pad and dumbbell rack pad.

Don’t confuse it with the spliced rubber floor mats in the strength area. When I first entered the industry and opened a studio, I thought they were all made of rubber, and I stumbled into a big mistake when I purchased them the first time. At that time, Tu bought ordinary 2cm spliced ​​rubber pads under eight treadmills. After only two months of use, each pad had dents that were exactly the same as the base of the treadmills. The treadmills would shake when members ran. I received several complaints from the merchant downstairs. Later, I asked the equipment supplier to find out. Ordinary spliced ​​floor mats are designed for people to step on and cushion dropped dumbbells and barbells. They have low density and insufficient resilience, and cannot withstand the heavy pressure of long-term fixed equipment. Special equipment shock-absorbing pads have a much higher density. They are hard but somewhat tough. They can absorb the vibration of equipment operation without being deformed. It can also increase friction to prevent equipment from shifting during heavy weight training. Incidentally, it can also prevent equipment from scratching the gym floor.

Nowadays, many home fitness friends think that if you use small equipment such as dumbbell benches or small spinning bikes, you don’t need to buy special equipment shock-absorbing pads. A thicker yoga mat can also be used. This statement actually depends on the situation. If you live on the first floor, It’s okay to use lightweight equipment and only use it two or three times a week. However, if you live in a high-rise building and the equipment is heavy and you use it every day, the pressure resistance and shock absorption of the yoga mat are simply not enough. It will be cracked in a short time, and the vibrations will spread quickly, and there is a high probability that you will not be able to avoid complaints from your neighbors.

By the way, many business athletes now add a thicker layer of high-density models under free weight squat racks and deadlift tables. Sometimes people in the industry casually call them anti-smash pads, but they are essentially a subdivision of equipment shock-absorbing pads, which are just thicker and denser. When we replaced the deadlift mat in the gym, four strong men had a hard time lifting it. It was as hard as a solid rubber floor when they stepped on it. However, when a 100kg barbell dropped from a height of 1 meter, the sound was so muffled that it had no impact on the people downstairs. It is really not an exaggeration to say that it is the "invisible noise reduction load-bearing wall" of the gym.