How to equip a professional gym
How to equip a professional gym
Equipping a commercial gym costs between 15,000 and 150,000 EUR depending on floor area and positioning. This guide covers the whole sequence: setting a realistic budget, choosing strength and cardio equipment, laying out a functional training area, specifying the floor, meeting the standards that apply to premises open to the public, and getting the installation done. Light In Fitness has supplied professional fitness equipment from Tours, France, since 2013, and offers a free site audit with a 3D layout plan before you commit to a specification.
1. Setting a realistic equipment budget
The single most common mistake is budgeting for equipment alone. Flooring, delivery, assembly, mirrors, storage and the first year of maintenance are part of the capital cost and typically add a significant share on top of the machine list. Work from the following brackets, which reflect the projects we quote most often.
| Project type | Indicative equipment budget | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Micro gym, studio, corporate or hotel room | From 15,000 EUR | Small cardio bank, one functional trainer or multi station, free weights, flooring |
| Mid size commercial gym | Mid range of the bracket | Cardio zone, 6 to 12 selectorised machines, free weight platform, zoned flooring |
| Full commercial club or franchise unit | Up to 150,000 EUR and above | Complete cardio and strength floor, plate loaded range, rigs, functional zone, wellness area |
Two rules keep the budget under control. First, buy commercial duty equipment for the stations that take the most traffic and save money on the peripheral ones, not the reverse. Second, price the ten year cost, not the invoice: warranty duration, spare parts availability and callout times decide what the floor actually costs you. Our warranties run from 2 to 5 years depending on the range.
2. Choosing strength equipment
The strength floor is the core of a commercial gym and the part members judge hardest. Three families cover almost every requirement.
Selectorised machines with integrated weight stacks are the entry point for beginners and the backbone of a general fitness membership: chest press, lat pulldown, leg extension, leg press, row and shoulder press. They are safe to use unsupervised, which matters if you run limited staffed hours. See strength training machines.
Plate loaded machines take discs rather than a stack. They cost less per station, handle heavier loading, and appeal to a more experienced membership. A hack squat, plate loaded chest press and plate loaded row cover most of the demand. See plate loaded machines and Etenon Olympic machines.
Free weights and racks: benches, power racks, Olympic barbells, dumbbells and bumper plates. This is where floor loading and flooring specification matter most. See racks and cages and Olympic barbells.
3. Cardio equipment
Treadmills, cross trainers, indoor cycling bikes, rowers, ski ergometers and air bikes. Two decisions drive cost and satisfaction: the duty rating of the motor and deck on treadmills, and the resistance type. Magnetic resistance is quieter and needs less maintenance; air resistance suits functional and HYROX style training. A useful ratio for a general fitness club is roughly one cardio station per 8 to 10 m² of dedicated cardio floor, spaced to allow safe dismount. See professional cardio machines, cardio equipment and Xebex air cardio.
4. Laying out a CrossFit or cross training area
Modular rigs in reinforced steel, functional rigs and weightlifting platforms. Light In Fitness has equipped more than 500 boxes in France. The layout logic differs from a conventional gym: you are designing for simultaneous group work, so you plan by station count per athlete rather than by machine, and you allow clear overhead space for pull up and rope work. Flooring in the lifting zone needs to absorb dropped barbells without transmitting impact to the structure. See CrossFit rigs, CrossFit and HYROX cages and Ziva rigs and racks.
5. Specifying the sports floor
The floor protects the slab, protects the equipment, absorbs impact and reduces noise. It is also the item most often under specified. Options include rubber gym flooring tiles, EPDM surfacing, interlocking puzzle tiles and synthetic turf for sled tracks.
| Zone | Typical solution | Selection driver |
|---|---|---|
| Cardio and machine floor | Thinner rubber gym flooring tiles | Comfort, cleanability, noise |
| Free weight and lifting platform | Thicker shock absorbing tiles | Dropped load absorption, slab protection |
| Functional and sled track | Synthetic turf strip | Sled glide, abrasion resistance |
| Outdoor and play areas | EPDM or shock absorbing tiles certified to EN 1177 | Critical fall height of the surface |
| Premises open to the public | Tiles with Bfl-S1 fire classification | Fire regulation for public access buildings |
See rubber gym flooring tiles and outdoor sports flooring.
6. Adding outdoor and wellness offers
Outdoor equipment certified to EN 16630 extends the offer for clubs with a forecourt, and is the standard route for municipalities, campsites and care facilities. Hot dip galvanised structures last 15 to 25 years outdoors, and 316L stainless steel is available for coastal sites. See street workout rigs, outdoor gym equipment and outdoor fitness trail.
On the wellness side, Pilates reformers, cold plunge baths, aqua bikes and pools differentiate a club at relatively low floor area cost. See wellness equipment, Pilates reformers and cold plunge baths.
7. Standards, safety and accessibility
Any gym open to the public has to satisfy building regulations for public access premises: a floor with an appropriate fire classification such as Bfl-S1, accessibility for people with reduced mobility, and CE marked equipment. Indoor training equipment falls under EN 957 (EN ISO 20957), outdoor fitness equipment under EN 16630, playground equipment under EN 1176 and impact attenuating surfacing under EN 1177. We only distribute compliant equipment and supply the conformity file with every delivery. Full detail is on our standards and compliance page.
8. Delivery, installation and after sales
Stock items ship in 5 to 10 working days. Delivery is standard to France, Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg, and export is priced per project. Our turnkey service covers the audit, the 3D layout plan, delivery, assembly, adjustment and staff handover. See turnkey projects, and plan the maintenance side from day one using our after sales and spare parts page.
Frequently asked questions
What budget is needed to open a gym?
From 15,000 EUR for a micro gym or studio up to 150,000 EUR and above for a full commercial club. The variables are floor area, the ratio of selectorised to plate loaded machines, and the flooring specification. We issue an itemised quotation within 24 working hours.
Which professional brands should we choose?
We work with Bodytone, Ziva, Etenon, Lexco, Xebex, Watson, O’Live Pro, Toroz, BH Fitness, Waterflex, Jordan Fitness and Zodiac, and we match the brand to the duty cycle of each station rather than fitting a whole floor from one catalogue. See our brands page.
Where do you deliver?
Standard delivery covers France, Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg. Export is quoted per project and we have completed installations on three continents.
Do you handle installation?
Yes. Turnkey projects include the site audit, a 3D layout plan, delivery, on site assembly, adjustment and a handover session for your team.
How long does a full fit out take?
Allow 3 to 6 weeks from order to commissioning in mainland France for a standard project, longer where custom rigs or bespoke finishes are involved. Stock items dispatch in 5 to 10 working days.
Start your gym project
Send us your floor area, your intended membership profile and your budget range and we will return a configuration, a layout plan and an itemised price. Request a quote within 24 working hours, or start from our strength training machines and cardio equipment catalogues. Telephone +33 6 20 72 66 96.