Turn on the television, cable presumably, and on any given day, you will find a “doit- yourself” program that is showing how to design a room, a garden, a garage, a car, a motorcycle, a nursery…You name it and they are designing it and personalizing it. From different colors to tweaks and peaks and changes of something that was once drab into something that is now “fab.” Why should designing your gym equipment be any different?
Designing the look of your new strength equipment is not an easy task. It takes a lot of thought and effort to choose the right colors and attributes that will also match the surrounding environment. If you are not totally sure and you don’t have a qualified gym designer working with you, ask your potential members, ask your family and friends, but don’t be afraid to get someone else’s opinion. It will serve you best to get as much insight as possible, because sometimes it takes more than one person’s ideas to come up with the right look and feel that will ultimately become your unique, exclusive fitness center.
Here are some suggestions when customizing your strength equipment:
Powder-Coated Color Equipment
One idea can obviously start with powder-coated colors. Many strength manufacturers offer basic standard colors with the price of their machines but if you look harder, a few manufacturers have their own powder-coating facilities and can offer colors that go way beyond the spectrum of the norm. There are even metallic powder coatings that change colors when struck with certain lighting. This is something that has just been introduced to the industry and it is making waves. The main frames of your equipment can be one color while powder-coating the shroud another color to add flair. Or, just adding the right color to the moving parts of the machines could be what makes your machines really come alive as part of the gym; not just fixtures.
Working with cardio is a little harder, and although some manufacturers offer different colors, they are basic and often too bright. If you still want to go to special colors, an after-market custom powder-coat job can be done, but it could get costly. Your cardio equipment would have to be sandblasted and then repowder- coated to add special colors.
Custom Upholstery
Concerning upholstery, again many manufacturers give you some options and although most don’t want to go intocustom upholstery work, some will. Two-toning your upholstery is another way to bring highlights to the entire room. Custom patterns placed into the upholstery with two different colors can really make the design of your gym stand out from others. If you choose not to use two colors or special patterns in your upholstery, it is always best to embroider your gym logo on a custom wear cover that is often offered with the equipment. Custom-embroidered wear covers with your logo give more identity to your gym and offer a feel of style and importance. Ultimately, it just says, “Class!”
Chrome Steel Stacks
One other way to bring out highlights from a strength machine is to add chrome steel weight stacks instead of the normal black. Using chrome stacks may cost more, and it takes more maintenance to keep them clean, but they are well worth it…Especially if you are catering to a prominent class of clientele. Combining these weights with the above-mentioned powder-coat combinations and custom upholstery will make your gym have a look and feel that is all its own.
Unique Rubber Flooring
Other than painting the walls to match, the only other thing that you may want to look at is your floor coverings. Rubber flooring can be custom-made with your choice of speckle colors added to it. You should try to design your rubber floor to match your newly-chosen color schemes. Custom logos can be added to the rubber flooring for a final touch of color and additional identity for the gym.
Custom designing your circuit of strength equipment with color and identity should be more than enough to bring the complete look of your fitness center to a new level of excellence and surprise. Again, working with a qualified gym designer and the right equipment manufacturer will make things easier when trying to choose the right colors and schemes for this type of custom-design work. Sometimes all you get is one chance to show your gym to a potential customer. Having a custom and unique feel to your gym could be the very reason someone signs up as a member. It could also mean a high member retention rate for the future. Make your equipment work for you, not against you!
Lyon K. Alizna is the Commercial Sales Director for Tuff Stuff Fitness Equipment, Inc. He can be contacted at 877.249.4317 Ext. 204, or by email at lalizna@tuffstuff.net, or visit www.tuffstuff.net.
