Home gym + joists

[frutty]

As the title suggests, can you have a home gym on a joist floor?

It needs to withstand impacts and the like since I will be doing powerlifting there. It's mainly the deadlifts that will stress the floor the most.

I was thinking it might work if you start with a shock-resistant mat, then build a platform with plywood and possibly another mat.

What do you think? Will the joist floor break?

 

[Avemo]

If you build a platform that both spreads out the load and flexes, you significantly dampen the impacts. How heavy are you going to lift, and from what height will you drop it onto the floor? I would think that the risk is greater of punching a hole in the floorboards than the frame breaking. And you solve that problem with the platform.

 

[Pappa1986]

As the title suggests, can you have a home gym on a joist floor?

It needs to withstand shocks and such since I will be doing powerlifting there. It's primarily the deadlifts that will stress the floor the most.

I thought it might work if you first lay a shock-resistant mat and then build a platform with plywood and an additional mat.

What do you think? Will the joists break?

The question is a bit about what kind of joists you have? If possible, reinforce the joists with noggings between them.

 

[frutty]

If you build a podium that both spreads out the load and provides some give, you significantly reduce the impact. How much weight are you going to lift, and from what height will you drop it onto the floor? I would think it's more likely to punch through the floorboards than to break the joists. And you'll solve that problem with the podium.

The bar will be "dropped" from around 70cm. You go down with the bar but don't slow it down much.

Regarding weight, it should handle up to 300kg. I'm not quite there myself yet, but my training buddies are around that level. It's always good to have a bit of a margin

 

[frutty]

The question is a bit about what kind of floor structure you have? If possible, reinforce the floor structure with noggins between the joists.

A bit unsure about this. I can check if I find something in some direction the previous owner left behind. But I suspect it's some standard floor structure?

 

[Pappa1986]

A bit unsure about this. I can check if I find something in any direction the previous owner left behind. But I suspect it's some standard bjälklag?

Is it on the ground floor or the upper floor?

 

[frutty]

Is it downstairs or upstairs?

It is downstairs, yes!

 

[Pappa1986]

It's downstairs, yes!

Crawl space? Crawl under and reinforce there if you want.

 

[Avemo]

It sounds like a poor approach to try to find out what "some standard floor structure" can withstand. Regularly dropping 300 kg from 70 cm sounds like a much higher load than most people subject their houses to. It might hold. But it's unfortunate if it doesn't. If you build an additional floor structure on top and place the joists closely together and maybe add double floorboards, you should have significantly improved the situation. If you're not inclined to crawl underneath and check how the floor structure is built and possibly reinforce it.

 

[frutty]

It sounds like a poor starting point to try to find out what "some standard floor" can withstand. Regularly dropping 300 kg from 70 cm sounds like a much higher load than most subject their house to. It might hold. But it's unfortunate if it doesn't. If you reinforce an additional floor on top and place the joists close together and perhaps lay double floorboards, you should have significantly improved the situation. If you don't feel like crawling under and checking how the floor is constructed and possibly reinforcing it.

Neither I nor my workout buddies will be training with such weights, but you want to be able to max or something similar.

Anyway, great tips! Why didn't I think of that? Do you have to lay some kind of floor though? Or can you use, for example, a particleboard/plywood since rubber mats will go on top.

 

[Avemo]

Do you have to lay any flooring though? Or can you use, for example, a chipboard/plywood since rubber mats will be placed on top.

It is an advantage if they are thick boards. Floor chipboards are intended for this purpose and have edges that fit together. If you prefer to use other boards, that is of course fine too.

 

[frutty]

It is an advantage if they are thick boards. Floor particle boards are intended for the purpose and have edges that fit into each other. If you prefer to use some other boards, that of course works too.

Perfect! I'm completely new to this so I apologize for all the silly questions.
For example, like these:
https://www.byggmax.se/skivmaterial/byggskivor/spånskivor/golvspånskiva-p1020 ?

 

[Avemo]

Perfect! I am completely new to this, so excuse all the dumb questions.
For example, ones like these:
[link]

Those were the kind I was thinking of.

 

[frutty]

Det var sådana jag tänkte på.

Awesome!
Any tips on what material to use for the joists that will go on top of the existing floor?

 

[witten]

According to building regulations, a residential floor slab must withstand at least 200 kg/m2 and 300 kg in point load.