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What's the Best Floor For a Cross Fitness Gym?

By Brett Hart

Created: Jun, 2017 - Modified: Feb, 2024

As the benefits of non-repetitive exercises and motions become better known, many fitness centers are beginning to focus on Xfit-style training. There are set exercise routines that must take place to train in this method, making selecting the right cross-fitness flooring an important tool in your training.

To find the best flooring for an Xfit gym, you need to pay attention to some of the most important features of these gym floor mats. Because Greatmats carries so many different options for cross-fitness flooring, we can meet whatever needs you have.

Considerations for Cross Fitness Flooring

When comparing different options for floors for cross-fitness workouts, pay attention to these four considerations.

Thickness

Rubber Thickness for cross fitness
Most cross-fitness rubber products range from 1/4 to 3/4 inches thick. Generally speaking, the thinner the rubber, the less expensive and lighter weight it will be. However, thinner and lighter rubber floors will not absorb nearly as much shock as the thicker varieties and may have more tendency to curl or shift, creating potential hazards.

Surface Texture

Rubber Thickness for xfit
Generally speaking, the smoother the surface of rubber Xfit floors, the better. Many exercises involve contact between bare skin - especially hands and chest - and the floor. Overly textured surfaces can cause the exercises to become uncomfortable and can possibly cause floor burns.

Firmness


Firmer and flatter floors tend to lead to more consistent footing. A small amount of cushion in the floor is handy for jumping exercises, but most movements involve pushing against the floor with a great need for maximum output. The more cushion the floor provides, the less efficient the movement becomes. If you can notice the cushion, it’s probably too much.

Sound Absorption

Rubber Thickness for cross fitness
If you are operating an Xfit gym in a strip mall or another setting with adjacent neighbors, you'll want to make sure you have a floor that will keep the dropped weights quiet. Otherwise, you'll be dealing with angry neighbors, landlords, or property managers who are fed up with the thumping. Rubber floors naturally absorb noise, and thicker materials do a better job than thinner materials.

Cross Fitness Flooring Options – Rubber Tile, Mat, or Roll

No matter which form of rubber flooring you choose, it is important to make sure all tiles, mats, or rolls fit tightly together and can be secured to avoid separation.

Tiles


Rubber gym tiles provide the greatest versatility and, in most cases, can be installed by one person. One of the biggest advantages of tiles is the multiple thickness options. The smaller square tiles open the door for much greater thickness, perhaps more than 2 inches in some products because smaller tile sizes don’t have too much weight.

The 3x3 Foot Geneva Rubber Tile product offers impressive value for those who want to cover a large space at an Xfit gymnasium. These 1/2-inch thick tiles make use of interlocking edges to simplify a DIY installation. Border pieces that fit into the interlocking edge create finished edges for a high-end look in the design.

For maximum cushioning and noise absorption in a tile, count on the 2.5-inch thick dBTile Gym Floor Tile. Each tile measures 2x2 feet and offers a highly efficient wear layer that keeps the black tiles looking like new for a long time, even in a busy Xfit fitness center.





Mats


Rubber mats are commonly offered in 4-foot widths and 6- to 8-foot lengths. These mats give you a broad range of thicknesses - typically 1/4 to 3/4 of an inch. They can feature either straight or interlocking edges and offer more versatility than rolls. Rubber cross-fitness mats can be used independently or combined to cover larger areas.

When you want to provide extra cushioning in a particular area of the Xfit workout space, our 4x6 Foot Sundance Straight Edge Standard Mat is a popular choice. At 3/4 of an inch in thickness, it has excellent durability and cushioning. Its hexagon texture surface gives athletes a bit of traction to avoid slips.



Rolls


In most cases, rubber flooring rolls are the least expensive option for cross-fitness gym flooring, especially in large spaces. The rolls cut down on the number of seams and potential tripping hazards and are commonly used to create lanes for competitions.

One advantage of our Geneva Rubber Flooring Roll is that you can cover a large space quickly, as it has 4 feet of width with custom lengths available (with a minimum of 25 feet of length). This is a Made in the USA roll that offers slip resistance and excellent durability. However, it only has 8 mm of thickness (about 5/16 of an inch).

Let Greatmats Help You Find the Perfect Cross Fitness Flooring

Finding the best Xfit gym flooring doesn’t have to be a chore. When you rely on products from Greatmats, it’s easy to find just the right Xfit flooring. If you have any questions, rely on our customer service experts to guide you toward solutions that will perfectly fit your planned use cases.