No commercial gym uses a single floor product throughout. The demands of a deadlift platform, a spin studio, a reception area, and a sled lane are fundamentally different — and specifying a single product across all of them means either over-engineering the low-demand areas or under-engineering the high-demand ones.

Zone planning is the process of mapping product selections to specific areas of the floor plan before the specification is finalised. Done properly, it produces a floor that performs correctly in every area, minimises material waste, and gives the contractor a clear installation sequence.

The Core Zones

Free Weights Zone

This is the highest-demand zone in any commercial gym. It includes barbell platforms, squat racks, deadlift areas, and dumbbell bays. The floor must withstand repeated impacts from dropped barbells, the rolling of loaded barbells, and the concentrated point loads of heavy racks bolted to the floor.

Specify: Superstrata Titan (30mm or 40mm depending on weight of use). For upper-floor installations, add Shield 20mm or 30mm beneath.

Functional Training / CrossFit Zone

Functional zones typically include kettle bells, medicine balls, box jumps, and HIIT-style training. Loads are lower than in the free weights zone but the floor takes significant impact from plyometric activity and dragged equipment.

Specify: Superstrata Pulse 20mm. The 11-colour range allows zone differentiation if the design calls for it.

Cardio Zone

Treadmill, rowing machine, and cycling equipment. The loads are dynamic but consistent — no dropped equipment, no dragging. Roll rubber is appropriate here and produces a seamless finish across large areas.

Specify: Superstrata Stride 8mm or 10mm. Stride also works well for connecting walkways and corridors between zones.

Turf Lane / Sled Zone

Gym turf is specified as a separate zone where sled pushing, prowler work, and agility training take place. The surface needs consistent pile density for even rolling resistance and durability against dragged sleds and tyres.

Specify: Superstrata Tundra (standard) or Superstrata Runway (where lane markings are required for sprint tracks).

Studio / Class Space

Group exercise studios, yoga, pilates, and spin rooms have specific requirements: bare feet or trainers, no equipment loads, and often a preference for a warmer, softer underfoot feel. Acoustic performance matters here because class spaces often sit beneath or adjacent to residential or office use.

Specify: Depending on the activity — rubber roll for high-intensity studio formats, or consult on LVT options for yoga and pilates. Shield 10mm as sub-layer where acoustic compliance is required.

Combat / Martial Arts Zone

Grappling, MMA, and martial arts require a dedicated surface with specific cushioning characteristics for throwing and ground work. Standard rubber tiles are not appropriate — they do not provide the right cushioning depth or the tatami surface friction.

Specify: Superstrata Dojo 40mm EVA tatami.

Reception and Entrance

Entrance and reception areas require a floor that handles wet footfall from the street, resists grit abrasion, and presents well aesthetically. Rubber is rarely the right choice here — it shows foot traffic marks and lacks the finish appropriate for a front-of-house space.

Specify: Vinyl or porcelain, or consult with the fit-out team on the reception design intent. Superstrata does not supply entrance flooring — this zone is outside the specification scope.

Zone Interfaces

Where two different products meet, the interface needs to be specified. There are three main scenarios:

  • Same thickness products. A simple butt joint with a transition strip. Specify the transition profile material and fixing method.
  • Different thickness products. A ramp strip is required to bridge the height difference. This is common at the interface of Titan (30mm) and Stride (10mm). Specify a rubber ramp profile.
  • Turf to rubber. The turf and rubber surface are typically the same thickness but the backing materials are different. A rubber threshold strip provides a clean, durable transition.

Zone interfaces are the most common source of snags on gym fit-outs. Specify them explicitly in the tender document and include them in the zone plan drawing.

Producing the Zone Plan

A zone plan document should include a floor plan with zones marked, colour-coded if possible; a schedule of areas in m² per zone; product specifications per zone including thickness, colour reference, and installation method; interface details at zone boundaries; and quantity calculations with a contingency allowance (typically 10% for tiles, 15% for rolls).

Superstrata provides zone planning support as part of the specification process. Send us a floor plan with the intended layout and we will produce a zone plan with product recommendations and a quantity schedule. Request via the contact form.