The fitness industry is constantly evolving with many gyms pushing towards functional training by investing in multi-purpose rigs. A rig is a versatile and practical piece of gym equipment that comes in a variety of colours and sizes, and is accompanied with fixed and removable attachments. Investing in a rig is the perfect way to transform your floor space into a functional training haven, and to get creative with your workout sessions.

Functional training has become a common term in the fitness industry but few gym goers completely understand what it means. To put it simply, functional training is training that has purpose and incorporates movements to improve everyday activities such as walking, kneeling, pushing an object or getting in and out of a chair. Functional training consists of free and body weight exercises instead of machine based actions as they require more rigid and inflexible movements. As well as improving everyday movements, functional training can also prepare you to compete in a sport such as football, tennis and gymnastics. This form of training has become predominant in many workout programmes as it is significant when improving strength, mobility, speed and balance. Many gym-goers where it be professionals or beginners, are switching to functional rig based training as they can see significant improvements in cardiovascular fitness, core strength, fat loss, injury recovery and coordination. Functional training rigs were seen as one of the biggest fitness trends in 2020, and it goes without saying that they are making their move in the industry.

The ultimate question is how can you maximise your rig to offer dynamic training options on a group or individual basis? Many of our rigs here at Apollo offer a variety of features to create unique and exciting workouts including sandwich J-Hooks and spotter arms to create a weightlifting bay, monkey bars, pull up bars, wooden gym rings, dip and landmine attachments, wall ball targets, suspension trainers and jammer arms. All of these attachments can be added to your rig to create exciting, functional training programmes for you and your clients.

The main reason for opting towards a rig is their versatility, bespoke design, custom branding and variety of colours. Choosing a rig can be overwhelming so we have outlined what you should consider when deciding on the design and layout.

     1. Wall Mounted or Freestanding Rig

Both wall mounted and freestanding rigs have their own benefits but it is important to look at the overall building structure, space availability, the number of clients per session and how you want your classes to flow. Choosing a wall mounted rig will depend on the wall structure within your gym and if it is a feasible option overall. Wall mounted rigs can provide sturdy workout stations and free up extra floor space for alternative workout areas such as conditioning equipment and AstroTurf speed tracks. Whilst a wall mounted rig is space efficient, it does not provide as many workout bays as a free standing rig. Free standing rigs can maximise your space as they can be tailored to the number of clients you want to train simultaneously. By having more workout stations, gym sessions can be sped up, so great news for you and your customers! As well as providing a functional area to conduct workouts, free standing rigs act as an aesthetically pleasing centre piece for your gym and look impressive to newcomers.

     2. Space

The amount of space availability will be a huge factor to consider when choosing your rig as you want to create a layout to suit the programmes you offer. Ensuring there is enough room for exercises that require taller uprights such as muscle ups and rope climbs is important if you want them to be performed correctly. In terms of group classes, it’s important to keep in mind that each member should have enough space to perform certain exercises and to rotate without interrupting the training of others. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, many gyms are cutting back on rig rotation and are providing a bay per client. If you’re looking at opening up a new gym during these times we can assist you in maximising your space whilst taking into account the health of you and your customers.

     3. Your Training Programmes

Another major factor to consider when choosing a rig is the type of training you wish to offer in your gym, where it be personal training sessions, group workouts, circuit classes or open gym spaces. If you’re looking to train your clients altogether, a free standing rig is the perfect option for you, as the coach will have clear visibility of each bay. Personal training and circuit classes can be programmed around both free standing and wall mounted rigs.

Rigs and Attachments We Offer at Apollo

At Apollo Fitness we have designed, manufactured and installed custom free standing and wall mounted rigs for gyms across Ireland and the UK. We take pride in the rigs we create and will go above and beyond to create your dream custom rig. Our rigs are available in a variety of sizes with regards to the number of bays and we offer custom rigs if you need taller uprights for climbing ropes and gym rings. Also at Apollo, we offer free standing rigs with monkey bars, making your training programmes even more dynamic. Want to create a multi-functional training unit? Add some of our rig attachments including sandwich J-Hooks, Spotter Arms, Step-Up Attachment, dip and landmine attachments, wall ball targets, Climbing Ropes and jammer arms. For more information on the rigs we design and install, please do not hesitate to contact our team at info@apollofitness.ie!