How to organize your Cross Training space

When we enter a CrossFit box, gym, or sports facility, one of the things that draws our attention the most is the order and distribution of the space. Remember that the organization and storage of sports equipment has to be done based on the space and training needs that take place in that facility.

An orderly box will make everything flow better , the training sessions, the flow or transit of people within it, security will be greater and, in addition, an orderly environment generates an attempt to maintain that order by the staff and the athletes.

Barbell or disc storage is the most common method in sports facilities. Depending on the type of storage, you will find vertical supports that save a lot of space or horizontal ones if you have clear walls. For discs, the most convenient are trees or vertical supports with branches, as well as carts. This placement allows you to get the disc you want without having to get others.

Single-arm vertical stackers such as the bumper stacker are the most practical if space is limited, but they often have the problem that sometimes you have to remove some discs to get those at the bottom.

Another increasingly used solution, and the most common in home gyms, is rack or wall-mounted disc holders .

Having the discs organized by weight will make it easier for athletes to find them, it will also speed up the pace of the classes, and as we mentioned, if everything has a place, leaving it somewhere else is not an option.

Heavy equipment such as dumbbells and kettlebells are sometimes relegated to the cold floor. This is a mistake, which is often done due to a lack of budget. The surface area occupied is larger, the impossibility of a good demarcation encourages disorder and the athlete's point of view on them does not favor the rhythm of the class.

However, with dumbbell racks or specific furniture for kettlebells, we gain space by being able to superimpose shelves and keep them in order, because the shelves are what they are and outside of them they fall, so there is no choice but to place it well.

All of this, which may seem trivial, is essential when thinking about setting up your box or sports facility. The equipment must be accessible, but it must also not interrupt the rhythm of the classes. Putting everything on a single wall invites crowding, a “fitnerian horror vacui” that will make the members’ stay less pleasant.

Try to distribute the material logically and use specific accessories that keep the material in order. For example, a box of jump ropes is like putting 20 headphones in your pocket, it will take longer to untangle than the WOD itself.

Placing the equipment in a visible place, so that both beginners and veterans can access it, is also essential, especially if you plan to create Open Box options. These athletes who are “more independent” should be able to access the equipment without crossing paths with classes that are being given.

The lightest material usually has the problem of volume, as is the case with abmats , foam rollers , mats , wall balls ... the corner is not their place.

Also, anything you put on the floor becomes a nest of dust or magnesium that is very difficult to clean, and that is also something that athletes notice.

Conclusion

Finally, a tidy facility is safer and more pleasant, so members will be more willing to spend time there. And regarding safety, remember that we are handling heavy material that cannot be prone to falling if it is not in the right place.

And I repeat, if everything in your box or gym has its specific place, it is much easier to educate students and staff on where each thing should go. And it is also much easier to see when something is not in its place.