School Gyms

A school gym is used by twenty students at once with one teacher watching. That ratio, not the budget, is what should drive the equipment list — and it points away from the free-weight floor most people picture.

Specification rules for a school room

• Guided movement firstSelectorised machines with fixed paths, so technique errors cannot become injuries.
• Enclosed moving partsShrouded stacks and covered pulleys matter far more here than in a members' gym.
• Fixed rather than looseFixed dumbbells over loose plates. Less to drop, less to lose, less to trip over.
• Minimal adjustmentThe fewer settings a student must get right, the safer the station.
• Stations, not showpiecesTen simple stations beat four impressive machines when a class rotates.
• Clear sightlinesOne teacher must see the whole floor from anywhere in it.
• Robust finishesSchool equipment takes knocks that a home gym never will.
• Documented servicingInspection records matter where there is a duty of care.

By age group

Common questions