Forget about the “Man Cave.” Post COVID, it’s all about the home gym! And nobody knows more about the subject than Daniel Reed of NOVA Homeworks. “The reason so many people are converting their home theaters to gyms is that all the kids have their own iPads, so nobody was using them.” That, and it’s obviously healthier to work out together than to be couch potatoes. He adds, “With more people working from home, the trend is for homes to become more self-sufficient, so why not a home gym along with your home office?”
The same basement rec room can be a perfect workout space, Daniel says, but so can any 10’x10’ room, so long as there’s adequate lighting, the right flooring and engaging equipment that won’t turn into clothing racks by next season. “We like to work with places where we can either enhance or create natural lighting – plenty of windows – and maybe add mirrors or workout bars on the walls. It should be a welcoming area that is nicely designed so you want to spend your time there.”
One of the main objections to bringing the gym into home living spaces has been the perception that the flooring has to be made of rubber, Daniel adds; “There are so many other options now, you don’t have to sacrifice style for durability. We specifically installed a sturdy vinyl floor for one client to match the wood flooring on his upper level.”
If a brighter, more playful space is what you’re after, then hard, rubber flooring is still available – in a wide range of hues – blues, reds, yellows; you can even match the colors of your alma mater, complete with embedded logos. Daniel has had years of experience with high-performance, made-to-order flooring, even helping recently to transform a warehouse into a full basketball court for a former pro-NBA player who is launching a training facility for kids. He was set to install one just like it in Ashburn in December (See evobball.com/advanced-training-ashburn/.) Even turf, or a full-sized putting green are some creative ideas that he’s facilitated. “You can really have fun putting these things together,” he said.
Because NOVA Homeworks is a Class-A contractor, Daniel could build you a gym in a free-standing structure, or remodel any portion of your house to optimize your personal fitness. That comes in handy when you need help installing electrical wiring or video cables to wall-mount wide-screen TVs. Such installations can be used to follow workout videos or just relax watching a game while working out. With earbuds, multiple family members can be engaged in multiple different workouts at once.
Beyond that, every home gym needs “good air movement,” and solutions could range all the way up to installing a dedicated HVAC system.
The very first home gym Daniel built was back in Berrien Springs, Michigan for none other than Mohammed Ali. More recently, he built one for former National’s pitching ace Max Scherzer. He just finished work on a gym at the Hyatt Marriott in Alexandria, and has worked for groups ranging from the YMCA to California State University, Fresno and many government training facilities in secure areas. One of his fans is Zachary Travis, Onelife Fitness facilities director, who has worked with him to build out several local Onlife gyms. He told us, “Daniel's an excellent contractor to work with. He's been my go-to guy on a lot of projects. They do outstanding work.”
For clients’ equipment needs, he works closely with Evan Lyons of Woodbridge, Virginia-based Ardent Fitness (https://ardentfitness.com). Because Evan is also a personal fitness trainer, Daniel has learned that some of his most satisfied clients work with their own personal trainers to help customize their gyms to meet their needs. Evan says, “Everybody works out differently. And hardly anyone has the space to replicate a whole commercial gym in their home. So, what I usually ask people is, if you could take three to five things home from the gym to make sure you have them, what would they be? You have a whole generation of people that are aging. All they want to do is build some strength to hold their grandkids or maybe just get around better. Everybody's goals are different. Hardly any of our clients want to be Arnold [Schwarzenegger]. They just want to live better.”
Daniel adds, “Most people don't like working out. It's not that fun. It's something you have to do. So, we both try to make it as easy as possible in as beautiful a place as anywhere else in your home.”
Give Daniel a call at (703) 962-7500 for a free quote and a conversation about what you'd include in your own home workout wonderland or schedule an appointment today at novahomeworks.com.