Great Mats?

K

kweller

Cathlete
Hello, all,
Has anyone out there (or in here, rather :) ) purchased/use flooring from www.greatmats.com?
I am seriously considering their flooring, but I am confused as to which flooring would suit my needs (foam vs. rubber).
If any of you have experience with either their foam or rubber flooring, please share!?!
Thanks!
Kathy
 
Kathy,

I have the 5/8 inch thick dense foam mat and I dearly love it. A 12x10 foot mat area is big enough for Rhythmic Step, that's what I bought. Their service is great--very fast. But they did confuse me by never sending a confirmation email when I ordered like I'm used to from other companies. --Karen

PS--If you do your weight training on the mats and you do moves that press the end of your barbell into the mat (like t-bar rows or the calf raises in LL where you stand the bar on its end), you should protect your mat by cushioning the end of the barbell. A folded washcloth rubberbanded on works well for this with LL, don't know how you'd manage with the t-bar rows.
 
Thank you, Karen. Do your dumbbells leave impressions in the mats? I have a variety of different styles of dumbbells (very mix and match :) ) and I'm a little worried about the hex dumbbells digging in. What do you think? I will be doing all of my weight training on the mats. My aerobic space is the same as my weight training space. So there lies my big question mark about the type of mats to get. I don't do any power lifting, etc. But I do like to have my dumbbells on the ground during my weight training for easy access (heaviest db is 20 lbs.).

Thanks for the tip about t-bar rows. I'll use a towel when I do them, although it is not very often (if I get the mats, which I probably will, eventually, once I can figure out the proper mat for my needs).

Thanks!!
Kathy
 
Moooooooo!

I have to jump in here, and say that my DH went to the local "farm supply store" and bought me a cow mat. Of course he had to laugh when he got asked if it was for a steer or a heifer ("neither, it's a wife"). But, it works like a charm, it's about 1-1/2" inches of heavy duty rubber, and 3'6" x 6'. It's made to reduce the stress on animals joints as they stand all day. I love it. I do all my high impact moves on it. It's way too heavy for dumbells to leave any impressions. The cost was about $60-80. Is that less than a "sports mat"?
Julie
 
Kathy,

I got the same type of mats as “great mats” at a Costco for about $7 for a set of 4. (I think) I went ahead and doubled them up and duct tape them together and then put my large exercise rug on top. Boy does that make a difference in my knees. These mats doubled up and with my rug on top enable me to really push myself with my cardio’s. I can almost do all of IMAX with little modifications, (almost) it’s not my knee’s that are the problem now. ;) The whole set up is great for my weights too, with the rug on top.

Debbie
 
Hi Debbie,
they price the mats at 1.99 a sq. foot. I don't think this is a bad price at all. Better than knee surgery hee hee. Anyway I haven't got the specs of the size I would need. I need to go home and measure! This is such a great resouce, this Forum....Just thinkin' out loud :).

Kathy
 
Debbie,

Would you mind telling me what is the name of the matt you bought from Costco? I'd love to get them, too. Thanks.
 
I bought the 5/8 inch mats (they're just called aerobic flooring 5/8 inch) from great mats too and have been nothing but pleased with them.

My hex dumbbells do not make any imprints in the floor normally, but if I drop them, they do. I have two small holes from dropping a 25 lb dumbbell, but it doesn't effect the mat much.

I have hard wood floors and find that these mats give more cushion than any carpeted surface I've worked out on. The shipping was fair and they arrived quickly and was happy with the order.

Ginger
 
I have the mats in my basement, and have been VERY pleased with them. I am careful when I use weights, and have a black rubber mat (the kind you put under stationary bikes) that I put down when I use very heavy weights so I don't damage the Great Mats.

I also have very strict rules for anyone who dares enter the basement, like DON'T walk on the mats unless you have to, and not with really dirty shoes, and if you are under the age of 21, you get my permission to work out without an adult present to chaperon you.

I am queen of my workout area, or have you figured that out?!
 
RE: Moooooooo!

Wow. What an awesome idea. How many of these did you get? I live in a rural area and will definitely have to call around to some of these farm supply places. What are they called? I checked online and they appear to be something that would work for exercise purposes. How heavy is the one you have?

Aerika J.
 
RE: Moooooooo!

I measured it, approximately: 47" by 71". It weighs a ton, just kidding, it's about 60-70lbs I would guess. (It's kind of like dragging a dead body around.) I would suggest buying two, because this is a little squashed on the lateral moves. (I put the short end to the TV.) And I find myself having to step off it. I have to be mindful of where the edge lies when I'm moving quickly (possibility of tripping, but that hasn't happened, yet). If I had two, the size would be perfect. This really has saved my knees, and I've been able to add so much to plyometric moves. I first read about these on the forum here, and I guess cow mats cost much less than "human" mats.;-)
Let me know if you get one.
Julie
 
I'm bumping this thread for Lynn.
Also want to mention that I got a tip on VF (thanks Barb!) that these mats are available to purchase from QVC, and the savings is great. I'm covering my 10x10 space for a little less than half of what it would have cost me to cover the floor through greatmats.com.
Just a friendly tip :)
Kathy
 
Are you sure those are the same type for use as a flooring for aerobics and such? They referenced using them under equipment, but not necessarily that they are suitable for jumping around doing Taebo and stuff. They look the same, but I'd want to be sure. Are they really made by Great Mats?
 
I don't know if they are manufactured by great mats (or the co. they get their mats from), but they look exactly the same, and the information about them sounds the same:

"....Put one in your workspace as a shock absorber. The
kids can use them in their playroom, or they can go under
exercise equipment to help guard the floor from damage and
scratches. The lightweight, waterproof, anti-fatigue foam mats
can be easily configured around most rooms. The four mats
have a total coverage area of 16 square feet when
connected. Each mat measures 2' x 2'...."

A regular over at VF (Barb)purchased them and says she's very happy with them. I bet they're the exact same thing (JMHO).
Kathy
 
Hello Ladies, I just looked on the Costco wedsite and did not find the mats, can you tell me what to look under or if they still carry them?
Thanks for all your help.
 
I started out with mats that I purchased at Home Depot - which I think are the same ones that Costco are selling. (My workout space is a basement).
Then my boyfriend surprised me with a set of mats from greatmats.com for my birthday. He got them to cover an 8x8' square area, so the corners of the square are rounded and the borders are smooth and they came in 2 colors (blue and black) to make a checkerboard effect. (I'll post a pic somewhere if you're interested).
But comparing the 2 kinds of mats, I've found that the Home Depot/Costco ones are not as thick as the 'great mats'. I believe the great mats are about 1/8 - 1/4" inch thicker. We had tried to add my old mats in to make the space even larger, but the difference in height would have been a definite tripping hazard.
Also the great mats have a 'squishier' feel to them - bouncier, almost. My dumbells and barbell don't leave a mark on it during the workout, but if I left them on it overnight they do. However, the indent seems to go away by the next day. I also notice an indent left by my step after a workout, but again, it's gone the next morning.
By the way - I put the smoother side down, bumpy side up - I find it grips the cement floor just fine.
I know the great mats are 'much' pricier, but I think they're worth if it your current workout space is a permanent one, and you'll get a lot of use out of them.
Hope that helps...
Sandy
 
Sandy,
THANK YOU for the first-person account!
That answers a lot of questions.
Well, i already did it, so there's no going back for me, but this is great knowledge for someone in the shop-around phase...
:)
Kathy
 
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