A gym has two types of audiences: those who train and those who film. The good news is that both demand pretty much the same thing—lighting that is present enough for safe training, and artistic enough for the room to have an identity.
The reference density: 0.50 hexagons per m², or one panel per 2 m². This is the ambient density, lighter than a workshop, because there's no need to read a screw reference on a dumbbell.
Table by Surface Area
| Surface | Hexagons (0.50/m²) | Gym type |
|---|---|---|
| 20 m² | 10 | Home gym, converted garage |
| 40 m² | 20 | Studio, private lessons |
| 80 m² | 40 | Small neighborhood gym |
| 150 m² | 75 | Weightlifting area |
Gyms often have ceilings higher than 3 m, especially in commercial spaces. In this case, add 50%: light diffuses before reaching the floor.
Three Zones, Three Treatments
- The free weights area. This is the safety zone: you need to see a poorly clipped plate, a misaligned bar, or a cluttered floor. Do not reduce density here.
- Machines and cardio. Standard density. Pay attention to the line of sight: on a rower or a bench press, you look at the ceiling. A panel directly above eye level is blinding.
- The stretching corner, the photo zone. This is where the graphic pattern has its effect, and it's often the spot that ends up in publications.
The Back Wall, or Why Photos Don't Turn Out Well
In a gym, filming is almost always done in the same direction, towards a chosen wall. This wall becomes the background for all videos.
Two useful tips: illuminate this wall at least as much as the rest—a dark background makes for dull videos—and avoid a light source reflecting in a mirror behind the person being filmed, which creates an unrecoverable white spot.
White, RGB, or Both?
This question comes up systematically. The short answer: white for training, color for ambiance, and never the other way around.
A gym lit only in red or blue is spectacular for five minutes and impractical afterward: you can no longer judge distances, equipment colors disappear, and visual fatigue quickly sets in. The long-lasting configuration is neutral white light for use, with the option to switch to color for photo sessions or evening classes.
Height and Safety
In a gym, things are thrown and dropped. Two points to address during installation:
- Attachment. Vibrations from a deadlift hitting the floor transmit to the structure. Tighten to torque, and check again after a few weeks of use.
- Distance from movements. A bar lifted overhead with outstretched arms goes higher than you might think. In the overhead press or snatch area, check the clear height before marking.
Key Takeaways
- 0.50 hexagons per m², +50% beyond 3 m ceiling height.
- Do not reduce density in the free weights area.
- Illuminate the wall used as the background for videos.
- White for training, color for ambiance.
See RGB hexagonal LED kits for ambiance, or white kits if the gym is primarily for training.
