4 tips for creating outdoor training spaces
Looking to expand your training footprint outdoors but not sure where to start? Creating an outdoor training space is an exciting way to increase offerings while introducing the benefits of fresh air and sunlight. But creating the best experience for your members doesn’t mean simply taking an indoor rig, moving it outdoors and expecting people to carry equipment in and out of the facility — causing inconvenience, inventory nightmares and decreased longevity of your equipment. There is a strategy to a well-developed outdoor training space, and we’re here to offer four basic tips to get started. 1. Define your outcome Looking to increase throughput? Add new class offerings? Determining your goals is the first step of designing your outdoor training space. When it comes to designing an outdoor fitness space, lean into providing more of what your members are already using inside. If your strength room is constantly overcrowded, create a strength training space outdoors with weatherproof equipment and storage. If your functional training space is in high-demand, consider outside stations with outdoor-rated accessories for maximum training capabilities. Examples: Outdoor workout space at Club Northwest featuring a SunPro shelter, Shred Shed, 30′ rig, racks, turf and more; and outdoor workout space at Carbon Valley Parks and Recreation featuring a Shred Shed and 24′ rig. 2. Identify your location Where do you have underutilised space? Where you may see a parking lot or tennis court, we see a blank canvas. The parking lot If you have ample parking for members and redesignating some spaces would not pose an inconvenience, an outdoor training space can be created in your very own parking lot. With the addition of rubber or turf flooring along with custom colors and branding, you can turn a parking lot training space into a true extension of your facility. Old basketball or tennis courts If the basketball or tennis courts at your facility are no longer being used, or are underutilised, consider turning that space into a dedicated outdoor training zone. With custom flooring, outdoor-rated strength equipment and accessories, and lockable storage customised to reflect your colors and branding, your members will never realize that your high-quality outdoor training zone was once an old sports court. The roof If the structure of your facility allows for it, a rooftop training space creates an exciting new experience for members without extra real estate. Structural considerations will be important here, and you may find that the best solutions are freestanding training stations that do not require anchoring. Example: Rooftop workout space at Bay Club San Francisco featuring two freestanding Shred Sheds. 3. Select your equipment You can’t just take any piece of training equipment and place it outdoors. Most equipment is meant solely for indoor-use. In order for a product to be fully weatherproof, the steel should go through a superior weatherproofing process involving hot-dip galvanization and powder coating. Anything less is a recipe for rust, corrosion or other damage. You should also consider custom branding so the space looks like an extension of your indoor facility. Luckily, we do both. Examples: PGA West Golf Resort and Club featuring a BeaverFit Shred Shed, double Bay Unit and Gym Box. 4. Don’t forget storage Weatherproof, integrated storage solutions keep members from dragging equipment in and out of spaces, and increase longevity of your accessories. The equipment you select should include dedicated, lockable storage for all integrated accessories and components. Otherwise, you’ll run the risk of your training gear growing legs and finding a new home. Examples: Plano Athletic Club and YMCA Middle Tennessee Performance Lockers. Get in touch Interested in expanding your training space to the outdoors? We can help. From storage and shelters to equipment and accessories, BeaverFit can outfit you with American-made, weatherproof solutions specific to your training needs, space and budget. Email Us
US Air Force unit reveals new BeaverDome human performance facility
As Australia boosts defence capabilities, there’s a critical need for modern training solutions designed to ensure the Australian Defence Force is combat-ready. With over $30 billion allocated to strengthening northern bases over the next decade, procurement of state-of-the-art fitness solutions will be essential to support the objectives outlined in the defence plans. BeaverFit, the largest supplier of fitness and training solutions to U.S. and NATO militaries, offers a range of portable, semi-permanent, durable solutions that can be set up quickly and relocated if necessary. The aticle below showcases how BeaverFit supported the U.S. Air Force in creating a fully-enclosed, state-of-the-art fitness facility from the ground up. Contact us to learn more about bringing these proven capabilities to Australia. A roof logo so big it will be seen by planes using the landing strip nearby – that’s one of the requests the 5th Air Support Operations Squadron had for their new BeaverDome at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. BeaverFit accepted the challenge, and the newly opened 50 x 120-foot human performance facility boasts the 5th ASOS call sign “Lowlife” with a roof logo spanning the facility’s length. “Championship tactical athletes need to have venues where they can build their championship abilities. And when the Airmen walk in here, it is the man or woman in the arena – and this is where excellence gets built,” said retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. John W. Troxell, former senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during his remarks at the facility’s grand opening. When the 5th ASOS needed a state-of-the-art fitness facility to train Air Force tactical air control party members, they placed a call to BeaverFit – leading supplier of human performance and tactical training solutions to the U.S. military. The resulting solution is a fully-enclosed training facility – known as a BeaverDome – complete with electricity, HVAC and industrial ceiling fans. Six 40-foot BeaverFit Performance Lockers form the walls of the facility with internal equipment storage and rigging for strength and functional training, surrounded by custom rubber and turf flooring. The eight lifting stations boast custom floor logos and branding plates for 5th ASOS, Lowlife and TACP. Additionally, BeaverFit designed custom weight plates labeled with the squadron’s name and call sign. BeaverFit formed and poured a custom concrete pad to support the BeaverDome, which is built atop an existing asphalt parking lot. They positioned the concrete pad high enough to minimize water entering the space, and designed it with a one-degree slope for water runoff, since Washington is no stranger to rainy weather. Additionally, BeaverFit built two concrete ramps leading to the commercial roll-up garage doors at either end of the BeaverDome. Michael Hirsch, project manager at BeaverFit, said his favorite part of every project is the moment BeaverFit shows up to install the accessories and rigging, when “the customer is so amped to get into the facility and start training.” And amped they were. The 5th ASOS celebrated the grand opening in true military fashion – by getting straight to work in their new training space. “Seeing the thrill on the faces of all the Airmen and women within the unit was the best,” said Scott Wing, territory sales director for BeaverFit. “They were truly grateful for our efforts and the space turned out exactly how they had envisioned.” As with any custom build for a military customer, BeaverFit begins by listening to the unique scope and human performance requirements of the project. A team of product managers, facility design experts, engineers and fabricators work together to create equipment solutions that are designed to perform in the toughest training environments. BeaverFit provides overall project scoping, design, kitting and ongoing project management. Dedicated teams guide a project from the initiating and planning phases all the way through to execution and closing phases. “This BeaverDome is proof-positive that although these projects are cumbersome and require meticulous attention to detail, we have the capability and the vital partnerships in place to be able to execute quickly and effectively,” Wing said.
How BeaverFit is helping the US Army operationalize H2F
As Australia boosts defence capabilities, there’s a critical need for modern training solutions designed to ensure the Australian Defence Force is combat-ready. With over $30 billion allocated to strengthening northern bases over the next decade, procurement of state-of-the-art fitness solutions will be essential to support the objectives outlined in the defence plans. BeaverFit, the largest supplier of fitness and training solutions to U.S. and NATO militaries, offers a range of portable, semi-permanent, durable solutions that can be set up quickly and relocated if necessary. The article below showcases how BeaverFit helps the U.S. Army operationalise their Holistic Health and Fitness program through a variety of training equipment and environments. Contact us to learn more about bringing these proven capabilities to Australia. RENO, Nevada — The Holistic Health and Fitness initiative created a paradigm shift in Soldier readiness with its introduction in 2020. Once the H2F operating concept was released, U.S. Army units around the world had to overcome the obstacle of creating training spaces that met commander’s intent without obvious solutions. According to the Army, the ultimate vision of H2F is to provide each brigade with an H2F campus to include a Soldier Performance Readiness Center, ACFT testing lanes and track, a terrain running course, sheltered strength training racks, and containerized strength equipment. Enter BeaverFit, with space and time saving solutions for all of the above. “We’re the defense contractor for the Soldier Weapon System,” said Michael Taylor, BeaverFit USA co-founder and veteran. “We’re here to surround that weapon system with the equipment and facilities needed to optimize them for resiliency and lethality under any mission essential task. That’s our clear vision.” “We’re not a commercial fitness company with solutions that have been designed for someone else that we’re trying to push to the military,” added Alex Roodhouse, BeaverFit USA co-founder and veteran. “We’re listening to the military’s requirements and designing solutions based on what is actually needed in the field.” Let’s take a look: Soldier Performance Readiness Center Army Need: A dedicated facility for units to facilitate and foster their H2F programs. BeaverFit Solution: As seen at Fort Jackson with the recently opened Drill Sergeant Timothy Kay SPRC, BeaverFit has the capability to convert unused indoor spaces into world-class human performance facilities for individual or group training and recovery sessions, along with specialized office areas for physical therapy, nutrition counseling and other H2F programs. And while converting underutilized indoor space is one way Army brigades are creating their SPRC facilities, BeaverFit also offers the capability to create new, standalone, fully-enclosed structures to fulfill Soldier readiness needs. The appearance of DoD imagery does not imply or constitute federal endorsement. Terrain running course Army Need: Courses that are designed to assess, develop and refine strength, endurance and responsiveness through a series of obstacles and varied terrain. BeaverFit Solution: BeaverFit offers custom created elements and course designs to improve mission-specific cardiovascular conditioning while actively engaging the mind and body of Soldiers, as seen at the Devil’s Field Obstacle Course on Fort Liberty. The appearance of DoD imagery does not imply or constitute federal endorsement. ACFT testing lanes Army Need: A consistent environment to perform the Army Combat Fitness Test at any time of year. BeaverFit Solution: The ACFT testing field by BeaverFit creates a consistent and standardized testing environment, utilizing performance-grade turf to reduce the risk of training injuries. To enable year round ACFT activities, BeaverFit also provides a shelter around the field to offer protection from the elements. BeaverFit ACFT Storage Lockers are the final piece to the turnkey ACFT testing environment. An open-air SunPro covers the 12-lane ACFT field for U.S. Army South at Joint Base San Antonio from unrelenting sun, whereas a fully-enclosed structure with heating protects Soldiers using the 5-lane ACFT field at Fort Devens from brutal Massachusetts winters. The appearance of DoD imagery does not imply or constitute federal endorsement. Sheltered strength training racks Army Need: Sheltered strength training racks to create a year round outdoor training area and while maintaining longevity of outdoor equipment. BeaverFit Solution: The tension fabric BeaverFit SunPro creates an environment up to 15° F cooler than in direct sunlight and can be fully engineered to meet local wind, snow and seismic loads. The SunPro is mounted to BeaverFit Performance Lockers or to the ground, allowing battalions to build the ideal human performance training facility that meets their space and requirements. Containerized strength equipment Last but certainly not least, our flagship product. Army Need: Self-contained fitness units that allow training to be conducted anywhere the containers are placed. BeaverFit Solution: Known by the Army as the ‘gym-in-a-box,’ or simply as ‘The BeaverFit’, BeaverFit Performance Lockers are standard shipping containers custom-fabricated to include anchored training rigs and secure storage. Filled with outdoor-rated training accessories, they create a multi-modality training center that accommodates up to 90 people at once. Additionally, BeaverFit offers the ACFT Storage Locker, specifically designed to hold the exact amount of ACFT equipment required per lane, and the mobile ACFT Storage Trailer. The appearance of DoD imagery does not imply or constitute federal endorsement. As the Army recently approved accelerating the fielding of H2F equipment and staff to 15 brigades per year, creating these solutions is a paramount priority for Army leaders. From standalone and mobile training solutions to indoor space conversions and facility builds from the ground-up, BeaverFit is creating new and innovative ways to help Soldiers train for whatever they need to prepare for, wherever they need to train.