OUTDOOR GYM PLANNING

How to build a Callisthenics Gym

woman working out on outdoor calisthenics equipment

Key steps to consider for building an outdoor callisthenics park

Installing and creating a callisthenics gym outdoors in your community will promote a healthy and physical lifestyle with numerous benefits. To fully understand the requirements of a callisthenics park, follow our step-by-step guide, as building an outdoor park requires careful planning.

Here are seven key steps to consider in outdoor callisthenics park design:

  1. Budget and Funding

  2. Planning and design

  3. Users and target audience

  4. Site preparation, installation and surfacing

  5. Callisthenics equipment

  6. Safety, landscaping and signage

  7. Maintenance services

Designing an outdoor callisthenics park requires thorough planning. The planning parties decide upon users, design, purpose, equipment type, maintenance options and budget. By carefully assessing an essential step-by-step checklist, communities, GAA Clubs or councils can create a well-planned site that caters to all members of the community.

Need help designing your callisthenics park?

What is a Callisthenics Park gym?

With callisthenics, you bring the most vital equipment: your body. Callisthenics is a dynamic and bodyweight-focused form of exercise where, by using bodyweight movements, you build strength, endurance and overall fitness. In reality, callisthenics requires minimal equipment and can be performed anywhere. However, equipment can improve efficiency and allow for more effective workouts, promoting better public health. Thus, installing callisthenics parks can be seen as the most cost-effective way of improving the health and happiness of a whole community.

Step 1

Budget and Funding

Establishing the available budget will dictate your project's overall design and size. Spending time exploring and researching funding options can add resources to your budget. Funding opportunities such as grants, sponsorships or community contributions are worth considering before setting your budget. The costs of an outdoor callisthenics park gym depend on several factors, such as the size of your site, type of equipment and surfacing, landscaping needed, site preparation and amenities. Compliance with local regulations, permits, inspections, ongoing equipment maintenance and potential replacements can add additional expenses to your project.

To ensure a realistic budget and accurate quotation, please contact our Galway office to speak to our design and sales team.

woman working out in an outdoor gym

Step 2: Planning and Design

Once you have your estimated budget in place, you can start planning and designing your outdoor callisthenics park. In the planning phase, you should consider the objective of your site, target audience and the available space. This step often goes hand in hand with step 1, as a carefully thought-out brief and objective for the space will attract funding and sponsorship. Assessing your project scope in terms of social, economic and environmental factors in the community will also appeal to investors or funding partners.

a group of people working out in an outdoor callisthenics gym in a park

Step 3: Users and Target Audience

Next to consider in the planning phase is your community and people in the surrounding areas - it is important to know your target audience and what their needs are so as to be able to provide an area that will be successful and used by the target audience.

outdoor callisthenics gym in front of a building

Step 4: Site preparation, installation and surfacing

Before moving into the installation phase, you must inspect your site to prepare the ground and ensure all aspects of the site are considered including underground services and drainage. This will help avoid any cost increases and time delays once work starts on site.

step 5

Callisthenics equipment

When choosing equipment for your outdoor callisthenics park, make sure your equipment meets all local and European safety standards. Durability is equally important. Then, consulting with fitness experts on the specific topic of callisthenics exercise will guide your project in the right direction.

These are some common types of equipment used for Callisthenic park gym:

  • Parallel bars

  • Overhead ladder

  • Pull up station

  • Dip bench

  • Sit-up bench

  • Push-up bars

All KOMPAN Street Workout series products are simple but offer a comprehensive and highly durable fitness system based on callisthenics. We also offer all-in-one callisthenics equipment packages – learn more here.

Sometimes the best way to decide what equipment would suit your area is to try visit some local sites and test the equipment - some of our recent outdoor callisthenic installations include Marmullane Park, Cork, John O'Callaghan Park, Cork and Balcurris Park, Dublin

man doing push ups on outdoor callisthenics equipment
fitness sign to explain different types of workouts in an outdoor gym

Step 6: Safety, landscaping and signage

Safety measures for equipment and surfacing are crucial. To maintain a safe environment for all users to enjoy, signage on the equipment with clear instructions on how to use it should be placed on each unit. Carefully thought-out landscaping will appeal and attract users, as will site amenities such as outdoor furniture and bins. Considering surfacing options to and from the area is also important while safety surfacing surrounding your equipment must also be considered. When deciding your equipment it is important to consider what surfacing will be used also. Read more about surfacing here.

man working out in an outdoor callistenics park

Step 7: Maintenance services

Once your outdoor callisthenics park is ready, a maintenance plan with scheduled inspection visits and maintenance can be put in place. Our KOMPAN maintenance teams worldwide have vast experience in providing a high quality after sales service. Contact our spare parts department in Galway to further discuss your options on [email protected]

The extra cost for maintenance and inspections might also need to be factored in to your budget.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does calisthenics require equipment?

At its essential core, callisthenics does not necessarily require any equipment; anyone can do it at home. But equipment can improve efficiency and encourage more and better workouts, promoting better health for everyone in the community. Thus, installing callisthenics parks can be seen as the most cost-effective way of improving the health and happiness of a whole community.

How to get the managment company to build a calisthenics park?

If you need the property management company for your housing development to sign off on your project idea, your brief should contain arguments around increasing value, encouraging healthy habits and enhancing community feeling.

Got questions about how to plan an outdoor fitness area?

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Callisthenics park gym design ideas

Get inspiration from these callisthenic parks around the world.

Cross training systems in beautiful scenery at Vangsvatnet lake, Norway

Voss Activity Park, Norway

Fitness

Customer Case