Rigging & Specs for a Bungee Fitness Studio
- Hannah Jamil
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
What kind of specs do you need for mapping bungee stations?
As far as size goes, 1400-2000 square feet of workout space typically accommodates anywhere from 8-12 stations, but it will depend on how long and wide your studio is. Launch Bungee Fitness is 2000 square feet (70 feet long, and 24 feet wide); however, we use approximately 55-60 feet of length in our space for working out/bungee stations, and the remaining square footage is an office and bathroom.
Launch Bungee Fitness Specs:
2000 sq ft: 24 feet wide, 70 feet long
13 bungee stations (7 in the front row, 6 in the back row)
Rigging height: 13 feet
Front row is 7 feet from the mirror and 7 feet from the back row
Back row is 9.5 feet from the back wall and 7 feet from the front row
Stations are 6.5 feet away from each other, left to right
Recommended Minimum Sling Bungee Specs:
Below are the recommended bungee specs if you are using Sling Bungee equipment.
Rigging height 11-16 feet (Sling equipment can't be rigged any lower than 10 feet. The higher you rig, the more flying space (length and width you need.)
7 feet minimum from any wall (8-10 feet preferred)
6-7 feet spacing between stations
7-8 feet between rows
No matter the square footage you end up with or are looking for, when you shop for commercial spaces, take a tape measure with you and some washable chalk and start mapping out your stations.
What kind of rigging do you need for bungee?
When you are opening a bungee studio, the hardest part in the beginning is finding a space that will work for bungee. There are certain specs you need to look for, but inevitably, you will most likely not be able to find a building that meets all of your needs. However, having sufficient support for rigging your bungee stations is a non-negotiable. You will need to budget for an engineer to come out and assess the building. If your building is not cleared, the engineer will need to design a structure to either reinforce the building (landlord would need to approve) or build something that sits inside your studio as a standalone support structure, like a Truss System.
Below are the structural and floor plan challenges Launch faced when mapping stations:
An I-beam in the middle of the studio
Pitched ceilings that run 14-16 feet across
Short width (24 feet)
Roof doesn't have the correct load capacity needed for bungee
I Beam: The first problem we came across was an eye-beam placed near the halfway point in the studio towards our back wall. This beam is about 7 feet away from our back wall and only 5 feet away from our back row of stations. This meant we couldn't put a bungee station directly in front of the beam. The workaround was to leave a gap there. Aesthetically, we don't like that, but we make do. Another issue with the beam is that we fly at a 45-degree angle. This means advanced participants who are stationed at the 45-degree angle of the beam have to be more mindful of certain skills. We have padded the beam, and are cautious about whom we place next to it.
Pitched Ceilings & Short Width: The second problem we faced was a combination of the two. When we were testing out the rigging a few months before we opened, we hooked one station up close to the 14-foot side of the ceiling and one closer to the 16-foot side of the ceiling. Immediately, this created a disparity in the flying circumference between the two stations. When hooked in at the 14-foot side, the footwork for flying felt closer to when we trained, and we didn't get too close to the front or back wall. For the 16-foot side, we discovered we had to take bigger/extra steps to accomplish the same movements and flies, and we were getting too close to the front wall. Since we are only 24 feet wide, the higher we rigged, the more width we needed to accommodate that larger flying circumference. To solve this problem, we made the decision to have a structural engineer come out to see if he could design something where every station could be rigged at the same height.
Insufficient Structural Load: The third and most critical problem we faced halfway into the bungee mapping and construction process was discovering our roof was not strong enough to rig directly into, which was determined by the engineer when he came to assess the uneven pitch in the roof. Like many newer commercial properties, the roofs are supported by purlins and one or two I-beams. Unbeknownst to us, purlins are not strong enough for any kind of consistent drop force and dynamic movement. Purlins are only meant to withstand rain and minimal amounts of weight on top. We learned consistent force would cause warping, concaving, and/or collapsing of the ceiling.
What did we do?
The engineer we hired was not familiar with the concept of bungee fitness, as it was still very new at the time, but after demonstrating how the bungees absorb a fair amount of the weight and drop force load of the participant, he was impressed. BUT he could not make an official calculation of how much drop force the bungees absorbed. What he could see was that it was significant enough that he could design a steel structure that reinforced the purlins. This was great news for us as renters. As pictured above, the design he came up with (signed and sealed) included one steel beam for the back row and one for the front row, each with welded joists that are bolted into the purlins. Rigging of the bungee stations is done directly into those front and back beams. Before we could contract welders, our landlord required that we run these plans through the construction company that built the strip mall and the company that supplied the steel for the building to gain approval. It's very important you let your landlord know your plans before you sign a lease, as you could be in breach of your lease. Pro Tip: Get the agreement in the lease itself.
What is our weight limit?
Our engineer determined that our weight limit per station is 250 lbs. Regardless of what the bungee equipment is safety-rated at, the weight limit you advertise to clients is based on what the structure/building can handle, which must always be determined by an engineer. We would've preferred our weight limit to be higher, but without adding more I-beams and making major structural enhancements to the entire strip mall, we were limited to reinforcing the purlins at that time.
Fast forward 4 years, and we had a new problem: Adding Aerial Yoga
Rigging for Aerial Yoga Classes
Disclaimer: We are not Aerialists or experts in circus-style studios. Please consult professionals for training and rigging for all things in the Aerial arts.
For our particular strip mall and studio, we found out that the rig we use for our bungee stations was not strong enough for Aerial Yoga. We went back to the same engineering company, and they determined the purlins couldn't be reinforced any more than they already were. This was also determined by 2 other professionals (one being an engineer who designs rollercoasters, and the other being a commercial contractor).
For aerial yoga/aerial hammock classes, we have been told the rigging point needs to be able to handle a drop force load of 10 times a person's body weight. For example, a weight limit of 300 lbs would. need at least 3000 lbs of reinforced support for each rigging point. However, the math varies depending on how high the drop is and what kind of aerial skills and drops you'll be doing. If you are building an Aerial/Cirque de Soleil type of studio, please consult professionals in the field, as we are NOT Aerialists or Cirque de Soleil professionals. What we do is exclusive to Bungee Fitness and basic Aerial Yoga.
Our studio does very little, if any, small drops in our classes. Again, consult with experts in the field and use engineers who have designed safety-rated structures for aerial. You can read more on aerial rigging standards here, but continue to do further research.
Recommendation:
At Launch, we worked with Vertical Art Dance, which provided an all-in-one designing, consulting, building, and safety training experience for the truss system we use for Aerial. The owner, Summer Davies, has worked in the Aerial Arts industry for many years and specializes in designing and building truss systems for aerial and bungee fitness. Should you choose to contact and use them, let them know Launch Bungee Fitness sent you their way.
I'm sure reading this felt like a lot, and well...that's because it is. No matter what, safety is not something you can shortcut or avoid. We hope this article sheds some light on our experience and the process of what goes into the safety and technical side of opening a bungee studio, and, should you want to, plan to add Aerial one day.
We cover the topic of this article even more in our in-person studio trainings, which we highly recommend you register for as your first step to opening a bungee studio. Becoming licensed and trained on the equipment, learning how to set up clients correctly, and leading classes safely and effectively is the cherry on top of a well-qualified, safety-first studio.
Prepare to Launch, and have a safe flight!