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Gym Strength Training Equipment Maintenance Guide

2025-07-10

1. Purpose and Importance of the Guide

This guide aims to provide comprehensive, detailed, and actionable guidance for the maintenance and repair of gym strength training equipment. Scientific and reasonable maintenance can significantly extend the service life of equipment, ensure the safety of members during training, and maintain training effectiveness. It is of great significance for the normal operation of the gym and the establishment of a good reputation. This guide can be used to train new maintenance personnel and serve as an operational standard for daily maintenance work. 

2. Equipment Classification and Maintenance Methods 

(1) Free Weights  

1.Barbells (including barbell bars and weight plates) 


  • Daily maintenance (after each use): Immediately wipe off sweat stains on the barbell bar, weight plates, and locks with a neutral detergent and a slightly damp cloth, then thoroughly dry with a dry cloth, paying special attention to hidden areas such as metal joints and screw holes. At the same time, check if the barbell bar rotates smoothly and if there are any abnormal noises; check if the weight plate locks can firmly secure the weight plates and if the spring elasticity is normal. If the lock spring elasticity is insufficient and cannot clamp the weight plates, replace it in a timely manner.

  • Regular maintenance (weekly): Drop specialized barbell lubricant (such as 3-in-1 lubricating oil, equipment-specific lithium grease) on both ends of the barbell bar bushing, rotate the barbell bar for 30 seconds to allow the lubricant to penetrate evenly. Check if metal weight plates are rusted; if so, polish with fine sandpaper and apply a thin layer of anti-rust oil. For plastic/rubber weight plates, check for cracks; if cracks are found, immediately stop use and replace.
  • Handling of special cases: If the barbell bar is severely bent or deformed, immediately stop using it and replace it with a new one. Do not continue to use it reluctantly to avoid safety accidents.

2. Dumbbells/Kettlebells

  • Daily maintenance (after each use): Wipe the handles and bodies of dumbbells/kettlebells with a neutral detergent and a slightly damp cloth to remove sweat and stains, then dry with a dry cloth. Check if there are signs of cracking at the welding joint between the dumbbell bar and the weight plates of fixed dumbbells, and if there is any foreign object jamming in the adjustment track of adjustable dumbbells.
  • Regular maintenance (every two weeks): For adjustable dumbbells, wipe dust off the adjustment track with a dry cloth every week and drop 1-2 drops of lubricating oil to avoid track jamming. Check if the adjustment knob of adjustable dumbbells is smooth; if there is jamming, disassemble to clean internal foreign objects and then drop an appropriate amount of lubricating oil.
  • Handling of special cases: If the handle (rubber/foam) is damaged, temporarily wrap it with tape in a timely manner or replace it with a new handle cover to prevent cutting members' hands.

(2) Fixed Equipment (multi-station trainers, single-function equipment: such as bench press racks, lat pulldown machines, etc.)
1. Pulleys and Steel Cables

  • Daily maintenance (after each use): Visually inspect the steel cables for broken wires, surface fuzzing, and pulleys for obvious cracks. Wipe dust off the surface of steel cables and pulleys with a dry cloth.
  • Regular maintenance (weekly): Check pulleys for cracks and edge wear; if pulleys are deformed, they will wear and break the steel cables, so replace them in a timely manner. Rotate the pulleys; if there is abnormal noise or jamming, drop lubricating oil on the axle pins (once every 2 weeks). Wipe the steel cables with a dry cloth dipped in specialized steel cable lubricant (or graphite powder) once a month, avoiding direct contact with water.
  • Handling of special cases: If more than 3 broken wires are found in a single strand of the steel cable, it must be replaced immediately. If the tension of the steel cable is uneven (one side is loose), adjust the counterweights or connection points at both ends of the equipment.

2. Guide Rails and Adjustment Mechanisms

  • Daily maintenance (after each use): Check the guide rails for foreign objects and whether the adjustment pins/knobs can be used normally.
  • Regular maintenance (weekly): Wipe dust off the guide rails with a dry cloth, drop a small amount of lubricating oil, and push the seat/backrest to allow the lubricating oil to distribute evenly. If the guide rails have scratches, slightly polish them smooth with fine sandpaper. Check if the adjustment pins/knobs can accurately snap into the positioning holes; if loose, tighten the pin springs; for knob-type adjustments, drop lubricating oil once every 2 weeks to avoid jamming.
  • Handling of special cases: If the adjustment pin cannot snap into the positioning hole, check if the pin spring is damaged and replace the spring in a timely manner.

3. Seats and Backrests

  • Daily maintenance (after each use): Wipe sweat stains on the surface of seats and backrests with a slightly damp cloth, then dry with a dry cloth.
  • Regular maintenance (monthly): For leather/PU materials, wipe with specialized leather cleaner; if there are scratches, fill them with repair paste of the same color. For fabric materials, wipe with diluted neutral laundry detergent every week, then

    blot dry moisture with a dry cloth.

  • Handling of special cases: If seats or backrests are damaged, repair them with needles and threads or replace the covers to avoid expanding damage.

(3) Auxiliary Equipment (gym benches, safety racks, plyometric boxes)

1. Gym Benches

  • Daily maintenance (after each use): Wipe sweat and dust off the bench surface and check if the bench surface is stable.
  • Regular maintenance (every 2 weeks): Check and tighten the connecting bolts between the bench surface and the 支架. For foldable benches, maintain the hinges and drop lubricating oil to avoid rusting and jamming.
  • Handling of special cases: If the bench surface is made of sponge and has a collapse, flip the bench surface to balance the force when not in use for a long time; for severe collapse, replace the sponge.

2. Safety Racks (such as safety bars of squat racks)

  • Daily maintenance (after each use): Check if the clips of the safety bars can be firmly locked and wipe dust off with a dry cloth.
  • Regular maintenance (weekly): Check if the metal bars are bent; if bent, they are scrapped and cannot be used continuously. Wipe dust off with a dry cloth and apply a thin layer of anti-rust oil every week.
  • Handling of special cases: If the clips of the safety bars cannot be firmly locked, replace the clip components in a timely manner.
3. Plyometric Boxes (wooden/plastic)

  • Daily maintenance (after each use): Wipe dust off the surface of plyometric boxes with a dry cloth.
  • Regular maintenance (monthly): Keep wooden plyometric boxes away from moisture, wipe them with a dry cloth regularly, and polish worn edges with sandpaper. Check plastic plyometric boxes for cracks.
  • Handling of special cases: If cracks in plastic plyometric boxes exceed 5cm, stop using them and replace them.

3. Regular In-depth Maintenance (once a month)


1. Tighten all connection points: Use tools such as wrenches and hex keys to check one by one the screws, nuts, and bolts of the equipment (especially the connections of load-bearing components, such as the columns of squat racks and the counterweight brackets of fixed equipment) to ensure there is no looseness.


2. Replace wear parts: According to the frequency of use, reserve wear parts in advance (such as steel cables, pulleys, handle covers, adjustment pins), and immediately replace them when the following situations are found:

  • Steel cables: more than 3 broken wires in a single strand, severe local rust, diameter wear ≥10%;
  • Pulleys: edge cracks, rotation jamming (unable to rotate smoothly);
  • Handle covers: severely damaged (exposing metal rods), anti-slip layer failure (slipping).
3. Comprehensive anti-rust treatment: Spray all metal components (especially unpainted parts, such as barbell bar bushings and equipment bracket welding points) evenly with anti-rust spray (such as WD-40) to form a protective film; in humid areas, it can be increased once every 2 weeks.


4. General Maintenance Principles

1. Keep the equipment storage environment dry and ventilated, with humidity controlled between 40%-60%. It is recommended to equip dehumidifiers in humid areas or place moisture absorbers next to the equipment.

2. Avoid direct exposure of equipment to sunlight (especially leather and plastic components, which will cause cracking and fading).

3.The equipment storage area needs to be ventilated (open windows for ≥2 hours a day), avoiding direct contact with water sources (such as near the shower area); anti-slip mats can be laid on the ground (to reduce friction damage between equipment and the ground).

5. Safety Precautions

1. During maintenance, if key components (such as steel cables, barbell bars, pulleys) are found to be severely damaged, immediately stop use, post a "Do Not Use" sign, contact professional maintenance personnel for replacement, and do not attempt to repair them by yourself.

2. It is prohibited to hit hard objects with equipment (such as dropping barbells on the ground, hitting walls with equipment brackets), which will cause metal fatigue and fracture.

3. Specialized products (such as equipment lubricating oil and lithium grease) should be used as lubricants. Avoid using edible oil, gasoline, etc. (which will corrode components or cause safety hazards).

4. Maintenance personnel need to wear necessary protective equipment, such as gloves, during maintenance work to avoid injury during maintenance.

By strictly following this guide for the maintenance of strength training equipment, the service life of the equipment can be effectively extended, the training safety of members can be guaranteed, and the operation quality of the gym can be improved. It is recommended to formulate a maintenance record form to record the time, content, and problems found in each maintenance, so as to facilitate tracking the status of the equipment.



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