Super yacht gym designer lays bare the WILD world of wealthy workout spaces – from clients requesting $50K teak-and-bronze dumbbells to demands for HERMES bench presses

• Edward Thomas has spent almost a decade specializing in yacht gym design 
• His most expensive installation cost more than $300,000 
• Thomas’ company Gym Marine uses the highest standard of products 

When it comes to gym design, these super swanky fitness studios pack a punch. 

Installed aboard multi-million dollar super yachts, these gyms are in a league of their own, with equipment catering to fitness fanatics with very fine tastes.  

Edward Thomas has spent almost a decade specializing in super yacht gym design, and he told DailyMail.com that the requests can range from the sublime to the ridiculous. 

His most expensive installation cost more than $300,000.

Edward Thomas has spent almost a decade specializing in super yacht gym design, and he told DailyMail.com that the requests can range from the sublime to the ridiculous

For a set of 12 non-rusting dumbbells fashioned out of brass and fine wood plus a rack, the price tag comes in at just over $50,000

Thomas’ company Gym Marine uses the highest standard of products for its high flying clients

He said of the project: ‘Our largest install we undertook completed in 2022; onboard a yacht which features four individual gym spaces. 

‘There is an extensive gym for the yacht’s full time crew, a separate gym for the owner’s personal staff, a gym for the owner’s guests, and a private gym space for the owner which forms part of their master cabin layout. 

‘This project was delivered with a whole heap of unique customizations and supplementary services which took the budget to over $300,000 in total spent on gyms for the project.’

Thomas’ company Gym Marine uses the highest standard of products for its high flying clients.

For a set of 12 non-rusting dumbbells fashioned out of brass and fine wood plus a rack, the price tag comes in at just over $50,000. 

Meanwhile, a high-tech treadmill from Matrix can cost around $7,000 and aesthetically pleasing bikes from German brand Nohrd have a price tag in the region of $4,500. 

During his time in the super yacht industry, Thomas says that he has had some pretty wacky requests. 

Recalling one incident, where he had to wrap all of the equipment in Hermes-style leather, he said: ‘One client a few years ago asked us to deliver a selection of cardio equipment for their yacht, but stipulated that they did not want to see any grey plastic. 

‘In the end the only way to achieve this was to hand wrap the machines in leather. 

‘The client decided that we should use a Hermes-style tan material, to match the famous handbags seen in the atelier in Paris! 

‘This project we undertook with a partner in Northern France, and the results were simply stunning – although of course there are no photos of the finished product allowed!’ 

During his time in the super yacht industry, Thomas says that he has had some pretty wacky requests

Thomas, 32, who is from the UK but works with clients all over the world, got into the world of super yachting originally as a deckhand

On another occasion, Thomas said he was contacted by ‘the wife of a retail magnate’ who was looking for gym equipment for the family yacht being built in Italy. 

Recounting the story, he revealed: ‘This family had chosen a bespoke leopard print finish for all of their jet-skis and other water toys and asked us if we could replicate this on their kettlebells!

‘We investigated a number of methods for achieving this, including hydrographic dipping and air brushing, but sadly in the end the project never went ahead.’

Thomas, 32, who is from the UK but works with clients all over the world, got into the world of super yachting originally as a deckhand. 

One of his main duties was cleaning the vessels and part of his remit was looking after the gym equipment. 

He said, it was his experience of seeing rusting gym equipment that inspired him to get into yacht gym design and he started looking at how to source longer-lasting products that wouldn’t tarnish in the sea air. 

Recalling his lightbulb moment, he said: ‘There was a particular set of dumbbells that used to rust like crazy, and I would sit up all night polishing them – only to find them orange again in the morning! 

‘This prompted me to look into products which were more suitable for the maritime environment and resulted in me starting the business in 2014.’

Thanks to spotting a gap in the market, Thomas’ consultancy company Gym Marine has gone from strength to strength and it now has offices in the UK, Italy, the Netherlands and Fort Lauderdale in the US.

Along with sourcing non-rusting gym gear, Thomas’ company works hard to ensure that the heavy equipment will not cause damage if it comes loose in rough weather.

Thanks to spotting a gap in the market, Thomas’ company Gym Marine has gone from strength to strength and it now has offices in the UK, Italy, the Netherlands and in the US

Thomas says the key elements of a ‘brilliant’ yacht gym include panoramic ocean views, cutting edge equipment and slick interiors

To do this, his staff work with yacht builders ‘to ensure that weight distribution and positioning of equipment maximizes safe operation of the yacht.’

The company has also developed its own range of bespoke sea fastening brackets for the equipment that are available in a number of finishes including gold.

Thomas says the key elements of a ‘brilliant’ yacht gym include panoramic ocean views, cutting edge equipment and slick interiors. 

He notes that there is a ‘bit of a difference’ between a yacht gym onboard a privately owned boat and one which is available for charter.

The entrepreneur explains: ‘The private yacht gym will be very tailored to the owning family and will reflect their unique fitness habits, while the charter yacht gym will be more akin to a hotel gym with something for everyone and a vast array of accessories and training tools to be ready for that fitness obsessed guest. 

‘You might also find that the gym space doubles up on a smaller charter yacht as a massage area – the bigger yachts will have a very large dedicated spa deck however.’

Before jetting off to his next port of call, Thomas concludes: ‘At Gym Marine we are fortunate to have worked on 60 per cent of the world’s largest yachts afloat, and currently we are consulting on a staggering 331 active gym projects from our design studios around the world. 

‘These vary between yacht projects, residential gyms and commercial facilities in hotels and offices.

‘We have some incredible clients today who trust us to manage their estates worldwide – one billionaire client has just approached us to consult on 12 of his properties globally, plus a very large yacht he has currently in build in Europe. 

‘The brief is to make the experience the same in every property, so wherever he is in the world he can keep to his specific workout plan.’

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