The Journal: Sprout Pod Featured in Home Gym Guide

Ruth O'Connor's January 2026 piece for The Journal covered how to create a home gym in Ireland at various budget levels — from a €200 mat-and-bands setup to a fully-equipped dedicated garden gym space. The piece brought in three industry voices: Philip McLaughlin of McSport, personal trainer Lesley Giltinan, and Ciarán Kerr, MD of Sprout Pod.

Why a garden room changes what's possible

The article positioned a dedicated garden gym building as the premium solution for serious home training. The distinction the piece drew is practical: equipment that lives in a garden room does not compete for space with the rest of the house, does not vibrate through the floor into neighbouring rooms, and can be set up in a way that simply is not viable in a spare bedroom or garage conversion.

Sprout Pod's steel-frame structures were highlighted as particularly suited to gym use for two structural reasons: the frame is rated to carry heavy rack and platform loads without the deflection concerns that arise with timber-frame floors, and the insulation standard means the space is usable year-round without the extreme temperature swings that make a typical garden shed impractical for early-morning winter training.

Pricing context

The Journal article noted Sprout Pod garden gym buildings starting at €11,000 — a figure that reflects a basic steel-frame pod with insulation and electrical supply, configured for gym use. Larger formats with rubber flooring, mirror walls, and full climate control sit at a higher price point. For buyers comparing this against renting commercial gym space, the payback calculation is often straightforward.

What gym-configured Sprout Pods typically include

• —Reinforced floor panel rated for rack and platform installation
• —Dedicated circuit for treadmill or cable machine supply
• —LED lighting sized for a training environment
• —Climate control — heating and ventilation for year-round use
• —Optional rubber flooring or hardwood sports floor
• —Optional mirrored wall panels
• —Sufficient ceiling height for overhead movements (minimum 2.4m, options to 3m)