The University of Maryland Baltimore County has a new facility that puts them heads and tails above any in their conference. Kudos to the Retrievers for stepping their game up in a HUGE way. The Samson team was beyond excited to work on this custom equipment. In came all new Custom Designed Half Racks with “RETRIEVERS” branded on the racks themselves, new Scissor Tables, Custom Benches w/ logos, etc. No doubt, big things are in store for UMBC! #Samsonstrong
Inside the University of Maryland, Baltimore County weight room
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County project gave the Retrievers a new facility with custom equipment and coordinated school branding. The photos and video on this page document the finished training environment and show how equipment, storage, branding, and open floor area work together as one system. For coaches and administrators planning a similar project, the value of the gallery is in the relationships between those elements, not just in any single rack or machine.
Equipment and layout highlights
The room includes custom-designed half racks with Retrievers branding, scissor tables, custom benches with logos, and a layout documented in the gallery on this page. Each selection supports a specific job in the room. Primary lifting stations establish the main training lanes, benches and attachments expand exercise options, and dedicated storage keeps plates, bars, dumbbells, bands, and accessories close to where they are used. That organization can reduce unnecessary traffic and help a coaching staff move groups through training with fewer interruptions.
Design lessons from this project
This project shows how a focused equipment package can create a strong identity without relying on unnecessary complexity. Repeating rack and bench configurations can make a room easier to coach, easier to navigate, and more consistent for athletes. A productive layout begins with the program: expected group size, coaching sightlines, exercise flow, available square footage, ceiling height, entrances, turf or platform transitions, and the equipment the staff uses most often. Planning those details together helps prevent a room from becoming a collection of disconnected pieces.
Branding can reinforce identity, but it works best when it is integrated into functional equipment and durable surfaces. Graphic shields, logo platforms, upholstery, and coordinated colors give a facility a consistent appearance without replacing the practical work of spacing, storage, and equipment selection. The goal is a room that looks like the program and continues to operate efficiently during busy team sessions.
Planning a school or university weight room
College athletic departments and performance staffs that want a cohesive, branded training environment should begin by documenting how the room is used now and what needs to improve. List the number of athletes expected in each group, the movements that require dedicated stations, storage problems, accessibility needs, and any future expansion. From there, compare layouts by training capacity and workflow rather than by equipment count alone. A smaller number of well-planned stations can serve a program better than a crowded floor that limits coaching and movement.
Samson Equipment works with programs from early planning through manufacturing and installation. Explore our custom weight room solutions, review the design and manufacturing process, or start a conversation about your facility.
