Gym floor mats can become expensive quickly if you’ve got a decent-sized area to cover. At the least, you’ll want to cover a four-foot by eight-foot area to make yourself a makeshift deadlift platform from the mats. That way, you’ve got somewhere dedicated to lifting weights that you can feel confident that if you drop your weights, you’re not going to break your floor. Another great option would be to purchase a platform for extra confidence since they’re made and designed to accommodate lifting heavy weights.