When I moved to Cambridge in back January, I decided to get a gym membership at the local Gold's Gym. It was $40 a month, no contract, and they were open 24 hours a day, five days a week. I figured that would be great, since I could go workout at 11pm or whenever I wanted.

As it turned out I started going there at 1am to avoid the crowds of people (yes, there were plenty of people there at 10pm and 11pm!), but parking was always an issue -- not parking at the gym, but parking near my apartment. If I had a parking spot a few hundred feet from my apartment, it was gone when I got back from the gym. That meant I had to park in the office parking lot and walk 1/2 a mile to my apartment. No big deal, but when it's -20 degrees outside with the wind, 1/2 mile is pretty tough.

Thanks to Sitha who bought me a weight bench for my birthday, I'm now able to do my entire workout from home! After I cleared the space I planned to use, I emptied the box of parts (78 parts to be exact) and discovered the user manual was missing! I know the male species love to put things together without directions, but 78 parts... I'll take directions! Luckily, I was able to find a PDF version of the manual online. It took me about an hour to put the entire thing together.

I already brought my rowing machine to the apartment, so I have almost everything I need. I mounted my pull up bar in the bedroom doorway and using the ab loops I can do an amazing range of pull ups and leg raises. Sure, I can't stretch my legs out all the way, but it still works! I also have the Intermediate set of Iron Woody Bands, which gives me the ability to do a huge variety of exercises, such as seated rows and cable crunches (below). The bands really make you think creatively! When I add the yoga ball and 10LB medicine ball into the mix, I've got more than I would take advantage of in a gym! I also managed to scavenge a bunch of interlocking floor mats from the old gym in the factory (the business is moving to a new, smaller office location) and created the perfect area to use the equipment.

So really, the only thing that's missing are some dumbbells. I've decided that I can do without them for the time being, since I really can't afford them. However once I have enough money I would like to get the Personal PowerBlock Set. The pair of them replaces 18 individual dumbbells -- a must for an apartment gym. I've already dedicated a large portion of my apartment to the gym, but I don't mind. If it was up to me, I would dedicate all my time to physical training and conditioning.