My House, Birgmingham, UK

Submitted By: Methuselah
Location: Birmingham, UK (map)
Workouts: from workout diary

We have a room in the house dedicated to Mrs M's music playing (guitar, violin) and my weight training. It may seem like an unlikely mix, but let me assure you, these activities never take place simultaneously. I do my workouts at the crack of dawn, when Mrs M would make most coma victims appear positively lively.

In contrast to our old apartment, the floor in this room is concrete. I also purchase this rubber mat for a mere £20 ($30) which protects the carpets from the weights. Thus, I can be a little rougher when using the weights. The roof is high enough for overhead press and snatch, provided I do not do them near the glass light fittings.

Outside, for at least the next 12 months, workmen have scaffolding erected. Perfect for chins, and I have been seen nipping out to do a set on a couple of occasions.

The cross-trainer will soon be used by Mrs M, I am told, but for the moment it is largely decorative, somehow validating the role of the room as a gym rather than just a storage space for a few sets of dumbbells.