In the UK I used to go to the gym around 3x a week to train, and since around 4 months before coming to Switzerland, and then 9 months after, I stopped completely, and as a result lost around 6KG in lean mass... depressing, considering i'm an ectormorph and every KG gained is like crossing the antarctic naked. Well anyway, just as I was about to resign myself to joining an extortionate Swiss gym after not finding any reasonably priced decent weights bench etc, I just in the last couple of weeks managed to get my hands on a used but decent quality Crane weights bench and 60KG of weights that a friend was selling. In total I got the bench and weights for 220 CHF (delivered and setup, a mission in itself), and then added another 20KG of my own (including two dumbell sets) from nearby Brunaupark of my own making a grand total of ~350 CHF, not bad for all that I think when you factor in the price of a gym membership!

Anyway I wish i'd done this years ago... it makes SUCH a difference having everything in the same place as where you live... no: "Can I be arsed or can't I" feelings, no: "Excuse me, are you using that?" as some muppet sit there on the bench with a blank and bored look on his face, and best of all... a post-workout protein shake and shower can be done in 10 minutes flat without worrying about having to shakily drive home afterwards with jelly arms and legs.

I'm really glad I stuck to my guns and got a 3.5 room apartment now, as without doing that i'd never have the space to hide it out of the way of my main living area. I really advise anyone with the space to look at doing it, over the long run it works out much cheaper than a gym, and lets face it, who needs poncey running or cycling machines when Zurich is such a safe and easy city to get about in.

So err... not too much point in this thread really other than to say how chuffed I am with the new kit. It feels really weird starting to get back into it, like I almost never did (I fall out of routine quite easily if not careful) and I know it's going to be a year of hell before I start getitng back in shape again... but there's only so much abusing your body you can stand before the self-esteem hits a low and it drives you to make some changes I guess. I've had 9 months of getting wasted far too much since i've been here, and it's time to try and cut down all my bad habits to a more irregular and healthy minimum. Even more impressively (for me) is that i've started really making an effort to eat regular good meals and get a balanced diet down me, aided immeasurably by the bet thing ever invented, The Steamer. Veg is painless now!

Sorry for the rambling on... i'm also wondering if anyone else recently started to try and get in shape lately or is getting back into things after a long break? If anyone lives close to me (Sihl City) i'd be really interested in joining you for the odd run a couple of times a week (bear with me though, my fitness/stamina level is currently equivalent to an asthmatic ant with heavy shopping, which is going to take some work) to work on some cardio.

So go on, if you're in the same boat then post here and lets have a sensible natter about it and maybe share some tips or learn something useful along the way.