Low-Cost Fitness Tips

How to shape up without spending a lot of money...

Despite what you may have heard, you don't have to spend a lot of money to get a lean, muscular, great-looking body. The billion dollar fitness industry does a very good job of convincing people that gym memberships and fancy pieces of exercise equipment are absolute necessities for fitness success -- but it's just not true!

Millions of people all over the world have developed their bodies using nothing more than good old-fashioned pushups, pullups, crunches, bodyweight squats, bodyweight lunges, etc. Bodyweight-only exercises are not only proven muscle-builders, they also:

• burn fat - especially if performed in a circuit-training style workout routine
• increase "functional strength" (when done with a full-range-of-motion)
• reduce the chance of injury that often occurs when lifting weights with improper form

Many wrestlers, boxers, martial artists, and other athletes only use bodyweight exercises because they mimic real-life movements much more than typical weight-lifting exercises (like the bench-press). If done properly and with a full-range-of-motion exercises like the bodyweight squat and pullup can add a ton of muscle mass while improving your overall strength dramatically.

If you really want to use extra weight, you can always get creative with things you have in your house. Some athletes fill old backpacks with books/rocks/sand/etc. and go hiking up a hill for a tremendous lower-body strengthening workout. Milk jugs filled with water or sand make great adjustable "dumbbells" that provide just as many benefits as a $200 metal dumbbell set.

If you don't mind spending a little money, there are many low-cost fitness equipment options available these days. A set of rubber exercise bands, 2 sets of small hand weights, and an inflatable exercise ball provide a ton of effective home workout options - for under $60 all together.

Finally, a good way to get many of the benefits of a personal trainer - without the cost - is to hire one for a day or two and have him or her design a personal workout program for you. They should take you through it at least once or twice so you can do each exercise with proper form.

Just make sure you take notes and have the trainer write down all the details so you can remember everything. This shouldn't cost more than $50-$100 total. You may want to meet with the trainer once a month or so to update your routine and make sure you're performing the exercises correctly.