If you are looking to get into shape, build muscle, lose weight, or get toned, you do not have to go to the gym anymore to accomplish your fitness goals.  You might ask yourself, "Why on earth would I not want to go workout at the Gym?"  Well, if you are like me and most people now in the United States, your budget and your pockets are looking a little empty.  First of all, I really do not want to knock on gyms, I like gyms, and I like having personal trainers and the results they can give you, but lately I have thought to myself that I can get the same workout and even better results at home.  If I took the money I was putting into the gym and saved it for my own equipment at home then I there is no reason why I should not be able to get into the best shape of my life.  

Now I am not talking about going and getting a huge workout system like the Bowflex that takes up a whole room, I am talking about simple and affordable pieces of equipment you can use that do not take up much room.  If you have that room a Bowflex is a great workout tool.  

Here are some great workout tools that you can have in your house, so that you can get ripped and stay fit, without costing you an arm and a leg or getting into a contract. 

The first piece of equipment you need is actually not equipment at all, it is your floor.  On that floor you can do some many different types of workout routines.  I am talking about Push ups.  Push ups is one of the best workouts you can do for your body, not only does it workout your chest, back and arms, but it also works out your core.  It is pretty much a full body workout, and there are some many different variations that you can perform.  Now the only thing I recommend if you have bad wrist is getting push up stands, you will help your wrists out a lot, plus get a deeper range in your push up.

The second piece of equipment you will need is a Chin up bar.  Chin up bars have come a long way since they first started making them for door attachments.  It used to be just a straight bar that you drilled into the framing of your door, but now, chin up bars are easily taken down form the doors, so they are not a painful eye sight.  Companies have also redesigned the chin up bar so you have different handles and different styles of chin ups you can perform. You can also get arm straps for your chin up bar so you can do lower body workouts.

Thirdly, get dumbbells!!  Dumbbells are so important to a workout, there is no need for a huge bench press inside your house, the possibilities are endless with dumbbells.  This is probably the most expensive pieces of equipment you will need to buy, but there are ways to get around it and save room.  Bowflex offers a great dumbbell tool called SelectTech, or you can go with resistance bands.  Resistance bands are getting more and more popular in the fitness world.  They are less expensive than dumbbells and are easier to travel with or hide underneath a bed, plus there are a wide variety of different weights of resistance, so no matter who you are, you can find some that will work for you.

The Fourth piece of equipment you need is an exercise ball, otherwise known as a swiss ball.  It might sound weird but there are hundreds of different and challenging workouts you can do with this ball.  The core workout you can get is incredible, plus you can use it for push ups and wall squats.  You can get a full body workout with this ball.

If you are partial to the gym because there are personal trainers who can help you achieve your goal, there is now different forms of personal training you can get without going to the gym.  In-home workout DVDs.  They have actually been around for awhile, there was Tae-bo, Cindy Crawford's workout, Abs of Steel, Buns of Steel, and 8 minute Abs.  But the In-home workout programs have been totally revolutionized over the past 3 years.  With systems like P90x, Turbo Jam, Ten Minute Trainer, and Chalean Extreme, the way you workout at home has been dramatically changed.  There are a lot of 90 day workout programs like P90x or Chalean Extreme that focus on getting you into the best shape of your life, and the great thing about it, is that you have a personal trainer inside your own house, teaching you right techniques and how your body works.  These programs also come with fitness guides and nutrition guides to help you change your eating habits, because that is where it all begins, is eating more healthy.  Some of these workouts do require some equipment, but the new Shaun T's Insanity workout which is coming soon does not require any equipment.

You can definitely get these workouts for around $135.00 which is cheaper than a joining fee at a gym.  You will definitely be challenged and pushed beyond your limits.