There are lots of ways to stay fit for those who do not want to pay for a gym membership. A gym can be expensive and crowded, and not to mention you usually have to sign some type of contracts. The worst parts about gyms are the employees who bug you constantly and try to advertise their gym's services to you like a cars salesperson. The good news is that I will show you a number of workout routines that can be performed at home. You may not get huge like the hulk, but you will get cut and toned guaranteed.

Body Weight Training

Body weight training is where you only use the weight of your body for exercises, which means no dumbbells or bars whatsoever. They are more effective then you might first believe. Many individuals only use bodyweight exercises and get the results they are aiming for. Without weights you tend to do more repetitions and less rest, which means a higher intensity cardio session that burns fat fast. A few exercises to consider in addition to running and jumping rope are:

* Dips - You can perform dips easily with just a strong chair, stair step, or basically any area that allows you to dip you body down far enough. These are great for working out your shoulders, triceps, and abdominals.

* Pushups - Pushups can be performed in different ways to target specific areas. By closing your hands together you will use more of your shoulders and upper back region. Keeping your hands together also works your chest and biceps. Other varieties are incline or decline on a step. Pushups have been used for years by athletes as a fixed part of their training regime to work the whole body.

* Pull-Ups - although you need a bar for these, they are relatively easy to find and do in any park or playground. Pull-ups will definently be worth the effort though! You can alter your grip to wider, for working your back more, to narrower for using your biceps more. The bar can also be used to work your abs by doing hanging leg raises.

* Crunches/Sit Ups - Crunches and sit ups are different type of exercises, but work the same muscle group which is the abdominals. The difference is that with crunches you only lift your shoulders off the ground, and with sit ups you lift your whole upper body, whilst keeping your feet fixed. There are plenty of exercises you'll find and try which create a flat stomach rapidly!

At Home Exercise equipment

There is a lot of home gym equipment available to you at reasonable prices, and not to mention you save money in the long run! Dumbbells can be bought cheap because you only really need about 3-5 different weight sizes to get the workouts in you need. Kettlebells are similar to dumbbells, but add some variety. There are numerous interchangeable benches that can be purchased and take up little room. They can be changed from flat, incline, and decline giving you all the benefits in one machine!

Safety needs to be a priority if using weights in your home, and no-one is around. Only exercise with weights that you are able to lift, and place the right amount of cardio stress that you know your body can handle. Lastly, please have fun with your workouts!