Four No Gym Muscle Builders

You don't need a lot of fancy equipment or expensive gym memberships to get in great shape. With a bit of creativity, you can push even the fittest body to the limit with the bare minimum of equipment.

Although bodyweight exercises work well, the addition of some basic (and cheap) equipment can turn a good workout into a great one. And some of the most effective pieces of equipment could be sitting in your garage at this very moment.

Towel Pull Up

A great exercise that requires no expensive equipment, the towel pull up strengthens the back and biceps, as well as building a stronger grip. It is, however, extremely difficult!

Inverted Row

The inverted row also works the back and biceps and is a lot easier than the towel pull up. I used a tow rope (£6.98 from B&Q) thrown over the roof beams in my garage, but you can also use a Smith machine or a barbell set in a power rack. To make the exercise harder, put a weighted rucksack on your back or raise your feet by putting them on a chair, bench or Swiss ball

Weighted Push Up

A basic but highly effective exercise, the push up is great for building size, strength and endurance in the chest, shoulders and triceps as well as strengthing some of the muscles in your "core". Find them too easy? If you can easily do more than 25 push ups, a very simple way to make the exercise more challenging is to put some stones or a bag of sand inside a rucksack and wear it on your back. In this video, I used a bag of sand (£1.43 from B&Q).

Ball Rollouts

Ball rollouts are one of my favourite exercises for the abs. If you've never done them before, start off with a basic plank. Then move to rollouts with your knees on the floor before trying them with your legs straight. You can also use a loaded barbell or an ab wheel (one of the few abdominal exercise devices abs that I actually like).

About The Author
Christian Finn holds a master's degree in exercise science, is a certified personal trainer and has been featured on BBC TV and radio, as well as in Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Fit Pro, Zest and other popular fitness magazines.

If you're stuck in a rut with your current exercise and diet plan... fed up with only losing a pound here and there... or still skinny after months (or even years) of trying to build muscle and gain weight... click here now for instant access to his step-by-step muscle-building and fat-burning workout routines.

Related Articles

• The Myth About Muscle and Your Metabolic Rate
• Maximum Muscle Turbo (Members Only)
• Interval Training and Fat Loss: The Untold Story (Members Only)
• Can You Really Lose More By Exercising Less?