by Craig Medlin

Created on: January 10, 2009   Last Updated: January 20, 2009

Two, zero, zero, nine. Four little numbers at the end of the date that have many reaching for a pen to jot down those New Year's resolutions. No doubt an item on many of those lists this year relates to personal fitness. That's why we're here to take a look at the latest and greatest in personal fitness 2009. We examine what's hot, what's not, what's in, and what's out to help you continue (or begin) your journey to physical enlightenment.

Hop on the Bandwagon

A big item on almost everyone's mind when it comes to new trends and equipment is affordability. With the economy in such a state of distress the price of a new workout program plays such a large roll in determining whether or not to use it. The latest trends and hottest equipment reflect that greatly. One could easily expect the gym memberships to decline in the New Year and personal, in home training to increase.

One item that is showing a great deal of resurgence is the kettlebell. In case you are unfamiliar with it, a kettlebell is simply a weighted bell with a handle on the end. Kettlebells allow one to work multiple muscles at the same time through vibrant, erratic motions. Usually costing between thirty and fifty dollars (depending on weight), the kettlebell is a cheap and highly effective way to move towards a new workout routine. The benefits are undeniable. A set of high-rep kettlebell snatches can make other intense cardio workouts such as sprinting look easy.

Another cheap and effective workout system is the boot camp style workout. This style workout can be done in almost any place and uses a large variety of workouts that allow you to get the most from your body. In an attempt to push your body to the limit this workout will never bore you with repetitive, time consuming exercises. It's likely that you can find a group that already does a boot camp workout in your local park; if not however, the resources on the web are limitless in showing you how to do it yourself. Costing nothing if you do it in the comfort of your own home, boot camp workouts can be effective additions to your workout routine.

A Gym in your House

The New Year brings forth some extremely effective equipment that will certainly benefit your in home workout experience. Many will be forgoing the gym memberships in order to save on money and these cost effective equipment options will help you get the same results from your living room.

Iron Gym is a great way to kick off your in home gym experience. Costing only $29.99 plus shipping and handling Iron Gym allows you to do a variety of gym style workouts. The Iron Gym is a modified pull up bar that installs in seconds; you can do pull ups, sit ups, push ups, and more. If money is tight, Iron Gym will give you the gym style workout that you need.

If you are trying to get those picture perfect tv abs, look no further than a simple exercise ball. For fewer than fifty dollars, said ball will get you the workout you need to provide you with exquisite abs. You can't use just any ball however; a typical exercise ball is going to be poorly made. A good one should have a weight limit of 1000 pounds and a strong, multi-year warranty.

Also, if you are willing to spend some extra money, an entire home gym setup can be purchased for under three thousand dollars. The bowflex revolution, for example, provides over 200 pounds of resistance and the possibility for over 100 exercises, but that is just one route to take.

Two, Zero, Zero, Nine

The aforementioned items are sure to aid you in achieving your New Year's resolution this year. The options are out there, the benefits are clear; all it takes is a little work.

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