Expensive

[wimpy]

I have found this whole thing of body building to be very expensive. I know it is worth it but I was just wondering what you can give me for tips to not spend as much. What have you done to make your spending less for your body but yet still give it the same great results?

[Fazc]

What do you find yourself spending money on?

Apart from a gym membership and gym clothes, I can't think of anything else which is deemed essential.

[BendtheBar]

It can get very expensive if you spend a lot of money on supplements and real low fat cuts of meat.

I save cash at the grocery store by purchasing chicken legs and thighs instead of breasts, and I avoid the artificially derived low fat cuts of meat. That's my only plan.

[Shadowschmadow]

Yeah, I'm pretty lost here... If you somehow got the notion that a ton of supplements and crap were needed to get jakt, tan and sexy then... Well... WTF have you been reading because everything we discuss here is quite the opposite.

[ricka182]

Supps can kill your budget overnight for sure. Solid food is your best supp, without a doubt. You can take 100 pills a day, and if you don't eat, you won't grow.

[bruteforce]

Chicken leg and thigh quarters are great on the grill or just about anywhere else, and you can often pick them up for $.59 a pound on sale. I buy my ground beef in bulk (80-100 pounds at a time) and it saves me $.60 a pound. Whole chickens are a good investment too, and buy bone in as it gives MUCH better flavor. I only use boneless skinless breasts if I know I'm going to be short on time that night.

For me, the most expensive part about lifting is the gas money for driving to the gym. As soon as I get a place big enough, I'll be investing in my own setup, which will save thousands in the long run.

[Jamesw]

Fitness is free my friend. You just have to know where to look and how to apply the principles.

[Aurik]

If you're on a tight budget, you've got to start thinking "where can I get the most bang for my buck?" If you're fairly new to the fitness world, you'll get your most bang for your buck out of a gym membership, a beginner's program that focuses on the simple compound lifts and progression, and good honest nutrition.

If you're trying to gain weight, focus on eating more than you're used to, and try to get the majority of your calories from good wholesome calorie and nutrient-dense food. Protein shakes and weight gainer shakes and most supplements aren't needed if you're eating right and enough. The only real supplement you *need* is a good multivitamin. If you're like I am and you're ravenous after a workout, then you might go with an inexpensive protein shake after a workout. Other than that... get your calories from food when you can... and one of the cheapest sources of good, quality calories is (don't laugh) good old whole milk.

[Soldier]

Dips and pull ups are free at the local park. Pulling a tire up a hill with a rope shouldn't cost too much. After that it's pretty much just food.

But seriously, my gym membership is $110/year. I buy supps, but would be perfectly happy not using them if I couldn't afford them. I even have nice gym clothes that I don't really need.

[dmaipa]

everyone brings up a great point, exactly what are you spending money on?