There are exercise equipments out there that cost upwards of $14,000. Okay, $14,000 is an insane amount, unless you can afford it. Actually, it's just flat out insane, even if it works as advertised.

You don't need to spend $14,000. And you don't need the vast majority of gimmicky exercise equipments out there. What you need is solid, inexpensive options that work your whole body. You don't need things that promise to tone (what is that - "tone") arms, sculpt your abs or turn your gluts into buns of steel.

You work your whole body, not just body parts. Body part approach doesn't work.

So, here are my top exercise equipment options for under 100 bucks:

1. Nothing. The best equipment you can buy for under a 100 bucks is nothing. Seriously. The basic reality is that the best workout can come from using just your body, in your living room - or anywhere.

There are easily a dozen variations to the simple push-up that can hit every part of your chest, triceps, and shoulders (handstand push-up). Deep knee bends, squats against the wall, lunges, and running in place with high kicks are some of what you can do for your legs. If you live anywhere near a park, you can use the jungle gyms to do pull-ups, dips, hanging leg raises, and more.

The point is - it is a fallacy to believe you need expensive equipment or a gym to condition your body. If nothing else, go for a brisk walk.

2. Iron gym - For under 30 bucks, I love this equipment. Notwithstanding my inability to do a pull-up (fat butt that I have), I think a pull-up is one of best upper body exercises you can do. In the past, the only options for doing a pull-up at home were to bolt a bar in the doorway, use a pressure tension rod, or buy a $200 pull-up stand.

No more. You slip the iron gym over the doorway frame and off you go. No damage to the door frame and no screwing in. Plus, it comes with parallel handles that allow you to use different grips.

3. Bodylastics - For a basic set under 50 bucks, and their strongest set (too strong for me) at about 100 bucks, this home gym is superb. It can replicate just about any exercise on Earth and do it well. I can think of no downside to this simple, yet fundamentally sound home gym system.

4. A good set of sneakers - Really, if you buy nothing else, invest in a good pair of sneakers for 60 or 80 bucks and stop there. If your entire work out consists of a 2 mile jog followed by 3 tri-sets of push-ups, pull-ups, and deep knee bends at your local park, then you'll do okay.

Or, get a good pair of running shoes plus the iron gym and you can do it all at home instead running to the local park. Use your car to measure a good 2 mile course around your house that has hills and flat ways; and do that route 3 times a week. At the end of the route, use your iron gym to do an upper work out. That's it.

5. Adjustable dumbbells - A set should cost under 70 bucks or get one used for a few bucks on craigslist. There is no limit to what you can do with a set of dumbbells and I'm not talking about the shake weight.

There are a lot of options out to help you lose weight, build muscle or both. And none of it should cost you an arm and a leg. By the way, before you actually buy anything, make sure you check the classifies for used ones first.

Your muscles won't know that you're using secondhand stuff, so there's no real need to buy brand new. Except sneakers, you should get good sneakers.