Although getting in shape can do wonders for your health and appearance, it can also be a strain on your wallet: gym membership fees, pricey exercise machines, and other fitness-related expenses can quickly rack up in cost. If you want to work out without breaking the bank, consider using a chin up bar as part of your routine. Chin up bars can give your arms many of the same benefits as the fancy equipment and machines found in gyms, but for a fraction of the cost.

By infusing your workout with different chin up exercises -- such as one-handed chin ups, weighted chin ups, or pull ups with your palms facing away from you -- you can work a variety of muscles and stay consistently challenged. Using a chin up bar can be an excellent way to build arm strength and muscle, while avoiding the costs usually associated with working out.

If you're using a chin up bar to develop muscle strength, performing chin up variations is an excellent way to target different muscle groups and keep your workout challenging. Some modified chin up bar exercises include one-armed chin ups, pull ups, and weighted chin ups. As their name indicates, one-armed chin ups involve using just one hand to pull yourself up, which increases the intensity of the chin up movement.

Pull ups follow the same basic motion as chin ups, but require you to grasp the bar with your palms facing away from you instead of towards you -- which helps target muscles from a slightly different angle. Lastly, weighted chin ups -- in which you wear a weight belt while performing chin ups -- adds resistance to the chin up movement, leading to more rapid gains in strength. Along with the standard chin up, these variations help you develop muscle in your arms and torso.