As you start the third hill of a challenging workout, your mind balks. But your cardio coach's voice comes through your headphones, encouraging you to push through the last part.

The guy over in the free weight area is in the middle of an intense weight-resistance workout. He's working out like a pro, hiding the fact he only started hitting the gym recently. Next to him is his iPhone, which displays workout regimes.

The girl on the treadmill next to you is thinking about her meeting the next day with her Jenny Craig consultant. And the man behind the counter is making a notation in his schedule to attend a 6 a.m. run with his local running club.

Faced with tight finances and a desire to get in shape, people are finding alternatives to personal coaches. And there are multiple routes for people to get in a great workout without making their wallet sweat.

Private Cardio Coach

Sean O'Malley was a personal trainer for 20 years before he developed Cardio Coach, a product that provides volumes of workouts that can be purchased for less than $14.95 and downloaded to mp3 players.

As a coach, O'Malley understands the relationship personal trainers have with clients.

"They were getting several things out of the relationship," O'Malley said. "They weren't just getting a good sweat in the weight room, but they were also feeling like it was something to look forward to."

O'Malley said that his clients got guidance from someone who had the right credentials and the knowledge that could help them toward their goals without fear.

Cardio Coach is meant to provide the same benefits.

When Craig Schlossberg began PumpOne, a company that creates and sells professional personal trainers for any handled device with a color screen, he consulted own personal trainer.

"He said, 'No, you don't put exercises on there. You put workouts, you do what a personal trainer would do,'" Schlossberg said.

Schlossberg listened.

For $19 a month, clients can choose from more than 2,000 workouts that show the proper techniques for Pilates, strength training and cardio. "You can see what exercise to perform in the right order, exactly what your personal trainer would do for you," he said. "It shows you the reps and the sets. The only thing it's not going to do is show you the actual weight, because everyone's different, but it is the next best thing to a personal trainer."

He said the program is perfect for the fitness enthusiast, someone who likes to go out and have a good time, eat and travel and at the same time, wants to stay in shape but can't afford a personal trainer.

If you don't like the $19 a month option, you can also rent a single workout for $1.99.

Diet Coaches, Too

Another popular method to get advice without going one-on-one is diet programs such as Jenny Craig. For Lisa Talami, chief nutritionist for Jenny Craig, the program offers the exact same benefits as personal trainers.

"You get this personalized approach. You get people that will give you advice and recommendations that are really personalized to you. You get the support and motivation, which is such a big piece because we all know what to do, but we don't know how to do it," she said.

Several options, starting at $20 plus the price of food, are offered to Jenny Craig members. Weekly consultations and various tools help people meet their weight goals.

"If you can take small steps and really start with where you're at and build from there, you'll be much more empowered to move from there," Talami said. "And having somebody to support you in that process is really important."

At one of the first consultations, clients are asked what their goals are. Do they want more energy, to improve their health or to improve their appearance?

"If you can really help them key in to those benefits and identify those activities that will help them get those benefits, that's really important. That's what a trainer does, and that's what a skilled consultant does as part of their weight management programs."

People Who Want What You Want

If iPods and weight-loss programs aren't quite your thing, maybe you can get in shape with the help of friends who have similar goals.

That's Terry Jessup's method. Jessup is the vice president of Luke's Locker, an exercise apparel store in Dallas. Jessup has also been a running coach for 35 years and was once in charge of Luke's Locker team running club.

For him, personal trainers are valuable, but running doesn't always require too much sideline cheering.

"Personal trainer, I think, are really good to motivate people to run or motivate people to work out," he said. "It's a lot of rah-rah, but the people that already have that desire, they just need a structure or format in which to do it."

The programs at Luke's Locker range from beginners to more experienced runners. The 16-week program, which costs $145, is for those who want to run a 5k or 10k. More than 400 people take to the streets to run together.

Jessup said there is really only one thing a runner needs to be successful.

"All they need is a structure to help them be consistent," he said. "That you can get from running clubs."

Although it's very possible to meet fitness goals without spending a dime on a trainer, the experts warn that it takes more than paying for programs -- you have to follow through with them.

"Whether it's Cardio Coach or working with a trainer, or whatever, if they don't take the time to change the way they handle situations or handle getting sick of something or losing motivation," O'Malley said, "they're always going to face the same problem."