Dumbbells

These are short metal bars with either changeable plates on the end or fixed plates. They are designed to he held in one hand. You’ll want to gradually up your poundages, since challenging your muscles to lift more weight produces the body-changing results you want. Have sets of dumbbells on hand weighing 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 pounds so that you can gradually increase the weights you use. These simple and inexpensive workout tools will work virtually every part of your body.

Exercising tubing

This equipment consists of tubes of flexible, stretchable rubber with handles on the ends for applying controlled resistance on specific muscles or groups of muscles. Exercise tubing comes in several different levels of difficulty, determined by the elasticity and by the color of the band. You may want to have two or three bands on hand in order ro increase your resistance. Because they are so portable, you can pack your exercising tubing and take them when you travel.

Exercise mat

This is a must for the home gym. It will cushion you from the hard floor when doing abdominal exercises, floor exercises, and warmup stretches.

Stability ball

Working out with a stability ball is an incredible way to sculpt your entire body. Aside from being inexpensive, this exercise tool is versatile and fun to use. You can strengthen and stretch nearly every muscle in your body (including your core), while improving balance, coordination, and posture. This piece of equipment comes in different sizes based on your height. A proper fit will help you work your way to a firmer body with better posture, more defined shs, and even less back pain.

Medicine ball

This exercise tuol is a heavy ball about the size of a volleyball that generally comes in weights from 2 to 15 pounds. It can be used with many different exercises, particularly to strengthen your core muscles.

Xerdisc

This is a circular cushion made of plastic that can be used for balance training or upper- or lower-body conditioning and is generally used for advanced exercises.

Ankle weights

These arc light weights (usually between 1 and 5 pounds) that you can strap to your ankles for adding extra challenge and intensity to certain exercises. However, these weights are not to be used when walking, logging, or running due to the high potential for leg and back injuries.

Heart-rate monitor

To keep your fat-burning fires stoked while you budd muscle, you’ll want to maintain a heart rate between 80 percent and 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. To determine your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. Calculating 80 percent and 85 percent of this number provides you with your target heart-rate zone. Wear a heart-rate monitor to help keep you there. You might be thinking that wearing a heart-rate monitor is like splitting hairs. Don’t you just do the routine, burn calorics, and lose weight? Well, you might. But if you don’t wear a heart-rate monitor, you might not either. If you are exercising too intensely, you won’t be dipping into fat stores at all—you could even be burning muscle. And if you’re not elevating your heart rate sufficiently, you might not know. Using a heart-rate monitor takes all the guesswork out of your workouts. It’s also a lot of fun, and it gives you immediate feedback on the effort you’re making. There are several different brands out there. Good heart-rate monitors can be found at most sporting good stores and start at around $50.

So, by implementing the aforementioned equipment into your weight loss plan, you don’t have to spend large amounts of money on gyms and can work out and lose weight easily from the comfort of your own home.

Keep you back straight but not arched. If your back is curved while you add a weighted load to any exercise, you are placing  an unhealthy strain on your back

Activate your core (trunk muscles) when performing any movement. The more stable your core, the less risk of injury.

Isolate the muscle group you are working. Make sure you can feel those muscles – and only those muscles – during an  exercise. That means, for example, if you are doing a biceps curl, the only body part that should be moving is the portion  of your arm between your hand and elbow. Your back, shoulders and legs should not get in on act. That means no swaying,  rocking or any other ways of helping that weight up.

Choose a grip when using dumbbells that feels most comfortable and natural to you. Your grip should be firm but not too  tight. Squeezing the equipment wastes valuable energy that should be exerted in the exercise.

Always control the exercise – no rapid, jerky movements, which place harmful stress on the joint ligaments. Jerky motions  actually give the weight so much impetus that it practically glides to the midpoint of the repetition, using little muscular  force to get there. As a result, muscles encounter limited resistance. Without resistance, muscles aren’t properly  challenged and may not respond as well. If you can’t lift the weight without jerking it, then it is too heavy. Try a lighter  weight. Strict style and technique are more important than the amount of weight you lift.

At the midpoint or top of the exercise, pause for a second to tense your muscles. Then lower the weight slowly again,  accentuating the negative portion of the lift. Your muscles thus get maximum stimulation from the exercise.

Breathe naturally as you exercise. Never hold your breath. Holding your breath cuts oxygen supply to the blood and, coupled  with the exertion of the lift, could cause lightheadedness or fainting.