Benefits include:

• gaining muscle mass
• toning muscle without muscle mass
• revving up the metabolism and losing fat
• body sculpting
• improved strength and stamina  –  very beneficial for sports and other physical activities
• improves balance
• helps lower blood pressure
• helps lower your resting heart rate
• helps maintain good bone density –  particularly useful in post-menopausal women and all older adults.

Those looking to gain muscle mass, resistance strengthening exercises are the only way to do that.  The only way to gain muscle mass it to increase the weight load. 

Those who want to lose weight without gaining muscle mass, or who want to tone the body, should do repetitions.

With proper nutrition you will lose more weight and gain a leaner, healthier body than is possible by diet alone.  When you build muscle you burn fat.  Remember muscle weighs more than fat, so just looking the scale can be very discouraging, because you may actually gain weight.  Check your progress by how you look and feel.  Things may seem to be going slowly at first, but with persistence the results can be remarkable.

Always warm up before (helps prevent injury) and cool down after.  Stretching the muscles used helps prevent tightness and muscle fatigue and is best done after exercise when your muscles are warm.

No matter what level you are at, increasing weight or resistance before you are ready it can lead to strained muscle fibers and even torn tendons.  Rule of thumb, if your muscles still feel sore 48 hours after a workout, it is time to ease up. 

Also whether you are using bands, dumbbells, machines, or even household items like soup cans, proper form is essential. 

If you are working out every day, it is best to alternate between muscle groups.  Upper body one day, upper body, an other day a lower body workout.  Maybe another day abdominals and back exercises.

If you are looking for a low cost, highly effective home gym system, that can travel with you and be stored in an area the size of a shoebox, I highly recommend Bodylastics.

You will be totally blown away that a product so inexpensive can be so effective.  Around $60.00.

It can duplicate just about every exercise you will find in the most expensive home gym equipment that can cost a couple thousand dollars such as Bowflex, Total Gym, Weider Crossbow and other total gyms.  Plus Bodylastics gives a versatility you can’t find any of the big boys, such as the ability to put it in a suitcase and take it with you.  (You could fit it in a shoebox).

Durably constructed far better than any resistant band system I’ve looked at.  These have quick change comfortable handles and  ankle straps.  Plus the door anchor gives you three times the versatility of any other resistance bans.  And it won’t hurt the door. This is a system you cannot outgrow.

Make sure you get it with the workout video.  (It will cost more if you buy it separately).  This is a circuit training cardio workout that will get you in shape as quickly as possible.  The video is cool because they have three people doing the workout at the same time — one a beginner workout, one an intermediate work out, and the third doing an advanced cardio workout.

If you want to burn fat and build muscle quickly, that video will do it.

If you are just getting started and intimidated by weights and exercise equipment choices, look here first.  You don’t want to buy some gizmo that will end up gathering dust or being a clothes rack.

They also have a website which shows you the correct way to do about 140 different exercises.  So you can create your own routines. 

Even if you are a pro bodybuilder you will love Bodylastics.  It may become the only workout equipment you will ever use.

Best Affordable Home Gym System.