Get a set of Bodylastics resistance bands and enjoy live FREE resistance training workouts. Two fitness shows to choose from. Men, chisel your body with “Chiseled”. Women, tone and slim with “Silhouette”. If you can’t catch a live workout, watch a previously recorded show. No memberships, no fees, and nothing to sign up for. Just pick a show and start watching.

Find out why our #1 strength training home gym is the Bodylastics Super Strong Man edition of Bodylastics fitness tubes.

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Focus of This Review: Not everyone lives near a reasonably priced gym. This review identifies effective strength training solutions that the average person with limited resources (including money and space) can use at home. (Strength training is an all inclusive term describing a type of exercise used to strengthen muscles.)

• Dumbbells
• Resistance tubes
• Home gym systems
• In summary, which option gives you more for your money?

Dumbbells
Weight training strengthens muscles through the force of gravity with weighted bars, dumbbells, or weight stacks. Force is present at the beginning of the movement when the weight of the mass must be overcome. This would be when the muscles are shortened by bending the joints to lift the weights (concentric) or elongated by straightening the joints on the return downward motion (eccentric). Gravity-bound weights stop at the top of the movement once the weight of the object has been overcome. Weight training is limited by those up and down movements.

Our Recommendation: The 40 lb adjustable dumbbell set with carrying case.

Resistance Tubes

Resistance training strengthens muscles with elastic or hydraulic resistance instead of gravity (like weights). Resistance is present during the entire time of the movement, but is at its greatest at the end of the motion when the resisting element is stretched to the greatest extent. Unlike weights, resistance exercise is smooth, constant and fluid having an almost unlimited range of motion.

Here is a guide discussing the different types of resistance bands. A quality set of resistance tubes range from less that $50 to about $100. A complete set will include several tubes in a variety of resistance levels, handles, ankle straps, a door anchor, carrying bag, and an workout manual. You can get optional items like workout DVDs, but a good set is all inclusive, meaning you don’t need to purchase anything else.

Our Recommendation: The Bodylastics Super Strong Man resistance tubes home gym system.

home gym Systems

A home gym system should give you an entire body workout. Ideally, a system that’s small and affordable, but doesn’t skimp on quality. Bowflex makes some really nice quality home gyms, but they’re a bit on the pricey side for the average person.

Our Recommendation: The Body Solid Powerline Hardcore home gym with selectorized 150 lbs weight stack.

In Summary

#1 Choice: If you’re short on cash, but don’t want to compromise any part of your workout, the best overall strength training solution is without a doubt resistance tubes. Our recommendation is the Bodylastics Super Strong Man Edition from Bodylastics. Ladies, you can use it, too. In fact, so can the entire family. Bodylastics has sets available for under $50, but for about $45 more, go with the T.O. set and you’ll have enough tubes and handles for the rest of the family.

#2 Choice: If you have a little more cash and still loving the idea of getting a total body workout, the small foot print Body Solid Powerline Hardcore Home Gym is an outstanding buy. If you already have plate weights, you can snag this beauty for $427. Or, add the 150 weight stack for only $229 more. With adult supervision, even the kids can use this machine “if they can reach the peddles”.

#3 Choice: Weights will always have their place in strength training. Keep in mind that weights have a limited range of motion and are also limited to working only the upper body unless you invest more money into into leg machines. By the time you buy any other type of bench or machine, you’ll have stuff scattered all over the room and if you can spare $427 more, go with the bare-bones Body Solid Powerline and add your existing weights. Hey, it will always be an upgrade option for you. If you like going old school, then free weights it is. Spotter not included.

Answer:

More resistance, lower reps builds muscle and muscle = strength.

I run up 100 stairs and it takes me about TWO MINUTES. Most people on this say that to lose weight it should be for 10-30 minutes which confuses me because I’m left out of breath and winded.

Is running up stairs strength training or Cardio?

Will it help lose weight EVEN THOUGH I can only go up once, lasting for about 2 minutes?

Answer:  It’s both.  How long you do it isn’t important.  And being out of breath is not an indicator that your working hard.

If you want to lose weight, you should be using cardio for a warm up and cool down, but really hitting the strength training to exhaust your muscles.  You want to engage all your muscles, not just your leg muscles when you go up the stairs.  They more muscles you work, the greater the calorie burn and that means faster fat loss.

Click here to get free workouts that you can do at home.  No stairs required.  lol

I’ve been doing Chalene Extreme 3 times a week, and I was wondering if it would be ok to do this twice a day. I know you’re not supposed to strength train every day, but does twice in one day count?

Answer:

You can do it if you feel you need an exercise fix, but don’t do the same muscle groups 2x a day.  You don’t want to risk injury.  That’s an extreme workout and muscles MUST have time to heal.  Click here for some free workouts if you get bored of watching the same DVDs day after day.

Do resistance bands firm bands work just as good as weights dumb bells?
First of all I do not want to bulk up like dudes so I’m so nt concerned with building muscle. I just want to get thinner by cardio diet and strenth training. would resistance bands be ok to replace weights with?

Answer:  Absolutely, strength training with resistance bands works.  You’ll be able to workout your entire body with them and get results much faster.  Get Bodylastics bands.  Click here to get the free workouts from Bodylastics.  I suggest the workout show called Chiseled for strength training.

Which is better? Strength is like lunges, situps, squats…things i do by myself.
or weight training like leg curls and abdominal crunches with weights at the gym.

and also should i do the bike or tredmil….

Answer:   The fastest way to lose weight is to build muscle.  Each pound of lean muscle burns about 40-50 calories per day at a resting metabolic rate.  10 lbs of muscle will burn 400-500 calories.  20 lbs of muscle will burn 800-1000 calories.  The fat will melt off and you’ll end up with a lean body.     

To build muscle you want to do high intensity resistance training.  High intensity does not mean spending hours in a gym getting an intense workout and it doesn’t mean working out really hard so the sweat’s dripping down your face.  It means doing roughly 8-10 reps with a level of resistance that challenges you enough so that it takes a significant amount of effort to complete that last rep.  Then rest for about 30 seconds and move to the next muscle group.  Workout out every major muscle group like this 3x times a week like Mon, Wed, Fri and then rest two days.  You do not have to spend hours in a gym to effectively build muscle and you don’t even need weights.

I highly recommend Bodylasticd resistance bands.  They are considerably cheaper than weights, not to mention portable.  If you get the kind with the clips on the end, you can easily customize the resistance level as your body adapts.  That will prevent you from plateauing and will keep your muscles challenged.

Here is some more information on where you can get free muscle building workouts.  There are new workouts posted Mon-Fri.  There are also toning, cardio, pilates, workouts for teens and sports specific workouts.  All of it’s free.
 

Q:  I do 30 minutes of cardio on the treadmill and thought maybe strength training could help burn some calories. Or should I just keep using the treadmill only?(I’m watching my diet too) Appreciate the help!

A:  Cardio is NOT the best way to burn calories.  The fastest way to burn calories and lose weight is to build muscle.  Each pound of lean muscle burns about 40-50 calories per day at a resting metabolic rate.  10 lbs of muscle will burn 400-500 calories.  20 lbs of muscle will burn 800-1000 calories.  The fat will melt off and you’ll end up with a lean body.     

To build muscle you want to do high intensity resistance training.  High intensity does not mean spending hours in a gym getting an intense workout and it doesn’t mean working out really hard so the sweat’s dripping down your face.  It means doing roughly 8-10 reps with a level of resistance that challenges you enough so that it takes a significant amount of effort to complete that last rep.  Then rest for about 30 seconds and move to the next muscle group.  Workout out every major muscle group like this 3x times a week like Mon, Wed, Fri and then rest two days.  You do not have to spend hours in a gym to effectively build muscle and you don’t even need weights.

I highly recommend Bodylastics resistance bands.  They are considerably cheaper than weights, not to mention portable.  If you get the kind with the clips on the end, you can easily customize the resistance level as your body adapts.  That will prevent you from plateauing and will keep your muscles challenged.

Q:  I don’t see how it’s necessary. But can I replace strength training with yoga/pilates? And what does strength training really have to do with losing weight? When I think of it, I think of instead of looking slimmer, I think of looking muscular and I don’t like the look of it. So can I do just cardio to lose weight? Or at least do yoga/pilates?

A:  The fastest way to lose weight is to build muscle with strength training.  Each pound of lean muscle burns about 40-50 calories per day at a resting metabolic rate.  10 lbs of muscle will burn 400-500 calories.  20 lbs of muscle will burn 800-1000 calories.  The fat will melt off and you’ll end up with a lean body.  If you are a woman, you will not bulk up because women don’t have the testosterone necessary to bulk up.     

To build muscle you want to do high intensity strength training.  High intensity does not mean spending hours in a gym and it doesn’t mean working out really hard so the sweat’s dripping down your face.  It means doing roughly 8-10 reps with a level of resistance that challenges you enough so that it takes a significant amount of effort to complete that last rep.  Then rest for about 30 seconds and move to the next muscle group.  Workout out every major muscle group like this 3x times a week like Mon, Wed, Fri and then rest two days.  You do not have to spend hours in a gym to effectively build muscle and you don’t even need weights.

I highly recommend Bodylastics resistance bands. Check out the Super Strong Man system shown below.  They are considerably cheaper than weights, not to mention portable.  If you get the kind with the clips on the end, you can easily customize the resistance level as your body adapts.  That will prevent you from plateauing and will keep your muscles challenged.

Pilates and Yoga are not for fat loss.  They aren’t workouts.  You’ll strengthen your core muscles, but they have little to do with fat loss.

I’m a 17 year old girl and I’m trying to lose about 40 pounds. I’ve lost some so far just from using the elliptical and changing my diet but I’m wondering if I should do some strength training too and if so what kind? Thanks.

I don’t have a time limit, but can I lose weight or bulk up with strength training ?