Finding the motivation to workout at home can be a challenge. There always seems to be other things that need our attention or that become simple distractions. However, if you’re determined to get in a good workout without having to go to the gym, there is an easy way to build lean muscle at home in a quick and streamlined fashion—free weights.

If you’re lifting hundreds of pounds of weight for each rep, you may want to either bring in a spotter or frequent a gym where there are people to help you if you get stuck. But if you simply want to tone your arms, legs and core, using free weights at home is a great way to do it. To help you make the most of this time at home, here are three tips to keep in mind when working out with free weights at home.

Getting the Right Weights For You

For a lot of people, it can be difficult to know how much weight you should be using and how many reps you should try to get into a session. Luckily, Annie Daly, a contributor to Women’s Health Magazine, reports that exercise physiologist Greg Justice has come up with a great formula to help you find the right answer for you.

Justice suggests finding the heaviest weight with which you can do one rep. Then, take a weight that’s about 65 percent of that weight to use to complete your set of reps. Also, keep in mind that less than eight reps in a set will help you increase your strength while between five and twelve reps in a set will help you begin building muscle.

Switch Up Your Equipment

Using free weights at home doesn’t necessarily have to mean using metal bar bells or dumbbells for your workouts. There are a lot of other options for free weight equipment that can actually help you to get a more well rounded workout. FitnessHealth101.com recommends adding other pieces to your weight collection, like medicine balls, pull-up bars and kettle bells. By using these types of equipment sometimes, you can have a much wider range of exercises in which you can complete during your at-home weight training.

Don’t Forget About Cardio

While lifting free weights is an awesome way to build muscle and become stronger, it’s also important not to forget about other ways your body needs to exercise in order to be in tip-top health. According to Fawnia Mondey, a contributor to BodyBuilding.com, people using free weights as a form of exercise should also do cardio for at least 20 minutes three to six times per week. Doing this in addition to your weight lifting will give you a very well rounded workout.

Lifting weights at home could be just what you need to get in a workout each day without having to take too much time out of your life. Use the tips mentioned above to make the most of this exercise.