WEIGHT TRAINING BUILDS and maintains muscle mass, revs metabolism and keep bones strong, but getting to the gym isn’t always easy. That’s why it pays to have weights at home as a backup or even a substitute.

“Two or more dumbbells of varying weight and an exercise ball are all you need for a full-body weight-training workout,” says Calvin Blair Jr., a personal trainer in Sugar Land, Texas, and a speaker-at-large for the National Strength and Conditioning Association in Colorado Springs.

Blair advises lifting weights three times a week, with a day of rest in between. To achieve lasting results and avoid injury, increase the weight you lift before increasing repetitions. Many women beginners start with 5-pound dumbbells; men with 15 to 20 pounds.

The following exercises constitute a 30-minute home weight-training workout. Do two sets of six to eight reps of each exercise before repeating on the other side (where applicable).

Dumbbell Chest Press
How: Lie on an exercise ball, with dumbbells resting on each thigh. Lift dumbbells to your shoulders with your palms facing forward. With your elbows to the sides, press dumbbells up until your arms are fully extended. Lower dumbbells and repeat.

Dumbbell Rows
How: Lying face down on the ball, with dumbbell in hand, straighten your arm. Then pull the dumbbell toward your upper chest, with your elbow leading.

Dumbbell Squats
How: Place the ball between the wall and the lower part of your back. In each hand, hold a dumbbell with your arms by your sides. Feet shoulder-width apart, slowly squat like you’re about to sit in a chair, allowing your back to follow the roll of the ball. Stop when your thighs become parallel to the floor. Then push up to return to a standing position.

Hip Lifts
How: Lie on the floor face up; place your calves on the ball, about 8 inches apart. Keep your arms on the floor, away from your body. Tilting your pelvis forward, raise your hips as high as possible and contract the buttocks when you reach the top. Lower your buttocks and relax.

Dumbbell Shoulder/Overhead Press
How: Sit on the ball, or stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and dumbbells at shoulder height. Grasp dumbbells with palms facing forward. Slowly push them toward the ceiling, stopping before your elbows lock. Then slowly lower them to shoulder height.

Dumbbell Arm Curls
How: Stand with your back straight, dumbbells hanging by your sides. With your palms facing up, curl both dumbbells simultaneously toward your shoulders. Then slowly lower the weight, rotating your palms so they’re facing each other at the bottom of the exercise.

“For best results, set goals, continue to gradually increase the weight you lift to avoid plateaus and seek guidance from a fitness professional from time to time,” says Blair.

Sandra Gordon spoke with Calvin Blair Jr., a speaker-at-large for the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) in Colorado Springs, and a personal trainer at Performance Sport Training in Sugar Land, Texas. For more information about strength training, log onto the NSCA’s Web site, at www.nsca-lift.org.

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