If you have an at-home gym or workout area, then one great way to increase your level of fitness is to incorporate strength training into your routine. How do you do that safely and effectively? Easy. Just follow these simple guidelines:

• Don’t lift super heavy weights alone. If your goal is to bench press hundreds of pounds at a time, doing it while home alone is not a good idea. Even if you’ve never had any problems before, one wrong move or one muscle that suddenly gives out could put you in a horrible position, even potentially causing you death if it falls on your head or neck.

Therefore, you’re better off keeping your weights light enough to work with when no one else is around. And if you want to lift the heavier oness, have a friend come over and act as a spotter. That way, if something goes wrong, you’ve got someone there to help.

• Vary your strength training routine. Because your muscles need 24 to 48 hours to heal after a high intensity strength training session, you want to vary your routine so you’re not working the same muscle groups two days in a row. For example, if you’re working your arms today, then focus on your legs tomorrow.

• Work opposing muscle groups. In order to keep your body symmetrical, be sure to work opposing muscle groups (like biceps and triceps, or quads and hamstrings). This also helps prevent injuries as they become strong enough to support each other during all of your strength training sessions.

• Breath. Although it is extremely important to keep proper form while strength training at home, breathing is a close second. Exhale when you’re lifting or contracting your muscles and inhale when you’re releasing them or returning to the start position. This helps improve your performance and can even prevent you from hurting yourself.

Do these four things and you’re well on your way to getting a good strength training workout at home!