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" When you want to work out at home, somtimes it may seem like you need a truckload of special equipment to get the job done. (There are so many different kinds of weights and bands and balls, not to mention those silly ab machine infomercials that come on late at night! Yikes!) Well, Katy, 16, from New Jersey was wondering about this, too, and she wants to know: &amp;quot;Is it really possible to get in super shape at home, and what do I need to do it?&amp;quot; Click read more to find out what trainer Jennifer Cohen, author of the book No Gym Required (coming soon!), had to say about it: Q: &amp;quot;Is it really possible to get and stay in shape by working out at home?&amp;quot; \u2014Katy, 16, New Jersey  A: Absolutely! No question about it. The reality is that working out 10 to 15 minutes and doing it three to four times a day is just as effective as spending the same amount of time at the gym \u2014 only it&amp;#039;s much easier to find 10 minutes at a time to work out than 30 minutes! Plus you save on the trip to and from the gym!  I recommend three pieces of equipment for a good home gym: Hand dumbbells, a light medicine ball, and a Swiss Ball. The whole kit doesn&amp;#039;t cost much, and you can do everything you need to do to tone your upper body, lower body, and core! And if you like to work out with friends, you can each get different equipment (mats, jump rope, and so on) and build a gym together! As far as at-home exercises, I always recommend multi-muscle-group exercises. That means lunges and curls at the same time, or a plank with a leg and arm lift. You&amp;#039;ll work your whole body and do it faster! There are lots in my new book, but here&amp;#039;s one great move to get you started!  Walking Lunges with a Twist What it works: Your whole body! You&amp;#039;ll tone your sides, abs, arms, shoulders, legs, and butt. Equipment needed: A six- to eight-pound medicine ball (if you don&amp;#039;t have a medicine ball you can modify by using anything weighing six to eight pounds!). How to do it: Extend your arms in front of your chest all the way and squeeze the ball between your palms as you lunge forward. When you get into the downward portion of the lunge, twist your upper body opposite to the lunge while keeping your hips facing forward to work your sides and your stomach. Alternate sides with each lunge and go the length of a room back and forth until you&amp;#039;ve done about 15 to 18 lunges. Hope that helps, and if you have any other questions on home gym equipment (or anything else!) leave them in the comments or e-mail them to health@seventeen.com! Promise we&amp;#039;ll answer them! \u2014Jennifer "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.seventeen.com/health/fitness/a3407/workout-at-home-aab-011609/>