It's very possible to carry out a weight training exercise program at home, but this isn't the best place to start.  Although you will be able to lift the weights and do the number of repetitions involved, you will not be certain that you are holding your posture correctly; that you lift the weights in a way that won't inflict damage on your muscles, and you'll also be tempted to add more weights than are necessary.

Before you start using weights at home book a few sessions with a professionally qualified weight training instructor.  This doesn't have to be a year-long membership (unless that's what you want and the gym offers), it can be as little as a few weeks of regular workouts using the weights with the instructor on hand to offer advice on how to handle the weights safely.

In order to tone up your muscles, breathing and posture are the two most important elements.  First of all you must stand correctly so that each weight training exercise works on the area of the body that it's supposed to without causing damage, and secondly you must inhale and exhale correctly in order to get the maximum benefit from each exercise.  Another point that the weight training instructor will advise on is how long you should hold each repetition of the exercise.  It's this repetition that's the key to muscle toning.

If you are muscle building, you don't need to carry out as many repetitions, you want to build muscle and so although you do need to do repetitions, you do so whilst you are increasing the amount of weights you are exercising with.  When you are using a weight training exercise program to tone muscle however, you use a regular lower amount of weight, but many more repetitions.  These start off quite low, but build with each session.

Once you are sure that you know what you're doing, and you no longer need an instructor standing behind you telling you when to breathe, how to move and counting the repetitions for you, then you can start using the weights at home if you prefer to do so - just don't forget what you've been taught at the gym.  Remember, slow and safe is the way to build great muscle tone!