I strongly urge you to either hire a trainer to go over form or, at least, carefully watch some YouTube videos on form. Weight lifting is a wonderful form of exercise and probably the safest when done correctly. However, it's really easy to hurt yourself if you lift too much in the wrong way.

My quick advice is (1) go light at first [nobody cares how much you lift] (2) go slowly and try to feel tension in the correct muscles for the exercise if you don't know which muscles you should be feeling you should look it up (3) go over form very carefully with videos or a trainer

Strong agree. I started with programs like Starting Strength but I regret not working with a trainer earlier. There were so many technical mistakes I made that I never noticed myself. Worst case I would've hurt myself in the future, best case my progress would have stalled due to bad technique. There is only so much you can learn from YouTube videos because you need to know what you're looking for. Nothing wrong with these programs, but having someone experienced correct your technique is invaluable. That's perhaps less the case for simpler lifts like bench press, but I can't imagine someone learning to properly clean, snatch or jerk all by themselves.

If you can't afford to hire a trainer, start with going to a weightlifting group class to learn technique. Even Crossfit is good for that (just don't learn your pull-ups there :)). At least you will have someone correcting you. Once you're confident in your technique you can quite and start following your own program.

Seconded on CrossFit! Every CrossFit gym I’ve been to has a weekly Olympic lifting class, explicitly focusing on proper form and movement.

Also - CrossFit-style pull-ups might be a little goofy, but CrossFit burpees are the way to go. :)

I will third this with a caveat that MOST trainers are either incompetent or don't care. But you will literally save years of wasted time and injury if you do it right from the start. Just find the right person or cross-check with multiple. There is also a program called "5x5" which is ok for beginners. Don't forget to do pull ups and crunches too. The whole "liftings works your abs" enough thing is a myth. Maybe some cardio too.

Gotta 2x this comment: hire a trainer. It’s changed my life. You are accountable to someone who is invested in seeing you make progress and get better.

Because I work out three times a week my life is better on multiple fronts, including my concentration and coding.

Two years on I’m down 27 pounds and can do push-ups. I have never been able to do push-ups.

I'll go against the grain and say don't follow Stronglifts or Starting Strength (although the book is good if you're interested).

The problem with both is that they overindex on squats and on 5 rep sets. You want to get a mixture of the number of reps you do per set, and doing squats as often as they recommend will turn you into a t-rex. Plus, when you fail at a certain weight (which you're bound to do), then there's not the flexibility necessary to help you push through and so you get frustrated. I know--I've been in that situation with both programs.

I've recently taken up GZCLP[1] and I'm very happy with it. I'm already doing, 3 months in, more weight than I was doing on either SL5x5 or Starting Strength, and I'm over a decade older than I was when I did this programs.

[1] https://saynotobroscience.com/gzclp-infographic/

Stronglifts 5x5 is really nice for simplicity. Its pattern of continuous, small progression is great for feedback and that feeling of reward.

If you can, get someone to help teach you proper form when you start. It’s much easier to learn once, without needing to break bad habits.

Starting Strength is an excellent program. Be aware that not all trainers are equal. https://startingstrength.com/ Mark Rippetoe’s book started it all and is an invaluable resource for understanding proper form and how to approach weightlifting - and what to look for if you decide you want a trainer. That said, when I was starting out, I didn’t follow the aggressive weight buildup that many plans suggest. Your muscles will respond much more quickly than your joints, and you have to give them time to adjust. Buy a proper belt (discussed in the book) and consider taking some collagen to help your joints adjust. Slow and steady wins the race.

https://aasgaardco.com/store/books-posters-dvd/books/startin...

He also has videos on youtube demonstrating proper form.

> Your muscles will respond much more quickly than your joints

Funnily enough, when I tried couch-to-5k it I had to pause to recover from shin-splints aka tendonitis.

Now I've started bouldering more than usual, I'm getting climbers elbow (tendonitis) as well as other pains in the wrist and forearm that are not muscle-related.