First time at a gym

I would suggest booking a session with a trainer who can tell you exactly how things work and what exercises would be best for you. This would be the best thing if you really don't know what you're doing and should help you avoid injury by doing things the wrong way.

Squat rack.

Seriously though, look into a program like New Rules of Lifting. A lot of people who have history of knee pain notice improvement after weightlifting in both mobility and strength. I used to suffer from really bad tendinitis and its basically non-existent anymore and I've increased my range of motion as well.

Ask questions too, people at the gym are more friendly than you'd think and also, guys like helping out the girls that are lifting. I usually incorporate a short cardio session at the beginning of my workouts, 5-10 minutes on a rower or an elliptical, gets my heart rate up and my muscles warm, then I stretch for a few minutes and then hit the weights

Hope that helps!

Squat rack.

Seriously though, look into a program like New Rules of Lifting. A lot of people who have history of knee pain notice improvement after weightlifting in both mobility and strength. I used to suffer from really bad tendinitis and its basically non-existent anymore and I've increased my range of motion as well.

Ask questions too, people at the gym are more friendly than you'd think and also, guys like helping out the girls that are lifting. I usually incorporate a short cardio session at the beginning of my workouts, 5-10 minutes on a rower or an elliptical, gets my heart rate up and my muscles warm, then I stretch for a few minutes and then hit the weights

Hope that helps!

The OP probably shouldn't start off with back squats.

As a previous post suggested, I would recommend strengthening the muscles around the knees before starting back squats. Lifts like squats, deadlifts, and any oly move are pretty rough for the knees. If the OP truly does have knee problems, then machines like the leg extension may be a better option for the start.

Some other posts have recommended meeting with a PT. I think that's a GREAT idea. I'm a personal trainer myself, and I hate to see people doing incorrect or ineffective workouts (especially when they're obviously new).

Good luck!

Go to bodybuilding.com forums. Search for various workouts,

find a good routine that works for you. If you find an exercise that you have

no idea how to do, just youtube it, i bet someone has put a vid up sometime.

Good luck.

andlol@trainers, no.

EDIT: To clarify, there is much to be said for body building, that one

person cannot explain everything to you on these forums alone.

You can find all the info you need at that site to get started, essentially you want

to work all your muscle groups at least once a week, maybe 2x depending on volume.

Good luck!

Start slow, but get started. Grab some reading material and learn about the basics: range of motion, controlling the weight and proper form. Start with body weight movements and multiple joint movements: push ups or a variation, squats (air squats), jumping jacks, planks, light overhead presses, etc. I am a big proponent of circuit weights where you use light-ish weights with little rest in between sets. This is resistance training and cardio rolled into one. The synergy can really burn some calories.

The gym can be an intimidating place, at first, but most people respect effort and work. They will be willing to help with advice or a spot. Personally, I like to learn the exercises and routines on my own by reading. This base knowledge give me a place to start and a basis to weed out bad advice. In many cases, the 'experts' at the gym know little more thatn you and may give you bad advice. My point is you should approach the person that you see as knowing what they are doing and be weary of those who come up to you and offer info up. Good luck and enjoy it. Send me a friend request if you like.

andlol@trainers, no.

I think this is a little unfair. I only meet my trainer once every couple of weeks, but hiring him gave me the confidence to actually go into the free weights area, and now I spend 99% of my workout time in there. Also, I can push myself more when he is there, because he will spot me. My gym is not especially friendly.