weight lifting beginner

I started with New Rules of Lifting for Women. The book has a lot of good info, and Stage 1 is a great way to get started. And don't worry about getting too muscular!

glad you changed your mindset!
strength training is awesome and will take you a long way as far as how your body looks.
first, get a baseline: take your measurements at your chest (just under your arms), 2 inches above your belly button, at your belly button and 2 inches below it, and at your hips (put the tape over your hip bones).
Then, flex your bicep and measure around the biggest part. Do both arms.
Flex your leg and measure around the biggest part. Do both legs (note: the legs are probably the most difficult to consistently measure, so if you have a reference point like a scar or a mole or something, use that point).
Use centimeters and pull the tape so there is no slack, but not so tight that it makes a dent in your skin.
These measurements, along with the amount of weight you move will tell you how you are progressing.

as far as an actual strength training routine, the New Rules of Lifting for Women is a good starting point. If you don't want to go through those stages (there are 7 of them) and want to just jump in, start with compound lifts. "compound" because it involves more than one muscle group to accomplish. don't worry about the looks you get from anyone else in the gym: if you pay for your membership, you have every right to be there and use all the equipment. i can't tell you how often I see big brawny guys with horrendous (and dangerous) form lifting weight that is far too heavy for them- and their pain is very evident.
there is no going forward with injuries.

the deadlift involves picking up a bar with weights off the ground, or from supports across the squat rack about halfway up your shins (rack lifts or pulls). it works the posterior chain (hams and glutes)...should NOT work your lower back. you can certainly rotate them: floors for range of motion and racks for strength. start with the bar (the long ones are olympic bars and weigh 45 pounds themselves). look at some rippetoe videos for form and get the form down first before you add plates.have one of those brawny guys watch you and tell you if your back is straight and your knees dont overextend.

the squat is a glute/quad exercise. for form practice, stand in front of a bench and sit down on til you barely touch it, then rise back up. when you can do that without windmilling your arms, put an empty bar across your shoulders and try it again. if its too heavy, use a lighter bar (they come in 25 pounds too, sometimes). again see a video for form. in the squat rack, there are safety bars that you can raise or lower. use them if you are alone (and even when you have a spotter). truly.

the bench press is an exercise where form is critical even with low weights. you can start with an empty bar, but it might be too heavy at first. work on pushups (from your feet, not your knees) until you can do 20 with a straight back and go all the way to the floor. on the bench, your eyes should be right under the bar as you look up. watch that your wrists do not curl under as you rotate the bar, or you'll blow them out. they remain straight. remember that this is a pushing up of the weight, so the effort comes from your chest and lats, not your biceps and shoulders. lots of videos for proper form on this too.

start with these, 3 days a week with a day off between (2 days off between deads and squat) for a couple of weeks. eat well, especially complex carbs on training days and keep your protein up. on your rest days...rest!

research to your heart's content on nutrition to support what you want to do and supplemental exercises, but these 3 are all you really need to shape your body. a really faulous facebook group for women strength training (and intermittent fasting) is fierce.fit.fearless and has a ton of very knowledgeable trainers and chicks who have done amazng things with weights.

NEVER be intimidated.

good luck.

Stronglifts is a good way to build up gradually as you can start low if you like.
There's an app and also someone who summed it up on here to make it alot easier to figure out:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/560459-stronglifts-5x5-summary

I also have been doing new rules of weight lifting for women. I did need someone to show me how to use the squat rack but otherwise it's been pretty easy. It works all parts of your body, and I like it because I work my abs without having to get on the floor and do crunches! And it's a lot of variety. I wasn't a complete beginner but was never serious until now.

bodybuilding.com/exercises

This is a GREAT place to start

My best friend introduced me to heavy lifting last spring and I love it!!!!!

If you CAN get a knowledgeable friend or get a personal trainer to help you get started.
I know that it's intimidating and scary, and that's ok. It's new and you of course are going out of your comfort zone. Just suck it up and go in there and lift with good form.
The the people who are really serious will not be bothered by you. When I see a new girl lifting, I'm secretly like "YES!" bc it's awesome. The beefy guys who think they're tough go in there to intimidate and be watched by girls and others. So don't pay attention to them!

I am just finishing up new rules of lifting for women and I think its a great beginners program. I follow the "in place of a road map" thread for my calories.

http://jasonferruggia.com/how-to-get-a-body-like-jessica-biel/

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