New to lifting...

The book 'New Rules of Lifting For Women' is SUPER expensive to get shipped to the UK so it's not on my list of resources

You're actually quite lucky you live in the UK because the UK Strength and Conditioning Certification is the most difficult certs to get in the world and it means the person training you will have extensive knowledge regarding every facet of fitness

If I were you, I wouldn't waste my money on any books about weightlifting (especially one that differentiates based on gender...that's just a marketing ploy). You're better off taking that money and getting a personal trainer for 1-3 sessions with the sole purpose of learning the essential weightlifting maneuvers (i.e. squat, bench press, deadlift, etc.). You're actually quite lucky you live in the UK because the UK Strength and Conditioning Certification is the most difficult certs to get in the world and it means the person training you will have extensive knowledge regarding every facet of fitness. There are group workshops available around the country: http://www.uksca.org.uk/uksca/Common/productList.asp?txtItemTypeID=7

If that is still too pricey, a decent alternative is to join a Crossfit gym. While Crossfit is a terrible training paradigm for athletes, it's actually quite good for the general population so long as the movements are appropriately taught and supervised. It can also be quite inexpensive to get started (lots of Crossfit affiliates offer between one and five free sessions). Just make sure the instructors understand that you're new to Crossfit and not familiar with any of the movements.

If you are settled on reading about the movements before implementing them (which would be smart, even if you do decide to get a personal trainer for a few sessions) take a look at http://www.sportscienceed.com/ under the "exercises" tab for videos regarding many of the lifts. In the same respect, YouTube would be a decent place to see the proper weightlifting movements.

All of this being said, I can't emphasize enough the need to learn these lifts under the proper supervision. Weightlifting is one of the safest sports out there (as far as injuries per 100 athletes is concerned) but when done improperly you can really mess yourself up. It's also very important to learn how to put these exercises together with the appropriate sets, reps, and rest intervals; and how to develop your program over time to avoid plateauing and not seeing the desired results anymore. It's well worth the initial investment to learn this stuff at the beginning.

Hope this helps!

P.S. I'm not just some guy that read a lot of BS magazines about weightlifting or bodybuilding...I have a Masters in Kinesiology and Sport Science and over 1000 hours coaching athletes ranging from my own wife to Olympic hopefuls at the US Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, NY. Anyways, good luck with your training!

If I were you, I wouldn't waste my money on any books about weightlifting (especially one that differentiates based on gender...that's just a marketing ploy). You're better off taking that money and getting a personal trainer for 1-3 sessions with the sole purpose of learning the essential weightlifting maneuvers (i.e. squat, bench press, deadlift, etc.). You're actually quite lucky you live in the UK because the UK Strength and Conditioning Certification is the most difficult certs to get in the world and it means the person training you will have extensive knowledge regarding every facet of fitness. There are group workshops available around the country: http://www.uksca.org.uk/uksca/Common/productList.asp?txtItemTypeID=7

If that is still too pricey, a decent alternative is to join a Crossfit gym. While Crossfit is a terrible training paradigm for athletes, it's actually quite good for the general population so long as the movements are appropriately taught and supervised. It can also be quite inexpensive to get started (lots of Crossfit affiliates offer between one and five free sessions). Just make sure the instructors understand that you're new to Crossfit and not familiar with any of the movements.

If you are settled on reading about the movements before implementing them (which would be smart, even if you do decide to get a personal trainer for a few sessions) take a look at http://www.sportscienceed.com/ under the "exercises" tab for videos regarding many of the lifts. In the same respect, YouTube would be a decent place to see the proper weightlifting movements.

All of this being said, I can't emphasize enough the need to learn these lifts under the proper supervision. Weightlifting is one of the safest sports out there (as far as injuries per 100 athletes is concerned) but when done improperly you can really mess yourself up. It's also very important to learn how to put these exercises together with the appropriate sets, reps, and rest intervals; and how to develop your program over time to avoid plateauing and not seeing the desired results anymore. It's well worth the initial investment to learn this stuff at the beginning.

Hope this helps!

P.S. I'm not just some guy that read a lot of BS magazines about weightlifting or bodybuilding...I have a Masters in Kinesiology and Sport Science and over 1000 hours coaching athletes ranging from my own wife to Olympic hopefuls at the US Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, NY. Anyways, good luck with your training!

That "marketing ploy" is actually a very informative, standard book that's helped MANY women on this site get started and trained properly. Do your research first.

If I were you, I wouldn't waste my money on any books about weightlifting (especially one that differentiates based on gender...that's just a marketing ploy). You're better off taking that money and getting a personal trainer for 1-3 sessions with the sole purpose of learning the essential weightlifting maneuvers (i.e. squat, bench press, deadlift, etc.). You're actually quite lucky you live in the UK because the UK Strength and Conditioning Certification is the most difficult certs to get in the world and it means the person training you will have extensive knowledge regarding every facet of fitness. There are group workshops available around the country: http://www.uksca.org.uk/uksca/Common/productList.asp?txtItemTypeID=7

If that is still too pricey, a decent alternative is to join a Crossfit gym. While Crossfit is a terrible training paradigm for athletes, it's actually quite good for the general population so long as the movements are appropriately taught and supervised. It can also be quite inexpensive to get started (lots of Crossfit affiliates offer between one and five free sessions). Just make sure the instructors understand that you're new to Crossfit and not familiar with any of the movements.

If you are settled on reading about the movements before implementing them (which would be smart, even if you do decide to get a personal trainer for a few sessions) take a look at http://www.sportscienceed.com/ under the "exercises" tab for videos regarding many of the lifts. In the same respect, YouTube would be a decent place to see the proper weightlifting movements.

All of this being said, I can't emphasize enough the need to learn these lifts under the proper supervision. Weightlifting is one of the safest sports out there (as far as injuries per 100 athletes is concerned) but when done improperly you can really mess yourself up. It's also very important to learn how to put these exercises together with the appropriate sets, reps, and rest intervals; and how to develop your program over time to avoid plateauing and not seeing the desired results anymore. It's well worth the initial investment to learn this stuff at the beginning.

Hope this helps!

P.S. I'm not just some guy that read a lot of BS magazines about weightlifting or bodybuilding...I have a Masters in Kinesiology and Sport Science and over 1000 hours coaching athletes ranging from my own wife to Olympic hopefuls at the US Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, NY. Anyways, good luck with your training!

That "marketing ploy" is actually a very informative, standard book that's helped MANY women on this site get started and trained properly. Do your research first.

You're right, I did not choose my words wisely. I think a book such as that or reading done on a reputable website can be an excellent resource for someone interested in starting a weightlifting routine. My more general point was that reading, studying photographs, and watching videos are not the best way to learn how to actually perform the movements and that a little investment in a coach at the very beginning can pay dividends in the end by helping one to avoid injury and disappointment. I apologize if I was offensive in any way.