Strength Training: Where to Start?

Where are you now? Have you ever done any weights stuff at all before? Do you have access to a gym? If so, does it have free weights? Specifically, does it have barbells, a squat rack, etc., or just dumbells?

Assuming you are starting from a complete beginner place and do have access to a gym/weights:

(1) Pick a good progressive program and follow it faithfully for a reasonable period of time. This is what I did wrong (although I ended up learning stuff, I didn't make the progress I should have). I kept second-guessing myself or deciding some other program was shinier and newer. Any good program will work, but you need to stick consistently to a program.

(2) Learn form properly first. This is really important. Some people can learn it from youtubes and feel comfortable. I found it enormously helpful to see a personal trainer for a few sessions to get help on this. I just felt more comfortable and secure that I was actually doing it right.

The programs I'd mention are similar to Isaack's -- New Rules of Lifting (I like for Life and Supercharged, but for Women is good too -- they are all similar); Strong Curves; and StrongLifts 5x5. (I don't know ICF, and I'd also mention StartingStrength -- the book and website are good -- but the program likely isn't as good for a beginner as it incorporates the clean which is a harder lift to learn, although fun.)

StrongLifts is the one of the three I recommend that focuses most on getting stronger and the simplest and you can download a cool app, so on the whole I recommend it, but it involves barbells, so you would have to have access, be able to be taught (or feel comfortable that you know) proper form on lifts where it's a bit more challenging at first than some others. However, IMO this is incredibly worth it and valuable, so I'd recommend assuming you can manage the starting weights or have access to a lighter barbell.

I started with NRofL and like that too, but it tends to be more complicated, has more exercises and not such a focus on the big lifts (but for me stuff like bentover dumbell rows were easier to start with than the barbell row, so there's that), and tends to be less focused on increasing weight. You do 8-12 reps and move up when you do 12 easily, and it's harder to move up quickly when you are doing one-arm dumbell stuff where the weights are lighter in general, or at least that was my experience.

Strong Curves is really good for glute and hamstring stuff and I did it for a while after physical therapy related to running since it overlapped so well.

Really, though, best to just pick a program and work it -- I wish I'd done that at first.

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I just started stronglifts 5x5 and I LOVE it. It's challenging for sure, but awesome. There's an app that tracks your progress and there are video tutorials for everything. Good luck!