Going back to the gym.. help!

What exactly do you want your gym time to do for you? Also any particular areas you are going to focus on? How often are you going and for how long?

If you get me that information, I will ask the trainer in the gym here if she can do you a training plan. I get on reasonably well with her so she might well do.

Failing that, yes you should do cardio if you want to improve your fitness level and if you want to burn fat. Weights alone will not lose you weight (in fact you will probably put on weight). I'd suggest 15-20 minutes on a machine at the start, then weights / weight machines and then another 15-20 minutes. You need to raise your heart rate when on the cardio machines. These people who sit reading a book when they are on the cycling machine are kidding themselves.

To lose weight and tone you need to do low weight high reps. Take a day off after each day exercising so you recover or at the very least, train different muscle groups each consecutive day. Dont forget to do warm up and cool down before hand. I'm lazy and dont and as a result I get pulled muscles now and then.

There are different exercises for different muscle groups, but starting off I'd be tempted to use the weight machines as you are less likely to hurt yourself through bad form. Also do not forget how good regular situps, pressups, the plank and ball work are.

You should spend no more than a couple of minutes on each weight machine. I do 3 lots of 10 reps with 30-60 second break between each set. You want to do more like 20+ at a much lower weight.

OP, concentrate on compound lifts (bench press, squats, deadlifts, rows, overhead press, lat pulldown/pullups). There are many good starting programs. Starting strength, Stronglifts 5x5, New Rules of Lifting For Women. Although I never did NROLFW, I highly recommend that women read it because it makes you rethink the approach most women take (and the above poster recommended).

What exactly do you want your gym time to do for you? Also any particular areas you are going to focus on? How often are you going and for how long?

If you get me that information, I will ask the trainer in the gym here if she can do you a training plan. I get on reasonably well with her so she might well do.

Failing that, yes you should do cardio if you want to improve your fitness level and if you want to burn fat. Weights alone will not lose you weight (in fact you will probably put on weight). I'd suggest 15-20 minutes on a machine at the start, then weights / weight machines and then another 15-20 minutes. You need to raise your heart rate when on the cardio machines. These people who sit reading a book when they are on the cycling machine are kidding themselves.

To lose weight and tone you need to do low weight high reps. Take a day off after each day exercising so you recover or at the very least, train different muscle groups each consecutive day. Dont forget to do warm up and cool down before hand. I'm lazy and dont and as a result I get pulled muscles now and then.

There are different exercises for different muscle groups, but starting off I'd be tempted to use the weight machines as you are less likely to hurt yourself through bad form. Also do not forget how good regular situps, pressups, the plank and ball work are.

You should spend no more than a couple of minutes on each weight machine. I do 3 lots of 10 reps with 30-60 second break between each set. You want to do more like 20+ at a much lower weight.

No, just no. First of all, you lose weight through a caloric deficit. It's best to do that through your diet. You may add some water weight initially when strength training (increased glycogen stored in muscles for repair, which is hydrophilic) but that will go away after your body adapts to the new program. This also why many women feel like they get "bulkier" when they start lifting.

Low weights/high reps is effective for increasing muscular endurance but if you want to "tone", you need to lift heavy weights/low reps. You have to put stress on the muscles to cause them to grow.

OP, concentrate on compound lifts (bench press, squats, deadlifts, rows, overhead press, lat pulldown/pullups). There are many good starting programs. Starting strength, Stronglifts 5x5, New Rules of Lifting For Women. Although I never did NROLFW, I highly recommend that women read it because it makes you rethink the approach most women take (and the above poster recommended).

Weights alone will not lose you weight (in fact you will probably put on weight).

To lose weight and tone you need to do low weight high reps.